HOUSTON \u2013 Texans star quarterback C.J. Stroud isn\u2019t throwing at practice as a precautionary measure.<\/p>\n
Stroud is dealing with a tight pectoral muscle that is regarded as relatively minor, per league sources. It isn\u2019t regarded as a long-term issue.<\/p>\n
With Stroud watching from the side while standing next to offensive coordinator Nick Caley, backup Davis Mills ran the offense again Friday morning.<\/p>\n
Stroud did some handoffs to the running backs. Overall, though, he has been limited for the entire organized team activity besides warmups and some resistance training that involved the upper body.<\/p>\n
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, when asked about Stroud\u2019s lack of involvement Wednesday, downplayed the activity level and emphasized players\u2019 routines will vary widely day to day.<\/p>\n
Caley had the same stance Friday during his press conference, emphasizing the team isn\u2019t worried about Stroud.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, he\u2019s locked in every step of the way,\u201d Caley said. \u201cNo concerns whatsoever. I know DeMeco has already hit on this. Everybody has a specific routine relative to their own routine, specific to whatever. Whether it\u2019s football, whether it\u2019s athletic training, etc., he\u2019s doing a great job and he\u2019s out here and he\u2019s working.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Several players didn\u2019t practice Friday, including running back Joe Mixon. Mixon has been in a walking boot recently after suffering a minor injury while working out this offseason, per sources. <\/p>\n
Among those not practicing at the voluntary session due to various health reasons: tight end Dalton Schultz, who worked out on a side field with trainers, linebacker Christian Harris (calf, ankle injuries last season), linebacker Henry To\u2019oTo\u2019o, wide receivers Christian Kirk, Justin Watson and Tank Dell (knee surgeries) and Braxton Berrios (torn ACL last October), tight end Brevin Jordan (torn ACL last September), running back Dameon Pierce, safety Jimmie Ward (foot surgery) and offensive tackle Trent Brown (knee).<\/p>\n
Not attending the voluntary workout: defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry, defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Foley Fatukasi and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.<\/p>\n
When Stroud breaks the huddle this fall after delivering the play call to his teammates, the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year will experience something new in his NFL career.<\/p>\n
Heading into his third season, the former Ohio State consensus All-American is being granted more responsibility and trust to orchestrate the Texans\u2019 offense under Caley.<\/p>\n
Now, Stroud is going to have increased flexibility to run the offense. That includes making adjustments before the snap as he scans the defense and has the ability to audible and change plays and protection schemes in tandem with Caley.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like anything else,\u201d Caley said. \u201cThe more you can do, the better off you\u2019re going to end up being. He wants to have the ability to be able to have control. When you\u2019re at that position there is a lot of great value in being able to fix problems that come up or unscouted looks that come up. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen overnight. That\u2019s for sure. It\u2019s repetition. It\u2019s comfort with the offense. He\u2019s working hard. He\u2019s done a good job. We\u2019ll just keep growing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The collaboration between Stroud, a former Pro Bowl selection, and Caley, a first-time offensive coordinator schooled in the Los Angeles Rams\u2019 offense built by Sean McVay and the New England Patriots\u2019 Tom Brady era schemes of Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, is pivotal to the outlook of the defending AFC South champions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will be able to put my swag on it, have fun with it,\u201d Stroud said at the start of the offseason workout program. \u201cHe is all about me taking full ownership, running the show, and that\u2019s what I want. I\u2019m gonna get what I want and it\u2019s really been really cool just to see that he\u2019s bought into me and he doesn\u2019t really know me well yet. He talked about having blind trust and I have a lot of trust in him already. Just how he talks and how he presents in the room is really cool to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is what Stroud has been preparing for, advancing in his game and knowledge to the point where he can put his personal stamp on the offense Caley is installing. The replacement for offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, dismissed after the offense regressed last season due to a lack of adjustments, substandard pass protection and an unwillingness to listen to input from key players and assistant coaches, per league sources, Caley represents an agent of change for the Texans.<\/p>\n
