Houston Texans GM dishes on 5 exciting takeaways from minicamp, offseason
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
11 June
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
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.
One of the nuggets that came out of Nick Caserio's press conference this week, was his thoughts on the job Bobby Slowik has done as an offensive coordinator. When asked if the team has considered sharing the offensive play calling, Caseiro responded with an emphatic, “absolutely not.”
Caserio went on to praise the job Slowik has done this year, and to say the team's struggles in the second half this season is due to execution.
This stance is consistent with what we've heard from Texans insiders that believe Slowik will be back next season. As much as many Texans fans believe a change at OC could help CJ Stroud, who's shown regression this year, it doesn't appear Slowik is going anywhere.
To be fair, most teams aren't looking to replace their coordinators when they're leading their division and marching toward the postseason for the second straight year.
Number crunching
When comparing Stroud's stats to last season, there is a clear dropoff in 2024. But a lot of that has to do with the addition of Joe Mixon, especially when it comes to touchdowns.
Mixon is third in the NFL with 11 rushing TDs, while Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary only combined for 6 over the entire 2023 season. One could argue the passing offense has regressed, but one could also argue the offense overall is more balanced.
Stroud is still Top 5 in passing yards, heading into this week's games. And even if we account for the bye week, Stroud will still be Top 10 after this week's slate of games.
The most concerning number to keep an eye on is sacks. Only one QB has been sacked more than Stroud, who's been sacked 41 times. CJ's protection has gotten better since Juice Scruggs was moved to guard, and Jarrett Patterson was inserted at center.
If Stroud starts getting hit again at a high level, that may be the one factor that could make the front office rethink their plans at coordinator. However, if the Texans do make a change, we expect them to address their o-line coach before any changes at OC.
Be sure to watch the video above for our full breakdown of the Texans offense, the coaching staff, and our thoughts on how the Azeez Al-Shaair suspension will impact the team.