Houston Texans Pre-Season 2014 - NT Bowl 2.5...Battle For Roster Spots

Texans add WR Kofi Hughes, waive T Kevin Forsch

The Texans were awarded wide receiver Kofi Hughes on waivers from the Washington ******** on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-2, 217-pound Hughes spent four seasons at Indiana, catching 47 passes for 739 yards and seven touchdowns in 2013 during his senior season.

The Texans waived tackle Kevin Forsch.


Yates carries playoff experience into fresh, unknown QB situation

There may be no player on the Texans roster happier to have a new coaching staff and a fresh start than quarterback T. J. Yates, the once and former hero of the franchise’s first trip to the playoffs in 2011. Subbing for Matt Schaub, who was lost for the season with a foot injury, the rookie Yates took over and got the Texans into the division round.

But he understood he was only a caretaker.

“Even after I’d played,” Yates said, “it was always Matt’s show.”

Although he might appear to be the logical odd man out if you’re handicapping the four-man quarterback competition with Bill O’Brien now in charge, Yates can stand on his record as being the only one of them with an NFL playoff appearance on his resume.

Of course, he adds, “That feels like it happened about 10 years ago.”

Yates’ reward for his early success would be a return to almost total anonymity in 2012 and he’s the first to admit he botched his lone chance to seize the team’s reins a year ago with Schaub free-falling. Yates’ two-pick game against the Rams – one of which was embarrassingly run back 98 yards for a touchdown – proved a personal debacle within what he called a “debacle” of a season.

When Kubiak concluded a change had to made, he turned to Keenum and never looked Yates’ way again.

“The one chance I got I didn’t play well,” he said, “and I don’t think that put a good taste in (Gary Kubiak’s) mouth going forward. I kind of dropped the ball. Obviously I would have liked to have gotten another shot somewhere down toward the end of the season, but that’s over now. This is a fresh start for everybody and it’s especially refreshing for me. (With a) new coach (and a) offense. Everybody’s starting at ground zero.”
 
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I really like what I've been reading about how the atmosphere and vibe at these camps has been more physical and intense.

A lot of the vets commented on how fast the pace is compared to the Kub era. BOB says they're not even close to the tempo they need to be at for the season.

I think I read something where they not gon practice in the bubble just outside.

It feels good knowing that our coach is gonna hold every player accountable and not treat these grown *** man like little kids.

These dudes even the vets gotta go out there and guarantee they own jobs

It's also refreshing to hear BOB is a very hands on coach, and not just with the offense. Supposedly, he walks around from position group to position group and is always coaching.

I read something where JJoe said something like Kubiak used to only stick with the offense and never really went to the defensive side and coached them.

BOB been with Special Teams, Offense, and defense which is good to hear.

Im feining for this season to start 
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I love hearing about the new atmosphere as well. I think the thing I'm most intrigued in is who will be the starting QB. I don't think I've ever seen a more wide open QB competition. There's no way someone can't stand out between Keenum, Fitz, Savage, and Yates. That also makes me intrigued about what the O-line will look like though. The running game will need to be back to the 2011 form.
 
MLB :x
Thought the same for DT then realized we drafted Nix. Right side of the O-Line still looks problematic. And by problematic, I mean Derek Newton is still there.
 
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Reed is the 2nd mike now but yea still could use an talent upgrade there.

Our secondary could have a bounce back year if the nickel corner finally shows some life, whoever that may be. Kareem gotta bounce back too. My dude was up & down all year. I think I can grow to like our safeties.
 
I have no idea why Derek Newton is still here. It's not like he was a world beater before some nagging injuries. he was pretty good in a nice rotation the year before last, but as a starter, he was awful. Hopefully Brennen Williams can overtake him, but he's STILL not fully recovered yet.
 
If you guys find any Owen Daniels jerseys at the outlets down there let me know please.

Lookin for one.

JJ Watt, a few weeks back the Lids Locker Room in Deerbrook Mall had 2 or 3 Daniels Jersey's on the sale racks, don't remember what size they were but you may want to give them a call. I think I may have seen one on Macys.com to.
 