\u2018He\u2019s a great leader:\u2019 Why Texans owner Cal McNair has faith in Texans QB C.J. Stroud<\/a><\/p>\n While a relatively stagnant offense and Stroud dipped significantly statistically last season one year after he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year largely, the Texans are confident that Stroud will take another leap in his development next season.<\/p>\n For a franchise with ambitions set on making a deep playoff run after losing in consecutive years in the AFC divisional round, Stroud represents a key figure in everything they\u2019re working toward. Stroud is a year removed from being eligible for what\u2019s shaping up to be a blockbuster contract extension. And the Texans would gladly reward Stroud as long as the team captain continues to make strides in his overall game. There\u2019s a strong belief in Stroud in the locker room, from the coaching staff and at the top of the organization from ownership.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a great person, so he has all of our respect,\u201d Texans principal owner Cal McNair said of Stroud during the NFL owners meetings in March \u201cI think we\u2019ve seen his ability on the field is totally there to lead the team. We\u2019ve seen it for two years now, and I think he\u2019ll take another step this year. He\u2019s a great leader and we\u2019re looking for him to lead us where we\u2019ve never gone before. We think he can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n A former second overall pick and Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State, Stroud, 23, has won a pair of AFC wild-card round playoff wins. He has completed 66.1 percent of his throws for a combined 976 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in the playoffs. In the regular season, Stroud has a 19-13 winning percentage with 63.5 percent accuracy, 7,835 yards, 43 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a 93.7 passer rating.<\/p>\n Caley worked closely with prolific Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a strong-armed gunslinger, as the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator under McVay.<\/p>\n \u201cThey love the position,\u201d Caley said of Stroud and Stafford. \u201cThey take a lot of pride in what they do. Yeah, they love football.\u201d<\/p>\n The Texans fired offensive line coach Chris Strausser and replaced him with Cole Popovich after Stroud was sacked a career-high 52 times during the regular season, the second-most in the league. Stroud was sacked eight times and hit 14 times overall in a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.<\/p>\n The thinking is, if the play-calling is upgraded along with the play and blocking schemes of the offensive line, Stroud will go back to the high-level trajectory his career was on as a rookie.<\/p>\n Caley takes over an offense headlined by Stroud, who emulates Tom Brady\u2019s even-keeled approach and is an admirer of Stafford\u2019s style of play.<\/p>\n \u201cHe comes from L.A. and New England and he is going to bring some of that swag over here, so that kind of is what I\u2019m used to,\u201d Stroud said of Caley. \u201cTaking control and being a little more pre=snap, having tools to put my guys in the best position. That is something that we really didn\u2019t work on these last two years.<\/p>\n \u201cEven those principles I learned from, and it made me better because it added a new element to my game. We will be able to just get better and learn from what he did with New England and L.A. and will definitely help me because those are two schemes I am used to in a sense. That is kind of what I ran at Ohio State, kind of how New England does a little bit, L.A. is kind of what we ran here these last two years.\u201d<\/p>\n While there will be familiar territory for Stroud based on utilizing schemes similar to what the Texans ran for two seasons under Slowik as far as West Coast offensive concepts McVay learned from Mike Shanahan in Washington and some of what the Patriots utilized, this marks Caley\u2019s first time running an NFL offense and being a play-caller.<\/p>\n There will be familiarity with the retention of quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson as well as receivers coach and passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels, Josh McDaniels\u2019 brother. Stroud has been working with Johnson since he was 16 years old, going back to his time with the Elite 11 program in high school. And Johnson\u2019s role figures to increase with Caley, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s very important,\u201d Stroud said. \u201cJerrod is somebody who has been with me since my rookie season, but also has known me since I was in high school. For him to be here and seeing me in those different lights and those different points of my life, it\u2019s been cool.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to give him a lot more responsibility, which I think Jerrod is due for and I think he\u2019s going to do great with it. I told him, man, he\u2019s one of the best coaches I\u2019ve ever worked with. Just the way he thinks, the way he operates, the fact that he played and really, just the human being he is and I\u2019m excited to see him elevate as a coach and to be more hands-on is going to be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n The relationship between Stroud and Caley is off to a strong start. The bond they build now and the mutual understanding of a philosophy for how to best attack defenses will be a critical factor in the Texans\u2019 ability to compete this season.<\/p>\n There\u2019s already a common ground as they exchange telephone calls to discuss the offense heading into organized team activities.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a lot of similarities when it comes to family, just how much we love our families and how much we love ball,\u201d Stroud said. \u201cAnd he\u2019s very personable, somebody that I\u2019ve found respect for already just on how he approaches the game, how much he loves it. It\u2019s been nice.\u201d<\/p>\n The Texans are strong believers in Stroud, and his work ethic. And Stroud has dedicated himself even more to improving this offseason.<\/p>\n SEE ALSO:<\/p>\n How Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud \u2018grew tremendously\u2019 even in one of those \u2018tough years\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n