Texans coach DeMeco Ryans looking forward to offensive line developing chemistry

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is looking forward to the offensive line developing chemistry during the contact portions of training camp.

One aspect of any football team that can’t fully develop cohesion until training camp is the offensive line.

The way the collective bargaining agreement is structured between the NFL and the NFLPA, players cannot participate in full contact practices until training camp.

For the offensive line, the five-man unit can utilize the offseason workouts to sharpen their mental grasp of their assignments, but the true measure of the unit’s impact can’t be felt until the line collides with the defense to set the line of scrimmage.

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Wednesday after the first day of training camp practice at Houston Methodist Training Center that he looks forward to the offensive line developing chemistry in the coming practices.

“With our offensive line, it’s all of the guys just being able to gel together,” Ryans said. “The best offensive lines, they work in sync. They work as one. It takes time to develop that, that chemistry amongst our group. Now to have the guys back, each and every day let’s see how much can that chemistry improve, how tighter can these guys get to where they’re in sync and operating as one.”

From what Ryans has been able to tell in padless practices, the offensive line is, “doing an excellent job of protecting in the passing game.” However, Ryans also expects the offensive line to “[be] able to knock guys off the line of scrimmage and reset the line of scrimmage in the run game.”

New offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s scheme, which is a continuation of San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s run-heavy design, will need the offensive line to take command.

Said Ryans: “That’s my philosophy of team building. It all starts up front. If you can’t win the line of scrimmage, it’s going to be hard to win games.”

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Texans LT Laremy Tunsil says ‘don’t sleep on us’

In a recent podcast appearance, Houston Texans LT Laremy Tunsil advised fans not to count out the 2023 team.

The Houston Texans players have not had reasons to be excited heading into training camp over the past two seasons, with former quarterback Deshaun Watson dominating the headlines over his trade demands and allegations made by over 25 women of sexual misconduct, and the head coach hiring debacle that caused the team to panic and name former defensive coordinator Lovie Smith as coach.

It was a very dark and abysmal place for many veterans who had heard the chatter of the team being dysfunctional and lacking in the leadership department.

The mood has changed with training camp set to start in less than ten days, and the dark cloud has been lifted from over the Houston Methodist Training Center.

Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil expressed his excitement about the upcoming season when he was a guest on Adam Schefter’s podcast.

“Don’t sleep on us, man,” Tunsil said when asked about the Texans being underdogs. “We got some talent on the team. Especially on the defensive side and the offensive side. You saw it last year, in last year’s games. We fought to the end. It wasn’t like we were getting blown out. We fought to the end in every game. Just don’t sleep on us. Don’t count us out. Just watch the underdog work.”

First-year coach DeMeco Ryans has revitalized the players’ spirits, giving them a winning attitude heading into the season.

“These last past three seasons with the Houston Texans have been rough,” said Tunsil. “We have had three different head coaches, and they all have been trying to change the culture but couldn’t get it done. But DeMeco has changed that already. The sky is the limit. There is some energy in that building, and it feels great.”

“I know what I am getting from DeMeco every single day. That same type of energy that I need, the organization needs, and my teammates need. He is a players’ coach and listens to what the players have to say, which is very important in today’s game.”

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says stopping the run is a mindset

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans believes that in order to stop the run, it starts with the mindset.

Stopping the run has been a big problem for the Houston Texans the past two seasons with consistent bottom-10 finishes in both yards per game and yards per carry.

Last season featured Houston finishing worst in the NFL with 170.2 rushing yards surrendered per game. The Texans were fourth-worst in the league at 5.1 yards per carry surrendered.

Rookie coach DeMeco Ryans won’t be avoiding the problem. One of Ryans’ chief tenets is to ensure the opposition can’t have their way on the ground.

“My philosophy on stopping the run is you have to,” Ryans said June 14 after mandatory minicamp. “You have to do everything possible to stop the run — that’s the first thing first. That’s the goal for our defense — make teams one-dimensional, make them have to drop back and pass the ball.”

Ryans spent the past two seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator. The 49ers were tied with the Tennessee Titans for the lowest yards per carry surrendered last season with 3.4, and had the second-lowest rushing yards per game surrendered with 77.7.