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Im pretty sure Reed is moving inside to ILB

But still the depth is 
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We an injury away from some bum starting 
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WR looking a lil thin also

Bonner is explosive and will probably compete with Mike Thomas for the starting slot position this season along with Martin I think

Looking to see what Posey can do also.. He has some talent he just needs to stay healthy and get some looks.

Hopefully Bouye can crack the rotation at CB. He has the tools to be a nice CB maybe he can get that nickel CB spot

Really excited to see how Swearinger plays this next season 
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Imo he can be a really good saftey in this league. He had some mental mistakes last year but hes a hard worker hes only gonna get better 
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I read J.J. Watt may stand up and come off the edge 
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I just imagine him and Clowney on opposite sides.. **** is gonna be nuts!!!!

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JJ Watt standing up? Yea I think I like seeing him abuse right guards better.

Crennel doesn't need to over think it. Pass rushing situation: Clowney/Mercilus outside, Watt/??? inside should get it done.
 
Question tho, when we go into nickel who's the 2nd linebacker?

Reed? :rolleyes
Tarpinian? :x
???

Yikes

The funny thing about that is Tarpinian played pretty well when we picked him up. Just shows how awful the defense was regardless of those PER-like stats ESPN kept feeding the media :lol:
 
Im pretty sure it be REed unless they throw in another cb or sumn lol 
Anyone know how the ILB from MSU had been playing? Bullough ?
Everything ive seen is that hes been impressive. He was calling out the plays a few days ago and they said he looked really comfortable.

Hes a sleeper to sneak into the rotation and be a good player for us.
 


:lol: :smokin

and clowney signs the contract, ~$22mill 4 years w/ 5th year option.
 
That Foster vid :rofl:

Both articles from the Texans website:

"His Story": S Kendrick Lewis' journey

During Thursday's OTA session, I was talking to one of my favorite people in the Texans organization. Evan Koch, who works in media relations with the team, perked up when I mentioned one of the Texans' defensive players and how well I thought he was doing.

Evan, having spent many hours with the guys on this team, said: "Do you know his story?"

His story.

It's one of the aspects of all people that I love to know but I didn't know this particular player's journey to Houston. As Evan recounted his trek, I was floored by it and it instantly made me more of this player's cheerleader, if you will, than I had been prior to our discussion.

For the next few minutes, I thought about the road taken by so many of these Texans. Some we know well, like J.J. Watt's rags to pizza boy to riches story, but some we don't. Sure, some players in all organizations have never dealt with any sort of adversity or have just followed a fairly clear path for themselves over their careers. But hearing this story, combined with the success of his family members that all fought through a similar upbringing, made me realize what this sport, good community, family love and devotion can eventually produce.

Just hearing that Texan's background would've been enough and by the time some players walked into the media workroom for some Q & A, my mind went right back to football.

Then, safety Kendrick Lewis walked in.

For those that don't know, Lewis signed in Houston this offseason and played for Romeo Crennel in Kansas City after playing his college ball at Ole Miss.

I followed him during his college career there and was pleased that he was in Houston to provide a veteran influence in the secondary. After the first OTA session, Lewis' presence was requested by one of the media members and he arrived in the workroom for Q & A time.

During that period, I typically float from one player to the next, just to pick up any nugget I can. Now, the players have been well-schooled in the ways of "we're a team" and "it's going great" and Lewis is no exception. But, he was extremely forthcoming in his answers to just about everything that didn't pertain to football.

Lewis walked in Thursday at the same time Duane Brown and Ryan Griffin were holding court in the room. I suppose because Lewis isn't as well known and had already talked earlier last week, the crowd around him wasn't at big as No. 76's crowd. In fact, I used a forearm shiver on one of the camera guys as he sprinted for Duane's spot. Regardless, I don't ask any questions to be honest, not in this setting, but I actually had a couple for him yesterday that had been on my mind since his first visit. Purely football.

I'm glad I never got to ask them because someone asked him "Why Houston? Why was THIS the place for you?"

