Everything Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said after Day 4 of training camp

USA Today

5 days ago

Here is everything Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said following Day 4 of training camp, including comments on the offense, defensive picks and return of Sheldon Rankins to the defensive line.
Question: On the atmosphere of today's open practice
DeMeco Ryans: 'Today, as we kicked off our first day with our fans out, first open practice, it always brings the excitement out in practice. It always brings out that competitive fire in our guys. I'm just excited to be out here so our fans can get a look at our team, their first day to see our new team this year. So, we're really thankful for the support always of our fans. This game that we play, the NFL, it doesn't grow and we don't see the coverage and everything of our game without our fans' support. So, I'm really thankful for our fans and thankful for Andre [Johnson], one of our all-time Texans being here. Him being in the Ring of Honor means a lot anytime we can see him out at practice. Today, announcing that Mrs. Janice McNair will go into the Ring of Honor. That's a really huge deal for the family and for Mrs. McNair, the late Bob' McNair, for them bringing football back to Houston was a huge deal, and we're all beneficiaries of them bringing the game back.'
On evaluating players through the highs and lows of Training Camp
'It's easy to arrive that way, right, even in the season. You have a bad game and you want to, 'Woe is me.' You want to feel bad about it, but I tell guys always you have to remain consistent. To me, you don't look at one day. It doesn't matter about one day. It's how you stack the days. How do you progress? We're all striving for perfection. We know we won't get there, but I tell a guy, 'Are we making progress?' Whatever your role is on a team, whatever you're asked to do, do we see progress? That's what's most important to me about this time, we have a lot of young guys on our team. Can we continue to see growth day after day? Can you have a so-called bad day and come back and rebound from that? But, I see a lot of good things and a lot of areas where we can grow and improve and that's what this is all about.'
On the defense's performance today
'The defense, they came out and they had great energy all day. They were around the football, attacking the football. That's who we are. That's what we do. So, the defense just being who they are. They're making plays. You had Azeez [Al-Shaair] make a play on the football a couple times. He got his hands on the ball twice. Then Myles [Bryant] had a really good cover snap, playing in great position and was able to finish with the ball in his hand. So, we're really doing a really great job in the back end, also up front. Those guys are playing well together.'
Q: On what WR Christian Kirk adds to the offense
Ryans: 'Christian has been awesome to work with. First and foremost, he's a really great dude. I'm really excited to add him to our locker room. He brings great spirit, great energy to our locker room. But you see, as a player, you see the explosiveness that he has downfield, the hands that he has, like really quick, whether it's working in a slot or also working on safeties down the field, he's able to make plays. That's what I'm excited to see, just him and [QB] C.J.'s connection continue to grow.'
On balancing what he wants to see from both the offense and defense
'Both sides made plays today. I know it gets highlighted when the defense intercepts the football, but the offense made some really nice plays as well. But, it's a really healthy balance of competition and that's what I like to see. The guys are in the right spot. Guys are where they're supposed to be. Now that's coaching, getting the guys in the right spot. Now the player takes over. Now who can make that play, offense or defense, that's up to the guys. How bad do you want to make those plays?'
Q: On S Jalen Pitre not practicing today
Ryans: 'As always, Jalen and whoever is not out there, everybody is on different schedules. You'll see different guys out there at different times and we'll be ready to roll.'
Q: On what changes when the padded practices begin on Monday
Ryans: 'Once we put the pads on, you'll see guys start to separate themselves. You have a lot of guys who can do it in shorts and helmets. I've seen that all throughout my career. As long as I've been in the NFL, guys are making highlight plays in shorts where you don't have to worry about getting hit. When you put the pads on, it's a little different story. It's real football when you're able to put the pads on and that's when the evaluation piece really starts to take place. That's how the game is played. It's a physical game. That's the way it's played in pads and that's where we'll see guys start to truly separate themselves.'
Q: On if fundamentals are still key even without pads on
Ryans: 'The fundamentals are always key. We always restart, anytime we start a new phase, whether it's our OTA training, training camp, we always start back over with the basics. You can never lose sight of the fundamentals. That's what wins you football games, when you're on the fundamentals and you're exactly where you're supposed to be. When you cannot think about the fundamentals and it's muscle memory, now that allows you to have a clear mind to go make plays.'
Q: On what he wanted to see in the first phase of Training Camp
Ryans: 'Going through this first phase, I really just wanted to see our guys just really get acclimated to the weather here in Houston. First and foremost, getting acclimated to the heat. Also being able to understand how to hydrate and take care of yourself in that manner and make it through the practices the proper way. I feel like our guys are in a really good spot. I'm just thankful to our sports performance staff. They are doing a really good job in the background of really making sure our guys are hydrated, recovered and making sure their bodies are able to withstand the elements we have to deal with here in Houston. We've had a great job of just acclimating the guys over these first four days and now we'll start to ramp it up a little bit more starting on Monday when we put the pads on.'
Q: On adding DT Sheldon Rankins back to this roster
Ryans: 'Sheldon is a very important piece because he provides a lot of leadership. He's a veteran player who's done it for a while and I really believe if you've got the right veteran player, they can really enhance the growth and really speed up the growth of some of our younger guys. So, I'm really excited to have him back, just his wealth of knowledge of playing the game for a while, being in a lot of different places and seeing it done a lot of different ways. For him to come back and add his insight to not only our defensive line room, but to our entire team is very invaluable. So, I'm excited to have him back.'
Q: On what he's seen from OT Aireontae Ersery
Ryans: 'What I've seen from 'Tae' we've moved him from right to left, trying to see how much he can handle, and I continue to see growth from him. I think he's done a really good job of being able to have a seamless transition of going left to right. He does a really good job of playing with great balance, great footwork and that allows him to be in good position. He has really long arms. It's just a matter of him trying to get as many reps as possible so the game can slow down. But, from a physical standpoint, he has the tools and what it takes to be a tackle in this league.'