The Houston Texans got some good news in regards to two prominent players. Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt are expected to be ready for training camp. Both should avoid the physically unable to perform list and be healthy when camp starts. The news was shared by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport earlier this week.
Good news for the #Texans: Stars Deshaun Watson (ACL) and JJ Watt (tibial plateau fracture) are progressing so well that, at this point, neither are expected to start training camp on the PUP list, I’m told. After a rough 2017 injury-wise, Houston will begin 2018 healthy.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 5, 2018
While both are crucial to the success of the team, it can be argued that Watson’s presence in camp is more important.
Deshaun Watson is still relatively inexperienced
J.J. Watt has been around for a while now. If Watt were to miss training camp it would not necessarily be that big of a deal since he has been there before. As a seven year veteran Watt knows the Texans defense and what is expected of him in their scheme. Conversely Deshaun Watson does not even have half a season under his belt yet. Watson needs all the time he can get to improve his performance in the Texans offense and become comfortable with the new players on offense.
The position they play
Defensive end may be one of the most important positions on defense. However there is not a more important position on a football team than quarterback. A quarterback needs to be able to command the offense and know how to execute it properly. The quarterback’s understanding and execution of the offense will literally make or break the Texans season. This is not to take anything away from how important it is for a defensive end to understand his role in a defensive scheme. Just simply stating that a quarterback takes priority over a defensive end.
The Texans offensive line is still a question mark
Granted the Texans made improvements on their offensive line, however it remains to be seen just how much they actually improved. Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner tweeted out the following.
I think the Texans have the worst offensive line I've seen a team enter a season with since I started working for @PFF.
— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) June 7, 2018
Good luck, Deshaun!
It must be mentioned that Renner is referring to a lineup that did feature Duane Brown on the depth chart last season. Bringing in Zach Fulton, Seantrel Henderson and Senio Kelemete will certainly help. Although this group may still be a bit rough this season. Having Watson available in training camp can limit the issues with the line. Running the offense in camp will allow Watson to know the strengths and weaknesses of his blockers. Where to slide in the pocket and where he can run if necessary. This Texans offensive line may still be a work in progress, but the more experience with this group the better.