Tag: Texans rookie minicamp

C.J. Stroud not speaking at Texans rookie minicamp is departure from predecessors

C.J. Stroud not speaking at Houston Texans rookie minicamp is departure from the way other rookie QBs have dealt with the minicamp.

Three other rookie quarterbacks are going to talk this weekend at their teams’ rookie minicamps.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young will share his insights into his baby steps into the NFL. Anthony Richardson will speak about his experience joining the Indianapolis Colts. Even Will Levis will have some words even though the Tennessee Titans are probably going to keep Ryan Tannehill under center.

The Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud are different, and coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters that the team has, “other players that we drafted.”

“C.J. is not the only player that we drafted,” Ryans said with his disarming smile. “We’ve got multiple guys we drafted. We want to let you guys talk to all these guys, and C.J. will be able throughout the spring, later in the spring, also in training camp, so he will be available. Hold your horses, brother.”

It makes sense Stroud has a lot to deal with as the first-round quarterback with the expectations of the entire franchise upon him.

While the Texans may have their reasons for keeping Stroud shrouded, it represents a departure from the way the organization has operated while having a highly touted rookie quarterback.

In 2017, the Texans had another acclaimed field general in their midst. Houston traded with the Cleveland Browns to take the Clemson product No. 12 overall, and gave up some capital to take the two-time Davey O’Brien Award winner.

The Texans didn’t withhold the first-rounder from comment. Bill O’Brien wasn’t keeping him fresh for a presser sometime later in the spring.

The new face of the franchise spoke, and it was some of the typical fare one would expect.

“It’s going to take the hard work and the grind,” he said. “You can expect a lot of stuff and want to be great, want to be successful, especially early, but it’s a process. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take long nights, early mornings to be able to put in the work and to get what you need to get in to be successful on the field.”

But he spoke.

Whether a rookie talks or doesn’t during minicamp has no impact on games, but it does show that there is a recognizable change in how the organization operates.

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WATCH: C.J. Stroud throws to Tank Dell at Texans rookie minicamp

Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw passes to receiver Tank Dell at Houston Texans rookie minicamp.

C.J. Stroud looks natural for the part.

The No. 2 overall pick tossed passes on the first day of Houston Texans rookie minicamp Friday at Houston Methodist Training Center.

One of Stroud’s targets was former Houston Cougars receiver Tank Dell. The Texans spent their 69th overall pick in Round 3 to ensure Dell never left the city.

The goal of rookie minicamps across the NFL isn’t so much to see what playing shape the players are in, but to get the newcomers adjusted to the workflow that comes with being a part of pro football.

Nevertheless images of Stroud connecting with Dell evokes images of what could be inside NRG Stadium in the fall.

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Texans coach Lovie Smith uses T.D. Jakes’ Mother’s Day sermon for rookie minicamp orientation

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith referenced a Bishop T.D. Jakes Mother’s Day sermon when orienting rookies at the team’s minicamp.

Lovie Smith is a father and a grandfather, but it was the Mother’s Day message from a bishop of a Dallas megachurch that resonated with the Houston Texans coach when he prepared to talk to the incoming rookie class at minicamp.

The Texans held rookie minicamp from May 12-14 at team facilities in and around NRG Stadium, and Smith touched on a sermon from Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House Church to help the rookies acclimate to the NFL.

“One of the best Mother’s Day sermons that I ever heard was T.D. Jakes talked about mothers, mentors and moments,” Smith told reporters on May 13. “So last night I kind of started off our meeting a little bit with that. We all had a mother that gave us this opportunity, let the guys know that.

“Mentors, who are the mentors? This weekend we talked to a couple of guys, and they were there hanging out with their high school coaches. A lot of mentors.

“Mothers hand the baton off to the mentors, and we’re a part of that too, coaches, leading up to the moment. The moment of having an opportunity to play in the NFL. It kind of says it all right there of where the guys are. They’ve been working out a lot for this moment, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can as mentors to help them through it.”

Part of Smith’s orientation was to calm the nerves of the drafted and undrafted rookies eager to make a great impression with their first NFL team.

“These first couple of days, it’s about this, ‘Welcome to our group. This is how we do things,'” Smith explained. “Letting them know that it’s going to be okay. We’re not going to play tomorrow, and just to trust the process as much as anything. Letting them know about our coaches a little bit.”

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Texans coach Lovie Smith played Motown music at rookie minicamp practice

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith played old school R&B at rookie minicamp practice to reinforce his values about football.

Lovie Smith is no stranger to old school R&B. The former 2005 NFL coach fo the year compared his Tampa 2 defense to the timeless genre.

Just as Smith was introducing rookies on defense to his principles of the Tampa 2 at rookie minicamp on May 13, he was also indoctrinating the entire rookie class with old school R&B on the Houston Texans’ practice fields outside of Houston Methodist Training Center.

“I wake up every day to music,” Smith said. “I’m a music guy, to say the least. You can tell I’m probably a little bit more towards Motown than rap music, that’s probably easy to see. But you kind of start practice off the same way just about everywhere I’ve been.”

Smith acknowledged that the game of football isn’t played in silence. Therefore, music is inevitably a part of the game.

“Music has become a big part of practices nowadays for young people,” said Smith. “You go in our locker room, there’s nothing wrong with it. There’s a time for it. The game isn’t played in silence. So, I like music at practice, and at certain times, loud music at practice.”

Smith uses old school R&B to reinforced that he is an old school coach and there are tenets he still believes about the game of football, and his convictions will never change.

