LIVE: Houston Texans Coordinators address the media

All right. What’s up? Who we got? Was my voice already missed that time? Yeah, man. Sorry, I’m losing it already. Camp voice. Uh, yeah, they’re competing. Uh, just really like like all those guys, I think. Um, Sting, Kamari, you know, outside the corner, just like how they’re, you know, not sitting on the laurels and just working to get better every day. Uh, you know, Sidi adding a different element just from a little veteran presence and a little bit more pizzazz maybe. But, uh, they’ve just been really working together. I just really like the level of communication and sort of like the the continuity those guys are showing and and uh, I think it’s it’s uh, hopefully just keeps building that way moving forward. It’s been a cool to watch that group really gel for sure. talk about Will, but what about Daryl Taylor? Yeah. Uh DT’s done a good job working. Uh I would say probably like a different type of rusher, different style, a little bit uh twitchier and sort of edgy guy. So um you know, just like the sort of variety that he brings. Um I think he’s growing uh just in our techniques in the system from a play in playout uh standpoint, but uh you know, a guy that’s had some success as a rusher in the league. Uh so hopefully uh we can take advantage of that. personality like CJ. What do you like about CD? Uh, sure. Been around all types of personalities, man. You see a lot of him in this. And uh, you know, I uh, he loves ball. Like I’ll start there. Like he just loves ball. And so like I feel like as coaches we always will like work with guys like that, you know what I mean? That might have a little bit of edge and might have a little bit of this, but at the end of the day like he loves being out here and practicing and being with his teammates and playing football. So, I think that’s the starting point for us, you know, and uh he’s he’s been nothing but good with me. So, I’m I’m happy to have him. But, I’ve been around some you can you can look at my history, you see the characters I’ve been around. For the defense as a whole, where are they at in relation to where y’all want them to be at this point? Uh, you know, I don’t think we’re like putting it on like that. I mean, you know, again, I think I mentioned the last time I talked like we just try to reset when we come back. And, you know, what we did last year or in the spring even doesn’t really matter. We’re trying to really uh build the foundation. I would say we’re at the point in camp where um you know, we’ve basically put our foundational install in. And so now it’s cool that we can start adding little tweaks here and there. Just let’s try something out with this little different coverage or a little different pressure package. So I think now like this time and moving forward next week uh you know to the Green Bryer I think is going to be a really cool time for this defense to start really like taking off a little bit hopefully. Like I think we’ve done a good job of building the foundation and uh hopefully if we just keep adding dayto-day and start kind of like building out the package a little bit it’s going to going to go where we want to go hopefully. Some of your reserves Jamal Neil Miles Bryant Smith all made plays throughout practice today. How do you feel about your backup players and how they’ve been performing throughout training camp? Yeah, excited man. We’re trying to give all those guys opportunities to to do that to make plays and, you know, that’s part of what this is, just moving groups around and putting guys in different spots and trying to sort of put a target on them and see if they make those plays. I mean, that’s what that’s what it’s for. So, uh, all those guys, I mean, everybody that’s been working on the defense, uh, just done a really good job of just being around the ball again, being in the right spot for their technique. So, you again, we preach that we we don’t want to chase plays, you know what I mean? If you start trying to go make plays, then you don’t you put yourself in a bad spot. So those guys that are running the techniques the way they’re supposed to and being in the right spots, then then the ball finds you that way. So, uh, really appreciative of all the guys working and how we’re we’re developing that depth. Having back out there after his injury last year, do you feel a difference with him, you know, being in this unit and what makes him an important player? Yeah, he’s a good player. You know, he’s a good player for us and, uh, infectious personality, energy. Uh, so I think we missed that as much as anything. Uh, but I think he’s picked up right where he left off in terms of his grasp of the defense and and what he’s doing and uh just trying to deploy him as a as a weapon for us and and the things that he does really well. So, uh he’s again he’s always he’s a very he’s a he’s one of the most pleasant players to be around just uh for how he works, how he approaches the game and his attitude every day. So, I really enjoy that for sure. Can you talk about your tolerance Melvin? You talk, you know, you talk about players with an edge. play as a coach’s tolerance level with players with edges is fitting into that team atmosphere. Yeah, I mean our number one rule here is protect the team and it’s a team first uh organization. Uh it’s a team first head coach. So I mean we want our guys playing with an edge. We want the guys playing physical and playing with a little bit of swag and all that stuff. So, as long as it uh fits into the concept of of our team and we’re, you know, you know, I don’t know who you’re referring to exactly, but like I would say all our guys, you watch our sideline, I would say we celebrate other people’s plays as much as any