Keyshawn Johnson: Houston Texans already know CJ Stroud is the starting QB
TAKE IT FROM KEY
16 June 2023
TAKE IT FROM KEY
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has yet to name a starting quarterback at this point in the offseason. There's still plenty of time for that with it only being June.
But Keyshawn Johnson believes in the back of their minds, the Texans know CJ Stroud will be the starter when week one rolls around. Johnson goes on to say that based on his experience, teams rotate QBs in minicamp just to get a look at everyone. So that shouldn't be a cause for concern with Davis Mills taking snaps.
However, at some point, it would be in the team's best interest to make sure Stroud gets most of the reps with the first team. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is a good example of when splitting the reps for too long could come back to haunt the player in his rookie season.
The Jags knew Lawrence would be the starter, but Gardner Minshew received a lot of the reps with the ones, which upset some of the players, and possibly stunted Lawrence's development.
Watch the video above to learn more!
Jacob deGrom went eight innings to win his fourth consecutive start for the Texas Rangers, who got Jake Burger's solo home run off Hunter Brown in a 1-0 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night in an anticipated pitchers' duel that certainly lived up to expectations.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner deGrom (4-1) is having quite a comeback after missing most of the last two seasons following Tommy John surgery. The 36-year-old right-hander struck out seven, two of those to end innings with two runners on base, while walking one and giving up five hits.
Brown (6-2), who is 10 years younger that deGrom, struck out nine without a walk while scattering three hits in his first career complete game. The righty was tied for the major league lead in wins and retired the first 12 batters he faced before Adolis García lined a double to left to start the fifth.
Shawn Armstrong worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his second save.
Burger went deep leading off the sixth, a 394-foot drive into the Texas bullpen in right-center for his fourth homer of the season.
Rangers right fielder García made a sliding catch of a sinking liner by Mauricio Dubón for the final out of the seventh when Houston had a runner at second base. García had several nice plays, including a sliding catch near the line after running a long way to open the fourth.
Bruce Bochy got his 2,195th career win to break a tie with Sparky Anderson for the sixth-most by an MLB manager. Bochy, who turned 70 last month, is in his 28th season as a manager, his third in Texas.
Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 1.78 ERA) goes into Friday night having allowed only two earned runs over 25 innings in his last four starts (3-0). Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (0-1, 15.75) makes only his third start for Houston since the 2022 World Series.