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Training camp questions: Houston Texans

Tue Jul 16 3:23pm ET
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Turnarounds are a thing of the past for the Houston Texans.

That's the message from second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans as the AFC South champions race into training camp as the first of the NFL's 32 teams to report for the start of formal preparations for the 2024 season.

Ryans' first season in Houston couldn't have gone much better.

Houston went three seasons without a playoff appearance, spanning three coaches, 38 losses and almost 1,500 days, before Ryans and rookies C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. altered the direction the Texans with a division title and wild-card playoff win over the Cleveland Browns.

Ryans wasn't content with the breakthrough.

Houston kept adding with aggressive moves from the front office to follow up general manager Nick Caserio's swings -- and big hits -- that helped land quarterback Stroud and defensive end Anderson with back-to-back picks in the 2023 draft. The Texans acquired wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills and signed former Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter as the headline moves designed to help Houston keep its arrow pointing upward.

Houston's early report date is the byproduct of being featured in the annual preseason kickoff game in Canton, the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1. The Texans face the Chicago Bears, whose veterans report Friday.

A former linebacker at Alabama and with the Texans, Ryans said he still gets first-day-of-school vibes when camp starts.

"To start back from ground zero, I love that," Ryans said. "Going back to our Day 1 fundamentals, installs, and seeing guys truly grow and seeing how far we can get before the Hall of Fame Game, see our young players get better and compete against each other. That's what I enjoy most."

Ryans said he helped counter some of the hyperbole in Houston this offseason by sharing a few statistical facts and self-witnessed realities of the NFL.

He said he told player, "I know we won some games, but guys, look, we had 10 games within one score, and these games were down to the wire and we had to find a way at the end.' That doesn't change. That's the NFL."

--Here are three training camp questions for the Texans:

1. Will there be enough targets to go around with the addition of WR Stefon Diggs?

Diggs was traded out of Buffalo because of a beefy contract -- which Houston restructured to allow Diggs to enter free agency in 2025 -- and a bristly personality that former quarterback Josh Allen dismissed as competitiveness.

Diggs was targeted 160 times last season (and 154 in 2022) but still wanted the ball more when it mattered. Nico Collins was the No. 1 target in Houston last season and led the team with 109 targets.

Stroud was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year because he was insanely accurate and efficient. He threw only five interceptions (three came in one game) by not forcing the ball and gaining early mastery of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik's system. A vocal veteran demanding the ball isn't a concern for Ryans, he insists, but will Stroud respond otherwise in the heat of the battle?

2. Is there a star on the roster deserving of more attention?

Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. began to live up to the billing as a blue-chip talent last season and only seems to be hindered by durability questions. When he's on the field, he's an elite playmaker. Note his December production, when Stingley was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month with 19 tackles, nine passes denied, three interceptions and a tackle for loss. Working against receivers Collins, Diggs and Tank Dell on a daily basis shouldn't hold him back.

3. C.J. Stroud was sacked multiple times in 10 of his 15 games played as a rookie. Can this become worrisome for the Texans?

Stroud missed two games with a concussion last season, but following a dreadful start for the offensive line, the Texans were better than average in pass protection. Stroud was sacked 11 times in his first two NFL games and that was well before the Texans turned to a heavier dose of play-action. Adding Diggs as a reliable slot option and increased usage of tight ends all helped calm the heat in the pocket.

Remember, Slowik came with Ryans from the San Francisco 49ers and his approach won't be entirely predictable. But he does want to lean more heavily on power, and give the ball to the running back, to keep defenses guessing.

When teams went hyper-aggressive last season, Stroud won consistently.

See the wild-card playoff victory over the Browns, when Stroud was 5-for-5 against the blitz for 126 yards and a touchdown for a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is coming off a season-best output of seven catches for 88 yards versus Tampa Bay in Week 5, but the third-year player put up a goose egg the week before without recording a single catch, so he's a bit hard to trust. Still, with how poor tight end production has been so far in 2024, you likely need to keep starting him in season-long leagues. The good news is that his Week 6 opponent, the Carolina Panthers, has generally defended the pass poorly and allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to TEs so far. The bad news is that the only two touchdowns they've allowed to TEs both came in Week 1, so they've been a bit stingier the last four weeks, and with the Falcons as six-point favorites, there may not be as much of a need to go to the air in this game. Pitts profiles as low-end TE1 in Week 6, with as much upside as he has downside.

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Evan Engram Oct 11 10:30pm CT
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Chris Boswell Oct 11 10:10pm CT
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Drake London Oct 11 10:10pm CT
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Travis Etienne Oct 11 9:20pm CT
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Pat Freiermuth Oct 11 9:10pm CT
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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has scored in back-to-back contests and will hope to keep the streak alive against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. Although Freiermuth was a limited participant in practice on Thursday with a calf injury, he was removed from the injury report on Friday after logging a full practice. Las Vegas has fared well against tight ends so far this season but is yet to face one that has earned as many opportunities as Freiermuth. The 25-year-old is averaging more targets per contest than Sam LaPorta and Mark Andrews and more fantasy points than Travis Kelce, Dalton Kincaid, and Kyle Pitts. His ceiling will be relatively limited if Pittsburgh continues to run the ball at one of the highest rates in the NFL, but as a focal point of the Steelers' offense, Freiermuth offers fantasy managers a steady floor. He can be started once again as a low-end TE1 on Sunday.

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Derrick Henry Oct 11 9:00pm CT
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Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has found the end zone in each one of his first five games with the team this year. He already has seven combined touchdowns in five games while coming in as the RB2 in half-PPR formats, behind Alvin Kamara. He's tied for the most 20+ yard plays on the ground with seven, top ten in yards per carry (6.0), and has the longest run play on the season with his 87-yard touchdown from Week 4. In Week 6, he goes up against the Washington Commanders who have a middle-of-the-pack unit that allows 20.3 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields. Henry will likely find the holes in Washington's defense while he receives around 20 touches yet again, so fantasy managers can consider him an RB1 heading into this matchup.

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Gabriel Davis Oct 11 9:00pm CT
Gabriel Davis

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee) is officially listed as questionable for the team's Week 6 matchup against the Chicago Bears in London. Last week, a shoulder injury plagued the 25-year-old, but he was healthy enough to play in the victory over the Colts. This week, it's a knee injury forcing him to record three straight limited designations at practice. However, he appears to have a favorable shot to suit up for an "away" game across the pond. The former Buffalo Bill leads the wide receiver corps on his new team this season in total snaps but ranks third on the Jags in targets (25), receptions (12), and yards (159). Additionally, he has yet to score a touchdown. If Davis can't play, wideouts Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr. would likely take on that workload. If he can, he still won't be a recommended option, particularly against a Bears defense that has been stingy to opposing offenses (seventh-fewest passing yards allowed).

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Zay Flowers Oct 11 9:00pm CT
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George Pickens Oct 11 8:50pm CT
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