as our own, you know what I mean? And so, I think that’s the cool part of it. Like I don’t care you got a little edge to you, you know, if you’re happy that your teammates’s making a play and we’re celebrating together and doing those things, man. That’s man, that’s what this is all about, man. That’s what makes this thing fun. So, I swear I we make a pick, I just look over our sideline. I don’t care a pick happened or something. I just watch the silence and see how those guys having fun and really celebrating and it’s cool. So, uh really really like how the team’s coming together and again hopefully, you know, moving next week to the Green Bryer. We’re a little bit like even more united in that front down there. So, uh excited to have that keep building. Sorry, sir. What are you doing? What is the process you and Nick Katy once you all get together to go back and compare notes of how practices have been? And I know that with him being a first time play caller, a lot of this stuff is new for him. play home and you’re going into your third year. A lot of your players have built that side. How are you helping him to get adjusted to these type of things? Uh yeah, just I mean obviously we work really closely uh in terms of uh scripting the practices and putting together what we each need to see. Uh it’s been very collaborative. Um you know, I’ve been doing this for a long time. So any any resources I have to to give to anybody in the building, I’m I’m happy to do that and share my experiences. So, uh, he’s done a really good job. I think it’s just as as, uh, Demo like puts the practices together and what he wants from a period standpoint or a point of emphasis, then, uh, you know, Nick and I just get together and if there’s something that he wants, a certain coverage that he wants to work or vice versa, if I want to get a certain thing, like it’s it’s very easy. It’s been very easy with him just uh popping in each other’s offices and uh you know in the evenings kind of when the last round of position meetings are going on and the the position coaches are in there. Him and I are just getting together and just mapping out the next day making sure we’re we’re on the same page. So uh it’s been fun, man. Uh I feel like especially I would say this week’s been a really cool back and forth with both sides of the ball and uh you know as they’re growing into their package and what he’s installing and and kind of growing growing what he wants to do. It’s been really cool uh kind of back and forth. So really enjoy working with Nick for sure. guys have so much success on defense. They’re trying to install a new offense. Is there like a point where it’s like a detriment that CJ’s got so much pressure on they have installing? I mean, I don’t know. We’re just putting our stuff in, man. We’re just playing ball. So, uh I don’t think that’s been an issue. Like, I mean, we’re we’re running our calls and and they’re running their calls and that’s how that’s how we get better. So, I think everyone’s just out here trying to compete and uh I wouldn’t say there’s any sort of thing like that going on. Nick said his goal is to be better than last year. How can an allp pro guy like him be better and where can he still improve? That should be all our goals, man. Right. You want to be better than last year. Yeah. Me, too. Uh yeah. I mean, I think there’s just always you go back just man like Sting is very deliberate in everything he does. and uh again I really I’m very appreciative of the way he works out here and just some of the like just really fine-tuning some of the leverages he has or you know understanding some you know route concepts again with a new offense we’re seeing some different things that maybe we have in the past um that’s stressing our coverages a little bit differently so uh as he’s growing in the grasp of those sort of things but just uh man the way the way that Sting uh works deliberately intentionally every day every practice play in and play out I mean I keep saying it Like it’s it’s really cool, man. It’s just fun to be around that guy. Like you just appreciate really good players that uh still want to keep working their craft and want to get keep getting better. And uh man, he’s like a metronome, man. He’s just out here doing the same thing and and trying to compete every day. So uh I hope he has a better year. That would be that’d be good for the Houston Texans. Give me something more generic. Uh no, man. I don’t know. I mean, like I said, I just I’m I really enjoy the way the guys are competing. I think I think when you have I know uh there was a question earlier like Will and Denil and those guys like uh I actually mentioned this like and this is just an example. I’m not trying to single anyone out, but like those guys are working to get better. Like Denil Hunter is better than he was last year and like he’s working to get better and Will Anderson is doing the same thing. You know what I mean? in rank coming back here and what he’s been doing like I’ve seen progress in rank from where when we left him the last time and staying like all these guys that are still like when those guys and your best players and your all pros are trying to get better and working and the rest of the team sees that and the rest of the guys see that and the young guys come in and see that like that’s what you want as a coach because now that’s like it’s just lifting everybody up. So, I would just say top to bottom. Uh, just really pleased with the level of commitment to getting better from all levels of the defense, from front to back, from old to young, veteran to young, excuse me. Uh, you know, it’s just been it’s just been a it’s been a fun to be around. It’s a good group of guys. Excited to keep working with