He initially talked about playing for Romeo Crennel but then said something about being from New Orleans and that Houston was close to his home. Then, without prompting, he said that he had even spent some time in Houston due to Hurricane Katrina. From there, his story was amazing to hear.

He didn't go into minute detail, but he talked about his home and area around his home being completely under water. By that time that the levees broke, he and his family members headed west to Houston and he was here watching and listening to the news as his neighborhood was shown completely submerged.

I'm not 100% sure whether the re-telling of his, and his family's, travails was cathartic or not but he answered every single question as it pertained to such a harrowing experience with class and a matter of fact, don't-feel-sorry-for-me attitude. Thousands experienced Hurricane Katrina and have a similar story to tell, but when you hear that story from a citizen that lived it, it's gut-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time.

I'm not the only media member to write about Lewis discussing his Katrina experience. But, having listened to it two feet away from him, it was difficult not to, honestly. Luckily it fell right in line with my thoughts about this organization's story and the individuals that make it up.

How did it get to be? How did each individual player get here? How will he stay here? How will he be successful here?

The 2014 Houston Texans story has been shaped by what's happened over these past few weeks of OTA and mini-camps, but what makes this year special is the men that'll write this team's pages.
 
Kareem Jackson's versatility at corner

Kareem Jackson is putting the words “the more you can do” into action. Bill O’Brien’s motto, one meant to inspire players to be versatile and fit multiple roles, applies to the veteran who has diversified his role by also playing slot corner during OTAs.

“A slot corner has to have quickness, has to have strength, has to have awareness and has to be able to, relative to the strength, be able to tackle. Because they can be a force player verses certain formations. Middle runs that they see they have to be able to tackle. It is a position that is very tough to play. When you have a guy like Kareem (Jackson) that is doing that for us right now, who can play outside and inside, he’s a guy that is playing inside for us too.”

Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel calls Jackson’s ability to adapt to the inside as “outstanding.” It sets a valuable example for rookies like Jadeveon Clowney who are also learning a new role. Clowney, Houston’s No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, has been working to make the transition from a defensive end in college to outside linebacker in the Texans defense.


“Those young guys we have been talking about, they see a veteran playing two spots and now that gives them incentive to learn what they have to learn,” Crennel said in a Texans Radio interview. “I think that makes everybody better because everybody knows that ‘If I can play two spots, I can help the team more.’ Clowney is going look and he’s going to see this veteran who started last year. He’s playing inside and outside and so if I can play defensive end and linebacker, then I become more valuable.”

Jackson, entering his fifth NFL season, has been been filling in the slot for Johnathan Joseph who has missed time this month. Joseph, who underwent toe surgery after the 2013 season, has been on the practice field but limited in his activities. O’Brien is evaluating the secondary which may still see more changes in the near future.

“We’ve brought (A.J.) Bouye in. We’ve brought Elbert Mack in. We’ve brought Josh Victorian in,” O’Brien said after Thursday’s practice. “All of those guys have done a really good job. To this point, we’re always going to do what is best for the football team. I believe that we have a very competitive secondary. We’re still evaluating where they all fit. A lot of those guys, for instance Elbert Mack, he does a really good job on special teams. He’s a guy that is involved in a lot of different parts of the team. To this point, I’ve been happy with where we are at in the secondary.”
 
I had heard about this earlier, but didn't know a lot of details on it

HOUSTON -- Texans offensive tackle David Quessenberry has been diagnosed with lymphoma and was placed on the team's non-football injury list Tuesday.

"The goal of David's treatment is to cure the disease so he can return to the life that he has worked so hard to earn," a statement from Quessenberry's agents at Rep1 Sports read. "David is extremely positive and determined to win this fight against cancer."

Quessenberry not only experienced fatigue and a persistent cough last week, but he also felt like he was going to black out during an OTA practice last week, his agent, Chase Callahan, told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan.

After consulting with the training staff, Quessenberry had tests taken that showed he had fluid in his lungs. After further testing, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

Callahan said the second-year pro started chemotherapy shortly after the diagnosis.

The 23-year-old Quessenberry took to Twitter on Tuesday to thanks his supporters.

