Tag: davis mills

WATCH: Texans WR Tank Dell connects with QB Davis Mills against the Patriots

Houston Texans rookie receiver Tank Dell caught a pass from Davis Mills against the New England Patriots in preseason.

Tank Dell did not want to leave the Bayou City, but wanted to continue his football career after playing for the Houston Cougars.

The third-round receiver demonstrated a measure of his talent Thursday night against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Houston Texans wideout caught a 15-yard pass from quarterback Davis Mills on a first-and-10 from the Texans’ 20-yard line with 7:01 to go in the second quarter.

Dell told reporters Aug. 1 that his role in the Texans’ offense was to do whatever was asked of him.

“I don’t really know too much,” said Dell. “I just go out there and practice. I go out there and whatever they ask me to do, I do it at 100%, so I don’t really know too much about that.”

Dell demonstrated his presence for a quick 15 yards against the Patriots.

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Has QB Davis Mills run his course with the Texans?

With C.J. Stroud having won the QB battle, what could be next for the Houston Texans’ Davis Mills?

HOUSTON — Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio emphasized quarterback C.J. Stroud would earn the starting job; it simply wouldn’t be handed to him due to his status as the No. 2 overall pick.

During the rookie minicamp and organized team activities, the team reiterated adherence to competition. Third-year veteran quarterback Davis Mills took first-team reps when the Texans started training camp to give off the façade that there was an actual competition.

That lasted about two weeks before Stroud started to distance himself by putting together consecutive days of improvement and has taken all the first-team reps over the last three practices.

At one point on Monday during team drills, Case Keenum, who many consider the third-team quarterback, took second-team reps as Mills watched from the sidelines. There didn’t seem to be any apparent injury Mills sustained throughout practice. Although no official update was given on why he stood next to offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik throughout the drill as Keenum directed the offense, the absence generates curiosity.

Throw in Stroud being named the starter against the New England Patriots in the preseason opener Thursday night, and it seems to be the beginning of the end for Mills in Houston.

Mills was the Texans’ first selection in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft and started 11 games. Tyrod Taylor was shuffled in and out of the lineup due to injuries and ineffectiveness. The Texans gave Mills the reins in 2022, but had a 17-15 touchdown to interception ratio along with a 78.8 passer rating.

Even though Houston picked Stroud, Mills wanted an opportunity to impress Ryans and Slowik during training camp, and he did in spurts with the second unit. Nevertheless inconsistency prevailed when Mills worked with the first team.

One may conclude that the pressure and expectations are lowered for him when he is under center with the backups. It may be easier to process everything around him when the added weight of being a starter is taken off his shoulders.

“My biggest focus is just going out there and doing the best I can do to show the coaches what I can do and go out there and perform,” Mills told reporters after practice on July 28.

The competition has run its course, with Stroud settling in as the starter and Mills as the backup. Depending on what happens during the preseason, some teams needing a placeholder at the quarterback position while their starter recovers from injury could inquire about a possible trade for the former Stanford quarterback.

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Texans QB Davis Mills sees similarities between himself and C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills stated that he sees similarities between himself and rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud.

Davis Mills sees C.J. Stroud as competition, but understands the fellow quarterback is a teammate.

The Houston Texans picked Stroud No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL draft to solve their problems under center. After completing a 3-13-1 campaign — largely with Mills captaining 15 of those games — the organization believed an upgrade under center was needed to improve the roster.

Since early May when the rookies merged with the veterans’ offseason workouts, Mills has had to work with Stroud.

“He’s a great dude,” Mills told reporters July 28 after Day 3 of training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. “Funny, super confident — kind of similar to how I would see myself.”

Where Mills has noticed Stroud command the attention of the room is when he does speak up, and it is his experience at Ohio State as a starter for the past two seasons that gives him credibility.

“I wouldn’t say he’s the loudest guy in all situations, but everyone respects him when he steps up and comes out and says something, because obviously he’s had success in the past and guys trust what he’s telling them because he’s usually right,” said Mills.

The Texans have worked to give Stroud and Mills equal reps throughout camp. While Stroud may be the future, the Texans’ intent is for their first-rounder to earn the job, not have it handed to him outright.

“It’s been great getting to know him and I’m excited to see what he can do out here on the field,” Mills said.

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C.J. Stroud showing flashes in Texans quarterback battle

Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud has demonstrated some of his immense talent in the quarterback battle with Davis Mills.

HOUSTON — All eyes were on the offensive huddle as the Houston Texans for their first iteration of 11-on-11 drills at training camp. Which red jersey among the sea of blues on offense would emerge to call the play?

Since offseason workouts, general manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans have clarified third-year Davis Mills and rookie C.J. Stroud would battle for the starting quarterback position. Two days into camp, Mills and Stroud have split time working with the first and second units during the eight periods of team drills.

