Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison met with the media on Saturday at Reliant Stadium and discussed fifth round pick T.J. Yates. The following is a transcript of his interview about the North Carolina quarterback.
Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison
(on whether he was surprised that the Texans drafted an offensive player)
“No, I was just tired of moving and getting up so Wade could talk to them. (Laughing) But we’re a team and we’re just trying to do what’s best for the team.Very productive career, very calm in the pocket. Like what we did in college.”
(on whether he was concerned with T.J. Yates’ slow 40-yard dash time)
“Well, he moved around better than that, the way we saw that. He took care of the ball really well. It wasn’t that much of a concern, the way he got rid of the ball most of the time was great. Very similar to what we saw (Texans QB) Matt (Schaub) do.”
(on Texans QB 
“Yeah - well, that’s one of the things that’s tricky about all the positions. You’re not sure what’s going to happen, what’s going to come about with the CBA. We will need another anyway one for camp. So if he’s back, if not, the competition is great. Like I said, when you looked at all the position we thought T.J. (Yates) was the best fit for that spot.”
(on T.J. Yates’ senior year while dealing with suspensions on the team at North Carolina)
“That was one of the telling things. He did a great job, particularly in the situations when he moved the team down. The last game he had, the two minute drill, he did a great job, he was very calm. They had a tough one. He took some hits in the previous year when he had some young guys playing in front of him. So, that’s one of the things, to be mentally tough particularly at that spot.”
(on comparisons to
“Yeah - he does some things like Matt. Obviously, Matt is very special. We think very much of Matt Schaub. Yes, you can draw some comparisons.”
(on T.J. Yates’ calm demeanor during the North Carolina-LSU game)
“I didn’t watch the LSU game. I left that to Knapper (Texans QB Coach Greg Knapp). He does most of the quarterbacks. I take two games. Like I said, I liked his demeanor.”
