Tag: Juice Scruggs

Injuries testing depth of the Texans offensive line early

The Houston Texans offensive line is seeing its fair share of attrition, but it serves as an early test of the unit’s mettle.

HOUSTON — One of the most vital position groups for the Houston Texans coming into training camp has been hit hardest with 10 practices and three preseason games left before the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.

The starting offensive line has been riddled with injuries in the last week and that could affect the maturation process of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

During a team drill Aug. 3, center Scott Quessenberry went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee. The starter of 15 games last year was carted off the field, placed on injured reserve, and will miss the entire season.

Two days later, right tackle Tytus Howard suffered a broken hand and underwent surgery on Monday.

Howard, who signed a three-year, $56 million contract extension before the beginning of camp, is expected to miss four to six weeks and is in danger of missing the season opener. The fifth-year veteran has been considered one of the best tackles in the game, and his 2022 stats proved that when he only allowed three sacks on the season.

Quessenberry will be replaced by rookie Juice Scruggs, who has had a phenomenal camp so far, drawing praise from head coach DeMeco Ryans and Tunsil.

“What was the word I used last year (when describing players), ‘Dog,’” Tunsil said after practice on Saturday about Scruggs. “He stepped in, and he has to embrace that starting role as center. We need him to embrace that role and get it done. I believe he will. He comes in every day, works hard, and gets it done in the meeting room and on the field. I have 100% belief in him.”

Having Scruggs was a blessing in disguise for the Texans after their starting center went down, but they may not be as lucky when it comes to replacing Howard. Reserve lineman D.J Scaife was carted off the field on the same day as Howard was injured, and Greg Little was placed on injured reserve on Monday.

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Texans training camp takeaways: Youth movement surging

Here are takeaways from @BigSargeSportz as the Houston Texans complete their first quarter of training camp.

HOUSTON — If you put the first five days of Houston Texans training camp into a regular season game perspective, the first quarter would be complete.

On Monday, the players were finally in pads, and it was a welcome sight, especially to players like rookie defensive end Will Anderson. 

“Oh, it felt great,” said Anderson. “That’s one of the things I’ve been waiting for. I know we don’t go pads a lot in the NFL, but just to get that feeling again and just to hit somebody and fly around and jump up and down, it was fun.”

Here are a few takeaways from the first five days of camp.

WATCH: Texans QB C.J. Stroud, C Juice Scruggs take reps together after practice

Houston Texans rookies QB C.J. Stroud and C Juice Scruggs were able to spend some time post practice with reps.

In order for the Houston Texans to complete the rebuild, it will take their younger players taking command of starting jobs sooner than later.

One tandem that spent time after the first day of training camp practice at Houston Methodist Training Center was first-round quarterback C.J. Stroud and second-round center Juice Scruggs.

According to video from the Texans Wire’s Brian Barefield, Stroud and Scruggs were working on their quarterback-center snap exchange after practice.

Just as Stroud is going against third-year quarterback Davis Mills for the starting job, so too is Scruggs in a battle with veterans for the starting job in the middle of Houston’s offensive line. Michael Deiter, Jimmy Morrissey, and incumbent Scott Quessenberry figure to give Scruggs a challenge.

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says C-G Juice Scruggs ‘seems like a vet already’

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says that interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, their second-round pick, “seems like a vet already.”

The Houston Texans’ rookie class will draw attention throughout 2023 for many reasons.

Notably the Texans’ rookies will draw interest is due to their first-rounders in quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson. Third-round receiver Tank Dell will also be a fascinating topic as he continues his football career in Clutch City.

While coach DeMeco Ryans sprinkled the aforementioned with “excellent job” and “really good job” June 6 at organized team activities, there was one rookie who prompted more detail in second-round center Juice Scruggs.

“Juice has done a great job with just being consistent in there — seems like a vet already with the consistency that he operates at,” Ryans said.

The Texans could use consistency at their center position as they seek the final piece to a productive and cohesive offensive line. Three-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil has left tackle, and former 2019 first-rounder Tytus Howard has been solid at right tackle. Kenyon Green has left guard as Shaq Mason mans the right side. Center has been the question mark, although the Texans are cobbling together an answer with Scott Quessenberry, Michael Deiter, Jimmy Morrissey, and sixth-rounder Jarrett Patterson.

Overall Ryans is pleased with the work the rookies have demonstrated throughout the offseason program.

“All around, we have a really good group of rookies and I’m excited to see them come back training camp when we put the pads on and actually get the opportunity to play some real football,” said Ryans. “I’m excited to see their growth.”

If Scruggs is able to maintain his veteran-like consistency, the Texans should be able to solve their issue at starting center.

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Penn State football 2023 NFL draft player signing tracker

Penn State 2023 NFL Draft rookie contract signing tracker

Although Penn State may not have had a first-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Nittany Lions did send six players through the draft. Tjat included three players going in the second round with Joey Porter Jr. going to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the first pick of the second round and Brention Strange and Juice Scruggs each getting their names called during the second round.

