Tag: 2022 Texans rookie minicamp

Will Jeff Okudah play this week? Latest injury updates for Texans CB

Jeff Okudah has been on the injured reserve since he aggravated a hip against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1’s win.

The Houston Texans aren’t back to full strength yet, but they could gain an essential part of their defensive depth in the trenches for Sunday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions on NBC.

Cornerback Jeff Okudah was cleared to return to practice for the first time in months on Monday. Here’s what happened and his current status entering Sunday Night’s matchup at NRG Stadium.

Jeff Okudah injury update

Okudah, one of Houston’s defensive additions this offseason, was placed on injured reserve after he aggravated a hip injury against the Indianapolis Colts. Serving as Houston’s No. 3 cornerback, Okudah was used in multiple formations opposite Derek Stingley Jr. and in place of the young Kamari Lassiter.

Houston elected to activate Okudah’s 21-day window to be restored to the active roster. The team will have until Nov. 25 to decide if they’ll bring him back to the 53-man squad or return him to the injured reserve for the remainder of the regular season.

Jeff Okudah stats

Drafted by the Lions out of Ohio State in 2020, the former No. 3 overall pick only recorded one tackle before being placed on the IR back in Week 1. A former All-American, Okduah played in 13 games last season for the Atlanta Falcons and had 44 tackles and three pass deflections.

Since leaving Columbus, Okudah has played in 38 games and has 31 career starts under his belt. He’s recorded 168 career tackles, two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.

Texans CB depth chart

With Okudah out, it’s been a rotation of talent behind Lassiter and Stingley. Here’s the rest of the defensive ends on the active roster:

  • Derek Stingley Jr.
  • Kamari Lassiter
  • D’Angleo Ross
  • Kris Boyd
  • Ka’Dar Hollmon

Important 2023 Houston Texans offseason dates

Here are key offseason dates as the Houston Texans get to work in their first year with coach DeMeco Ryans.

The 2023 offseason represents one of the more optimistic offseasons the Houston Texans have had in a long while.

With new coach DeMeco Ryans at the helm, the Texans are afford some advantages, such as being able to start their offseason workouts two weeks ahead of teams with returning coaching staffs.

Much of the offseason will be general manager Nick Caserio’s time to shine as the club works with $37.1 million salary cap space, the fourth-highest in the NFL, and also 12 draft picks, tied with the Kansas City Chiefs — for now — for the most in the 2023 NFL draft.

Here are some key dates for the Texans in the 2023 offseason.

Texans coach Lovie Smith uses T.D. Jakes’ Mother’s Day sermon for rookie minicamp orientation

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith referenced a Bishop T.D. Jakes Mother’s Day sermon when orienting rookies at the team’s minicamp.

Lovie Smith is a father and a grandfather, but it was the Mother’s Day message from a bishop of a Dallas megachurch that resonated with the Houston Texans coach when he prepared to talk to the incoming rookie class at minicamp.

The Texans held rookie minicamp from May 12-14 at team facilities in and around NRG Stadium, and Smith touched on a sermon from Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House Church to help the rookies acclimate to the NFL.

“One of the best Mother’s Day sermons that I ever heard was T.D. Jakes talked about mothers, mentors and moments,” Smith told reporters on May 13. “So last night I kind of started off our meeting a little bit with that. We all had a mother that gave us this opportunity, let the guys know that.

“Mentors, who are the mentors? This weekend we talked to a couple of guys, and they were there hanging out with their high school coaches. A lot of mentors.

“Mothers hand the baton off to the mentors, and we’re a part of that too, coaches, leading up to the moment. The moment of having an opportunity to play in the NFL. It kind of says it all right there of where the guys are. They’ve been working out a lot for this moment, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can as mentors to help them through it.”

Part of Smith’s orientation was to calm the nerves of the drafted and undrafted rookies eager to make a great impression with their first NFL team.

“These first couple of days, it’s about this, ‘Welcome to our group. This is how we do things,'” Smith explained. “Letting them know that it’s going to be okay. We’re not going to play tomorrow, and just to trust the process as much as anything. Letting them know about our coaches a little bit.”

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WATCH: Texans WR John Metchie takes practice field at rookie minicamp

Houston Texans rookie receiver John Metchie took to the practice field during rookie minicamp outside of Houston Methodist Training Center.

Former Alabama receiver John Metchie may have torn his ACL in the SEC Championship Game in December 2021, but he intends to be on track for Houston Texans training camp in late July.

According to video from Texans Wire alumnus Coty Davis, Metchie took to the practice field on Friday during rookie minicamp outside at Houston Methodist Training Center.

Coach Lovie Smith did not have a timetable for when the second-round rookie would be ready to go, but was confident he would return to 100%.

