Tag: denzel perryman

Texans LB Denzel Perryman says he laughs when he grabs an interception

Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman says he starts laughing as soon as he grabs an interception.

When Denzel Perryman saw Tua Tagovailoa drop back on the Miami Dolphins’ first play from scrimmage, he froze.

The Houston Texans linebacker was going through his keys as he recognized it was play-action.

“I kind of froze for a second, to be honest with you,” Perryman told reporters after the 28-3 loss Aug. 19. “I was reading the quarterback and got in the window, and I just had a feel for it.”

The former Pro Bowler nabbed the Texans’ first takeaway of the preseason and gave Houston favorable field position at the 7-yard line.

While Perryman was jubilant with his teammates after the turnover, the nine-year veteran was enjoying the moment as soon as he made the pick.

Said Perryman: “Honestly, when I catch an interception, I’ll be laughing in my helmet. A lot of people don’t know that I’ll be laughing. Number one, I caught the ball. I’m bound to drop the ball, to be honest with you. So, when I catch an interception, I start laughing. At that point, I’m playing a game like a little kid.”

Perryman has five career interceptions with a career-high two last season with the Las Vegas Raiders. Houston is hopeful Perryman will have more opportunities to laugh in 2023.

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WATCH: Texans LB Denzel Perryman intercepts Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa

Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman intercepted Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the first quarter of their Week 2 preseason game.

Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman procured the defense’s first takeaway of the preseason.

On first-and-10 from the Miami Dolphins’ 17-yard line, Perryman picked off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and returned the takeaway to the Miami 7-yard line.

The interception was part of what Perryman spoke of earlier in the week about how the linebackers in the room, regardless of age and experience, learn from one another.

“We all learn from each other and just build each other up, man,” Perryman said Aug. 14.

Perryman also had a sack the week prior in the 20-9 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

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Texans LB Denzel Perryman mentoring Henry To’oTo’o

Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman says that he has taken rookie Henry To’oTo’o under his wing the same way the Chargers did for him in 2015.

Denzel Perryman is the cunning veteran entering his ninth season. Henry To’oTo’o is the fifth-round rookie. Learning should be a one-way street.

However, the linebacker duo actually has been helping one another adapt to new coach DeMeco Ryans’ scheme throughout Houston Texans training camp.

“We’re both learning from each other, man,” Perryman told reporters Aug. 4. “That’s what I can say, and I’m just doing what the older guys did when I first got into the league.”

When Perryman entered the league with the San Diego Chargers as a 2015 second-round pick, inside linebackers Manti Te’o and Kavell Conner along with outside linebacker Melvin Ingram helped the rookie adapt to defensive coordinator John Pagano’s 3-4 scheme. Perryman finished with 73 combined tackles — third-most on the team — through 14 games, nine of which he started.

Perryman is showing To’oTo’o the pro game, but the former Alabama product is demonstrating a proficiency in adaptation.

Said Perryman: “I’d say they’re not rookies, man. This new wave of kids — I call them kids now because I’m a little older now — but just the new wave, man, just the generation, man. It just felt different. It felt different in general.”

Given great defense is a team effort, the Texans are hopeful such shared learning will help Houston turn around their fortunes in 2023.

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Texans QB C.J. Stroud overcoming challenges, showing steady improvement

Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is improving each day and learning from mistakes that are part of acclimating to the pro game.

HOUSTON — The fans were in attendance on Friday to watch the Houston Texans prepare for their first preseason game versus the New England Patriots Aug. 10 at Gillette Stadium. Most in attendance got exactly what they came for, and that is an excellent performance from rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud who has stacked back-to-back training camp days that are showing his progression. He took all the first-team reps, which is something he has not done in training camp.

“You know, Stroud is doing a great job, and he’s improving just like we asked all of our guys,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans. “When it comes to development and what do you expect from training camp, I expect everybody to be better than they were the day before.”

Stroud displayed what his head coach was thinking on Friday when he found wide receiver Nico Collins streaking down the sidelines for a 40-yard touchdown pass over cornerback Shaquill Griffin. It was the second consecutive day that the tandem connected.

On Thursday, Stroud found Collins in the back of the end zone for his first touchdown of training camp. It was an impressive throw and catch by the rookie quarterback, especially considering that it came over cornerback Derek Stingley.

“He, is throwing it up where I can get it,” Collins said about Stroud utilizing his catch radius. “But that’s why we’re here practicing every day, just to get it and get that touch right so on Sundays, we can shine, for sure. And I can’t wait for the season.”

