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| Wednesday, July 16 Updated: August 19, 1:16 PM ET Texans: Training camp report Pro Football Weekly |
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In Pro Football Weekly's third and final installment of training-camp reports, we look at the good (biggest positive), the bad (biggest disappointment) and the ugly (injury update) factors surrounding every team halfway through the 2003 preseason. We also set our sights on a rookie to watch on each team, for whatever the reason. Parts 1 and 2 are below. Aug. 19 Biggest positive: Supplemental draft pick Milford Brown easily trumped second-year offensive lineman Fred Weary for the starting job at left guard in camp. Brown has very good size and is a good pass blocker, having stood out in that capacity at Florida State. Second-year strong safety Ramon Walker, currently the backup to Eric Brown, has really come on and had 10 tackles in the preseason opener. Also, converted Rutgers basketball power forward Rashod Kent has looked impressive moving to tight end and has a chance to make the Texans' 53-man roster. Biggest disappointment: Even for a team that loses something it never truly had, offensive left tackle Tony Boselli's retirement was a serious blow for the Texans. Boselli was better than average in minicamp sessions, but his left shoulder was never more than 80 percent healed, forcing a player once recognized as the NFL's most dominant lineman to walk away from the game before ever playing a snap in Houston. The Texans are still reshuffling their O-line in an attempt to get the best five on the field. Injury update: Defensive end Gary Walker injured his shoulder last week and could miss two weeks or more. Starting center Steve McKinney is on schedule to start the regular-season opener, but may not play until then because of a sprained knee. The defensive backfield is without a few starters. Kenny Wright is starting at cornerback in place of Aaron Glenn, who is nursing a sore hamstring, and Jason Simmons is at free safety while Matt Stevens recovers from a knee injury. Rookie running back Tony Hollings has had a sore right knee at times during camp, but team doctors see that as a normal setback in recovery from ligament-repair operations. Hollings played well in his first game since the knee injury in October. Backup running back Jonathan Wells has been battling turf toe for a year, and it has never been more severe than the present. Rookie to watch: He'll make you clap and cuss, but wide receiver Andre Johnson, the third overall pick in the draft, has been described as a special kind of player by offensive coordinator Chris Palmer. Palmer plans to utilize his combination of size, speed and rare athleticism to the Texans' advantage, but Johnson needs time and must overcome his unsure hands. Don't expect too much too soon, but by November, Johnson may not need such an introduction.
Part 2, Aug. 12 Veteran to watch: Running back Stacey Mack looked impressive in a recent scrimmage against the Broncos and is primed to prove he is more than a bruising goal-line runner, a reputation he earned backing up Fred Taylor in Jacksonville. Mack came to Houston for a chanc to start and help turn around what was the 31st-ranked running game in the NFL last season. Player on the verge: Left guard Milford Brown moved to first on the depth chart at left guard, leap-frogging Fred Weary, who was a full-time starter as a rookie. Brown, who is 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, can be a dominant blocker and seems to be 100 percent more comfortable in the offense than he was in 2002. Strongest position: It only makes sense that linebacker would be the strength of a team that is relying heavily on its 3-4 defense to make it contenders in the division. A group that consists of Jamie Sharper, Kailee Wong and surprise Jay Foreman welcomes Charlie Clemons, two years removed from a 13½-sack season in New Orleans. Weakest position: Free safety is still a concern after the Texans struck out courting several bigger names in free agency. Matt Stevens was fine last season, but he is more of a strong safety and special-teams player than a starting free safety. Part 1, July 18 Most significant changes: The Texans will have several new starters on offense, but they won't include Tony Boselli, who was forced to retire this summer after missing all of last season following shoulder surgery. New faces on the offensive line include ORG Zach Wiegert and ORT Greg Randall as part of the sack shield for QB David Carr, who was taken down 76 times as a rookie. Reasons for optimism: The defense had some success in Year One of the franchise and ranked 16th overall. Head coach Dom Capers has a talent-filled front seven for the 3-4 defense and good talent in the secondary, especially at cornerback. The Texans weren't good rushing the football in 2002, but with a rebuilt offensive line and Stacey Mack in the backfield, they should be better. Also, six rookies started last season, so this is a more experienced club. Cause for concern: With Boselli having retired, second-year man Chester Pitts figures to occupy the OLT spot again. Problem is, Pitts gave up 12 sacks last year, almost as many as Boselli allowed in his career. Consider, too, that Wiegert has had trouble translating ability into production, and Randall was traded by New England despite the fact that the Patriots need depth at tackle. If Carr is the franchise, the Texans must get better protection. As the depth chart reads now, Carr's safety is in doubt. Training-camp battle to watch: Rookie Bennie Joppru may not start immediately, but he will push fifth-year veteran Billy Miller for playing time. Miller and Carr were on the same page more often than not last season, but Joppru has great hands and athleticism. Miller, however, does have better straight-line speed. Don't be surprised if: The Texans make noise in the AFC South behind an aggressive defense and Carr.
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Material from Pro Football Weekly.
