The Houston Texans got to work April 3 with their offseason program, and new coach DeMeco Ryans likes the progress his team displayed over several weeks.
Ryans told reporters on June 14, the last day of mandatory minicamp, that the team was in favorable positioning with the long layoff coming ahead of training camp in late July.
“For right now and where we are, we’re in a really good spot,” Ryans said. “We just ended on the field — like the way the guys are competing back and forth, offense, defense — both making plays, both challenging each other — iron sharpening iron. That’s exactly what I wanted.”
There was only so much iron that could sharpen itself as the collective bargaining agreement precludes working in pads, which impacts the work for the offensive and defensive line. Nevertheless the evaluation of skill positions was enough to give the Texans an idea of where they are at with the passing game and rushing attack on both sides of the ball.
“Guys are confident in what they’re doing, what we’re asking of them and that’s all we wanted to make sure,” said Ryans. “We installed our schemes, installed our terminology. We wanted to make sure that guys have a really great grasp of what we’re doing, and I feel like we accomplished that this spring. And so now, on to the competition.”
The Texans left Houston Methodist Training Center forging camaraderie. Ryans hopes to see the same level of energy and enthusiasm when the team kicks off training camp in a month.
Said Ryans: “I want our guys to be excited, not only about playing football, but excited about who you are playing football with — the men in that huddle with you. And that’s where we’ve gotten.”
In hiring Ryans, the Texans were allowed to start the offseason program two weeks early due to hiring a coach in his first year with the team.
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