WIth each week that goes by, we get closer and closer to the start of the third season of the C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans Era of Houston Texans football. This past week, the Texans had their first couple sessions of Organized Team Activities. These are completely voluntary, and thus not attended by all of the guys on the current roster, but the attendance for the Texans was probably better than what it was for most NFL teams.
Two sessions were open to the media, last Wednesday and last Friday. Keep in mind, there are no pads worn in these practices, and thus there is no hitting. There is a lot of scheme installation going on, especially offensively, what with a new offensive coordinator (Nick Caley) calling the shots. With that in mind, here are four key storylines we were able to glean from the two days:
4. The Texans will hold two joint practice sessions with two different teamsDeMeco Ryans disclosed this in his media session following Wednesday's practice — the Texans will be hosting the Carolina Panthers for a joint practice prior to the two teams playing in a preseason game on August 16, and the Texans will practice with the Detroit Lions prior to the preseason game between the two teams on August 23. The Panthers practice will be at home, and thus, Texan fans will get an up close look at Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, and what life may have looked like had the Texans landed the first overall pick in 2023's draft. Instead, they landed the second pick and took Stroud. I'd say the Texans are happy with his that worked out.
3. C.J. Stroud didn't practice, but apparently there's nothing to see hereSpeaking of Stroud, he didn't take any snaps in the team sessions on Wednesday and Friday, prompting the internet to do what it does — freak out and wonder if Stroud is injured. When pressed on Stroud's inactivity in Wednesday's practice, Ryans said:
“For all the guys you see here, there will be guys on different schedules, different routine, so you’ll see some guys out and some guys won’t be out. Some guys will be, some guys will be on different snap count, different pitch count, so there is nothing going on right now with any of our guys. Everyone is just on their own schedule.”
Caley dismissed Stroud's lack of throwing as no big deal. Aaron Wilson of KPRC Channel 2 reported that Stroud is suffering from some tightness in his pectoral muscle, and the team is exercising caution. It's certainly NOT nothing. I'm putting my concern level at about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 right now.
2. Will Anderson's evolution to "face of the defense" is profoundOn the other side of the football, Stroud's draft classmate, Will Anderson, is becoming the unquestioned face of leadership on the defensive side of the football, so much so that even in just his third year, he's feeling like the go-to guy for younger players when they need advice:
“I think I am officially reaching ‘Unc’ status, and it don’t feel good at all. It is fun. That is what we are all here for, to be of service to each other and people be a blessing to each other. Any way I can help I want to do that. I know my rookie year, my second year, going into my third year so it would be wrong of me not to help someone else out knowing that I have already been through it. I just want to be of any service I can, especially being a leader on this team.”
There's a reason that the Texans trot out Stroud and Anderson as the first press conferences with the start of each phase of the offseason — they are the faces of the organization, along with Ryans. (NOTE: Stroud did not meet with the media this go round, and I'm guessing it's because of whatever ailment he is dealing with.)
1. Nothing is getting resolved on the offensive line any time soonLast season, the Texans put the starting offensive line in ink the first week of training camp, with almost no competition for spots, and it devolved into a disaster as the season went along. This camp is the complete opposite, as all five openings are up for grabs between roughly a dozen candidates. According to Ryans, don't expect resolution anytime soon:
“This is our first day of OTAs, so when it comes to finding our best group it will be a lot of mixing and matching guys. Putting guys in different spots and seeing which five guys work well together. One thing about the o-line is that there is a lot of smart guys in that room and they can move around and play multiple spots, so that helps them. It’s just a matter of finding that five once we get to training camp and put pads on. Nobody is making the team right now in shorts and helmets.”
The key here is the concept of finding "the best five guys." The shuffling that will go on at the outset of camp is going to be wild to watch. Let's hope the results are significantly better than last season's results.
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