Earlier Tuesday, Quessenberry told CSN Houston: "I'm gonna kick the crap outta this thing and come back even stronger! I will win this fight."

He is being treated at MD Anderson hospital in Houston. T-cell lymphomas are fairly rare and account for about 15 percent of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnoses.

"Our medical community here in Houston is the best in the world," Texans general manager Rick Smith said. "We are extremely confident in the care and treatment David will receive. He is a fighter and a courageous young man, and we look forward to his full and complete recovery. We will continue to support him and his family and look forward to his return to the team."

Quessenberry was a sixth-round draft pick in 2013 out of San Jose State. After a promising offseason, he suffered a severe broken foot that landed him on injured reserve for his rookie season.

"We want everybody to know, especially David Quessenberry, that we're very much in David Quessenbery's corner," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "The one thing that's stood out to me and our coaching staff is what an impressive young man this is. He's a guy that wanted his teammates to know that he was going to fight this thing and he was going to beat it. We're all behind him and we know that he's going to do that. ... We look forward to the day that he beats it and he returns to the Houston Texans."
 
HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans are taking an interesting approach to finding their starting quarterback for this coming season. They're giving each of the four quarterbacks on their roster a fair amount of practice repetitions to see who can shine the brightest during the offseason. That sounds like a great idea when you have a legitimate competition. But when you have a situation like Houston's, it's better to focus on coaching up your most experienced quarterback, a guy named Ryan Fitzpatrick.

For all the high hopes surrounding a potentially lethal pass-rushing combination of J.J. Watt and rookie Jadeveon Clowney this fall, the Texans' fortunes will not hinge solely on their ability to frustrate opposing quarterbacks. Plenty will be decided by whom new head coach Bill O'Brien puts under center for his team, which is why it's surprising to see his handling of Fitzpatrick. O'Brien handpicked Fitzpatrick in free agency, presumably because the nine-year veteran could be a suitable bridge to whomever the Texans viewed as their quarterback of the future. Now it feels as if Houston is wasting time with a strategy that is built around selling the public on the notion that anybody could win the starting job.

Why O'Brien would take this approach is a question worth asking. Despite all of Fitzpatrick's flaws -- and he has some sizable ones -- he's still the best quarterback on this roster. T.J. Yates has been in town long enough to prove he's not the answer. Case Keenum excited local fans because of his impressive college career at the University of Houston and eventually wound up losing all eight games he started in 2013. The optimism about rookie Tom Savage, drafted in the fourth round out of Pittsburgh, also needs to be tempered at this stage. If he's Houston's quarterback of the future, he'll need more than this offseason to make the Texans' power structure feel good about making that proclamation.

To his credit, Fitzpatrick hasn't complained about the setup. As he said after an OTA session Thursday, "I'm seeing this as an opportunity to play and compete. At this point, that's all I can ask -- a chance to earn a job and apply everything I've learned from my experiences." This is also something that any smart veteran would say when eyeing a spot that is far from guaranteed. Fitzpatrick has known from the first day he signed with the Texans that nothing would be handed to him.

There's nothing wrong with that, as Fitzpatrick has fought for every opportunity he's ever gained in this league. It's just that it's difficult to see any way that Fitzpatrick isn't this team's starter when Houston opens the season against Washington. Even though he hasn't exactly impressed so far this offseason, he still has played more than the other three quarterbacks on this roster combined. He also has started 77 games in the NFL, including 53 for Buffalo in 2009-12.

That should be ample evidence for the Texans to spend more time focusing on ways to get Fitzpatrick playing his best football by the time September arrives. The more they try to expose the younger quarterbacks to the offense, the more they detract from Fitzpatrick's ability to gain the trust of his teammates. Given his Harvard education, Fitzpatrick is bright enough to pick up an offense that many people say is far more complicated than the system former head coach Gary Kubiak ran during his eight seasons with the franchise. It's essential that he gets adequate time to prove he's a leader who can help this team escape the stench of last year's 2-14 season.

