Texans morning huddle: training camp has arrived
By Randy Gurzi
Happy Saturday morning Texans fans! It’s August 1st, which means the Houston Texans training camp finally gets underway today! Football is almost back, so let’s celebrate by checking out what is going on in the world of the Texans!
Reporting for Duty: Texans arrive at Camp – by Drew Dougherty of HousonTexans.com
"At last.The Texans are back.Training Camp starts on Saturday morning at the Houston Methodist Training Center. On Friday, the veterans reported for duty.“It’s always exciting man,” left tackle Duane Brown said. “You get those butterflies that you know the time is here.”A year ago, Brown and company came back for camp eager to erase the memory of a 2014 campaign in 2013. This year, they’re looking to build on a 9-7 season under a first-year head coach in Bill O’Brien.“I think having a year to learn the system, the expectations have risen for us,” the Pro Bowler said. “We just have to go out there and perform.”"
Keshawn Martin accepts uphill challenge of making Houston Texans’ roster – by Tania Ganguli of ESPN
"This spring couldn’t have been an easy one for Houston Texans receiver Keshawn Martin as he watched his team bring in one receiver after the next — all intended to displace him.Only subtle pauses betrayed the urgency of his situation. He spoke about it with his typical mild-mannered cadence, but impactful words.“Well, you know, it’s just a challenge,” Martin said. “I accept the challenge.”We spoke at the end of Texans minicamp, and he noted that the real decisions about his future and the futures of many positions on the field would depend on their performances in training camp. The Texans begin meetings today and start practices tomorrow. Martin, who was the Texans’ primary punt returner as well as their fourth receiver last season, will begin a challenging path toward remaining with the team that drafted him.“Just be better than last year,” Martin said of his goal. “Just being a smarter player. Just focusing. Just learning multiple spots. With this offense you learn something new every day. I’m just trying to pick up on those smaller details and improve on them.”"
Ranking the Houston Texans position groups – by Jarren Murillo of iSports Web
"The Houston Texans are poised to have a great season this year. They have added more talent than they have lost this offseason. Their defense looks great on paper and they are looking to make playoffs this time around. Despite the lack of a great quarterback the Texans still have a great roster. Here I have ranked the Texans’ positional groups.Defensive Line – A+With J.J. Watt leading the way, the defensive line is the Houston Texans’ highest ranked position. I might have been friendly by giving them a grade of A+ but I see nothing but success for this squad. J.J. Watt was in MVP contention last season, and might have another case for it this coming season. Watt is a beast on defense and always finds his way to the quarterback.With the addition of Vince Wilfork, the defensive line should be better in theory. Wilfork is a great nose tackle who can clog up the middle lane. He was an important piece in the New England Patriots’ success over the past decade.While Watt gets all the attention, and with the signing of Wilfork, Jared Crick may be forgotten. But Crick is an important factor in Houston’s success. Without Crick, Watt may have not found as much success last year. Crick is still fairly young, and he has been better each year he has been in the"