Although there were limitations as to how much on-field work the defense could get in related to stopping the run, Ryans acknowledged the proper defense began with mindset; they didn’t need a relaxation in the collective bargaining agreement to allow tackling to instill the significance of run defense.

Said Ryans: “In these OTAs and minicamp, you can’t be as physical as we would like to be when it comes to stopping the run just because of the nature of where we are with shorts and helmets — just can’t be as physical as possible. Stopping the run is going to start with the mindset, it’s going to be the mindset of being the most physical team and playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage.”

If the Texans are able to get their run defense out of the basement, it should go a long ways towards getting the team as a whole out of the rebuild.

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DeMeco Ryans believes Texans are in ‘really good spot’ after offseason program

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans likes where his team is at following the completion of the offseason program.

The Houston Texans got to work April 3 with their offseason program, and new coach DeMeco Ryans likes the progress his team displayed over several weeks.

Ryans told reporters on June 14, the last day of mandatory minicamp, that the team was in favorable positioning with the long layoff coming ahead of training camp in late July.

“For right now and where we are, we’re in a really good spot,” Ryans said. “We just ended on the field — like the way the guys are competing back and forth, offense, defense — both making plays, both challenging each other — iron sharpening iron. That’s exactly what I wanted.”

There was only so much iron that could sharpen itself as the collective bargaining agreement precludes working in pads, which impacts the work for the offensive and defensive line. Nevertheless the evaluation of skill positions was enough to give the Texans an idea of where they are at with the passing game and rushing attack on both sides of the ball.

“Guys are confident in what they’re doing, what we’re asking of them and that’s all we wanted to make sure,” said Ryans. “We installed our schemes, installed our terminology. We wanted to make sure that guys have a really great grasp of what we’re doing, and I feel like we accomplished that this spring. And so now, on to the competition.”

The Texans left Houston Methodist Training Center forging camaraderie. Ryans hopes to see the same level of energy and enthusiasm when the team kicks off training camp in a month.

Said Ryans: “I want our guys to be excited, not only about playing football, but excited about who you are playing football with — the men in that huddle with you. And that’s where we’ve gotten.”

In hiring Ryans, the Texans were allowed to start the offseason program two weeks early due to hiring a coach in his first year with the team.

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Texans enter June break with eighth-most salary cap space

The Houston Texans have the eighth-most salary cap space as they enter the doldrums of the offseason ahead of training camp.

The Houston Texans could still make a move.

Whether the Texans will or not is another question, but the ability to add to their roster is present.

According to Field Yates from ESPN, the Texans have the eighth-most salary cap available in the NFL at $16,667,484.

Coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters June 14 after mandatory minicamp that the team is “always evaluating.”

“We’re always looking to add and get better at many different spots on our team,” said Ryans. “So, as you guys know, in the league, your team is never set from what you have in the spring. There’s always transactions, there’s always room for improvement, so we’ll see where our team goes.”

One late addition the Texans made to their roster during the thick of the offseason program was the signing of cornerback Shaquill Griffin. Adding a player who can come to the facility and join the team on the practice field right away is one thing. Acquiring talent that won’t be ready to go until late July is another.

“That will be a fluid situation moving [forward] — not only training camp, but as we go throughout the season,” Ryans said. “The team will always be changing.”

No doubt Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio will have roster evaluation and talent acquisition in mind as both have developed a kinship since February.

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Texans LB Denzel Perryman thinks DeMeco Ryans still wants to play

Houston Texans LB Denzel Perryman believes his new coach, DeMeco Ryans, still has a buried desire to play inside the white lines on Sundays.

Linebacker Denzel Perryman has operated in the defenses of many different coaches over the years.

Some were former players, others cut their teeth in collegiate ranks, but none seem to have given Perryman the same impression as DeMeco Ryans, who played his same position for the Houston Texans from 2006-11.

Perryman was queried about the experience of having a coach who has, quite literally, walked in his shoes before. The nine-year pro’s response may give fans a glimpse at what the mind of a football player looks like, and how a veteran approaches a rebuild with a young team and first-year coach.

