Tag: Texans receiver

Texans WR Brandin Cooks seeks to develop off-field chemistry with QB Davis Mills

Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks doesn’t talk too many X’s and O’s with QB Davis Mills. Instead, he tries to help the rookie off the field.

Brandin Cooks has been around great quarterbacks in his seven seasons in the NFL.

As a first-round pick in 2014, the former Oregon State receiver spent the first three years of his career with the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees. In 2017, he was traded to the New England Patriots and made a Super Bowl run with Tom Brady. From 2018-19, he was with the Los Angeles Rams and Jared Goff, and last year was spent with the Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson.

With third-round rookie quarterback Davis Mills, Cooks has an opportunity to impart some of the greatness he observed from those quarterbacks upon the former Stanford product. Instead, Cooks is letting the coaches handle it.

“I don’t talk too much about X’s and O’s with him,” Cooks said. “I talk to him more off the field. He’s going to be drilled enough from the quarterbacks coach [Pep Hamilton], from Tim Kelly and from the other quarterbacks in his group.”

The other quarterbacks in the group include Watson, although he has yet to participate in any team portions of practice as his trade request from January is still standing. Former Pro Bowler Tyrod Taylor and journeyman Jeff Driskel provide insight in the quarterback room to develop the youngster.

Where does Cooks try to help the rookie if not on the football field?

Said Mills: “My biggest thing, I just want to talk to him and try to help him out just in life, being a professional. Talking about just eating, where to go eat, if he needs help with rehab, if he needs anything outside the field.”

Mills is taking a leap of faith in Houston. The 22-year-old from Norcross, Georgia, in the Atlanta area moved to Houston and stayed with his sister, and his girlfriend has currently moved to the Bayou City. Mills can use all of the support he can get as he adjusts to the Houston area and pro football.

Rookie WR Nico Collins seeks to be consistent for the Texans

Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins says that his biggest task as a rookie is to be consistent on a daily basis.

Rookie Nico Collins has three goals for training camp: get better each day, learn from the veteran receivers, and have fun in the process.

The Houston Texans’ 2021 third-round receiver from Michigan met with reporters, and revealed some of the adjustments he has had to make as he adapts to the pro game.

“I’d say just the speed,” Collins said. “Everybody’s good. In the NFL, everybody is good. Just coming out here to camp, competing with the best. I feel like that’s good for me to get up to speed. Just to get in really well with the camp and with the team. Like I said, everything is going well, having fun.”

The two receivers that Collins leans on the most are Brandin Cooks and Chris Conley. For Cooks, it will be his second season with the Texans, Conley his first.

“Do whatever I can to improve my game on the field because they have a lot of experience,” said Collins. “I ask them every day just ways I can do to get better. They’re right there by my side just helping me.”

Collins opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, but caught 37 passes for 729 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019, his last full season in college.

Can former Texans WR Andre Johnson get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Former Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. Can the two-time NFL receptions leader get in?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyfnvh9j9pb72y player_id=none image=https://texanswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

After 20 years, the Houston Texans may finally be able to have one of their own in Canton, Ohio.

No, Ed Reed doesn’t really count.

Former Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2022 class. Just as Johnson was the franchise’s first player to represent the team at the Pro Bowl following the 2004 season, he may be the first Texans player to represent the team in Canton.

For Johnson to get into the Hall of Fame, he will be going against stiff competition.

Taking a look at receivers alone, the finalists from 2021 who didn’t make it were Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt. The one thing they have that Johnson doesn’t is a Super Bowl ring. Wayne and Holt also enjoyed success in the postseason while Johnson has two wild-card playoff wins over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Anquan Boldin, another Super Bowl winner, and Steve Smith will be eligible in 2022 along with Johnson.

Johnson didn’t have a spurt of high production, like Hines Ward, whose Pro Bowl appearances all occurred from 2001-04. Johnson was a seven-time Pro Bowler, and his last appearance was in 2013, the year the Texans went 2-14. Even though the team was imploding around him, he kept playing at a high level. Johnson also earned his first-team All-Pro selections in 2008 and 2009, and was the NFL’s receptions leader in 2006 and 2008. The former 2003 first-round pick also was the league’s receiving yards leader in 2008 and 2009.

