Tag: 2023 Texans rookie minicamp

Texans C Juice Scruggs working with C.J. Stroud to forge chemistry

Houston Texans rookie center Juice Scruggs is looking to develop chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The Houston Texans are banking much of their fate in 2023 on the development of rookies.

Second-round center Juice Scruggs is aware of the onus laid upon the 2023 draft class, and spent rookie minicamp developing a relationship with first-round quarterback C.J. Stroud.

What helps with Scruggs and Stroud’s connection is their time in the Big Ten Conference. Penn State, Scruggs’ alma mater, faced Stroud and Ohio State on an annual basis.

“We had some crazy battles with Ohio State,” Scruggs told reporters May 13. “Just being able to meet him, how humble he is and how passionate he is about this game, excited to work with him and just get to go know him.”

While there has been lip service from coach DeMeco Ryans, general manager Nick Caserio, and even chairman and CEO Cal McNair that Stroud will have to earn his way into the starting job, the reality is the battle won’t be hard fought. Stroud will compete against 12-year Case Keenum and third-year Davis Mills. There was a reason Houston picked Stroud No. 2 overall.

For Scruggs, getting onto the field may be a bit more challenging. Houston already has veterans Jimmy Morrissey, Michael Deiter, and Scott Quessenberry vying for the center job. The Texans also drafted Notre Dame’s Jarrett Patterson in the sixth round.

The key to being the center is forming cohesion with Stroud.

Said Scruggs: “Just trying to build the relationship and get the chemistry going. What I thought about him in college, I thought he was the best quarterback in the country for sure.”

The last time the Texans had a rookie quarterback and rookie center start in a game was 2021, which was the epitome of a rebuilding season. Houston may not use such an inexperienced duo unless it shows the best potential to upgrade the offense.

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Texans’ DeMeco Ryans does not remember his 2006 rookie minicamp

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans does not have any recollection of his rookie minicamp as the team’s second-round pick in 2006.

DeMeco Ryans is looking to build the Houston Texans from the ground up, and after a successful draft in April, early indications are that he is well underway with that task.

As the Texans conducted rookie minicamp May 12-13, there was a curiosity about Ryans’ minicamp with the Texans in 2006.

“17 years ago, [that’s] taking me back,” Ryans told reporters May 12. “You know what? I don’t remember rookie minicamp. I don’t remember much of rookie minicamp.”

Houston picked Ryans with the No. 33 overall pick in Round 2 from Alabama to bolster their linebacking corps. Though he couldn’t recollect the finer details of what he went through, the difference in physicality between the camps from then to now stood out to him more than anything else.

“I just remember overall just the spring practices, summer practices,” Ryans said. “I just remember for me, just how quick practices were, how physical they were, which we can’t get physical anymore.”

Two revisions to the collective bargaining agreement in 2011 and 2020 keep players out of pads and intentionally colliding with one another until training camp.

Even though Ryans was just in shorts and a helmet in 2006, the speed of the game was borderline overwhelming.

Said Ryans: “Like coming in, it was just a different speed, and I had to get acclimated quickly if I wanted to keep up. That was one thing I learned, to get rolling very quickly.”

Ryans is sure to emphasize speed in acclimation to his 2023 draft class, which is expected to play an outsized role for the Texans next season. Though players may not be allowed to make contact or wear pads like Ryans did during his playing days at this point in the offseason, the focus on learning and execution remains the same.

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What has the biggest adjustment been for Texans DE Will Anderson?

Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson talked about what his biggest adjustment has been since joining the team.

Will Anderson was at the top of college football after the 2022 season.

The Alabama defensive end collected two Bronko Nagurski Trophies, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Lott Trophy, two SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors, and was a two-time first-team All-American. It is no surprise Anderson went No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans — and that they traded up from No. 12 to take him.

While Anderson left the college ranks on top, he is starting at the bottom in the NFL, even with his lofty draft status with Houston.

Anderson clarified what makes the pro game different from the college game when meeting with reporters on May 13 during minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center.

“With the NFL everything it’s more detailed,” Anderson said. “Like it’s a lot more sacrifices to make to understand and grasp everything the coaches are telling you to do, the playbook, everything like that.”

In college, there was also the structure of classes and eligibility obligations wherein football was compartmentalized. In the NFL, football is all Anderson has to do, which means the 21-year-old has to build his own structure on how to use his time efficiently.

“The difference from college to now is you have so much more free time, so you have to find a routine and get that routine and know what you’re going to do at this time, this time,” said Anderson. “Everything is just detail, you know what I’m saying?”

When Anderson is working on the game, the one aspect that proves challenging is the terminology.

Said Anderson: “The biggest thing is learning the language, the verbiage, and understanding what they want and just understanding that. So that’s just kind of been the biggest adjustment right now.”

Starting jobs aren’t handed out at minicamp as the weekend is spent getting rookies acclimated and ready to join the veterans for the team’s offseason workouts.

