It's officially overreaction season in the NFL, as every team has either begun or are continuing their OTA periods this week. The Houston Texans began theirs last week, and the early reports have fans and local media foaming at the mouth over what could be heated roster battles heading into July's training camp.
It's very early yes, but keep in mind that the fan base has been eager for some level of restitution ever since that cold winter's afternoon in Foxborough that saw Houston fall 28-16 to the eventual AFC-representing New England Patriots. Afterward, the Texans' leadership brass spearheaded a flurry of offseason moves that have completely changed the outlook of their Super Bowl chances in 2026.
As such, high levels of anticipation exist over the possible preliminary fruits of Houston's roster overhauling labors. This includes at least two roster battles that could be ignited in this short window of the second week of OTA's. Here's what I'm looking for during this week of activities:
More Lewis Bond, please
The early word on former Boston College wide receiver Lewis Bond is that he doesn't look like a rookie out on the practice field. This comes from Voice of the Texans Marc Vandermeer who said of Bond's performance through the first week of OTA's,
"He looks like a Pro to me. He looks like a guy who might've been drafted third round or higher just through one OTA. I don't want to overreact here, but hey, that looks like a solid pick right now, today. Let's see how it grows from here."
Former Texans TV host Drew Dougherty added on by saying that Bond was "noticeable" and that he "gets your attention." He then complimented Bond's variety of catches, touchdown grabs and confident approach as a young player surrounded by veterans.
I was big on Bond when the Texans first grabbed him out of the sixth round in this year's draft, and the initial observations of his game's translation seem promising. No guarantees, but I'm betting on Bond finding a way to leverage his offseason performances into significant playing time in the regular season. Hopefully we see even more in week two of OTA's.
Jake Andrews or Keylan Rutledge?
According to multiple observers, it seemed as though incumbent starting center Jake Andrews took most of the starting reps at the position in the early goings of OTA's. That makes sense, as Andrews knows the system and is best suited to begin the period as the main option while other new pieces get more integrated into the offense.
Having said that, that still doesn't dissuade fans of 26th-overall pick Keylan Rutledge from expressing concerns of why he hasn't gotten more looks on play sets. After all, Rutledge was seen as the most physical interior offensive lineman in the draft, and many are excited to see if he's the final piece the Houston's brand new offensive line puzzle in 2026.
It's early, way too early to make much of who gets how many reps and in what play design or scheme. However, I would be interested in seeing in Rutledge gets more starting reps in week two than he got in week one. If for no other reason, just to see how he holds up in a small sample size's worth of plays against Houston's defense.
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