“Eventually, he will be ready to go,” said Smith. “There’s a lot that he can do before that. He’s not 100% yet, but in time he will be.”

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Texans S Jalen Pitre not looking too far ahead, staying focused on fundamentals

Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre is not getting too far ahead of himself when it comes to his entry into the NFL.

The Houston Texans selected Jalen Pitre with the No. 37 overall pick in Round 2 of the 2022 NFL draft. The pick indicates the club has hopes for the Baylor product to upgrade their secondary.

Pitre signed a standard rookie contract with the Texans, which means the club expects him to man the backend at a high level for the next four years.

For the next four seasons, the former Stafford High School product can count on staying in his native Harris County to get his NFL career off the ground. However, Pitre isn’t looking too far upfield, but rather focusing on each day to ensure the proper rudiments are established for his career.

“Just try to take it a day at a time,” Pitre told reporters on May 13 at Texans rookie minicamp at NRG Stadium. “I want to show up and like Coach Lovie [Smith] said, ‘Just be a professional every day.’ I feel like if you look too far ahead you’ll start to trip over the things in front of you.”

The Texans’ big plans for Pitre are within his skillset. The 6-0, 197-pound defensive back has the ability to play on the backend and also down in the box to enforce the run defense. Pitre will be playing in a Tampa 2 scheme that has produced some dominant safeties over the decades from John Lynch to Bob Sanders. It is feasible that Pitre could have a similar career arch if he follows what Smith preaches.

In order to hear Smith’s words, Pitre has to keep it simple and take each day as it comes.

“I’m just trying to take it a second at a time, a minute at a time, a day at a time and take care of what’s happening right now,” said Pitre.

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Texans coach Lovie Smith played Motown music at rookie minicamp practice

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith played old school R&B at rookie minicamp practice to reinforce his values about football.

Lovie Smith is no stranger to old school R&B. The former 2005 NFL coach fo the year compared his Tampa 2 defense to the timeless genre.

Just as Smith was introducing rookies on defense to his principles of the Tampa 2 at rookie minicamp on May 13, he was also indoctrinating the entire rookie class with old school R&B on the Houston Texans’ practice fields outside of Houston Methodist Training Center.

“I wake up every day to music,” Smith said. “I’m a music guy, to say the least. You can tell I’m probably a little bit more towards Motown than rap music, that’s probably easy to see. But you kind of start practice off the same way just about everywhere I’ve been.”

Smith acknowledged that the game of football isn’t played in silence. Therefore, music is inevitably a part of the game.

“Music has become a big part of practices nowadays for young people,” said Smith. “You go in our locker room, there’s nothing wrong with it. There’s a time for it. The game isn’t played in silence. So, I like music at practice, and at certain times, loud music at practice.”

Smith uses old school R&B to reinforced that he is an old school coach and there are tenets he still believes about the game of football, and his convictions will never change.

Said Smith: “Most of the time when I say something, I really believe it. I am old school, and there’s a lot of things that you don’t want to leave us completely, and music of the past is one of them that says an awful lot.”

The Texans are hopeful that Smith’s old school ways bring a new form of winning attitude to NRG Stadium. If nothing else, Smith is at least keeping old school R&B alive with the younger generation.

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Texans coach Lovie Smith says RB Dameon Pierce is a ‘tough, confident football player’

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith says that fourth-round rookie running back Dameon Pierce is a “tough, confident football player.”

It didn’t take long for former Florida running back Dameon Pierce to make an impression with his new team.

The fourth-round managed to get his helmet knocked off during team portions of rookie minicamp Friday at the fields outside Houston Methodist Training Center. Pierce bulled his way into the end zone nevertheless for a score.

For coach Lovie Smith, the effort and result is what the club expected when they drafted Pierce.

“We drafted Dameon in mind with having a guy that can get yards in between the tackles,” said Smith. “He is a tough football player, confident football player. We feel like we have a role for him. You can’t ever have too many good running backs. I think as you look at our running back position, they all bring something a little bit different, little bit unique to the position.”

The job before offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and running backs coach Danny Barrett is to evaluate how to divvy up the carries between former Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead, who had the Texans’ only 100-yard rushing game last season. Also vying for playing time are veterans such as Royce Freeman.

“I know Pep, Danny Barrett, the rest of our offensive staff are looking forward to seeing how that all plays out,” said Smith. “All the guys pretty much that we have in our group have had their moments carrying the football. Can’t wait to get to OTAs coming up and then training camp.”

The Texans’ drafting of Pierce demonstrates a commitment to get younger at the position with a valuable pick. The last time the Texans took a running back in the fourth round or higher was in 2017 with the third-round selection of former Texas running back D’Onta Foreman, who played high school football at nearby Texas City.

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