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C Juice Scruggs realizes significance of Texans trading up in draft

Juice Scruggs is aware of the significance in the Houston Texans trading up to draft him, and the rookie center seeks to reward their faith.

HOUSTON — For the young men waiting to hear which NFL team will call their name during the draft, life can be a little difficult when you are dealing with the anxiety and apprehension that goes along with it.

Former Penn State offensive lineman Frederick “Juice” Scruggs’s anxiousness, heightened when he received a call from the Houston Texans that the team would select him in the second round.

The Texans sent three later picks to the Philadelphia Eagles and were able to get back into the second round after including the 33rd pick in a package deal to the Arizona Cardinals to select Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. third overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

“The draft process is nerve-wracking as it is,” Scruggs told the media at the conclusion of the Texans rookie minicamp. “Once I got the call and they said they were trading up, my heart was jumping, not going to lie. All I heard was my heartbeat when they said Houston Texans are coming to get you.

“My heart was just jumping. It was crazy. I really didn’t think about it, and then my brothers were like, ‘They just traded up to get you. That’s a really big deal.’ I was like, ‘Let’s do it, man, I’m excited.’”

Scruggs was projected to be a mid-to-late-round pick due to some concerns about him being fully recovered from a severe car accident he was involved in back in 2019, where he fractured his L3 vertebrae and suffered a concussion.

He was confined to a back brace for eight months and could not compete for an entire season. Scruggs battled back from the horrific injury to be named a team captain for the Nittany Lions and was selected to the 2022 All-Big Ten Third Team.

Although he has spent time playing the guard and center positions on the offensive line, Scruggs wants an opportunity to compete and be used wherever the team needs him.

Houston has tentative plans to play him at center but could also use him at either guard position if an injury was to occur to second-year player Kenyon Green or veteran Shaq Mason. Scruggs has appreciated the family-oriented type atmosphere provided by the Texans, with players such as Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard reaching out to him after he was drafted.

He also has been impressed by first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans who gives off similar vibes as his former head coach at Penn State, James Franklin.

“Yeah, you can definitely see it,” said Scruggs about the two coaches. “They’re definitely family oriented, always talk about putting the team first. I’m just excited to get to work with him (Ryans) because you can just tell he brings energy to any room he’s in. And when you got a head coach that brings the energy, it’s easy to bring the energy. I’m just excited to play for him.”

Overcoming adversity is something that Scruggs has learned to deal with in life, from being involved in a horrific car accident that could have cost him his life to recovering and fulfilling his dream to play in the NFL.

As he prepares for Texans training camp this summer, Scruggs knows that there will be plenty of challenges that he will face, such as learning the playbook and adjusting to the speed of the game on the professional level.

Yet, his most significant adjustment will be dealing with the heat and humidity in Houston, in which he got a small sample size during his rookie minicamp at Methodist Training Center.

“I would just say the weather here is definitely different for me,” Scruggs said with a smile. “Penn State, you know, we don’t get hot that much, and I heard this isn’t even hot. Yeah, so that’s definitely going to be the biggest challenge for me.”

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Texans DE Will Anderson brings humble approach to rookie minicamp: ‘I haven’t arrived yet’

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson may be a talented rookie, but he understands fully he must keep a consistent, humble approach.

HOUSTON — Located three miles west of the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia, is a small city named Hampton with just under 10,000 residents. Most individuals from the town must mention the racetrack as a point of reference to give directions to anyone wanting to visit.

Many find it strange to mention a significant landmark before mentioning the name of the city they are from, including Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson, who was a superstar on the football field at Dutchtown High School located in Hampton, Georgia.

“Yeah, when people ask me questions, it’s crazy because, like for me, I don’t really be thinking about stuff like that, coming from a small town,” said Anderson after his second day of rookie minicamp. “My mind just be other places. It’s like now when people be like, where is Dutchtown at, I be like, ‘Well, Dutchtown is in Henry County.’”

While many may not be as geographically inclined to tell you what part of Georgia Henry County is located, they will never forget the impression that the third overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft left there and at Alabama, where he was awarded Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the year in back-to-back seasons to go along with the consecutive unanimous first-team All-American selections.

Anderson is following the same path that another former NFL player took over 17 years ago when he was selected in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Houston Texans after having a stellar college career at Alabama, where he, too, earned SEC Player of the Year and unanimous first-team All-American selection in his final season with the Crimson Tide.

The footsteps that Anderson is following in is none other than his coach DeMeco Ryans, who also has to mention famous people like former Heisman Trophy Winner Bo Jackson or hip-hop artist Gucci Mane in reference to his hometown of Bessemer, Alabama.

“Yeah, for me, I was super excited,” said Anderson about being drafted by the Texans and getting a chance to play for coach Ryans. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that I was hoping and praying to God for; is just whatever head coach I get; we have the same mentality.

