Texans Morning Huddle: C.J. Goes Fast, Mercilus Makes A Donation To Red Cross
By Randy Gurzi
Good morning Houston Texans fans, and happy Friday to you all! The day of the week we all long for is finally here and we begin the countdown to the start of our weekend. What better way to start a day off than to catch up on what is happening with the Texans?
C.J. Fiedorowicz: “I’m going fast” – By Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com
"C.J. Fiedorowicz has gotten better, and his head coach has noticed.“C.J. has had a good offseason,” Bill O’Brien said during the second week of OTAs. “He’s definitely an improved player.”The second-year tight end, according to O’Brien spent a lot of time at NRG Stadium over the last four months putting in hard work.“Looks like he’s improved some of his route running ability and some of his skill set there,” O’Brien said. “He’s improved his hands to a certain degree. The true test for linemen and tight ends is when the pads go on in training camp.”As a rookie in 2014, Fiedorowicz started eight of the 15 games in which he played, catching four passes for 28 yards. His lone touchdown came in the Week 16 win over the Ravens, when he pulled in a pass from Arian Foster."
Key to the franchise: The AFC’s most influential figures, team-by-team – By Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports
"DeAndre Hopkins, receiver: The Texans have a playoff roster everywhere but at the quarterback spot, and with face-of-the-franchise Andre Johnson gone from their receiving group, Hopkins will be counted on to elevate the play of others. He’s the man in that passing game now, and he is a helluva talent. He and Ryan Mallett seemed to be simpatico in the brief time they played together. He’s the fulcrum now. You could make a case for Jadeveon Clowney here, coming back from an injury-marred rookie season, but I think that defense will be fine with or without him."
Mercilus donates $25K to Red Cross to support flood victims – By Jesse Clark of HoustonTexans.com
"Whitney Mercilus knows how a natural disaster can impact a family.In 2010, his own family dealt with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, so when the opportunity presented itself to help support the needs of all those impacted by the recent storms and flooding in Houston, the outside linebacker knew he had to contribute.“My parents are from Haiti, so I have Haitian heritage,” Mercilus said at Houston’s Red Cross headquarters on Wednesday. “I have a lot of family in Haiti and they’ve been through a disaster. So when I heard about this, it reminded me of that. It hits home a little bit.”Mercilus joined the emergency relief efforts in the form of a $25,000 donation to the American Red Cross. He is a supporter of the organization’s mission and has been a spokesperson for the efforts of the Greater Houston Area chapter.“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Mercilus said. “Especially here in Houston, with the disaster and the flooding with the storm.”"