Johnson’s 1,062 receptions are 11th all-time, his 14,185 receiving yards also 11th, but his 70 receiving touchdowns are tied with Gary Collins for 46th all-time.

What Johnson needs is for an advocate in the voters’ meetings to make the case that no matter the quarterback, he always performed. Take a look at the fact Johnson got a Pro Bowl in 2004 when David Carr was quarterback, led the league in receptions and receiving yards in 2008 when Matt Schaub was injured, and then picked up another Pro Bowl in 2013 when Houston started Case Keenum for eight games at quarterback.

If the voters are going to evaluate the candidates based on team accomplishments, Johnson hasn’t got a chance. If the voters weigh it heavily towards individual effort, Johnson has a decent shot.

WR Andre Roberts thinks Texans will be ‘great’ on special teams in 2021

Houston Texans receiver Andre Roberts says he believes his new team can be “great” on special teams this season.

Receiver Andre Roberts believes the Houston Texans can be “great” on special teams in 2021.

The three-time Pro Bowl returner signed a one-year contract to be with Houston, and he sees the emphasis general manager Nick Caserio, coach David Culley, and special teams coordinator Frank Ross have put on the transition phase of the game.

“Coming here, for me, is just a new opportunity, and like I said, they brought a lot of good special teams guys in here, so I know they’re going to focus on that and we’re going to try to be great this year,” Roberts said.

The Arizona Cardinals 2010 third-round pick from The Citadel has a career 25.8 yards per kickoff return average, which is similar to the starting field position of a touchback.

Roberts views the 25-yard line as “nice” starting field position, but is obviously looking for more.

Said Roberts: “Starting from the 25 is nice, I guess, on kickoff, but starting from the 30, 35, 40, 50-yard line is a lot better.”

Roberts has been to the Pro Bowl the last three seasons, and takes pride in the nominations, including a first-team All-Pro in 2018 with the New York Jets.

“As a player you want to make the All-Pro team, and the Pro Bowl is a bonus, but I take a lot of pride in being the best in the league, and I try to be the top of the league every single year that I’m playing,” Roberts said.

If Roberts can have another Pro Bowl season for the fourth year in a row, it should be enough to help the Texans’ special teams perform at a great level this season.

WR Anthony Miller embracing fresh start with the Texans

Houston Texans receiver Anthony Miller says that he is embracing a fresh start with the team after his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears.

Anthony Miller just never got going with the Chicago Bears.

The former 2018 second-round pick from Memphis caught 134 passes for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns through three seasons. Miller caught seven touchdown passes in his rookie year, had over 600 yards in his second year, but it never materialized for the 5-11, 199-pound wideout.

With the Texans, Miller seeks a fresh start.

“That’s exactly what it is, a fresh start,” Miller said. “A new opportunity for me to show what I can do, and the coaches here, they believe in what I can do 100%. That’s all I want is an opportunity, and that’s what they’re giving me.”

What coach David Culley wants from Miller is to provide competition at receiver.

“He’s doing a good job of learning the system. He’s fitting right in with Keke (Coutee) and Alex (Erickson) in that position that we got for him, and basically the competition right there, all he did is just make the competition even more when he came in here,” Culley said.

The competition at receiver has also generated one of the team’s greatest strengths. At the top of the depth chart at the position include Brandin Cooks, Chris Conley, and rookie Nico Collins.

“We’ve got a lot of weapons and we’re still putting the pieces together,” said Roberts. “We’re still finding out what everybody can do and where they’re going to play, what positions. It’s really a competition. That’s what the coaches are saying. But you know, we’re sticking together. If one doesn’t know the play we’ll tell him, so it’s no bad blood within the receiving room.”

The brotherhood and lack of bad blood in the receiver room is what the Texans need as they try to recover from a 4-12 record from a year ago, which will be a tall order given the transition at quarterback from Deshaun Watson to a platoon of Tyrod Taylor, Jeff Driskel, and Davis Mills.

WATCH: Texans WR Isaiah Coulter works against CB Terrance Mitchell

Houston Texans receiver Isaiah Coulter got some good work in against veteran cornerback Terrance Mitchell in passing drills at training camp.

Isaiah Coulter didn’t really have a rookie year.

Not really — the former Rhode Island Ram may have gone in Round 5 of the 2020 NFL draft, and he may have played one game for the Houston Texans, but COVID-19 nixed his smooth transition from the Colonial Athletic Association to the NFL.

