~NEW. Houston. TEXANS. Preseason Thread 2017~ Pats @ NRG

The Houston Texans officially announced on Tuesday that former Wisconsin Badgers running back Dare Ogunbowale signed as an undrafted free agent.

Initial reports indicated Ogunbowale would sign with the AFC South organization, but the Milwaukee native wasn’t seen on Houston’s list of undrafted free agents last Friday, which led to confusion.

Yesterday, the signing was official, with the Texans also released former LSU running back—one of four players let go yesterday to make room for Ogunbowale and three others. There are now six running backs currently on Houston’s roster, including third-round draft pick D’Onta Foreman.

Check out #Texans RB Dare Ogunbowale's workout at the 2017 #NFLCombine. pic.twitter.com/5mXCldezBS

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 17, 2017

 

Ranking The Top 5 Quarterbacks of the Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have played 15 seasons and have had a variety in the quality of play at the quarterback position. For a franchise that is the youngest in the NFL, the Texans have had two separate runs of consistent players at the quarterback position. Unfortunately they came back to back and quality quarterback play has been largely absent for the past three seasons.

Matt Schaub: Schaub was acquired before the 2007 season and is without a doubt the best quarterback in franchise history of the Texans. A career record of 46-42 leaves a lot to be desired. However his tangible statistics tell a different story. During his time in Houston he completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 23,221 yards, 124 touchdowns and 78 interceptions.

David Carr: The Original Texan and possibly the most talented quarterback on the list, however the numbers do not back this up. Carr was the franchise’s first ever draft pick and like other quarterbacks selected first overall to an expansion franchise, he experienced a mixed bag of results. The most unfortunate aspect of Carr’s Texans career is the amount of times he was sacked. Carr was sacked 249 times in Houston including 76 times his rookie season and 68 times in 2005. A career record of 22-53 doesn’t really serve Carr justice. An expansion quarterback is never going to have a good record and the expansion Texans were beyond bad. Carr completed 60 percent of his passes for 13,391 yards, 59 touchdowns and 65 interceptions.

Ryan Fitzpatrick: Fitzpatrick’s stay in Houston was brief, lasting only one season, but was good enough to end up third on this list. During his lone season he compiled a 6-6 record for Houston. Completing 63.1 percent of his passes for 2483 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Fitzpatrick’s season in Houston got him his starting gig for he Jets where he put up monster numbers before declining terribly.

Brian Hoyer: Another one season wonder in Houston. Hoyer appeared in eleven games while starting nine. His record of 5-4 is not outstanding by any means. Hoyer managed to complete 60.6 percent of his passes for 2606 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Hoyer had better regular season numbers than Fitzpatrick. However his poor postseason performance bumps him down to four. In the one postseason game he started for the Texans, he completed 15 of 34 passes for 136 yards, zero touchdowns and four interceptions. Hoyer also fumbled twice in the contest while being sacked three times. Everything that could have gone wrong for Hoyer and the Texans did go wrong.

Sage Rosenfels: Rosenfels was never all that impressive, but when called upon could fill in for a few games while the regular starter gets healthy. Appearing in 19 games over three years for the Texans. A record of 6-4 as a starter in the 10 starts he made for Houston. Completing 65.6 percent of his passes he was able to display some accuracy. Over his three seasons he passed for 3380 yards, 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

The overall history of the Texans and quarterbacks isn’t pretty. The above list is more than all the proof you need. Carr is considered a “draft bust” and one of the worst number one picks of all time. However fair that is to Carr and the Texans is up for debate. It is disheartening that two of the top five players on the list played one season. Equally as bad is that a journeyman fill-in quarterback makes the list.

Other “notable” quarterbacks who did not make the list: Brock Osweiler, Brandon Weeden, Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum and T.J. Yates.

Texans fans, coaches and front office certainly hope Deshaun Watson can eclipse the performance of the players listed above. Even without playing a single snap he arguably could have made the list. However, that just shows how bad overall Texans quarterbacks have been historically. - Yahoo

 

This hilarious article. It really just highlights how abysmal our QB situation has been here


HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans have waived wide receiver Keith Mumphery and linebacker Max Bullough, ESPN confirmed Friday.

The Houston Chronicle first reported the news.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Mumphery was expelled by Michigan State in the summer of 2016 after he was investigated for an alleged sexual assault.

Bullough has been suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season for violating the NFL's policy against performance-enhancing drugs.

Both players played primarily on special teams last season for the Texans. Bullough played 30 games for Houston in his first three NFL seasons and played in place of an injured Brian Cushing early last year.

 

Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Deante’ Gray suffered a tough blow this past week.

Undrafted rookie free agents need all the reps they can get leading up to training camp.

Unfortunately for Texans’ rookie wide receiver Deante’ Gray, he won’t be able to get back on the field until training camp after suffering a partially torn hamstring.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the scoop:

Texans rookie wide receiver Deante’ Gray is expected to be out until training camp with a Grade 2 partially torn hamstring, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly.

Gray played his college ball at TCU and was handed a $2,000 signing bonus after going undrafted after this year’s NFL Draft.

