Houston Texans GM dishes on 5 exciting takeaways from minicamp, offseason
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
11 June 2024
Nick Caserio reveals his impressions from minicamp. Composite Getty Image.
Now that Houston Texans minicamps are in the rearview, we play the waiting game until training camp begins. In the meantime, we have some nuggets to chew on, as Texans GM Nick Caserio discussed some of his takeaways from minicamp and the offseason in general on the team's flagship station.
1. This could be the year Texans guard Kenyon Green lives up to being drafted in the first round. According to Caserio, Green is healthy, has a great attitude, “and has put himself in a good position to compete for a spot.” It would be a huge boost to the offensive line if Green can develop into a quality player. They could really use his help in the running game, an area the team struggled with last season. Of course pass protection will be critical as well, he must protect the franchise (Stroud) at all costs. Reports from camp have commented on his high level of fitness heading into this season. Let's hope it translates.
2. Nico Collins is now a very wealthy man, can he live up to his new contract? Caserio praised Collins' route running ability, ball tracking, and hands. But he said Nico's physicality after the catch is what really elevated his game last season. At 6'4, 215 pounds, Collins should continue to rack up yards after the catch against smaller defenders.
3. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is already showing his leadership abilities. Caserio revisited the story of Al-Shaair telling Texans Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson to move on to the next play after jumping offsides at practice. If Anderson is already responding to Al-Shaair's leadership, that tells us everything we need to know. “You can't say enough good things about Azeez,” said Caserio.
4. Kamari Lassister might be the answer at corner opposite Derek Stingley Jr. Lassiter received positive reviews at camp from head coach DeMeco Ryans. And ESPN's Texans reporter DJ Bien-Aime was also impressed with the rookie. Caserio confirmed some of those assertions saying, “Kamari is about what we thought we were going to get.” It appears he's living up to the team's expectations when they drafted him. He's also shown the ability to lineup at nickel and outside. So his position flexibility could be key as the season progresses.
5. The Texans' interest in tight end Cade Stover goes back a couple of years. Caserio was intrigued by Stover when he was scouting CJ Stroud before the 2023 NFL Draft. Before this year's draft, Nick heard some positive things about the Ohio State TE from Stroud and Texans linebacker coach Billy Davis, that confirmed some of his thoughts. Caserio said Stover was among a handful of players that the team targeted on Day 3 of the draft. Nick also acknowledged, with Stover being new to the tight end position, he has some work to do when it comes to run blocking. But they're clearly very high on the player.
The Houston Astros made a surprising move this week when they signed former Rockies second baseman Brendan Rogers to a one-year deal.
With Jose Altuve taking reps in left field, this signing really got us thinking about what Rogers' role will be should he make the team.
Did the Astros sign him, hoping he would take over as the regular second baseman with Altuve moving to left? Or did they bring him on as depth which would allow Mauricio Dubon to be used all over the field instead of locked in at second base? Only time will tell.
Dropping Altuve?
Based on the Astros willingness to shake things up with Altuve, could we see another adjustment involving him?
Former Astro Josh Reddick recently talked about the ideal batting order on the Crush City Territory podcast. Reddick made the case that Altuve would be better suited hitting second.
Which is all well and good, but if they do pull the trigger and bump him down in the lineup one spot, who leads off?
That's where things get tricky. Two candidates that could make some sense are Jeremy Pena and Chas McCormick. Both have the speed to steal second base, but their on base percentages from last season don't instill any confidence.
However, if we go back to just 2023, Jeremy Pena's OBP of .324 isn't way off from the .350 Altuve posted in 2024. Pena also walked 43 times that season, just a few behind the 47 Altuve posted in 2024.
McCormick has a similar problem. If he can produce numbers similar to his 2023 season, you would have something. Which speaks to a bigger theme of this season for Houston.
Will Pena and McCormick continue to regress, or can they turn things around? For McCormick, if he's not hitting, it doesn't make a lot of sense playing him in right field considering his lack of arm strength. Ben Gamel is ready and waiting should they need him. And he hits left-handed.
Why does Jake Meyers get a pass?
Meyers is in a different situation entirely. Nobody expects him to hit, but they do need his speed covering the outfield to make the Altuve experiment worth trying.
Call to the bullpen
With Ryan Pressly gone, the Astros have some open spots in the 'pen. Forrest Whitley and Rafael Montero are going to get some opportunities this season, like it or not.
But will Whitley ever live up to his first round expectations, and can Montero regain his form from the 2022 season? The answer is probably no for both players, but they're going to get a shot, just based on the makeup of the roster.
Caleb Ort and Shawn Dubin are already dealing with injuries, so it will likely be all hands on deck for the Astros.
Finally, what do we think of the overall depth of this club, with so many big time contributors now playing for other teams?
Don't miss the video above as we break it all down!
The countdown to Opening Day is on. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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