Said Smith: “Most of the time when I say something, I really believe it. I am old school, and there’s a lot of things that you don’t want to leave us completely, and music of the past is one of them that says an awful lot.”

The Texans are hopeful that Smith’s old school ways bring a new form of winning attitude to NRG Stadium. If nothing else, Smith is at least keeping old school R&B alive with the younger generation.

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Progress and competition depends on Texans’ draft class seeing field in 2021

Houston Texans coach David Culley says that the ability for the rookie class to progress and win competitions will determine their playing time.

The Houston Texans’ draft class of 2020 barely saw the field last season. In what former head coach Bill O’Brien dubbed as a “veteran type of year”, no rookie played more than 25 percent of the Texans’ snaps last season. Second-round pick Ross Blacklock led the way in rookie snap counts with 255 on-field appearances, resulting in 23%.

This coming season, the Texans have three intriguing prospects fans will be dying to see take the field in 2021 (QB Davis Mills, WR Nico Collins and TE Brevin Jordan). And according to new head coach David Culley, their progression will depend on whether or not this year’s rookie class will see the gridiron come the fall.

“If a rookie progresses the way he needs to progress and if he’s a good enough player and picks it up, picks the offense up or the defense up or what we’re doing on special teams — we’re about competition here,” Culley said following day two of rookie minicamp on May 15. “Regardless of whether he’s a rookie or he’s a veteran, if he picks up what we’re doing, he’s doing the things that we want done.”

Culley and his coaching staff are not excluding rookies from the “competition” general manager Nick Caserio created with the make-up of the roster. With 30 new guys on the team, the rookies have a chance to solidify themselves into the Texans’ rotations regardless of the position.

“We’re looking at it like there’s going to be competition at all positions,” said Culley. “That’s why you see so many guys on this football team right now that haven’t been here. We’re going to let things play out in training camp. We’re going to go from there and then the best players that give us the best chance to win are the ones we’re going to be put on the football field regardless of position.”

Texans coach David Culley says QB Davis Mills pick was part of creating competition on the roster

Houston Texans coach David Culley says that the selection of QB Davis Mills was part of a philosophy of creating competition on the whole roster.

The Houston Texans selected quarterback Davis Mills with the No. 67 overall pick in Round 3 of the 2021 NFL draft.

According to coach David Culley, the selection of Mills wasn’t necessarily to create competition at quarterback. Rather, the move was part of an overall philosophy to generate position battles throughout the entire roster.

“We’re looking at it like there’s going to be competition at all positions,” Culley told reporters on May 15 during the Texans’ rookie minicamp. “This is a new football team here. Basically, we’ve created competition all around this football team, not just at the quarterback position, but basically at all positions. That’s why you see so many guys on this football team right now that haven’t been here.”

Culley says that the real battles will take place during the summer leading up to preseason.

“We’re going to let things play out in training camp,” said Culley. “We’re going to go from there and then the best players that give us the best chance to win are the ones we’re going to be put on the football field regardless of position.”

The Texans have quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Finley, and three-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson on the roster.

Texans rookie LB Garret Wallow says he views DT Ross Blacklock as a mentor

Houston rookie linebacker Garret Wallow says that second-year defensive tackle Ross Blacklock is someone he looks up to on the team.

Houston Texans rookie linebacker Garret Wallow already has someone on the team that he looks up to.

The fifth-round pick from TCU follows the lead of second-year defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, who also played at TCU, and was selected by the Texans in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL draft.

“Me and Ross had actually been talking way before I got drafted,” Wallow told reporters on a Zoom call on May 15 during Texans rookie minicamp. “It wasn’t about the Texans, it was just about the mentality that you have to come into the NFL, how different it is. There are a lot of things that are different. More games, definitely different studying.”

Now that Wallow is no longer in classes at TCU, he says he can focus on football with Blacklock.

“Football is your school,” said Wallow. “Ross is like a mentor to me. I take in knowledge from him. I’ve always seen him like a bigger brother, but now we’re on the same level and we get the chance to play together now. Definitely just trying to pick his brain whenever I can, especially when he sees me.”

According to Wallow, Blacklock was one of the first people that he reached out to after the Texans picked him No. 170 overall.

“He was my first text to tell him I was coming here before they called my name,” said Wallow. “It’s definitely an excitement to be back with him and such a great and talented guy as well.”

Texans invite former Alabama cornerback Shyheim Carter to rookie minicamp

The Houston Texans have extended a rookie minicamp invite to former Alabama cornerback Shyheim Carter.

The Houston Texans have extended a rookie minicamp invite to former Alabama cornerback Shyheim Carter.

The invite is on a tryout basis, according to Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk 790.

Carter is currently a graduate assistant at Alabama, incidentally where former Texans coach Bill O’Brien is now the offensive coordinator under Nick Saban.

With Alabama from 2016-19, Carter collected 100 combined tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two pick-sixes, two forced fumbles, and 18 pass breakups through 34 career games.

Carter is one of five invitees the Texans can have over the two-day portion of offseason workouts.

“It’s an opportunity for them, quite frankly, to take some of the stuff they’ve been doing in the classroom and then maybe get on the field and apply cadence, snap count, blocking technique, go this way on this play, just to hear the play call in the huddle,” general manager Nick Caserio told reporters on May 10. “Again, you’re talking about maybe a couple hours over the course of two days. It’s not going to be like a full-fledged practice, but again it’s kind of to start the process of taking what you learned in the classroom and start to put it on the field in terms of a real live application.”

The Texans have a stacked cornerback group already with Vernon Hargreaves, Bradley Roby, Keion Crossen, Terrance Mitchell, and Desmond King.