Gray only recorded 10 receptions for 119 yards during his final season at TCU. He ended his college career with 54 receptions for 857 yards and eight touchdowns.

Gray has the speed to be a difference maker in the NFL after running a 4.3-4.4 forty yard dash. He’s not big though at 5-foot-10, 174 pounds.

If Gray is going to have any chance at making the Texans’ 53-man roster, he’ll need to get healthy and make an impact on special teams this summer. - Fansided

 

The Houston Texans decided to dump both wide receiver Keith Mumphrey and linebacker Max Bullough on Friday.

Mumphrey was of course released after a news report from this past week revealed that he was expelled from Michigan State University in 2016 for allegedly sexually assaulting a young woman.

Bullough was suspended earlier this offseason for the first four games of the upcoming season for using performance enhancing drugs.

It looks like the Texans already have their replacements lined up.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Texans are signing free agent linebacker Sio Moore and wide receiver Dres Anderson.

Veteran linebacker Sio Moore is being signed by the Texans as a free agent after the AFC South champions cut inside linebacker Max Bullough on Friday, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly.

The Texans are also signing wide receiver Dres Anderson, the son of former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Flipper Anderson.

Moore and Anderson spent time in Houston on Friday working out for the Texans with Mumphrey and Bullough being released.

The 27 year-old Moore was selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of UConn by the Oakland Raiders. He played for the Raiders until 2014 and then went to the Indianapolis Colts from 2015-2016.

Moore then played for both the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals last season.

Moore has 218 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two pass deflections and four forced fumbles during his NFL career.

The 24 year-old Anderson went undrafted in 2015 out of the University of Utah. He then signed with the San Francisco 49ers and played for them from 2015-2016.

Anderson then spent time with the Chicago Bears from 2016 until this offseason.

Anderson is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. So he has some size to him. - Fansided

 

He made a handful of points in there, other than missing out of QBs. They really did miss out on Carr cause they could have had both him and Clowney.

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http://www.houstonpress.com/news/th...-in-story-lines-so-far-this-preseason-9496708

 

Please let Ballentine stay healthy....

 

Potential more than anything. He has everything to be a really good DB, just can't stay on the field

 

The case for 'uncommon' Deshaun Watson as the Texans' starting QB

HOUSTON -- It was late on a Saturday night in January, just a few weeks after Deshaun Watson enrolled at Clemson. Tigers offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, who was meeting a recruit on campus by Clemson's Memorial Stadium, saw two people running on the field under the emergency lights.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/...mmon-deshaun-watson-as-the-texans-starting-qb

 

D’Onta Foreman’s Drug Test Came Back Clean

That’s a good thing for both the rookie and the Texans.

A little less than a week ago, D’Onta Foreman got arrested on weapon and drug charges. His attorney proceeded to release a statement in which he contended (1) the weapon was properly registered and secured and (2) D’Onta neither possessed nor used marijuana. There was also a pledge from the attorney that D’Onta would take a drug test to prove he hadn’t smoked weed. Last night, news broke that the Texans’ rookie running back had in fact taken the test, and that it came back with the result his lawyer said it would.

D'Onta Foreman's Austin-based attorney confirms the Texans RB had drug test that "proved negative for all substances, including marijuana."

— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) July 21, 2017
D’Onta seems happy with the vindication.

✊ ‼️ https://t.co/6RlsoaUon6

— D'Onta Foreman (@D33_foreman) July 21, 2017
This doesn’t get Foreman out of the woods entirely, but it certainly represents a positive development.

 

2017 Houston Texans Training Camp: Position Battles

https://www.battleredblog.com/2017/7/27/16048612/2017-houston-texans-training-camp-position-battles

 

Texans “blown away” by Deshaun Watson

Does Deshaun Watson have any chance at becoming the Houston Texans starting quarterback this season?

This summer all expectations are that Tom Savage will be the Houston Texans starting quarterback heading into week one of the regular season.

Of course there is always a chance that Savage won’t beat out rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson.

It sounds like the Texans are extremely impressed with Watson even though training camp just kicked off this week.

Here’s what Ian Rapoport of NFL Media said about Watson via Larry Brown Sports:

“They knew he was a good player, they liked a lot about him athletically, they thought he was someone who had a very high ceiling as far as being a quarterback,” NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network Wednesday. “It’s pretty safe to say the Texans have been blown away with the progress that he has made just as far as work ethic-wise and the mount of time he has put into learning the game of football. He’s the first out on the field always. He takes copious notes. He works incredibly hard and cares about being good.

“This is a player the Texans were already high on — it was their No. 1 quarterback in the draft … early on, just based on the initial return, they absolutely love what they have seen from Deshaun Watson.”

This isn’t anything new since we’ve been hearing this all offseason when it comes to Watson impressing the Texans’ coaches.

If Watson is going to have any chance of beating out Savage, he’s going to have to outplay him during the preseason.

So far Savage has received good reviews after the Texans’ first practice on Wednesday. But it’s only practice.

