The first time I walked into the practice bubble at the Houston Methodist Training Center was 23 years ago, prior to the first Texans college draft. Mike Quinn was at quarterback, leading an offense of the very first Texans as they got acclimated to a brand new franchise.
Quinn was in the bubble today, along with many other Legends Community members, watching the 2025 Texans take the field to get ready for the current campaign.
I got many positive reviews from the Legends after they left the building following an OTA practice that featured a lot of notable moments and some eye-popping plays.
Here are my thoughts from the sideline –
First, it's important to note that not everyone was there, as this is voluntary, yet the attendance was plentiful and basically all-in at the most important positions of the moment – Offensive line and wide receiver.
There was a lot of moving around on the line. You're not going to see anything like a finished product until September but let's just say it was a good start. There are too many options to list here.
Rookie Tae Ersery played tackle and pushed people around and looked the part. Seeing LT Cam Robinson in a Texans uniform was different. He's huge and will be tough competition for anyone, especially a rookie, who might want to take his spot. Tytus Howard's versatility to be able to play either tackle or guard spot gives O-Line coach Cole Popovich many choices of where to line people up.
Seeing Nico Collins catch passes reminds you of why he's one of the best in the game. He's so fluid, yet big. And you know he can get vertical quickly once he catches the ball.
Rookie Jayden Higgins made some plays and looked like he belonged. Fellow former Cyclone Jaelin Noel looks very comfortable catching the ball, or punts, or whatever he's doing. He made a nice sideline snare to end practice. His momentum carried him out of bounds in a hurry, sending John Harris and I scrambling for cover. Otherwise, I might be writing this from the hospital.
It's tough to get the passing game cranked up when the Texans have such outstanding DBs. Kamari Lassiter hasn't missed a beat. He covers his area like Spiderman. It felt like all the DBs had arms and legs for days – making life very difficult for the QBs. Seeing an elite athlete like Derek Stingley Jr. do anything is fun. At one point he was catching punts one handed, part of a drill, and making it look like he was born with that skill.
Everyone will ask how the offense looks different. This is just day one and they were working on some quick short stuff and a few runs. Until they get C.J. Stroud and all the backs going full throttle, in pads, in full bloom, you're not going to learn a ton. Still, there were some 'Okay that's nice!' moments.
Remember – this time of year and well into camp I will be rekindling one of my annual mantras – the defense BETTER look ahead of the offense this time of year. If your defense is getting cooked on a regular basis in May, you might be in trouble.
There are well over 30 practices and 3 preseason games before the Texans take the field against the Rams in September. That's over three months from now. It's one day at a time - but it's always fun when the Texans are on the field.