“So, me in general, you just cut the tape off and I’m going to be doing that regardless, whether he plays tight end or quarterback, that’s just me in general,” Perryman said. “But, having a linebacker as a head coach, you can tell by his energy and everything. Like, I told him I feel like he still wants to play, low-key.

“But, just having that mindset, I mean it’s a defensive mindset and he’s a players’ coach, I can say that. And he’s been in the same seats that we’ve been in. Literally in the same seats we’ve been in. But, just having a players’ coach in general, I feel like that’s great for the locker room and for the team itself.”

Perryman’s confidence in Ryans should hearten Texans fans, but without the fruits of the Texans linebackers’ offseason labor yet unborn, the Houston faithful will have to wait to see if the bravado is well-warranted.

Nonetheless, with the slowest part of the NFL year ahead, Perryman’s demeanor in talking about his clearly-beloved coach is a good sign.

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans will use downtime to power up for training camp

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says he will use the remainder of June and the bulk of July to power up for his first training camp.

DeMeco Ryans has a long path ahead of him in shepherding the Houston Texans through the 2023 season, and with a month-long break ahead of the team before training camp, he and his coaching staff the extra time will be spent on rest and preparation.

For the first-year coach, the remainder of June after minicamp and beginning of July represent the only free time he will have had since signing with Houston after the 2022 season ended.

Ryans told reporters on Wednesday about how the time off will benefit himself and the rest of the Texans’ staff, who will embark on their rebuild season in earnest in September.

“For our coaches over the next few weeks, I think it’s time for a little rest and relaxation,” Ryans explained. “Especially for me. I’ve been going pretty non-stop since our last playoff game. So definitely a little rest and relaxation to make sure I’m powered up and ready to go for the season. The same with our coaches.”

Of course, it won’t just be Ryans and his coaches who benefit, but their families, as the father of three pointed out.

“It’s a time for us to have the opportunity to spend more time with your family, go and visit family that you haven’t seen a while… So just a time to reconnect personally with your family.”

In a game as brutal as football, time away is necessary. Each Texans player is sure to spend the early part of the summer in a different way, but the team will be sure to show up to training camp and the preseason with the same motivation to excel.

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says GM Nick Caserio is ‘really fun to work with’

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says he and GM Nick Caserio have developed a “really great relationship” over the past couple of months.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans wrapped up their final day of mandatory mini-camp, and with only some administrative things to take care of, coach DeMeco Ryans can finally take a break and relax briefly before training camp begins later this summer.

“I think it’s time for a little rest and relaxation,” said Ryans on Wednesday. “Especially for me. I’ve been going pretty non-stop since our last playoff game. So definitely a little rest and relaxation to make sure I’m powered up and ready to go for the season.”

The Texans hired Ryans following the San Francisco 49ers’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game in late January. Ryans spent six seasons with the 49ers with his last two as the defensive coordinator under coach Kyle Shanahan.

Houston made the former 2006 second-round linebacker a high-priority candidate at the end of the 2022 regular season after they fired former coach Lovie Smith.

Since his introductory press conference, one person has been by his side the entire time, general manager Nick Caserio.

“Nick has been really fun to work with,” Ryans said. “Nick is very knowledgeable — one of the smartest football minds I’ve been around. It’s not just the scouting part when it comes to acquiring players, but it’s also just the football knowledge, the scheme, the ‘x’s, and o’s.’ Having his knowledge and having a guy I can lean [on] for any question.”

That knowledge came in handy when Ryans was going through his first pre-draft process in Indianapolis, which led to them acquiring talent on both sides of the ball when they drafted former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson with back-to-back selections in the 2023 NFL draft.

From the beginning of the rookie minicamp to the conclusion of the mandatory minicamp, Ryans and Caserio have been on one accord on and off the field. They are constantly communicating about the team’s needs and direction and can be seen having frequent conversations. Caserio believes that Ryans is the right person to help take the Texans into the next phase of the rebuilding process after only winning a combined 11 games in the last three years.

It was imperative that Caserio made the proper head coaching selection after the hiring catastrophe Smith and David Culley before him, both of whom only served in that capacity for one season.