With full participation in the Texans’ offseason program in 2021, the 6-3, 190-pound wideout has been able to build up more of his confidence and display some of his catch radius.

Going against veteran cornerback Terrance Mitchell in the seventh training camp practice on the eighth day at Houston Methodist Training Center, Coulter was able to break away from the jam and catch a touchdown pass near the pylon from rookie quarterback Davis Mills.

Coulter is in a competitive receivers room with Brandin Cooks, Chris Moore, Chris Conley, rookie Nico Collins, and Keke Coutee. Coulter will need to make plays like this in preseason games to keep the coaching staff’s attention.

WATCH: Texans WR Anthony Miller displays quickness, speed on day 3 of training camp

Houston Texans receiver Anthony Miller displayed his speed and quickness in a video captured by the team’s media department.

It didn’t take long for receiver Anthony Miller to display the talents that attracted the Houston Texans enough to trade with the Chicago Bears.

The 5-11. 199-pound wideout on his third day of camp displayed his quickness and his speed to get open in individual portion and catch a pass.

The move was part of what receiver Brandin Cooks said makes Miller shifty.

“First of all, his mentality, it’s nasty,” Cooks said. “He’s a guy that he may be small but at the end of the day he got such a big chip on his shoulder, he going to come to work every day and he’s got a lot of speed there in the backfield.”

Miller caught 134 for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Bears through 47 games, 17 of which he started.

LOOK: Texans WR Brandin Cooks, QB Deshaun Watson all smiles for day 3 of training camp

Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks was having a good time walking with quarterback Deshaun Watson to day three of training camp.

Fact: Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has not rescinded his trade request.

Fact: the players don’t want to talk about the Watson situation either — at least, not with the media.

However, there is more than what is being said going on between Watson and the Texans players, who are still technically teammates.

In a photo tweeted by Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790, Watson and receiver Brandin Cooks were seen sharing smiles as they walked over to the practice fields at Houston Methodist Training Center for day three of training camp. Thus far, Cooks has been a full go while Watson has been curtailed to scout team safety.

Cooks wouldn’t talk about Watson after the first day of training camp.

“I’m not answering those questions,” said Cooks. “I’m not. I know he wouldn’t want me to comment on that so I’m going to leave that alone. I’m going to leave that alone.”

Texans sign receiver Jordan Veasy

The Houston Texans have signed former Cal receiver Jordan Veasy to provide depth and competition among their receiving corps for training camp.

The Houston Texans have signed former Cal receiver Jordan Veasy.

The move comes after the Texans traded Randall Cobb back to the Green Bay Packers and released wideout Donte Moncrief.

Veasy is on his sixth team since going undrafted in 2018. The Tennessee Titans signed him after the draft, and he stayed on with the club through the preseason.

In December of 2018, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Veasy to the practice squad. After the season, Veasy signed a reserve/future contract with the Indianapolis Colts, who also cut him at the end of preseason in 2019.

The Buffalo Bills signed Veasy to their practice squad in late September, dropped him, and then added him back before dropping him again by mid-October.

Veasy signed with Washington as a member of their practice squad, and stayed on with the team until he was waived early October of 2020.

Part of what has helped Veasy stay in the football consciousness is his participation in the HUB Football camp. According to the camp started by agent Don Yee, Veasy was a participant in the camp, and the Texans had a scout at the camp.

 

Texans release WR Donte Moncrief, make other roster moves ahead of training camp

The Houston Texans released receiver Donte Moncrief and made other roster moves ahead of their first day of training camp.

The Houston Texans made a series of roster transactions as they gear up for their first day of training camp.

The Texans released receiver Donte Moncrief, terminating his contract as a vested veteran.

Houston also placed tackle Geron Christian, running back Buddy Howell, and receiver Taywan Taylor on the COVID-19 reserve.

Across the league there were 15 players, including the Texans, who were placed on their team’s COVID-19 reserves. All but one of them were the result of a positive test.

Cornerback Cornell Armstrong, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, tight end Pharaoh Brown, and safety Lonnie Johnson were placed on the non-football injury list. However, they will count on the active list.

The Texans’ first practice is at 9:00 a.m. Central Time Wednesday at Houston Methodist Training Center.