Houston already has enough problems with Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson avoiding offseason workouts because he's unhappy with a team that seems on the verge of rebuilding again. By sticking with this idea that every quarterback deserves a fair amount of practice reps, the Texans are merely reinforcing the very notion that is making Johnson sulk. There is only so much time for teams to work on their craft in a league that has cut down substantially on offseason practice time. Houston just doesn't have the luxury of waiting too long to see if a better option than Fitzpatrick emerges before the fall.

This isn't Seattle. It's not as if Savage is going to morph into the next Russell Wilson and start blowing people away with his skill as a rookie. The more apt comparison for the Texans is Kansas City. If O'Brien can steal a page from the Chiefs' blueprint -- which led to them going 11-5 last season after a 2-14 finish in 2012 -- then Fitzpatrick could look a lot like Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith by the end of the season.

More from ESPN.com
The Texans went after quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in free agency because new coach Bill O'Brien covets experience, intelligence and accuracy, Tania Ganguli writes. Story

Houston has more than enough talent to return to playoff contention. The AFC isn't strong, the Texans face a significantly weaker schedule than they did in 2013, and they still have plenty of key players from the teams that won the AFC South in 2011 and 2012. If they copy Kansas City's formula for success in 2013 -- which included a dominant running game, strong special-teams play and a defense that flustered opposing passers -- they should have more chances to win. If Fitzpatrick can provide the efficiency and leadership that Smith displayed, they will be even more dangerous.

Texans coaches already see that Fitzpatrick has valuable intangibles. "He loves football," quarterbacks coach George Godsey said. "The first thing we look for in a quarterback is, does he want to put the time in? He's shown that. He's played in different systems and learned a lot of things. He does a good job of controlling the offense."

The Texans also need that additional time with Fitzpatrick because they need him to curb the propensity for turnovers that consistently has plagued him. He's thrown 93 interceptions during his career, which is a big reason why he's on his fifth team as he enters his 10th NFL season. O'Brien apparently believes he can coach Fitzpatrick to make better decisions with the football, but this is something that won't happen overnight. In a lot of ways, it will require a certain level of trust between quarterback and head coach.

Sometimes quarterbacks throw interceptions because they're not very good. Other times they do it because they feel the need to make a play. Given the lousy teams that Fitzpatrick has played for during his career -- his career record is 27-49-1 as a starter -- it's likely that bad circumstances, inexperience and desperation contributed to his mistakes. Remember, the first thing O'Brien liked about Fitzpatrick when courting him was his intelligence.

Fitzpatrick's resilience could end up being even more of an asset once he settles into the job. He has been just about everything a quarterback can be throughout his career -- third string, second string, starter, quarterback of the future and then disappointment -- and those experiences have given him a comfort level with his present situation. "When I look back at my first five years in the league, it's almost laughable what I didn't know," Fitzpatrick said. "That's why this offseason has been fun for me -- just all the knowledge I've gained from Coach O'Brien and Coach Godsey."

That training will only mean something once the Texans do what seems logical -- and give Fitzpatrick the job. They could've drafted a quarterback with more buzz -- Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and even Derek Carr were available -- and they could've pursued a veteran such as Josh McCown, who signed with Tampa Bay in free agency after he impressed in Chicago last fall. Instead, they went with a strategy that made Fitzpatrick the wild card of this season. Their next step should be giving him ample opportunity to help this team prosper in the near future.

HOUSTON -- Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney had sports hernia surgery in Philadelphia on Thursday, coach Bill O'Brien said Friday.

Clowney flew to Philadelphia on Thursday to undergo an examination for a groin issue, then underwent the surgery. O'Brien said Clowney will be ready for training camp.

O'Brien said it hadn't been bothering Clowney for long.

"We just looked at it as, let's take care of it now, and he'll be ready for training camp," O'Brien said. "And we're looking forward to seeing him in training camp."

The Texans drafted Clowney first overall out of South Carolina last month. He's been a full participant in the team's voluntary offseason program, previously only missing practices NFL rules didn't allow him to attend when he was invited to the NFLPA's rookie premiere.

The outside linebacker reportedly had a nagging groin injury during a very impressive showing at his pro day in April.
 
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