“What better person to lead this organization, to lead this team, to lead these players, than DeMeco Ryans,” Caserio said during Ryans introductory press conference in February. “I think everything that DeMeco exhibited as a player, what he’s done as a coach, his leadership, his selflessness, his toughness, his team-first mindset, his charisma, and I would say we didn’t really know each other, but the more and more time we spent together, it was almost a no-brainer as to who was the right fit for this team, this organization, this city.”

Four months later, Ryans echoed those sentiments about Caserio as well.

“We’ve become pretty tight over the last couple of months, and it’s been a really great relationship,” Ryans told the media. “I’m happy to be in this spot working with someone as experienced as Nick because he’s helped me and guided me through a lot. It’s always great to have someone you can lean on, someone you can trust, and in our relationship, we collaborate on everything.

“That was our plan coming into it, and that’s what we do. Every morning we’re meeting, making sure that we’re on the same page, and I think that’s how you grow when you have collaboration, and you have buy-in from everyone. Just like we’re asking our players to be one, me and Nick, we’re one on all of our decisions that we make, trying to make our organization the best it can be.”

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Texans chairman Cal McNair says team is ‘coming along really well’ with DeMeco Ryans

Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair is pleased with the progress thus far under new coach DeMeco Ryans.

The Houston Texans went in a new direction for the third time in as many seasons as they sought a new coach.

Rather than going with an older coach who had experience, the Texans went with a younger coach who was taking his first shot as the man in charge on the sidelines.

Nothing energized the Texans organization and fan base more than the hiring of former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Not only was “Cap” a fan favorite, but he was a formidable defensive coordinator in his own right with the San Francisco 49ers, who had appeared in the NFC Championship Game from 2021-22.

Four and a half months into the Ryans era, chairman and CEO Cal McNair can see the changes on the field — albeit artificial turf at Houston Methodist Training Center at that.

“The team is getting better,” McNair said at mandatory minicamp Tuesday. “That’s really what we want to see through this time period. What he says is iron sharpens iron, so, he has the guys working against each other, trying to get better. We’re looking forward to getting to training camp which is where it really gets started for the season. It’s coming along really well.”

Although Ryans is the reigning AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year and his wheelhouse is defense, McNair is fascinated by the potential on the other side with new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“I love the offense,” said McNair. “I’m a big fan of this offense. Excited to see the defense come together, under DeMeco. Watching the team really come together is really exciting for me because it’s all about the team coming together and playing great ball.”

The last time the Texans avoided a double-digit losing season was 2019. While the prospects are more difficult in the 17th game era, stacking more than four wins a season would be a welcomed product for Clutch City sports fans.

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How likely is DeMeco Ryans to turn around the Texans?

Coach DeMeco Ryans is tasked with turning around the Houston Texans. What is the likelihood Ryans can complete the job in his first year?

The Houston Texans have been also-rans in the AFC South since 2020. Aside from individual accomplishments in 2020, there has been very little to cheer.

The Texans have a wave of excitement they can ride throughout the spring thanks to hiring coach DeMeco Ryans, a former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker with the franchise from 2006-11. The enthusiasm could turn to dejection if the Texans aren’t able to get out of their funk that has limited them to a four-win ceiling the past three seasons.

According to Dalton Wasserman from Pro Football Focus, among incoming coaches in 2023, Ryans ranks No. 4 in his prospects to turn around his team.

Ryans will pride himself on improving this defense, which carried a league-worst 34.1 run-defense grade last season. The first part of winning games is staying in them. And too often in 2022, the Texans’ front seven did not allow the team to do so.

The relationship between Stroud and first-year play caller Bobby Slowik will be interesting to watch. The entire team, though, will be built in Ryans’ blue-collar image. Without a true WR1 on their roster, the Texans’ goal will be to improve the defense and run the ball well.

It’s a developmental year for everyone involved, but the direction of the team is very clear. It will take time, especially in a loaded AFC. Ryans has the requisite time and a good core of talent to work with. The Texans could win a couple more games than expected if things break right.

The Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton was No. 1. The Carolina Panthers’ Frank Reich was No. 2. The Indianapolis Colts’ Shane Steichen ranked No. 3.

The Texans will have their travails throughout the 17-game season. Nevertheless if Ryans is able to end the season on a high note in January, regardless of playoff qualification, Clutch City sports fans will have to believe better days have returned.

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