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Houston Texans Transcripts**
11th Annual Houston Texans Charity Golf Classic presented by Verizon
Monday, May 12, 2014
(Transcribed by Charles Hampton and Evan Koch)
Founder, Chairman and CEO Bob McNair
TE Garret Graham
C Chris Myers
Bob McNair
(on the Houston Texans Charity Golf Tournament) "Yeah, it's great. It gets the players out here. It gives a lot of folks in the community the opportunity to see them up close. Of course, our sponsors have been great supporters and we raised a lot of money for our primary charities. It's a great way to do it."
(on his thoughts on the 2014 NFL Draft) "I was really pleased. We really got some good players that filled our needs, but we were able to get them on the basis of being the best value at that point in time. It's just that we were able to work it out where they fit our needs. I was really pleased. We're going to be a solid team. We still have a lot of work to do. These guys coming in are still rookies, but we did a lot to strengthen our offensive line and running the ball is important to us. I think we're in much, much better shape there. I think that our defense is going to be outstanding. You put those things together and you can be a very competitive ball club."
(on Jadeveon Clowney) "He's just phenomenal and he's a good kid. You can sit down and talk to him. He can communicate with you. He's got a lot of poise and he loves J.J. Watt. He says that's going to be my mentor and I said, 'Yeah, you just follow J.J. Whatever J.J. does, you do it and you're going to be in good shape."
(on Tom Savage and if he is concerned about the quarterback position) "Well I think people are always concerned about that position because it is such a difficult position, but he's got the attributes that could align as he develops to become a good NFL quarterback. That's what we were looking at. He's big, he's strong, and he really only played two years in college. He's got a lot to learn but he was a guy that Bill (O'Brien) and Rick (Smith) liked early on."
(on his thoughts and impressions of Bill O'Brien) "He's a no nonsense guy, but he sits down and listens to people and he'll express his view and listen to your viewpoint. If new information comes in, he'll come in and say, 'I just heard something or saw something that made me change my mind about so-and-so.' That's what you want, a guy is willing to think things through and process new information as it comes along. He does that. He's very smart. I like his philosophy and I think it's going to prove to be very successful for us."
(on Rick Smith being able to trade back into the third round to get Louis Nix) "That was really a good move because we brought in a couple of guys at nose tackle and think they're going to be pretty good, but I think Nix, he was the best nose tackle there in the draft. He has a chance to be outstanding and be the type of player that Romeo (Crennel) was looking for. I thought that was really a smart move on Rick's part."
TE Garret Graham
(on what he got out of the veteran minicamp the team had last week) "It's good to be back with your teammates and start to learn the new offense and know your role and get started with everything."
(on if there is a different feel to the offense without Owen Daniels being there) "A little bit. We still have a lot of the same guys in the tight end group at least. Again, it's just good to get out there and show your teammates what you're capable of doing. It's just good to be back on the field."
(on if he was surprised the Texans drafted a tight end high in the draft, using a third round selection on Iowa's C.J. Fiedorowicz) "I wasn't, no. It's a tight end friendly offense and I think he'll be able to help us out. He seems like a bigger guy who can definitely hold the line on the line of scrimmage. It'll be good to have another guy, another Big Ten guy."
(on if he has realized now that he is the veteran guy of the tight end group) "yeah, it's a little different. A little different situation from where I started off last year, but again, I'm just going to do my best to do my role and make as many plays as I can."
(on if the team plans on moving him around in the new offense) "That's yet to be seen. We're kind of working on the basics and trying to get everything down. I'm sure I'll move as much as your normal tight end does."
(on what veteran minicamp was like with all they were throwing at them and what where his takeaways) "It's good to have that, so that you're learning new stuff every day. When you get to the second and third day, they throw in something from the first day so you can recall. It's good to have that. That's something that we're going to have to do all season long when we're changing the playbook, putting plays in and out. It's good to have that and it's good recall for the team."
(on if he's the best golfer out on the course today) "It's close between me and Shane (Lechler). He'll tell you different, but I probably am."
C Chris Myers
(on his thoughts on the veteran minicamp) "Tremendous work for the new staff being here with new offense, new defense, new special teams, and they get to work out the guys like they did, it was pretty impressive. It's only going to build from there. Obviously, that was step one, just very elementary from here on out. We'll build every single day, but I thought we had a lot of work and got to be able to build some chemistry."
(on how he would define a Houston Texans football player, as was referenced throughout the draft by Bill O'Brien and Rick Smith) "I think he's going to want hard-nosed, physical, nasty in the trenches, very smart players at the same time. When I mean smart, I mean football smarts as well as smart on the field in being able to control yourself. I think I said before, with the draft, we got those kinds of quality players and I think they're going to be able to contribute right away."
(on his opportunity to block Louis Nix in practice) "It will be a challenge, yeah. He's got a very, very successful career in college for him to be able to play that many games at nose tackle. That says a lot about him and his durability as well. I've watched him in college and for us to be able to get him, I'm excited about playing against him in training camp."
(on Xavier Su'a-Filo) "I don't know much about him. I actually texted back and forth with him after we drafted him, just kind of a welcome to Houston and stuff. I think he's going to be a great addition to our line, wherever he ends up playing. A physical player like that, it's going to be a lot of fun seeing him compete in training camp."
(on if there will be any makeover on the offensive line) "As of right now, we're taking it step by step. That will kind of transition as we go. As of right now, they're just trying to put the best five guys on the field and that's for every position. I treat every single year like it's my first and my last. I go into every training camp competing with whoever is competing with me. I think it keeps me fresh and young too."
(on what this charity golf tournament means to him) "It means a lot. For Mr. McNair to put these things together, there is no one that gives back to the community than Mr. McNair and his wife Janice. For us to be able to come out and be a part of this, it means a lot, year in and year out, to be able to have the groups. It's always packed. There is never enough space on the course. It ends up being a seven and a half hour round, but it's great. It means a lot to the community."