“The quarterbacks will rotate as we did in the spring; nothing has changed there,” said Ryans after practice July 27. “When the time comes to declare someone as a starter, we’ll do that when it’s the right time for us.”

When pressed a little more about the timeframe of when a starter will be named, Ryans made sure that everyone listening knew that it would not be anytime soon, but when it happens, it will be the right fit for the offense.

“It’ll be the best guy that I feel like is going to lead our team in the proper way, and that ultimately gives us the best opportunity to go out there and be as successful as we can be,” Ryans said. “In Baltimore, I promise that we will have a quarterback out there.”

Most Texans fans and media members would like the Texans to take the same route the Carolina Panthers took by declaring rookie Bryce Young the starter at the beginning of their training camp. Yet, Ryans hesitates to announce a starter even with drafting Stroud just one pick behind Young in the 2023 NFL draft.

In the first two days of practice, Stroud has had the advantage over Mills, but not by a wide enough margin to declare him the outright starter.

Stroud showed flashes of what he accomplished at Ohio State by throwing a variety of good passes on the second day, including an accurate sideline pass to Noah Brown. He placed the ball away from the defender, with enough room where Brown could stay in bounds long enough for a completed catch. But he also had some issues with timing and getting the ball out of his hands quickly, leading to passes being tipped by the defender.

As training camp moves forward and Stroud becomes more familiar with new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s offense and chemistry with his wide receivers, he should be named the starter heading into Week 1.

Fans will get a glimpse of the quarterback battle for themselves on day three, which is open to the public.

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Houston Texans training camp day 1 observations: QBs have rough outing

Here are a few takeaways from the first day of Houston Texans training camp.

HOUSTON — As Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke with the media before the 2023 training camp started at Houston Methodist Training Center, you could hear the chatter from the players as they approached the field to prepare for the day.

“Man, I have been excited for training camp in a long time,” said one veteran talking to one of his teammates.

There was a sense of enthusiasm as players stretched and organized themselves for team activities. Once practice started, individuals felt a sense of urgency to show new head coach DeMeco Ryans and Caserio just how much they had worked in the off-season.

Yet, one day will not be enough to win over the two men with over 30 years of combined NFL knowledge.

“Anybody’s probably going to be able to go out there and put together one good day of practice,” said Caserio. “You (media) will comment on the highlight reel plays, who did what in practice, this guy made this catch, this guy did that. What you’re looking for is consistency and longevity over the course of a long period of time.”

“Then you combine what they do in the field, what they do in the classroom. Can they actually take the concepts that they are teaching, that they’re learning, can they apply them on the field, can they make the correction? And can they do that over the course of, I would say, extended periods of time? That’s what we’re trying to evaluate.”

Here are a few takeaways from training camp:

Searching for fantasy football value among Houston’s receivers

Are there any diamonds in the rough to be uncovered in Houston’s WR corps?

Not much went right for the Houston Texans in 2022, and that included their passing offense. With quarterback Davis Mills stumbling through an unremarkable sophomore campaign, the Texans finished 31st in total offense and 25th in passing with 196.7 yards per game through the air. It should come as no surprise that their leading receiver finished with 699 yards, which ranked 53rd in the NFL.

While that certainly wasn’t impressive, it’s worth noting the wideout who accumulated those 699 yards was Brandin Cooks, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason, removing the one proven upper-tier target on the club. To help soften the blow, Houston signed a pair of veterans in receivers Robert Woods and Noah Brown. It then spent a couple of draft picks on WRs Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson. They’ll also be counting on the return of WR John Metchie III, who missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with leukemia.

Of course, the biggest addition might be that of QB C.J. Stroud, who was selected second overall. The Ohio State product is considered a polished commodity coming out of college, and the hope is that he can hit the ground running. Let’s see what all that means for fantasy owners looking for some value at the receiver position in Houston.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says rookie C.J. Stroud ‘doesn’t make the same mistake twice’

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has been impressed with rookie QB C.J. Stroud and his ability to learn quickly from mistakes.

HOUSTON — There is a lot of excitement heading into the season for the Houston Texans team and its fanbase, which has to do with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. He is a level-headed young man with the desire and work ethic to want to be successful every time he takes a snap.

Yet, he also knows that the days leading up to the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens will be challenging, and he experienced that on Tuesday during the first day of the Texans’ mandatory minicamp.

It was Stroud’s turn in the quarterback rotation to take first-team snaps, and he struggled against the first-team defensive unit led by second-year safety Jalen Pitre. Although he was able to make his reads quickly, it was his accuracy he had issues with at times during the team red-zone drills and two-minute offense.

