Here’s everything Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said following Day 1 of training camp, including his thoughts on the new-look offensive line, C.J. Stroud’s contract negotiations, Tank Dell’s return and more.
Question: On his impressions from the first day of Training Camp and what he expects from the team going forward
Ryans: “From our first day of practice today, I thought it was a lot of good back and forth. Offense made some plays, defense made some plays, special teams guys did a really good job of executing as well. From what I look for on the first day, when you talk about communication, guys working together, being on the same page, we achieved that today. Now, as I mentioned to our guys, it’s how do you build on the next day, and that’s what you look for in camp. It’s a steady build. How do you continue to improve each day?”
Q: On what positives he has seen carry over from last season going into Training Camp
Ryans: “Offensively, we’ve done a really good job today. Pre-snap was excellent. Guys were on it, guys were getting on the line properly, guys were playing fast, and that’s all I expect from all three phases. We want to be a fast, aggressive team. To do that, you really have to own the communication. The huddle, that’s where it starts. If we own that process the right way, we’ll get to the line of scrimmage, we’ll play fast.”
Q: On his expectations for the team going into his fourth season as head coach
Ryans: “Each year for me is different when we speak about expectations. My expectations have been high. Year one, they were high. When you guys asked me about expectations, the only thing I know is high expectations. That’s why we do what we do to achieve the ultimate goal. It’s a process. It’s a build to get there, and we’re not afraid of the work that it takes to be put in to get there and that’s what we’re achieving day by day. We’ll keep chopping one day at a time to be our best come Week 1.”
Q: On what he looks forward to seeing from the running back group
Ryans: “From the running back group, I’m excited to see the guys, just how fast they’re playing. I see Woody [Marks], he looks faster, he’s making more decisive decisions like cuts. Jawhar [Jordan] is looking good. Of course, [David] Montgomery has done a really good job. So, a really good room of running backs and I’m just excited to see them continue to improve on those fine details. Can we improve on our reads? Can we improve on our pass protection? Can we improve in the screen game as well? So, I’m just excited to see the growth of that group throughout camp.”
Q: On the challenges C/G Keylan Rutledge faces in his first Training Camp
Ryans: “Yeah, when you come out to [training] camp, everybody’s competing. Our rookies, if you just attack it the right way, because I tell our [rookies], somebody has to be Rookie of the Year. Rookies play well every single year and it’s not where you’re trying to go out and attain that; it’s ‘Are you just locked in on the small details [and] what the coaches are asking you to do every day?’ If you have a competitive spirit, if you have a willingness and want to succeed and do great, you’re going to do that. So, for all of our rookies, Keylan [Rutledge], Marlin [Klein], everybody, they just have to come out and just work hard at their craft, and they’ll be exactly what we need them to be.”
Q: On the depth at the linebacker position
Ryans: “With the linebacker spot, we’re in a really good situation with Azeez [Al-Shaair] and Henry [To’oTo’o], those guys have played a lot of ball together. They’re very tight. You can see the connection on the field that they have, off the field. That’s a really great group of guys. I enjoy seeing those guys work. I enjoy seeing their leadership. To see the way Henry and Azeez communicate daily, it’s been fantastic to watch. So, those guys who are taking reps behind them, they just have to look at those two guys and see their leadership, see how they approach every day with a positive attitude. They want to be great every play. If those guys attack that roster, it’ll sort itself out.”
Q: On QB C.J. Stroud entering the final year of his contract
Ryans: “When it comes to contracts, I really don’t get into a lot of deep discussions with guys when it comes to the contract situation because I truly believe the contract… You get the contract by what you do on the field. It doesn’t matter about what you say, what I say, it’s about how you perform on the field. If you’re worthy of getting a contract and you deserve it, it’ll happen for you. But if you’re worried about it, worrying is not going to change anything, right? It’s about the actions you put in and it’s about your body of work and experience of what you’ve shown. It’s not about just one moment when you get into contract negotiations.It’s about the entirety of your work.”
Q: On the wide receiver room
Ryans: “The wide receiver room, they continue to impress every day. It’s someone different making a play every day. It’s an exciting room for us to see how they develop throughout camp. But I’m excited to see not only them performing in camp, but also just to see them get into some live preseason games. We put a lot on our wide receivers when it comes to coming out of the huddle, aligning, motion, we put a lot on their plate. So, your mental game has to be on point to play wide receiver, and then you have to be physical and grimy enough to block in a running game to make our team. We have a lot of guys who have that mindset. It will all sort itself out.”
Q: On WR Tank Dell
Ryans: “We’re excited for Tank to just get back out here in Training Camp. He’s on his own ramp-up schedule, but it’s exciting to just have him. He’s eager to go. The thing for Tank is, Tank is a smart player. We know how dynamic Tank was when he was out there, but again, he hasn’t played ball in over two years. So, it’s important for him to get those… We do our walk-throughs to get those reps, get in the huddle, get the call, get out of the huddle, go line up fast, adjust and motion. So, he needs to get all of those reps because he’s missed so much time of playing football. So, my mindset there is to get him as much football as possible and build him up until he’s able to get into our team drills and we’ll see how he progresses next week to see how if he’s able to get out there or not.”
Q: On trading for RB David Montgomery
Ryans: “What intrigued me most about David Montgomery was going against him, seeing the success that he’s had, seeing the nature at which he runs the ball. He fits the brand of football that I want to play. We know it’s no secret that we needed to improve our running game. It’s not been good enough since I’ve been here. It hasn’t been good enough. So, to make improvements in a running game, you have to get players who can run it. He’s shown the success. No matter where he’s been, he’s always been successful running the football. To see the way he works every day, positive guy, dialed in, on the details, a great guy. We couldn’t have added a better guy for our running back room, for our offense. It’s the way he’s business-like with his approach.”
Q: On Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley going into Year 2
Ryans: “From last year to this year, I can see Nick truly growing as a leader, as a play caller. We’ve added more volume to our offense. It’s basically for what our guys have been capable of doing. For the offensive guys, there’s a second year around, second time around, going through install learning. It’s easier for those guys to get moving at a faster pace and so the volume is up. Guys are executing at a high level, and he’s able to do more things, more creative things. He’s been studying all offseason and calling me, blowing my phone up, but I had to not answer him. I told him his break time. I want some break time with my family and he’s still dialed in on football. So, I’m excited to see Caley’s growth and his process as we all… Your first time calling plays, it’s like any job you do, right? The more time on task, the more experience you get, the better you get at it, and he’ll be much better this year.”
Q: On what needs to be done on offense to succeed in the run game
Ryans: “Block well, run well. It’s not that hard. It’s a mindset when it comes to the run game, you got to play physically. Offensive line, starting with those guys, you got to be physical, you got to play with the proper hat placement; your footwork has to be dialed in, it has to be right. The backs have to run great tracks, and they have to know when to make the right decision with their cuts, with their vision, their reads. It’s a lot that goes into it, but not to overcomplicate it. You got to block the guys in front of you and you got to run like you want to get every single yard that’s out there.”
Q: On the offensive line group
Ryans: “Offensive line, I feel like we have a deep group. I feel like we have a lot of guys who are capable of going out and starting for us. We [have] a lot of guys with experience and it’s a good problem to have for us. It’s a matter of figuring out who the best five guys will be. It’s exciting for me to try to see guys in different positions to see how it all gels together. With the offensive line, every year that I’ve been in ball, someone goes down, somebody has to step up and plug in. So, the versatility that we have is unique as well. We have guys who could play multiple spots inside. We got tackles who could play on both sides. So, I’m excited just as well as everyone is excited about how the offensive line is going to shape out, because we talk about the run game, how we can improve, it starts there, and I think we have the guys who could do it.”
Q: On DE Will Anderson Jr. and if he has picked up where he left off with the offseason program
Ryans: “Will has definitely picked up. Disrupting plays left and right. He’s definitely wreaking havoc again, as he always does. I can talk about Will all day, but his mindset, his approach, how intense he is on the field, you guys see it, but it’s the same way in my meeting rooms. He’s on the edge of his seat. He’s locked in every single word that I say in the meeting and he’s taking it to heart. It means a lot to Will. He’s truly passionate. He cares a lot. He cares about seeing Houston be a successful franchise, and there’s no guy that cares more than him. And I want all our guys to see how he operates every single day. I can highlight him every day because that’s how I believe it should look when you’re doing any job, the passion that Will exudes about his love for the game and his love to continue to exceed to get better. I think we all can learn from it. I learn from it. You bring that passion and juice every day to what you do.”
Q: On Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski’s coaching style and his impact on QB C.J. Stroud
Ryans: “Jerry’s done a really good job of his communication skills. He’s done a great job of communicating with the quarterbacks, communicating with myself on just the daily meeting structure, what they’re doing, very detailed coach. You’ll see that in our quarterbacks’ play this year. They’re bonding. Jerry’s done a great job. Even when he was working with those guys last year, he did a really great job. Jerry has a really cool demeanor about himself.He’s been in the game for a long time, coached for a long time, coached a lot of great guys, and I just love his approach. I love his demeanor. It’s never too high, it’s never too low, it’s exactly where he needs to be for those guys. Those quarterbacks can lean on Jerry at any given time for the support that they need.”
Q: On grass fields versus turf fields
Ryans: “Whatever’s out there, grass or turf, whatever we play on… I’m happy I don’t make those decisions. We’ll play fast on whatever it is, grass or turf; we just need to play fast.
Q: On the tight end room and his overall expectations for them this season
“I expect our tight ends to play much better this year, starting with our coach, [Tight Ends Coach] James Ferentz, a passionate coach, guy who’s played the game for 10 years. He brings that energy, brings that passion, knowing what it’s like as a player. He’s done a great job pouring into those guys. Caley is working with the tight ends as well. The group, we have a really deep group. We have six, seven guys there who can go play for us. So, that’s the exciting part about it, all different guys. You talk about passing game, blocking game. There’s a plethora of guys who should allow us to do some cool things when it comes to 12, 13 personnel. So, I’m excited to see our usage and how guys just thrive in camp, see what they do well and see how we can use them to our advantage in our offense.”
Q: On TE Brevin Jordan
Ryans: “I love Brevin. I’m always excited to see Brevin out on the field. Brevin never has a bad day. Just knowing what he’s been through as a player, the difficult spots, the hardships that he’s gone through with the injuries, to see him back on the field rolling, it’s always a fun sight to see from me.”
Q: On the biggest lesson he has learned from being a head coach
Ryans: “Biggest difference for me as a head coach is that it’s truly just leaning on my assistants more. Understanding that, man, we’re all in this together. I [have] got great people who work around me and I don’t have to do it all.I can truly lean on our guys, truly assist our coaches as best as I can and just be more open to moving around, working with our entire team. So, that’s a little more freedom, I would say, as a fourth-year head coach . The guys have done a great job in all phases, being able to sit in and different meetings, offense, defense, special teams, just being able to move around.It’s been a cool growth process for me, just learning that less is more at times. That’s what I’m learning most.”
Q: On the acquisitions the team made in the offseason
Ryans: “We’re excited about the guys that we’ve added to our team. Each year you have to build a team each and every year. So, we’ll see how this team gels, how this team comes together. It’s always, in my mind, it’s always a goal of coming together to do something special, and how quickly can we bond, how quickly can we grow throughout camp and we’ll see how far we can take it.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said following Day 1 of training camp
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
