RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesHere's everything Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said following Day 1 of training camp, including his thoughts on the new-look offensive line, C.J. Stroud's contract negotiations , Tank Dell's return and more.
Question: On his impressions from the first day of Training Camp and what he expects from the team going forward
Ryans: “From our first day of practice today, I thought it was a lot of good back and forth. Offense made some plays, defense made some plays, special teams guys did a really good job of executing as well. From what I look for on the first day, when you talk about communication, guys working together, being on the same page, we achieved that today. Now, as I mentioned to our guys, it’s how do you build on the next day, and that's what you look for in camp. It's a steady build. How do you continue to improve each day?”
Q: On what positives he has seen carry over from last season going into Training Camp
Ryans: “Offensively, we've done a really good job today. Pre-snap was excellent. Guys were on it, guys were getting on the line properly, guys were playing fast, and that's all I expect from all three phases. We want to be a fast, aggressive team. To do that, you really have to own the communication. The huddle, that's where it starts. If we own that process the right way, we'll get to the line of scrimmage, we'll play fast.”
Q: On his expectations for the team going into his fourth season as head coach
Ryans: “Each year for me is different when we speak about expectations. My expectations have been high. Year one, they were high. When you guys asked me about expectations, the only thing I know is high expectations. That's why we do what we do to achieve the ultimate goal. It's a process. It's a build to get there, and we're not afraid of the work that it takes to be put in to get there and that's what we're achieving day by day. We'll keep chopping one day at a time to be our best come Week 1.”
Q: On what he looks forward to seeing from the running back group
Ryans: “From the running back group, I'm excited to see the guys, just how fast they're playing. I see Woody [Marks], he looks faster, he's making more decisive decisions like cuts. Jawhar [Jordan] is looking good. Of course, [David] Montgomery has done a really good job. So, a really good room of running backs and I'm just excited to see them continue to improve on those fine details. Can we improve on our reads? Can we improve on our pass protection? Can we improve in the screen game as well? So, I'm just excited to see the growth of that group throughout camp.”
Q: On the challenges C/G Keylan Rutledge faces in his first Training Camp
Ryans: “Yeah, when you come out to [training] camp, everybody's competing. Our rookies, if you just attack it the right way, because I tell our [rookies], somebody has to be Rookie of the Year. Rookies play well every single year and it's not where you're trying to go out and attain that; it's ‘Are you just locked in on the small details [and] what the coaches are asking you to do every day?’ If you have a competitive spirit, if you have a willingness and want to succeed and do great, you're going to do that. So, for all of our rookies, Keylan [Rutledge], Marlin [Klein], everybody, they just have to come out and just work hard at their craft, and they'll be exactly what we need them to be.”
Q: On the depth at the linebacker position
Ryans: “With the linebacker spot, we're in a really good situation with Azeez [Al-Shaair] and Henry [To’oTo’o], those guys have played a lot of ball together. They're very tight. You can see the connection on the field that they have, off the field. That's a really great group of guys. I enjoy seeing those guys work. I enjoy seeing their leadership. To see the way Henry and Azeez communicate daily, it's been fantastic to watch. So, those guys who are taking reps behind them, they just have to look at those two guys and see their leadership, see how they approach every day with a positive attitude. They want to be great every play. If those guys attack that roster, it'll sort itself out.”
Q: On QB C.J. Stroud entering the final year of his contract
Ryans: “ When it comes to contracts, I really don't get into a lot of deep discussions with guys when it comes to the contract situation because I truly believe the contract… You get the contract by what you do on the field. It doesn't matter about what you say, what I say, it's about how you perform on the field. If you're worthy of getting a contract and you deserve it, it'll happen for you. But if you're worried about it, worrying is not going to change anything, right? It's about the actions you put in and it's about your body of work and experience of what you've shown. It's not about just one moment when you get into contract negotiations.It's about the entirety of your work.”
Q: On the wide receiver room
Ryans: “The wide receiver room, they continue to impress every day. It’s someone different making a play every day. It's an exciting room for us to see how they develop throughout camp. But I'm excited to see not only them performing in camp, but also just to see them get into some live preseason games. We put a lot on our wide receivers when it comes to coming out of the huddle, aligning, motion, we put a lot on their plate. So, your mental game has to be on point to play wide receiver, and then you have to be physical and grimy enough to block in a running game to make our team. We have a lot of guys who have that mindset. It w...
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