TEXANS CAMP REPORT

11 observations from Texans training camp Day 6

11 observations from Texans training camp Day 6
Chris Moore handled Bradley Roby with no problem. Photo by SportsMapStaff.
Texans' Bradley Roby discusses his biggest takeaway from decision to postpone college football

The Houston Texans had their first day of pads and saw a few players hit the practice field for the first time.

1. Texans Quarterback Deshaun Watson was absent from practice today. Watson was working with a trainer and looking at his foot yesterday, but no official reason was given for Watson missing his first practice. Texans head coach David Culley offered there was "nothing new" on Watson.

2. Defensive backs Lonnie Johnson and Cornell Armstrong returned to practice as did tight end Pharaoh Brown. Those three players, along with defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker, had all started camp on the active/non-football injury list.

3. Lonnie Johnson didn't practice the whole time as it seems the team is easing him back in, but he looked quick and athletic on the field. Johnson blitzed in a team rep and nearly got to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, but Taylor kept the play alive and hit rookie wide receiver Nico Collins in traffic.

4. It was the first day with pads for the team and veteran running back Mark Ingram made the defense pay with an early rush busting through defenders and barreling forward for a few yards. Ingram has looked young and spry, despite having been in the league for 10 years.

5. The defensive line is far from settled. A lot of different players get work along the defensive front and the team mixes and matches quite a bit. This is a highly competitive position.

6. It has been a good camp for big Vincent Taylor. Taylor blew up a play in the backfield on Tuesday and has been disruptive in darting between, and Tuesday, through defenders.

7. Shaq Lawson has yet to stand out for the Texans. After trading for Lawson in the offseason, there must be more from a player who was expected to fill a need in the pass rush.

8. Wide receiver Chris Moore is having a nice camp. The former Ravens pass catcher had a highlight-reel play earlier in camp, catching the ball with one hand falling out of bounds. His success continued Tuesday as he constantly found himself open. Moore handled Bradley Roby with no problem in two 1-on-1 reps.

9. Rookie tight end Brevin Jordan looked lost early on Tuesday. He had a drop and ran some sloppy routes, but he bounced back in team drills.

10. Davis Mills threw two interceptions right to Vernon Hargreaves. The first one Mills locked onto a target and Hargreaves just stepped right in front of the intended target. The second one saw Mills toss it up in a situational drill and Hargreaves came down with the under-thrown pass.

11. Wide Receiver Anthony Miller had a tougher day than usual. Miller dropped a deep pass over the shoulder which would have been a score. Miller also bobbled a catch that during a live game would have seen him annihilated and not holding onto the ball.

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A lot will be asked of Cristian Javier and Hunter Brown this year. Composite Getty Image.

When the Astros broke camp over the weekend, the club was coming off strong performances from Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. Both pitchers have looked good this spring, and that should be a big relief as a lot is riding on these two young arms, especially early in the season.

The Astros will be without Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy to start the year, so they won't have much margin for error in their rotation. Brown has the stuff to develop into a frontline starting pitcher, and many pundits are expecting him to have a breakout season in 2024.

Javier has already proven he can be a top of the rotation starter, but he's looking to bounce back from a down year in 2023 that saw his ERA jump by over two full runs from his 2022 season.

As it stands right now, the Mariners have the best rotation in the division, but that could quickly change if Javier, Brown, and Framber Valdez live up to expectations. And of course, Justin Verlander returning healthy in a few weeks would give them a huge boost.

Sweet relief

Another area the Astros will look to improve on this season is the bullpen. MLB.com recently published an article ranking baseball's best 'pens. They have the Astros slotted fourth, behind the Phillies (No.1), Braves (No. 2), and Pirates (No. 3).

One of the critical factors in this bullpen's success could come down to how Rafael Montero responds after a down season in which he posted an ERA of five.

And he'll be tested early with Bryan Abreu suspended for the first two games, and a starting rotation that likely won't go more than five or six innings per start in the first week of the season.

Building confidence from his early appearances could make a huge difference for Montero, who struggled with high-leverage situations last year. If he comes in and shuts the Yankees down in this opening series, that would be a great sign that he's poised to have a bounce-back season. Building on early success will be key for Montero.

Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion!

Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. We'll continue to drop more videos throughout the week.

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