Now that the draft has come to a close, and undrafted free agents are beginning to be signed, including a number of former Penn State players, all eyes are set on the first NFL contract signings for the newest batch of NFL rookies drafted from Penn State.

We’ll keep tabs on all of the draft pick contracts to be signed this year by Penn State players who have become NFL rookies in 2022, and we will update this information as needed when more information does become available. Contract details used here are obtained through the terrific sports contract resources available from Spotrac.

This list was last updated on May 19, 2023.

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 sign C Juice Scruggs to rookie contract

The Houston Texans have signed second-round center Juice Scruggs to a standard rookie contract.

The Houston Texans have signed another member of their nine-player draft class to the 90-man offseason roster.

The Texans announced Monday they have signed second-round center Juice Scruggs. The standard rookie contract that Scruggs signed is good for four years.

Houston picked Scruggs No. 62 overall in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft. The former Penn State product has the ability to play center and also guard for the Texans.

Scruggs told reporters May 13 his biggest focus throughout rookie minicamp was to implement the techniques from offensive line coach Chris Strausser.

“Just coming out here, trying to learn the scheme, get in the playbook as much as possible, and really just taking Coach Strausser coaching and just trying to implement his technique and fundamentals and just trying to really understand the basics and go from there,” Scruggs said.

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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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C Juice Scruggs considered the Texans’ ‘biggest reach’ in 2023 NFL draft

Second-round center Juice Scruggs is considered the Houston Texans’ “biggest reach,” according to Pro Football Focus.

The Houston Texans rattled the drafniks with their selection of center Juice Scruggs No. 62 overall in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft.

According to Gordon McGuinness from Pro Football Focus, the Texans’ taking the Penn State offensive lineman was considered the team’s biggest reach of the draft.

We had Scruggs as a mid-round prospect, with him coming off a 71.5 PFF grade in his lone full season at center in college. Using the 62nd overall pick on him very possibly means he will start in 2023, so we may learn quickly just how much of a reach this really was.

Scruggs was also the Texans’ “most questionable pick” by another outlet.

The Texans needed help at center. Mock drafts that were going as far as three rounds had the Texans using a pick on Ohio State’s Luke Wypler, who came in at No. 54 on PFF’s big board. In reality, NFL teams were comfortable picking anybody ahead of Wypler. Presuming the Texans blew it with Scruggs, why then did Washington, New England, and Seattle all take centers all presumably lower than the 54th-best prospect in the draft — according to PFF’s big board?

Maybe there needs to be a new rubric.

What may actually be puzzling about the Scruggs selection is something that has nothing to do with the player himself. In the sixth round, Houston used a pick on another center prospect in Notre Dame’s Jarrett Patterson. The Texans will have two rookies going against three veterans — Michael Deiter, Scott Quessenberry, and Jimmy Morrissey — for the starting center job.

General manager Nick Caserio indicated on April 28 after the second day of the draft that one of the reasons they grabbed Scruggs was for his possible position flexbility.

“I think in Juice’s case, it’s probably more center than guard, but if he had to go there and play guard, looks like he’d be competitive,” said Caserio.

Houston has key pieces on the offensive line with Laremy Tunsil, Kenyon Green, Shaq Mason, and Tytus Howard. If the Texans can get center on point, they should have adequate pass protection and run blocking.

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C Juice Scruggs regarded as Texans’ ‘most questionable’ 2023 draft pick

Former Penn State center Juice Scruggs is CBS Sports’ candidate for the Houston Texans’ “most questionable” pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

No team nails every pick in the draft. Even Nick Caserio says making a pick is a 50-50 proposition.

As such, it is only natural to conclude the Houston Texans had a selection that was entirely head-scratching to everyone outside the organization.

According to Josh Edwards from CBS Sports, the Texans’ “most questionable” pick from the three-day event at the end of April was the selection of former Penn State center Juice Scruggs.

The Texans have had a clear objective over the past two years. They locked up offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, then drafted edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., offensive guard Kenyon Green and Scruggs. It is obvious that they are placing an emphasis on getting more physical at the point of contact so it is easily understood why they were drawn to adding an interior lineman. However, Scruggs was lower on my personal board. 

There were other aspects of the Scruggs selection that would have qualified as questionable more so than their rank on a draft analyst’s big board.

Firstly, the Texans did not possess a Round 2 selection to start Day 2 thanks to the trade with the Arizona Cardinals to take Anderson. Houston traded up to take Scruggs No. 62 overall because they wanted a younger option to compete with veterans Michael Deiter, Jimmy Morrissey, and Scott Quessenberry.

Secondly, even though the Texans already made a move to shore up their center position, and complimented Scruggs for his position flex along the interior, Houston went ahead and essentially duplicated the pick in Round 6 at No. 201 overall with the Jarrett Patterson selection. The 6-5, 306-pounder played center at Notre Dame.

Center was a position the Texans needed to address in the draft. Their redundant methods may be more questionable than the actual picks.

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