them. You’ve had one year with him and then last year he didn’t have for most of the year. What does Christian bring to the defense when and if he gets back on the field? Christian Harris. Christian. Yeah. just uh I mean he’s explosive athlete uh especially at that position um physical like run hit uh cover a lot of ground with his range um so you know he’s a good football player so uh looking forward to him just keep progressing when he’s he’s on a good track for us sure thanks guys You guys ready? Okay. Good to see you guys. Yep. Every rookie, the first thing before you can be special before you can be a playmaker is to make sure you got that football. So, I don’t know if you saw that we were working distraction, catching in traffic. Um, every young returner that can make big plays got to get that football first. So, we’re going to start building with the foundation ground up. Um, awesome kid. Really excited with the progression he’s made through our eighth practice today. I was noticing over here, you know, you had your partner, you had your prep snapping, everybody. How much of that, you know, that you just got sort of pacing, you know, getting them ready for the season to get trying to get the work in doing the record, building up. Yeah, that’s a constant conversation. It’s a great question just about how you progress pitchers and you know guys who are repeat motion athlete golfers like when do you want to peak? When do you want to be ready to go? Like that’s a constant conversation that really is a plan from you know since I’ve been here but every year there’s tweaks. It’s a um it’s a it’s a constant effort. So, what we’ve done to this point is, you know, we tried to uptick uh Fairbar’s volume, specifically him, um just as he’s getting um to this point of his career, the ref like he’s a kicker and knows how to do his job and knows how to do it well. We want him to be optimal and to peak at the right time and really build that season along the way. So, um at this point in training camp, it’s a little bit different kind of mechanics on how that looks. and all those guys, especially on these side fields trying to work quietly and privately, they’ve done a really nice job of um nobody knows our body better than the specialist themselves. So, they’ve done an ex excellent job in my opinion of working with each other and communicating how that’s going to look. Um different progressions of field punts to the middle of the field punts to the backed up and working operations for Tommy. Um and uh you know breaking in a new long snapper all together like those guys have been integral. So I know a little wordy but the passion that those guys are working with very proud of and excited for our team for this year because of that fact. Up to this point have you seen uh from Woody like potential and covering kicks and stuff. I know Dar’s been a big part of it but does it seem like Woody is someone you can work with on special team? Yeah. And and you know, Landry, to your question, it’s like a lot of guys, superstar college players, they don’t they don’t necessarily cross trainin. So, this is their first, you know, their first run at it when you get to the league because, you know, there’s only four 48, you know, on game day and you got to do something. So, hey man, I’m Frank, especially coach. When’s the last time you made a tackle? You know, and that’s how the conversation starts. Um, he is agile, he’s explosive, he’s done a good job. We are like he’s probably one of the guys that has to do the most learning curve training returner punt protection tackling leverage of course like some of it may translate like a running back in pass pro inside out holding this lever point like it should and could translate but you have to make sure he’s on it. Um he’s done a good job and um he has a long way to go and anybody that’s new to something foreign to them you know they got to go to work so he’s a good example of that. How difficult is it on some of those specific positions on protection to earn that trust to the level where in a game situation man that’s a short list earn the trust that’s a short list that’s a badge of honor unit that we we’ve had one and you know like it cost you cost you a game so if you’re going to be on that unit you’re a you’re a one of the best players on the football team in my opinion. And that is so critical. Everybody has a different natural feel for, you know, playing backwards. Some guys don’t play backwards on the football field. That’s their first go at it. You know, getting kick sliding backwards. Uh, you know, most people play downhill. Fullbacks like, “Oh, I’ve got to go downhill now. I got to be calm and reset and rework hands.” And then communication. Long snappers, they don’t protect in college. The first thing you got to do is you got to block a D lineman in the A gap. So, we got to learn how to snap and get backwards. Um, so to answer the question, in my opinion, it’s difficult. Some guys make it look easy. I’m proud of where we are to this point. That work won’t ever stop. Oh, go ahead. We’ll come right to you. Go ahead. Man, that’s a that’s a long list because I’m a I like to be a high energy guy and I’d like to work with every single position, every, you know. Um, but we’ve done a good job of, you know, tasking other coaches to help out. Like the returner coach is always returner coaches, but somebody’s working with the DBs on our on our line of scrimmage play today. We had our safeties coach repping with the interior block circuit today. Like there’s a bunch to do. And you know, come season time, it’s hard to brush your teeth on every little refined skill set, but just blocking my one singular man block matchup, that’s all that matters on Sunday, week eight, you might