Texans Morning Huddle: Could the Texans be contenders?
By Randy Gurzi
Good morning Texans fans, this Sunday morning brings us one step closer to the start of training camp! To get us all through the last stretch of this offseason we once again bring you the ‘Texans Morning Huddle.’ Today we see stories about how the team may be able to contend if the quarterback spot pans out as well as a look at the new play caller.
Texans offseason report: Houston could contend if quarterback questions pan out – by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports
"It’s not hard to see why HBO’s Hard Knocks selected the Houston Texans to document this summer.Houston is home to J.J. Watt, who has won two of the last three defensive player of the year awards and, at 26, only has room to grow. A messy split with wide receiver Andre Johnson, who transitioned the franchise from doormat to playoff contender in his 12-year stint, leaves mercurial running back Arian Foster as the signature member of the offense.Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, is returning from microfracture knee surgery and looking to fulfill the havoc-wreaking promise he showed at South Carolina.And then there’s the quarterback battle.The Texans might be the league’s most compelling case study in how closely a team without a long-term solution under center can compete with opponents who have invested in the position."
QBs ready for Godsey as new play caller – by Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com
"The Texans will have a new play caller this season.Sort of.Bill O’Brien has handed over play-calling duties to his newly named offensive coordinator George Godsey. Last year, as quarterbacks coach, Godsey was on the sideline calling plays but he still shared those duties with O’Brien.“I think what we did last year was we worked as team, he and I,” O’Brien said on June 12. “I think now he is ready to call the plays. He is ready to put the game plan in. He is ready to go out there on game day and call the plays. I will be very involved with the play calling. There will not be a play call made that I don’t approve of. Just understand that, but also at the end of the day, he’s going to call the plays and I have all the confidence in the world that he’ll do a good job.”All three quarterbacks, Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer, and Tom Savage, have worked with Godsey.“I love George,” Mallett said. “George taught me the offense in New England. He’s a special offensive mind in my book. He’s got a lot of different things that he does. It sets us up for success. We just have to execute his game plan.”"
Houston Texans 2015 Training Camp Profile: Brian Cushing – by Brian Kalchik of Rant Sports
"The Houston Texans expected a lot out of Brian Cushing in 2014 after two injury-shortened seasons in 2012 and 2013. Cushing responded with his best season since 2011 and will be looking to get back to Pro Bowl form in 2015.Cushing was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and after making the Pro Bowl as a rookie, Cushing’s play has been slowly in decline, mostly due to injuries and scheme changes. At 6-foot-3, 243-pounds, Cushing is strong enough to mix it up in the trenches, but it also quick enough to be effective in pass coverage. With J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel around, Cushing has a great supporting cast around him and a great scheme that can utilize his talents effectively.When healthy and on the field, Cushing is one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL, but he has missed 26 games over the past five seasons, a major reason why Houston traded up in the 2015 NFL Draft to select former Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney."