Texans: Camp report | RapidReports | Camp tour | 
Questions
HOUSTON -- Observations from Houston Texans camp:
1. The Texans have a new defensive coordinator in Frank Bush, who moves up from linebackers coach to replace Richard Smith. The Texans players I talked to are excited about the change. The Texans have a good front seven that should make life easier for Bush. On the other side, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is now the play-caller, taking over those duties from coach Gary Kubiak. But Kubiak is quick to caution, "I still have veto power." Shanahan, the son of former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, is considered a rising star in the profession.
| Out of Nowhere Man |
 Brice McCain , a fifth-round pick from Utah, has been a pleasant surprise at corner. McCain is short at 5-feet-9, but he makes up for it with good man-cover skills. McCain was overshadowed at Utah by fellow corner Sean Smith, who was a second-round pick by the Dolphins. McCain has a chance to be the Texans' nickel corner at some point this season. |
| Red Raideraid picks TE James Casey |
| It's always hard to go with a rookie because alot is involved with the learning curve and the endurance factor. The guy played pro baseball for 3 years before joining the Rice Football team, so the maturity and conditioning are in place. In one game against SMU last season he lined up at TE, FB, WR, HB and QB. Not bad for a guy who's 6'3 245 lbs. |
| Who is your Out of Nowhere Man? |
2. Dunta Robinson has missed all of camp in a contract squabble. He plans to report the first week of the regular season so he doesn't miss a game check. Robinson is easily the team's best cover player, but he wanted a contract that will make him one of the highest-paid corners in the league. The Texans placed the franchise tag on him, which means he has to play for $9.97 million. That isn't chump change. Robinson won't leave that money on the table, so he'll be there on opening day. The question is how much the time away hurts him and the defense. If the defense is to improve, it has to get better play from the back four.
3. The offensive line has seemingly been a concern in Houston since the team came into existence. Who can forget the beating David Carr took in his first season? But that isn't the case anymore. The line should be a strong point this season. Right tackle Eric Winson is one of the best in the league at that spot and second-year left tackle Duane Brown has the look of a future Pro Bowl player. The Texans are solid inside, although center Chris Myers went down early in camp with an ankle injury. That has given rookie Antoine Caldwell a chance to show his stuff. He is the center of the future anyway and was an All-SEC player at Alabama. The line isn't a concern anymore.
4. If the Texans are to be better on defense, third-year defensive tackle Amobi Okoye needs to step up his game. The Texans drafted him with the sixth overall pick in 2007 and he flashed as a rookie, but he regressed last season. Okoye needs to be tougher against the run. He has the quickness to be a penetrating defensive tackle, but he didn't develop last season. If he can elevate his game, playing next to Mario Williams, the Texans could be dominant on defense.
5. Where is Matt Schaub as a quarterback? After missing parts of the past two seasons with injuries, he has to show he can stay on the field. Schaub played well down the stretch last season and showed he might be ready to take a major step forward. He is a smart player who knows where to go with the football. The Texans think he has a chance to move into the top 10 passers in the league. If he does, this could be a playoff team. "When Matt's been on the field, he's played some very good football," Kubiak said. "He's put up some good numbers. They key is his staying on the field."
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