not practice the intricacies of how to get that done. So, you got to, you know, get that assembly line working. And um, man, I try and motor mount those meetings, but you got to focus. Maybe it’s quarterly, maybe it’s once every week, depending on what the focus is. So, um, I personally believe that’s part of the art of coaching is when to hit touch points, when to refresh, touch up on them, and, uh, uh, it’s all going to start with somebody who’s willing to work. So, we’ve got a really good room that are all asking and willing to work so far. You’ve already talked about one Jaylen, but the other Jaylen, Jaylen Smith, a guy that has experience playing on special teams. How impressive have you been with him? Yeah, Jamus, that that was the thing that excited me the most when we acquired him and drafted him was, you know, the way a DB, you know, blocking is not necessarily something that flashes on college tape a lot. He’s long arm running guys past the punt returner, you know, at a at a pretty high clip. He’s forcing fair catches. So, for us to get him here, train him in our fundamentals, he’s done a great job of being excited and and working u meshing into the room, really really well. Um, but you know, no different than the point I made earlier, like the work’s never going to stop. And he’s got a high learning curve because, man, I, you know, maybe it’s me. I get geeked up about it, but how fun is it when there’s a bunch of smack talk is the word I’m trying to stay clean on. Bunch of smack talk when it’s Gunner versus a double vice in the preseason and you’re on their bench and the whole bench is yelling at you like you’re about to get clamped up like you need some bite. And we got to see that from the young guys. And that’s part of the learning curve that knows about how competitive that down is. And that’s a 45 yard field position swing. The team needs it. So excited for where he’s at. It’s good. Good to see you guys. Guys, how are you? What do you feel like you guys are with the offensive line? how that’s progressed. I’ve been pleased. There’s been improvement. There’s been steady improvement every single day. So, it’s just a matter of continuing to refine it. I mean, we get as good a good work as we’re going to get out here against our defense. You know, I mean, it truly is iron sharpening iron. So, you know, we’re getting good looks. We’re getting to correct some things. We’re getting to clean up some things, but there’s been steady progress. So, I’ve been happy with it. How have you seen develop? Yeah, I mean, he’s he’s done a really nice job dating back to spring. He works at it. um he comes in, he spends a lot of extra time on his own. Um fundamentally, technique, pad level, all those things are improving. So, still got a ways to go, but I’ve been pleased with it. And he’s a very conscientious uh guy and and uh he’s wired the right way. There were a lot of around I mean, I think it’s everything. I think it’s timing. I think it’s, you know, being a little, you know, anchoring a little bit more at times in the in the protection piece of it, being able to play more on time. you know, got to do a better job myself maybe getting some more quick options there early on, too. I think it’s collectively every it’s it’s everything. It’s not just one person. It’s never just one person or one facet. Just think we got to continue to all evolve and get better, you know, collectively. Just a pretty talkative secondary. What kind of edge are they bringing to practice? Oh, it’s it’s fun. I It’s competitiveness. I mean, that’s that’s what you love. I mean, we got a great spirit about the guys on this team and and our offensive guys, they they enjoy it, you know, and and it’s as good a competition as you’re going to see day after day after day and it’s going to make us better. Coach, you guys have mentioned competition a lot. What are you seeing from Jen Thomas at that left guard spot and how’s that left side coming trying to come together right now? Yeah, he’s improved quite a bit. Um, I like how I like his demeanor. I like his approach every single day and, you know, again, we got good competition across the board at all spots. So, been happy with that. No different like I talked about, you know, whether it’s the right side, whether it’s Arante, I mean, all these guys are out here competing and they’re all coachable and that’s if you care, you work hard, you can take coaching, and you’re gonna have a chance to get better and and that’s what I see those guys doing. Given your experience with the tight end position, where do you think Delton are? Yeah, they’re in a good spot. Um, I’m pleased with all of them. I think we have a really deep room. I think Jake Morland’s an outstanding coach. Um, and has those guys playing well. They’re all different and they all have value and they work well together and they’re going to help us. What do you see from him? How quickly he’s taken to the NFL and are some things that jump out? Mature um he’s a he’s he’s mature beyond his years. He’s a pro. He’s got the right demeanor. He’s in here all the time. I said that. I was asked that a couple weeks ago or whatever. Like he those those young guys, you got to kick them out of the building dating back to OTAAS. So Ben does a great job with those guys. Um and they work hard. But I’ve been very pleased with those guys. Question, how difficult is it to install defense or I’m sorry, install? Well, I mean, they’re they’re they’re competitive every single day, the unit we go. So, we got to get our stuff in and and we got to make sure that we’re trying to, you know, clean up the things that we can control to give ourselves an opportunity to compete against them. But, it makes us better. It’s it’s what you expect out of this