The only miscue Stroud had on Friday was an interception he threw to linebacker Denzel Perryman who read Stroud’s eyes the entire time as he continued to get depth in zone coverage. The window for Stroud to get the ball to tight end Mason Schrek was small, and he took the chance on completing the pass but came up short. After the play, he immediately took the blame for the turnover.

“That play, I think it was a zone and I was just doing my job,” Perryman said about his interception on Stroud. “Staying in my little vicinity, my area, reading the quarterback’s eyes, saw his hand come off the ball, and it was coming right towards me. The only thing I was thinking was, ‘Catch it.’”

As training camp progresses, Stroud has learned to take what defense gives him and not try to make the spectacular play. Over the last two days, he has scrambled out of the pocket when the receivers are covered. He is also getting the ball out of his hands and making quicker decisions, which impressed offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

“Having answers and preparation is a big part of just being able to handle the environment, and then on top of that, being able to continue to trust his feet, go through his progressions, which he’s done a really good job of as we get through camp,” Slowik responded when asked about Stroud. “That’s what training camp is about. Training camp is about good-on-good, not always having a perfect play, and seeing if we can make it work because that winds up paying off in the season.”

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LB Denzel Perryman is excited about chemistry Texans are building

Linebacker Denzel Perryman is enthused concerning the chemistry that the Houston Texans have forged throughout the offseason.

A plurality of fans around the NFL recognize the Houston Texans as a young team of up-and-comers who are led by a first-year head coach with plenty of potential to improve on the failed campaigns of yore.

What most don’t know, though, is that Houston has quietly assembled a group of veterans to lead their inexperienced talent to new heights in 2023 and beyond. Linebacker Denzel Perryman, who signed with the Texans as a free agent after stints with the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Las Vegas Raiders told reporters about the building chemistry within the Texans organization after mandatory minicamp on June 14.

Said Perryman: “Me and [OL] Shaq Mason were just talking about this the other day as we were eating. We were out, and I was just like, ‘Bro, I’ve been a part of some teams that had the roster.’ Just, the chemistry that we all have, and it’s not knocking any other team that I’ve been on, but just the chemistry — the young guys, the older guys — it is a great mixture, and I’ll just say, ‘Stay tuned’ man. Just stay tuned. Watch us put it together.”

The final part of Perryman’s comment will be the key for Houston, as offseason camaraderie rarely indicates regular-season success.

But, for a team with so much room to improve and a roster capable of much more than years past, fans and the media are starting to pick up on what the Texans might be capable of if they can solve the puzzle and surprise opponents in the coming season.

They will have 17 chances to put the league on notice, and to hear Perryman tell it, success seems likely if the team can continue on their current heading.

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Texans’ linebacking unit ranks No. 26 on Pro Football Focus list

The Houston Texans came in at No. 26 in the latest ranking of linebacking units from Pro Football Focus.

The Houston Texans are attempting to complete the rebuild, but some of their units still need work.

According to Dalton Wasserman from Pro Football Focus, the Texans’ linebacking corps ranks No. 26 overall in their latest evaluation of all such units across the NFL.

Unsurprisingly, the Texans finished last season with the lowest-graded linebackers in the league. Their struggles were a primary reason why Houston finished with a league-low 34.1 run-defense grade as a team. They’ve at least added some respectable players in free agency in an attempt to fortify the unit.

Denzel Perryman is the best player of the bunch when he’s healthy. The 30-year-old has had several solid seasons but has only once played at least 600 snaps. Cory Littleton enters the fold after posting a 72.2 overall grade last season, his best mark since 2019. Littleton will get a chance to start following his year of part-time work in Carolina. At his best, he is an athletic player with a knack for making plays in coverage.

While the Texans have stable veterans with Perryman, Littleton, and Christian Kirksey, Houston also has some talented youngsters who have untapped potential.

Christian Harris enters his second season after collecting the fifth-most tackles on the team with 74. The Texans took Harris’ college teammate in fifth-rounder Henry To’oTo’o from Alabama. Garret Wallow prepares for his third year and could vie for considerable playing time.

Whether the Texans go with a veteran, younger, or mixed blend in their linebacking unit, the organization has committed resources to being better than No. 26 over the course of 2023.

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System familiarity led LB Denzel Perryman to pick the Texans

Linebacker Denzel Perryman went with the Houston Texans in free agency due to his familiarity with their defensive system.

Familiarity can breed contempt, but for Denzel Perryman, it bred comfort.

The former 2021 Pro Bowler needed a system he recognized as he recovered from labrum surgery in the offseason. The former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker signed with the Houston Texans in late March.

