One week of OTA's is over. The one thing that stuck out to me the last three days was the chemistry that the guys already seem to be enjoying on the field.
New players such as Matt Schaub and Shawn Barber have already become locker room favorites and Barber's "unique" break down after stretching has been one of the highlights of each practice.
I guess it's my job to be an internal optimist when it comes to the Texans, so of course any opinion expressed here has to be taken with a grain of salt. However, it's hard to imagine the Texans not being a better team in 2007 than they were in 2006.
If you think about it, you would probably agree. This time last year, who was the Texans middle linebacker? Now, Houston employs one of the best in the league.
This time last year, who was Houston's starting running back? Coach Kubiak said Friday that he thinks that running back is now one of the Texans deepest positions with Ahman Green leading the way.
Speaking of Green, he's looked fantastic so far. You would never know that this time last year, he was recovering from a relatively serious knee injury. He's showing no signs of slowing down.
The one thing I like about Green is the way he walks off the field. What does that mean? If you look at a lot of these guys when they're not moving full speed, many walk favoring one side or with a slight hitch in their step. Not Green.
I see him walk in every morning and not once yet have I seen him favor a sore knee, a tight hamstring or even a stubbed toe. That has to be a good sign.
That could be because of his unique way of warming up for practice which Green talked about with Jim Carley here.
Of course the other high profile offensive performer is Schaub. He's really got a classic delivery and even in windy conditions for much of the week, he didn't seem to have trouble throwing a tight spiral.
His performance was inconsistent, but you would expect that with a new quarterback. I think by mini-camp in mid-June, Schaub will be clicking on all cylinders.
It's also been nice to see Mario back at full speed this week. He really is a freak of nature. He can run like a safety and is the biggest guy out there. I'm expecting big things from the defense this season.
OTA's continue next week. Today, the Texans staff is gathered at Reliant Stadium for All-Access. It's an event of our season ticket holders and suite owners. Every player will be here signing autographs as well as most of the coaches.
You can check out a complete recap and slideshow of the event Saturday afternoon at HoustonTexans.com. Monday morning, check out the video recap of this unique event on Texans TV.
If you're interested in buying season tickets, you can click here. The home schedule this year is probably the best in team history with the Titans, Saints, Colts, Broncos and Jaguars highlighting the slate.
Also, Monday two game plans go on sale. Yes, the Titans and Saints games are available, but I would hurry. I was talking to one of our ticket reps the other day and there are very few tickets left to the most sought after games.
I would doubt that single-game tickets will be available for many games this season.