It’s nice that Savage is looking good in practice, but games are an entirely different situation.

Savage is the favorite, but no one can rule out the possibility that Watson could still win the starting job this summer.

 

Houston (CBS Houston) – In a star studded defensive unit for the Houston Texans, it’s Benardrick McKinney that has quietly become one of the best players on the team.

The Texans’ defense has a handful of players that have names that jump off the paper at you. Starting with JJ Watt, the most popular defensive player in the NFL. Then there’s Jadeveon Clowney, the formal number one overall pick. Brian Cushing has the name value and the cache of being a solid player in the league for a long time. Same thing can be said for Johnathan Joseph to a lesser degree. Whitney Mercilus, last season’s sack leader for the Texans is another popular name, but what if Benardrick McKinney is the most consistent, and versatile of them all?

Last season, in McKinney’s second season, he led the team with 79 tackles and was third on the team with 5 sacks, while emerging as the best middle linebacker on the team.

In a season that saw Watt play just three games due to injury, the emergence of a healthy Clowney, the decline in Cushing and what appears to be the final season in Vince Wilfork’s career. It was McKinney who developed into a player that could be counted on the most.

“He’s a pro, he’s a pro. He loves the game. He prepares. He loves meetings, loves practice, loves everything about football,” Bill O’Brien said. “He’s one of our leaders now. He’s on the inside there with Cush and that’s a good duo on the inside. He’s come a long way since his rookie year, and he’s one of our better players.”

To see O’Brien sing McKinney’s praises isn’t just hyperbole either. The seriousness that O’Brien talks about McKinney emphasizes the point that he wants everyone to know, “he’s one of our better players.” He isn’t just a piece of the puzzle, he isn’t a complimentary role player alongside Watt, Clowney, Cushing or whoever else. O’Brien wants you to know that McKinney isn’t a rung below those guys. He’s right at the top of the ladder with them, if not higher.

 

The first week of Texans’ training camp is in the books. It’s time to recap just who and what stood out during this batch of time.

Outside linebackers have been impressive so far, with Brennan Scarlett, Ufomba Kamalu and Dylan Cole all having strong showings. As John Harris notes, Cole in particular has been starring in coverage duties:

I don’t know that I’ve seen a linebacker run stride for stride with running back Akeem Huntdown the field...deep. Cole did that and knocked away a pass intended for Hunt in 1-on-1s. I wrote in my notes that “51 just seems to be in the right spot all the time."

Scarlett and Kamalu starred in one-on-ones. Scarlett in particular is knocking fools around:

Fellow outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett had some juice today as well. He was strong at the point of attack and nearly knocked out rookie linebacker Gimel President on a kickoff return 1-on-1 drill. I mean, Scarlett caught him good, but President got right up and won the next rep.

Meanwhile, on Kamalu:

Linebacker Ufomba Kamalu was tough as all get out to block. He was one of my overall standouts on the day. He fired into tight ends and powered them back off the ball. He held his ground when he had to bump inside to play against guards and tackles. He looked like a different dude than this time last year. He was as physical as anyone on the field.

Harris also noted the play of backup cornerback Denzel Rice, who has been impressing with his ability to create turnovers.

Cornerback Denzel Rice kept his streak alive of forced fumbles as he, and the rain, combined to knock the ball out of a ball carrier’s hands late in the drill.

Center Nick Martin’s return has been a welcome sight. He has impressed everyone at camp. Harris in particular noted Martin’s fantastic technique:

His first pass rush rep was against D.J. Reader who can bull rush the best of them. Martin anchored against the bull then got his hands in position to keep Reader from throwing an arm under to get free. I’ve said for a while that Martin is a technician at his craft and it’s great to see him healthy again.

Martin has been sparring quite a bit with the Texans’ young nose tackle, D.J, Reader. The battles between the two have been must see, Harris states:

What is becoming one of my favorite battles on a daily basis to watch is center Nick Martin against defensive tackle D.J. Reader. Those two get after one another and it only serves to make each one better. On one play, Reader wins the rep, then the next one, Martin takes victory. Either way, I love to see the competition from those two who can be significant players for this organization for a while.

 

The Houston Texans have acquired some much-needed secondary help.

The Texans agreed to terms with free-agent safety Marcus Gilchirst on a one-year deal, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per Gilchrist's representation. The safety had visited the team earlier last week.

The seventh-year veteran previously spent two promising years with the Jets -- at one point starting in 29 straight games -- before suffering a season-ending knee injury last season. After Gang Green drafted two safeties in the first two rounds on the 2017 draft, the team let go of Gilchrist, who was due over $13 million over the next two seasons.

At 29 years old, Gilchrist is immediately the senior member of a young Texans safety group. Before the addition, Andre Hal and Corey Moore were slated to begin the season as Houston's starting safeties. The Texans lost veteran safety Quintin Demps to Chicago in free agency.

If Gilchrist is fully recovered from patellar tendon surgery and back in game shape by September, expect him to make a run at one of the starting safety positions and improve the weakest spot on an otherwise title-caliber defense.