“Like I said, I was coming off shoulder surgery, and that was pretty big for me,” Perryman told reporters after mandatory minicamp June 14. “The opportunity, just being in this defense, this system. I’m going on year nine, and out of nine years, I’ve been in the same system or form of system for like seven years. So, just getting familiar with their terminology. But, it’s the same thing that I’ve been in for the past seven years.”

Perryman spent 2015-20 with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. The former 2015 second-round pick signed a free agent contract with the Raiders in 2021 and spent the next two seasons with the Chargers’ AFC West rivals.

As Perryman begins his ninth season with a third different team, the cohesion being formed by the Texans engenders promise.

Said Perryman: “Just how we’re all coming together. Like I said, it’s a new defense, new scheme, new everything for everybody. So, just how we’re all coming together, like you said— communicating — which is big in defense, period.”

Although the Texans finished their offseason workouts emphasizing communication, the intensity must carry over into the start of training camp in late July.

“Still got some work to do, I can say that, but just like I said how we all are coming together,” Perryman said. “We’ve got time. We’ve got training camp, but OTA’s, it’s been a good little camp.”

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Texans LB Denzel Perryman feels ‘amazing’ working back from labrum surgery

Houston Texans LB Denzel Perryman says he feels “amazing” after labrum surgery, although he worked to the side in team portions of minicamp.

The Houston Texans face a herculean task in improving their standing in the pantheon of the NFL landscape, and linebacker Denzel Perryman looks to play a major role in helping the team rebound from their dismal 2022 season.

The newly acquired free agent has dealt with injuries over the course of his career but gave reporters a positive update on his health when asked about how he felt after practice on June 14.

Said Perryman: “Yeah, so basically I’m just happy to be back on the field right now, doing individuals, group installs, that type of stuff, and then when practice practice — when they start doing team stuff, I’m off to the side getting my mental stuff. But, body-wise, I feel amazing, actually.”

This is a good sign for the Texans’ defense, which will need help from every veteran on their roster to buoy the play of younger talents who are still acclimating to life in the NFL. If Perryman can stay on the field through all 17 games of Houston regular season schedule, the team will surely benefit from his leadership and tenacity as they look to cement themselves as AFC contenders in 2023.

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Texans LB Denzel Perryman says rookie QB C.J. Stroud ‘may talk a little trash here and there’

Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman says that rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud will talk some trash during practice.

Denzel Perryman enters the 2023 season as one of the Houston Texans’ most highly-anticipated free agent additions and should play a leadership role in the team’s talented but unproven defense.

As such, Perryman made a calculated decision in signing with Houston, which is in the midst of a full-on rebuild after drafting quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second-overall pick.

Whatever disadvantage the Texans might face in having a young quarterback, Perryman isn’t concerned about the team’s offensive leadership after observing Stroud at offseason practices. He told reporters about the qualities he has seen in the rookie signal caller after mandatory minicamp June 14, making it clear that Stroud has the whole team at his back.

“He’s a competitor, man,” Perryman said. “He may talk a little trash here and there, but he doesn’t do that in the locker room. But on the field, he carries himself like a pro, and he has guys pushing behind him.”

If Stroud is already passing the smell test from a seasoned veteran like Perryman, one can only assume that he is winning over the Texans locker room with each passing workout. If he can continue on that course through training camp and the preseason, the bonds made with the more experienced crowd on Houston’s roster are sure to pay off in a major way during the 17-game schedule they’ll begin in September.

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Texans LB Denzel Perryman describes his style of play as ‘big-hitter’

Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman says he is a “big-hitter” and seeks to continue that style with his new defense.

The Houston Texans added a talented veteran to their linebacking corps in free agency with Denzel Perryman.

The former 2021 Pro Bowler is coming off labrum surgery as he seeks to play for his third NFL team in his ninth season.

Perryman knows the style of play that he can bring to the Texans as new coach DeMeco Ryans deploys his system.

“Tone-setter, big-hitter, physical guy — basically, somebody that’s going to give it their all every single play,” Perryman said. “Put my body on the line every single play, and a vocal leader. I try to lead by example, but sometimes the vocal part comes out of me, and, yeah, you’re just going to get a character.”

Perryman generated 83 combined tackles along with 14 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, and two pass breakups through 12 games for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, 11 of which he started.

As the former San Diego Chargers 2015 second-round pick gears up for his 97th career game, Perryman attributes his staying power in the league to be a matter of good health.

Said Perryman: “What I can say is health, just being healthy. The best ability is availability. Obviously, throughout my career, I haven’t played a full season yet. But, what I can say is just learn how to take care of your body. Resting, what you put in your body, all that stuff is really important whether you play football or not.”

Perryman’s 1,418 defensive snaps logged with the Raiders over the past two seasons were the most of his career in a two-year span.

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