unit, you know, and and it’s what we expect from ourselves is to go out there and compete, too, and battle. And, you know, it’s it’s as hard of a look because we’re going to see down after down and that’s a good thing, you know. You coached James De have that background with fullbacks. Sure. What does Jakob Johnson mean to the offense? What do you envision the role of a fullback in offense? Yeah, I mean allows you to activate a different personnel grouping obviously. Uh you can do some different things. He’s, you know, he has versatility to not just play in the back field, but play in the the D gap area and Y Y wing sets as well. But, you know, you can activate some different schemes. I think that fullback position in general, and I would say it’s an extension to the tight ends, that that brings a toughness to a football team. It enhances the toughness. You talk about situational football, you talk about four minutes, short yardage, goal line, early downs, like that is a that’s a toughness position and it makes everybody around him tougher. And, you know, I’ve got experience with Yak. um he’s all in. He he’s he pours everything he has into it. So um I’ve been pleased with him and and the group in general. Going back to what S said, is there any emphasis from you guys where you can evaluate plays from multiple areas because the play doesn’t seem busted when there is a sack? It seems like the rep is still going and being completed with the receiver. Sure. Is that something that you emphasize? Yeah, I think just in general, I mean, you want to be able to continue on through the play and get the work at it. So, you know, Demo and will control the whistle when he feels it needs to be blown dead and he’s the boss. So, we just listen for the whistle when he when he blows it or he doesn’t. Just a continuing to to play cleaner, um to be more refined fundamentally and then just really to build, you know, on the latter stages of the installation process as we get going here. You know, so we’re about the tail end of the core install and then we’ll start to to chip away at some different things here moving forward. This this offense isn’t a copy and paste because of the previous teams that you’ve been with, but how much of shooting element do you see in Well, I mean, short area quickness, you know, heightweight speed, um, those things. I mean, there’s every player is different. There’s no one player that’s really the same, but you know, he’s obviously got inside to outside flex. I mean, there’s there’s comparisons if you look at it from the lens that you’re asking for. I mean, they both were prolific punt returners, too. Short area quickness, highly competitive, highly smart football players. So, you know, we got a good group of guys, not just him. I mean, the whole the whole room is full of good guys. And again, Ben does a great job with those guys, too. And we’re really lucky to have, you know, good players and a great coaching staff. Process right now more about getting those mental reps in comparing the playoff together. Yeah, I think it’s both. Um, you know, to answer your question, I think there’s an element of mental reps that starts in the walkthrough phases and, you know, morning night walkthroughs, etc. And then the physical reps and then for the guys that aren’t in on the physical reps, there’s a mental above the neck component to that, too. So, you’re always trying to get mental reps if you’re not in and then we got to take advantage of the physical reps and that’s where you see the fundamentals come to life. Is there any challenge there with Joe and not being able to be on the field as far as mental reps? Do you feel like they’re taking in Sure. I mean, they’re doing everything they can. So, I mean, control what you can control and I’ve been pleased with that. How important has worked with Matt versus understand that defense process? It’s been great. I mean, he he first of all, he’s he’s an awesome guy. He’s a great football coach. Um, I share a wall right next to him. So, feel like I get a lot of positive energy and and and and you know, uh, good stuff coming from his office. But, he’s awesome. Um, I enjoy him. He’s highly competitive. He’s a great coach. He gets those guys going. So, it’s been fun. You know, it’s been fun working with him. This is your first year with them. They were last year a little bit. What do you kind of see from the end of their second year? Yeah, I mean, they come to work every day. Um, they’ve both gotten better. Uh, they they they’re they’re different style of players, but um, respective to, you know, where they started in spring to where they’re at now, you know, I’ve been pleased with both of them, and we just got to keep it going in that direction. Well, I think, you know, it’s it’s teaching the fundamentals of and the intent of what we’re doing. So, that started in spring. It’s continued now. And I think if you understand the intent of what we’re trying to get done, and you’re trying to put guys in position to utilize their strengths, which you’re trying to do, you’re not trying to ask somebody to do something that they can’t. Then you got to start building it towards, you know, trying to refine what we’re going to be as we start to evolve in this, you know, beginning to middle part of camp. And we’re in that process right now of finding finding out what we can do and also trying to bank some reps. I mean, we don’t get, you know, there’s we don’t get to rep every single run that we have in, you know, three times a day. So, some of that’s carried over to other days. So, we can continue to to look and and evaluate those things. And I mean, it’s a never evolving process. Thank you all. Have a good day.

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