This week is churning right along as we have now reached the middle of the week. Happy Wednesday to all of you out there, and let’s start the day off right like we always do, with all the news we can find about the Houston Texans!
18 observations from Tuesday’s veteran minicamp – By John Harris of HoustonTexans.com
"The first of the team’s three day mandatory minicamp took place a few hours earlier than originally scheduled. Bill trying to avoid Bill, obviously. Either way, here are a few observations from the team’s practice session.1. It was good to see both Cecil Shorts and Jaelen Strong back practicing this week. The difference two additional healthy receivers make to the mix is substantial. Shorts had probably his best day and made some outstanding catches.2. Overall, it was one of the “chattiest” practices I’ve ever heard in nine seasons of covering the Texans. The spirit of the practice was highly competitive and it showed throughout the workout. Guys on the sideline were “all in” every team drill. Veterans encouraging rookies, chiding the opposite side of the ball. It added some good pop to every drill.3. Rookie ILB Benardrick McKinney got a bunch of reps as the coaching staff looked at some younger guys moving around in different combinations with others, especially on defense."
CB Johnathan Joseph is still worth the money for Texans – By Tania Ganguli of ESPN
"Johnathan Joseph won’t pretend he was deaf to the talk.For the past two offseasons, people wondered if Joseph was in danger of becoming a salary cap casualty. His cap charge was $11.25 million in 2014 and this season it will be $12.5 million. There was just one problem. The Texans needed Joseph.“Obviously I read the newspaper sometimes or I look on the Internet,” said Joseph, who turned 31 in April. “When you go out in public, you hear things and people ask you questions and that’s part of the game. Any time you sign a big contract, you get in those later years, the expectations are high to play at a high level. And I think I’ve done that, so I’ve never really had that thought in my head. Management never came to me and said anything to me. I kind of never really thought about it once, really.”"
Tropical Storm Bill makes Bill O’Brien change plans – By Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com
"Bill was changed by Bill.Head coach Bill O’Brien had to alter the team’s schdedule on Tuesday because of Tropical Storm Bill.The Texans were scheduled to start their Tuesday minicamp practice at 10:30 a.m. But because of the fear of afternoon flooding, O’Brien moved it a couple hours ahead to 8 a.m.“I’m certainly not a meteorologist,” O’Brien said. “I try to be a football coach. When I looked at the radar, it looked like this thing was coming pretty quickly. So I felt like we needed to get good work in, so what I told the players was be on the alert this afternoon.”Safety was the first order of business, in O’Brien’s mind."
Houston Texans: Most Irreplaceable Player – By Michael Mull of 247 Sports
"This one may not come as a surprise, but J.J. Watt is the most irreplaceable player on the roster for 2015. He is more than just the heart and soul of the defense; he is arguably the best defensive player in the league. His stats from 2013 were great, but his stats from 2014 were certifiably eye-popping. The Texans recorded 38 sacks in 2014 with J.J. Watt accounting for a whopping 20.5 of them. He accounted for roughly 25% of the teams 17 forced fumbles with 4. His interception for a touchdown that went 80 yards was one of the most electric plays of the season. Finally, he finished second on the team in tackles behind Kendrick Lewis with 78 tackles (59 solo, 19 assisted).For those that follow the Texans we know that J.J. Watt plays defense. However, his contributions on the field carry over to the other side of the ball. Watt was tied for third most touchdown receptions on the team in 2014. That is not a typo; he was tied with Andre Johnson for touchdown receptions. He was a legitimate MVP candidate last season and shows no sign of slowing down."