Many of the miscues for Stroud on Monday had a lot to do with him still getting acclimated with his wide receivers, which should be an easy fix during Texans training camp later this summer.

One individual who had no issues with some of the mistakes Stroud made is his coach DeMeco Ryans.

He watched as Stroud overthrew a wide-open wide receiver during the team 11-on-11 drills, only to come back and drop a perfect 25-yard pass to third-year wide receiver Nico Collins on the next play.

“The best thing I’ve seen about C.J. with his improvement and his growth is he doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Ryans said during his press conference. “He learns from his mistakes; he puts those behind him, and he finds a way to continue to improve and get better.”

As of now, Stroud is locked in a battle for the starting quarterback position with Davis Mills, who looked impressive on Monday heading into training camp, as the Texans have not named who will be their starter to open the season.

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says C.J. Stroud working with ones was part of QB rotation

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says rookie C.J. Stroud working with the first team was simply part of the QB rotation during mandatory minicamp.

With the Houston Texans having spent the No. 2 overall pick on quarterback C.J. Stroud, all eyes are on which signal caller is working with the first team throughout the club’s offseason program.

On the first day of mandatory minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center, the former Ohio State product was working with the ones.

According to coach DeMeco Ryans, there wasn’t much to read into the rookie field general getting first team reps.

“Both of our guys have been rotating each week,” Ryans said. “As you came to practice, you’ve seen we’ve rotated those guys each week. Just happened to be the week C.J. was with the ones.”

Davis Mills, who was the Texans’ starting quarterback last season and has logged the most since 2021 with 26, still has the confidence he can win the job. Weighing the progress of the third-year product versus the newcomer is part of the evaluation for the Texans.

“We’ll see where their process goes in training camp,” said Ryans. “As the competition continues to grow, we’ll see who separates themselves. That decision will take care of itself.”

The Texans have not had a rookie quarterback start on Opening Day since Sept. 8, 2002, when David Carr led the Texans to their first win in franchise history with a 19-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at then-Reliant Stadium.

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Texans TE Dalton Schultz understands QB Davis Mills’ journey at Stanford

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz was not teammates with quarterback Davis Mills at Stanford, but he fully comprehends his journey.

Dalton Schultz never actually played with Davis Mills.

During Schultz’s final season at Stanford, Mills tore his ACL and was a medical redshirt in 2017. The tight end caught 22 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns through 11 games, which were enough to convince the Dallas Cowboys to take him in Round 4 of the 2018 NFL draft.

Although the Mills era began after Schultz left, the 26-year-old nevertheless appreciates the challenges the quarterback faced to lead the Cardinal offense.

“It’s hard to say just how much he has grown, but obviously you have to grow a whole lot coming in from your freshman year at a place like Stanford to the league,” Schultz told reporters June 6 after organized team activities.”

Having Mills on the roster along with defensive lineman Thomas Booker helps Schultz feel at home.

Said Schultz: “I’m excited for him and it’s great to have another Stanford boy in here. Him and Book both, but, yeah, I think it’s one of those things where you can kind of reminisce on the good ole days. It’s nice having another guy like him here.”

Mills is currently in a battle for the starting quarterback job, and Schultz won’t discount his former Stanford teammate’s ability to compete in the NFL.

“Everybody on this team can play in the league — point blank period,” Schultz said.

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DeMeco Ryans pleased with development of Texans’ quarterbacks

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans likes what he has seen between the coaching staff and the quarterbacks throughout OTAs.

The Houston Texans need better play from their quarterbacks in 2023, and after spending their second-overall pick on C.J. Stroud in April, competition is fierce to take the coveted starting role for the regular season.

However, just because the club needs better play doesn’t mean C.J. Stroud is a shoo-in. While the organization is looking to the future with their No. 2 overall pick, coach DeMeco Ryans is looking at the present and who can win the team games.

“Our entire room of quarterbacks, all three guys, have done a really good job this entire spring,” Ryans told reporters June 7 after organized team activities. “Davis [Mills], C.J., and Case [Keenum], all are competing, all are doing things really well. Things are starting to click with the offense.”

What has pleased Ryans throughout the team’s voluntary workouts is how the three signal callers have responded to the coaching from quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

“Guys are moving the ball downfield, so I’m happy with where those guys are and their development,” said Ryans. “I think that’s a credit to the coaches — Coach Jerrod and Bobby have done a really good job of working with those guys and they are continuing to get better every day and I’m excited to see their improvement and growth.”

The intent is for Stroud to take the first snaps for Houston in their Sept. 10 premier at the Baltimore Ravens. Nevertheless Ryans and the coaching staff is going to ensure that the first snap of the Stroud era is heartily earned, whenever it takes place.

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