RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesHere's everything Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said following Day 4 of training camp practice, including an update on linebacker Jake Hansen, the play of rookie tight end Marlin Klein and the fighting style of newcomer Keylan Rutledge on the offensive line.
Question: On if he is seeing more consistent success from both sides of the field during Training Camp
DeMeco Ryans: "I've seen a lot of back-and-forth. Offense makes some plays; defense makes some plays. That's what it should be. You don't want to see one side completely dominating the other side. I love to see just competitive spirit. That's what excites me about football, about any sport. Your willingness and your mindset to go out and compete and beat the man across from you. The more I see that and I'm starting to see a lot of that in our team, the more I love being out here."
Q: On the development of S Calen Bullock
Ryans: "Calen has done a really good job of just working on his communication skills. We all know Calen's greatest asset is just being able to take the football away. That's where he truly shines. He’s one of the best in the league at taking the football away. I've seen him take a jump in his tackling. Every year, the kid has gotten better. He's putting in the work to do that. This year is just to be able to communicate. We're moving him around a little bit more. He's well-versed in what we're doing defensively now and is continuing to work with his disguises. He’s showing one thing, giving him another. The more he can really own that role, the better he'll be, the better our defense will be."
Q: On DT Tommy Togiai
Ryans: "Tommy is just always the most consistent guy. He's always here working out. He is always one of our best guys in the weight room and it shows on the field. When he steps on the field, he doesn't surprise us. He made a play today on a screen in the backfield. He's smart and aware, not just running with his eyes closed. He's aware of what's going on. He has a really good feel, really great instincts inside. That's what's allowed him to shine as a player for us. He's gotten better each and every year. He's looking the best that I've seen him look here in training camp. I am excited to see the type of season that he'll have."
Q: On an injury update for LB Jake Hansen
Ryans: "Jake had an ankle injury. We'll see. He's kind of week-to-week. We'll see how he progresses throughout camp."
On DE Logan Hall getting back on the field
Ryans: "Logan has done a good job of just working himself back to getting out to playing football. He had surgery in the offseason, so he's been doing a good job of working with our guys on the side and now getting integrated back to football. He just has to get used to the techniques and the things we're asking the defensive line to do. As we know, it's a completely different scheme from what he's used to, so it'll take some time for him to get caught up with what we're doing. We'll see how he continues to grow with that, but he's done a great job in his first four days."
Q: On CB Derek Stingley Jr. health
Ryans: "Yeah, 'Sting' is fine."
Q: On TE Marlin Klein's performance during Training Camp
Ryans: "Marlin has done a really good job for us this camp. I think Marlin is going to really shine in the passing game. He's a matchup problem inside on safeties and on linebackers with his size and his catch radius. He can really run. He runs really well. He's done a really good job. We're throwing a lot at him. Coach [James] Ferentz, Coach [Nick] Caley, they're throwing a lot at him as a rookie. He'll have some ups and downs throughout camp, but overall, he's doing a really nice job. I'm excited to see Marlin get in some game action and go play."
Q: On how he evaluates the offense and defense in Training Camp
"Offensively, as I look at plays, it's about, are we targeting, are we going to the proper guys in the running game? Defense is about mixing it up, their alignments; they're throwing a lot at the offense. There's a lot of communication that has to happen up front and all the guys need to be on the same page. When I see the communication happening pre-snap, I kind of know that it's going to be a really good play when guys are on the details. That's the precision we talked about a couple of days ago. It's all about that putting blocking. Where's your hat placement? Are your hands fitting in the proper place? There have been some successful runs here in camp. [RB David] Montgomery has looked really nice on some of our zone plays. He's done a really great job, great feel, pressing, cutting it back. They ran the ball well."
Q: On rookies being more prepared for Training Camp after the break
Ryans: "That's the most important break for our rookies. That's when they truly get to focus on football. They get a taste of what we're doing and OTAs and rookie minicamp. Then they have the summer to go and work on what we've asked them to do. That's when they are truly dedicated to football and not dedicated to pro days and combine drills. They can truly hone their craft on what we're asking them to do. They put their attention to working out, getting stronger, cutting some body fat, getting in shape. Those guys looked the part and they've been able to be out here and not just survive, but really improve throughout camp."
Q: On if he is satisfied with the progress the team has made over Training Camp to transition into pads for practice
Ryans: "I am happy when real football starts. It's a lot of all-stars in shorts and that happens a lot. I don't let anybody in shorts fool me. Football is played in pads. That's where the e...
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.