Sept. 16, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing (56) gets warmed up before the start of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

The Texans’ first spring workout began on Monday, and as expected, Ed Reed and Brian Cushing were nowhere to be seen.

Reed is still recovering from hip surgery earlier this month in Colorado, according to Fox News. Cushing is reportedly close to one hundred per cent, but will probably miss OTA’s altogether.

The Texans’ OTA’s will run from now through until June 6, so there’s plenty of time  for Reed and Cushing to return to the practice field later on. Fully padded practices won’t begin until later in the year, so there’s no risk of hard hits or more strain on the injuries just yet.

Finally, the last word out of day one’s session was kind of scary (in a good way). The Texans’ official site posted a list of quotes coming from the likes of Gary Kubiak and others, but the standout came from J.J. Watt who commented on his goals in 2013:

“Higher and higher. Higher and higher. There is no reason to try and repeat last year. I’m trying to be better than last year. Every single day I come to work out, every day I come to practice, I’m trying to be better than I was last year.”

Looks like we can expect 30.5 sacks and eight fumbles this year.

May 10, 2013; Houston, Texans, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Collin Klein (5) works out at Methodist Training Facility at Reliant Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

Undrafted free agent Collin Klein was originally one of the Texans most interesting picks of the 2013 campaign. Playing as a runner up in the Heisman Trophy contest a year ago, Klein stood a chance at making the Texans’ roster this season, but walked away from rookie mini-camp on Sunday empty handed.

In the end the decision came down to Gary Kubiak, who told Fox 26 that he liked what he saw out of Klein, but obviously not enough to give him a contract.

Throughout the lead up to the draft, Klein was urged to possibly switch positions to either running back, wide receiver or tight end, given his athleticism and strong footwork. Instead, Klein stayed stubborn and stuck to passing, and probably landed with the wrong team considering the Texans already have enough quarterbacks lining up for a spot on the roster.

Klein looks likely to stay true to his word and remain a quarterback. He’s on the search for another team, which normally leads to the Jets.

May 10, 2013; Houston, Texans, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Sam Montgomery (57) works out at Methodist Training Facility at Reliant Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

There’s been nothing but positive reports over the weekend coming out of the Texans’ three day rookie mini-camp.

On day one, DeAndre Hopkins and Alan Bonner impressed on just about every route run, and on the final day, Trevardo Williams also stood out as a potential starter at linebacker come September. Nick Scurfield has a complete breakdown of the camp at Texans.com, where he revealed Gary Kubiak thinks Williams is “a little ahead” of fellow draftee Sam Montgomery at the outside spot.

Some of the Texans’ older players also took advantage of the opportunity to practice well before training camps get underway. Third string quarterback Case Keenum participated in some throwing drills, and looked solid as a backup.

Amongst all of the positives, the only downfall was Montgomery’s small back strain and Brennan Williams’ knee strain. Both aren’t serious though, so no need to worry.