“God blessed me, and I was fortunate enough to be in this program to share that with a coach who has the same mentality as me, the same grind, grit, and relentless mindset. So, it’s going to be easy for me to grasp what he’s saying, what he’s trying to get across to the team. Like I said, I’m just super excited to be part of this. It’s a big blessing and opportunity.”

Most Texans fans and general manager Nick Caserio hope Anderson sticks to the script written by Ryans, who was awarded NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006. Yet, Anderson knows that he has a lot of work to do before even being considered for such a prestigious honor.

“I haven’t arrived yet,” Anderson told the media on Saturday. “I just got here. I haven’t did anything yet. I got to earn it. I got to go out there and get the trust from the guys, keep connecting with them, and just paying attention to everything I’m doing and working hard. Yeah, I’m here, but I haven’t arrived to where I want to be at yet.”

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Texans DE Will Anderson not committed to jersey No. 51

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson hinted that he may be open to changing his jersey number from 51 at some point.

When the Houston Texans picked C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, smart money said the quarterback would keep his No. 7 jersey number and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn would more than likely switch to another number.

However, Will Anderson wasn’t able to have the incumbent sporting his college No. 31 — running back Dameon Pierce — make the same gesture. The No. 3 overall defensive end has been wearing No. 51 throughout the Texans’ rookie minicamp May 12-13.

The former Alabama product told reporters Saturday he isn’t particularly married to the jersey number.

“Yeah, really just the number they gave me right now for rookie minicamp,” Anderson said. “I mean, just being at Alabama and them giving me the No. 31, my coach told me just make a name out of it. So if 51 decides to stay here, I’m going to do my best to make a name and just be me. Numbers really don’t matter to me.”

There will be another opportunity for Anderson to switch numbers in case they do start to mean more to him. At the end of preseason, Houston will have to finalize their 53-man roster, and in doing so, more numbers that he may like will be available to choose from.

The last Texans player to wear No. 51 was linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, who played 20 games with Houston from 2021-22.

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WATCH: C.J. Stroud throws passes at Texans rookie minicamp

Get a glimpse of Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud warming up at rookie minicamp.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud solves a big problem the franchise had under center for the past couple seasons.

Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV shot video of Stroud throwing passes as part of his warmups during rookie minicamp Saturday at Houston Methodist Training Center.

The Texans are well aware of Stroud’s abilities with the football. What the focus has been at minicamp is getting the former Ohio State signal caller to learn the offense.

“Learning the offense, it’s like learning a new language, so then you have to learn how to speak that language and speak it fluently, especially for C.J. stepping in the huddle and making the play calls,” coach DeMeco Ryans said May 12. “How much and how quickly can they grasp the terminology and be able to communicate that effectively on the field?”

The Texans picked Stroud No. 2 overall in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft.

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says speed of the game is biggest learning curve for rookies

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says the biggest adjustment rookies must make in the pros is to the speed of the game.

DeMeco Ryans has a total of 16 seasons as a player and coach in the NFL. The former linebacker knows plenty about the adjustments rookies need to make to adapt to the pro game.

Ryans met with reporters May 12 during rookie minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center and spoke of the adjustment that rookies endure throughout their acclimation to the pros.

“It’s the speed of the game,” Ryans said. “Everything speeds up. Everyone is fast. That’s one thing, guys.”

Speed of the game is not just an element that No. 2 overall quarterback C.J. Stroud would have to deal with. The rest of the 2023 class, and even the undrafted free agents, are operating in a quicker reality.

“For me, I know it was speed of the game,” said Ryans. “It changes. Offensive linemen are much faster. Defensive line, they’re faster than you face in the college. And just how things happen, like the process and everything. Everything has to speed up a tick, so that’s one hurdle that the guys have to overcome.”

Ryans learned quickly in his first year as he was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with 156 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, seven pass breakups, an interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery through all 16 starts.

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WATCH: WR Xavier Hutchinson all smiles at Texans’ rookie minicamp

Sixth-round receiver Xavier Hutchinson was a happy camper at the Houston Texans’ rookie minicamp in a video posted to Twitter.

The Houston Texans selected Iowa State receiver Xavier Hutchinson with the 205th pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and with their rookie minicamp officially underway, the team posted a video of his cheery demeanor to Twitter on Saturday.

General manager Nick Caserio was particularly bullish on the selection of Hutchinson and told reporters shortly after the draft that he expects big things from his late-round receiver.

“You go back and look at his production, and I would say, I don’t know, he had 100 catches last year, the year before, whatever it was,” Caserio explained of Hutchinson. “Good size. Good toughness. Really good with the ball in his hands, great practice player. I would say this is a classic example of a guy whose workout didn’t go great, but he’s a good football player, so he falls into that bucket. It’s a player the offensive staff thought highly of.”

Clearly, the Texans’ front office is confident that their newest receiver can play a role in their offense next year, and judging from the video from Twitter, Hutchinson is happy to be in the Lone Star State to begin his NFL career.

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