It’s Thursday morning Texans fans, which brings with it both good and bad news. The bad news? We still have three months before that means Thursday Night Football is back. The good news? You can at least get your Houston Texans news fix right here with the Texans Morning Huddle!
Texans offseason ranked among best in NFL – By Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com
"With OTAs underway and training camp on the horizon, the 2015 season is around the corner.In the meantime, it’s still the offseason which means lots of lists and ranking from national media.This week, the Texans were among the best in the league in NFL.com’s offseason rankings. Houston came in fourth behind the Jets, Dolphins, and Eagles, with the free agent acquisitions of Vince Wilfork, Brian Hoyer, and Rahim Moore. NFL.com’s senior analyst Gil Brandt, who ranked some of the top teams and their offseasons this week, likes what the Texans have done to solidify their team.“Bill O’Brien’s squad — which won nine games with three starting quarterbacks in 2014 — has talent,” Brandt said. “Signing Hoyer, who I expect to beat out Ryan Mallett for the top job, will go a long way toward stabilizing the position and should help Houston reach double digits in wins this season. O’Brien coached Hoyer in New England and knows how to get the most out of him, especially with a promising rookie (Strong) joining rising youngster DeAndre Hopkins on the receiving corps."
Texans QB Savage escapes last season’s rookie haze – By Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle
"This is the new Tom Savage. Confident and driven. Evolving and maturing.While Texans devotees direct their eyes toward two unproven quarterbacks, waiting for Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer to be named the 2015 starter, Savage mentally inserts himself into the offseason battle.When Houston is covered in darkness and the lights inside NRG Stadium are just beginning to be switched on, Savage pulls into work at 5:30 a.m. daily, beating almost all of his teammates to the office.When flood waters rose throughout the city last week, Savage proudly ignored the rising surge and insisted on adhering to his early-morning routine.“I’m getting out,” Savage recalled telling himself last Tuesday. “I just slammed right through the water.”"
Texans seek smart, versatile communicator for starting safety – By Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com
"When the Texans released D.J. Swearinger last month, it left a hole in their secondary in need of addressing.But it’s not the hole that’s often talked about. They aren’t seeking a strong safety under the traditional definition of that position. The discussion of the Texans’ safety position needs nuance.“One thing about when you play defensive back is that you want to be able to play all positions,” safety Rahim Moore said. “You can’t be a free safety and say, ‘You know what, I don’t cover, I don’t go in the box.’ You don’t want to be that guy. Now you’re going to be one dimensional. What we’re trying to do here if we’re going to play man coverage, we shouldn’t have to pull in another corner to play a safety. If we’re going to play in the box, we should be versatile.”"
The all-around greatness of Arian Foster – By John Harris of HoustonTexans.com
"In 2010, watching the first OTA of the off-season, I wrote those words in my notebook about halfway through the practice.Leading up to that day, nearly every discussion that I had with callers or with media members dealt with the situation at running back. Steve Slaton had been a star as a rookie in 2008 but injuries cut short his 2009 season and no one knew what to expect in 2010. The situation was such that the Texans spent a 2nd round pick on Auburn star Ben Tate.Then, there was a mercurial talent that started for four years at Tennessee but went undrafted in 2009.It was the first time many glanced past, over, around and through Arian Foster"