Houston Texans 2024 Minicamp: News, Notes and Quotes

The Houston Texans continued their offseason minicamp Wednesday in front of the media. They will finish minicamp on Thursday.

There will be a lot of changes around the team this season during DeMeco Ryans’ second year at the helm. Houston’s young core remains intact between CJ Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr., Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but the new additions of Stefon Diggs, Danielle Hunter and Joe Mixon provide veteran support that should help push the Texans to new heights. .

Other players on the roster are also hoping to develop. Rookies Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock could get significant snaps in the secondary, while rookie tight end Cade Stover could rekindle his collegiate relationship with Stroud from their days together at Ohio State. Others, like John Metchie and Dameon Pierce, need a breakout season to stake a claim for a role on the team for this year and beyond.

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However, offseason workouts are not the end all be all of a player’s projections for 2024. However, they provide a solid foundation for observations as the team, analysts, and fans examine the Texans’ prospects this season. Houston won the AFC South and a playoff game last season. Expectations are now higher.

Houston Texans 2024 Minicamp: News, Notes and Quotes

Development of Kamari Lassiter

The Texans’ second-round pick doesn’t yet have a defined role on defense, but he has made plays in practice. He worked on the outside with the No. 1 players and even made a nice pass to Diggs, according to Cole Thompson of Texans Wire.

Lassiter also received praise from Ryans. The Houston head coach noted that the rookie has been “locked in” since day one and has done everything the team has asked of him since being taken by the Texans.

“A lot of guys are excited about what he’s been able to do over the last couple of weeks,” Ryans added. “He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He’s very competitive. He’s going in the right direction.

There is an open outside cornerback role opposite Stingley on this defense. Lassiter could win the role over free agents Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson.

TE Brevin Jordan’s future with the Texans

Dalton Schultz is the undisputed No. 1 tight end on the Texans depth chart and Stover could very well win the backup job in camp. That leaves an uncertain future for Jordan, a player who broke out in 2023 with 17 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns in limited snaps.

Ryans, however, praised Jordan and noted that Jordan is ready to take on the role he will play on the team.

“He’s improved, he’s confident, he believes he’s a guy and he can be for us and he is,” Ryans said.

Development of the defensive line

The Texans traded Jonathan Greenard for Danielle Hunter this offseason to team Will Anderson Jr. on the edge. This duo “instantly” connected when they first got together, according to Ryans. These two give the Texans one of the best tandems in the league and one that should wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks this season.

Ryans also gave a shout out to defensive lineman Denico Autry, who will likely be the Texans’ starting interior defensive lineman in 2024. Autry can play all over the line, and Ryan made sure to praise his new defender as one of the “toughest” in the league. .

“He’s one of the toughest and most respected players in the league,” Ryans said. “You see the way he plays: he plays the right way. He plays hard. He plays with unmatched intensity and he always finds a way to get into the backfield – moving around, playing multiple spots – it “He’s just a tough guy, an unrivaled football player.”

Autry, meanwhile, told reporters he doesn’t care where he plays on the defensive line. He added that he wanted to join a defensive unit that was “going in the right direction.”