The last solo work before the Lions get to town
11 observations from Texans training camp for Aug. 12
Aug 12, 2019, 12:28 pm
The last solo work before the Lions get to town
@EdClarke03/Eddie Clarke
Jordan Thomas made his return to the field today after missing quite a few dates with an injury. He looked a little rusty but he was athletic in a near one-handed grab in the end zone. He has some catching up to do. He's clearly behind Jordan Akins and Darren Fells has situations where he is more useful.
Good thing the Texans have a quarterback that can move. Watson was running for his life on a couple of plays today. His ability to throw and move is fantastic and he is making better decisions on when to take off. It will be interesting to see if he can translate this to the regular season. If so some of the concerns about his injuries can go away.
Seantrell Henderson had more wins over J.J. Watt than I have ever seen in camp. Henderson fought Watt to a tie a few times and held up the Texans excellent pass rusher a couple of times. I feel much better about Henderson than most members of the line. I, of course, was high on him before last season too. The only concern here is health.
Matt Kalil seemingly got a veteran day off on Monday for the Texans. With him out Roderick Johnson and Julién Davenport worked the majority of time at left tackle in Kalil's absence. If either player stood out there is a chance Kalil would be out of a job. They have a long way to go before they could supplant Kalil. This is a big week for Kalil to keep his spot at left tackle.
DeAndre Carter is a breath of fresh air. He can do almost everything Keke Coutee can do from the slot and won more than a few reps today. There was a play where he absolutely worked the defensive back and quarterback Jordan Ta'amu missed him much to the chagrin of some coaches who pointed out Carter's win.
Tyron Johnson got some work in the return game and one of the biggest things is he doesn't miss reps. Luck has been on Johnson's side with health and he's been getting plenty of good work in. He had an amazing catch today with Deante Burton in coverage. He used his off hand to keep Burton at bay and came down with a very nice catch with Burton right there.
Zach Fulton is playing center while Nick Martin and Greg Mancz deal with injuries. Fulton filled in at center in 2017 for the Chiefs. I wouldn't be shocked if he is actually the best center on the team. With him at center there has been plenty of work for Max Scharping at guard and the rookie has been paying off on those opportunities.
Fullback Cullen Gillaspia had a catch today that was again impressive in his ability to do those things. It looked like it was out of his reach but he was able to haul it in and beat his man to the front of the end zone for a touchdown. His ability to haul in passes has impressed me and while I was high on that aspect of his game he's got more potential there than I realized.
Johnnie Dixon hasn't had a bad camp but by comparison to others he hasn't stood out. He has a lot of physical gifts and his quickness is certainly an asset. He had a probable fumble in a drill today that got the defense excited. There have been others who have shined brighter but I think there's something there, maybe just not for the Texans.
Tyron Johnson coming down with the ball in coverage or Cullen Gillaspia's fingertip snag.
"I'm still having fun."
Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel who has no plans of slowing down approaching his 37th season in the NFL. Crennel has a tall task this season but hopefully his experience can cover up some of the potential shortcomings on the team. Also, I imagine if the defense didn't look good this season he would be coaching year 38 in the NFL somewhere else.
CJ Stroud put a lot of Texans fans at ease when he showed up to mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and participated in throwing drills. Many were concerned that Stroud might have received surgery in the offseason, and that was keeping him from throwing at voluntary OTAs last week. But Stroud put that narrative to bed, denying any offseason surgery.
Stroud told the media that he's been working on getting his body right this offseason, focusing on, among other things, lowering his body fat, improving his hip flexibility, and gaining speed.
CJ implied that the extra training this offseason might have been a factor in the soreness that kept him from throwing last week, but that should be expected. Pushing your body can sometimes lead to soreness, but it's not anything to be worried about.
He also said he had been throwing prior to minicamp on Tuesday, but this is the first time the media has been around to witness it.
Thoughts on the new system
CJ had positive things to say about the Texans' new OC Nick Caley. He pointed out that he cares more about the "person" than the system. He likes the energy from his new OC, even saying Caley calls him frequently, but doesn't always answer because Caley is “always yelling.”
Stroud also confirmed that the new offense allows him to have more control at the line of scrimmage, something we heard he was wanting last season.
Caley and CJ have watched old videos from 2003 and 2004 of Tom Brady working with Josh McDaniels. They believe this will help Stroud learn how to take “ownership” of the protections.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
So what else happened at mandatory minicamp?
Newly signed running back Nick Chubb participated in drills. Head coach DeMeco Ryans credited GM Nick Caserio with signing the four-time Pro Bowler.
Nick Chubb takes the handoff in first #Texans practice @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/P4X9NGXB4B
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 10, 2025
How did the receivers look?
The big play of the day came from 2nd round receiver Jayden Higgins, who caught this pass from Stroud against Kamari Lassister. This looks like a connection the Texans will count on for years to come.
🎯🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/4wLhMtduBd
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 10, 2025
3rd rounder Jaylin Noel was in attendance but didn't participate.
Nico Collins and Stroud appear to be in midseason form.
Nico Collins showin’ ‘em how it’s done. #MiniCamp #Texans pic.twitter.com/Ir4qrGsL15
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 10, 2025
Anything new with the offensive line?
Not really. The Texans lineup up from left to right with Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson, Jake Andrews, Tytus Howard, and Blake Fisher. Later on, rookie Aireontae Ersery got some work in at left tackle.
Current #Texans O-Line combination protecting Stroud: LT Airenontae Ersery, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Jake Andrews, RG Tytus Howard, RT Blake Fisher.
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) June 10, 2025
The Texans will wrap up minicamp Wednesday, and we'll keep you in the loop with any further developments.