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USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Texans TE Cade Stover said after Day 6 of training camp
Here's everything Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover said following Day 6 of training camp, including comments on Nick Caley's offense, plus his thoughts on Dalton Schultz, life on the farm and the offseason workout sessions away from Houston. Question: On how he approach the opportunity to compete in Training Camp Cade Stover: 'Just growing up, trying to see the game from a different lens. You played a year already now, so you know the speed of game a little bit better and just maturing in that aspect and seeing things a little bit faster.' Q: On when he started seeing improvements in his game Stover: 'It really comes down to opportunities. You get opportunities, make a couple plays, then you start to realize that, 'Hey, what you're doing is kind of paying off,' and then keep trying to find ways to enhance that.' Q: On if he can see the difference in the way tight ends can be used in Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley's offense Stover: 'Yeah, I think so. He's got a good mind. We seem to really like playing in his offense so far. He puts us in good spots, I feel like, to be successful. I'm excited to see where it goes.' Q: On if there is anything he emphasized in the offseason to get better at Stover: 'Nothing directly. There's just a lot of overarching things that come together and make one and that was really just to be consistent. I think last year was flashes of good things and flashes of bad things, and I think this year my overarching goal is just to be consistent as can be every single play.' Q: On what he did during the offseason Stover: 'I just go back to the farm, feed cows, work out, catch footballs and do it again the next day, probably.' Q: On what he loves about the farm Stover: 'There's a lot of things I love. I guess as I get older, the thing I love the most is that I can wake up and nobody tells me what to do. I can do what I want to do on the farm, how I want to do it and if it doesn't work out I've got myself to blame. So, it's just a good way to figure out, a good thing to learn, a good way to learn about life and just help yourself figure things out and just grow as a person there, I feel like.' Q: On his connection with QB C.J. Stroud developing from college until now Stover: "C.J.'s obviously a really good player. I think each practice we come out here, I see something that he's working on each day, something better from him each day, a spot that maybe yesterday it was a spot of weakness and today it's a spot of strength. So, he's grown a lot and I think he's a really great quarterback. He's going to take us to a lot of good ball games.' Q: On if there are any specific chores he does on the farm to stay in football shape Stover: 'There's a lot. I run a lot of hills on my farm. Then overall, I carry a lot of five-gallon buckets full of feed and then you're building pipe fence, you're building all kind of stuff. I always say to everybody out there, like, if I could just do that all day long, run a couple of hills in the morning and then just work, you have the most natural strength in the world, I feel like.' Q: On what it's like having TE Brevin Jordan's energy back in the building Stover: 'It's good. Brevin's a great guy. He was helpful to me last year. Having him back, it's super cool to see him get healthy and do good things.' Q: On how the different personalities of the tight end group fit together Stover: 'Yeah, we're all very different. We all get along pretty well, but I think that's why we get along is because we're all extremely different people. So, I feel like, is a strength for us, to be honest with you.' Q: On the area he feels he has improved most upon after the first few days of Training Camp Stover: 'Consistency. I think the game's slowed down for me, so it allows you to really focus in on your footwork-wise and then just your top-end routes and see things a little bit better.' Q: On if there is a competition in the tight end room to secure the starting spot Stover: 'That's not my place to answer. I don't know. I just do what I'm asked to do, and if it's… That's not me, I don't know. I think that regardless of whoever it is, it's just got to be your most consistent, dependable guy. Whoever it is, then awesome.'
USA Today
3 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
WATCH: Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. pulverizes tackling dummy at practice
Will Anderson Jr. is a bad, bad, BAD man. Will Anderson Jr. is looking scary for the Houston Texans as he prepares for a contract year. That's a good thing for DeMeco Ryans' defense and a nightmare for everyone else in the NFL/ During Tuesday's open practice, Anderson was seen working drills in front of fans, where he dismantled the dummy and nearly decapitated the stunt machine during position drills. Here's a look at the clip below of the defensive line working drills. Anderson, who last season nearly doubled his sack total from his Defensive Rookie of the Year season, is poised to eventually become one of the highest-paid defensive ends this time next season. While still building off his Pro Bowl season of 2024, Ryans has remained impressed by Anderson's consistency and growth as he enters Year 3. 'Will has done a really good job of taking his game to the next level when it comes to his pass rush. I haven't seen a person that's more dialed in when it comes to what moves he's trying to execute and not pre-determining moves but truly playing instinctive, playing off of what set the offensive line is giving him, whether he needs to play speed to power, whether he needs to be a little more finesse, working the edge, working the inside," Ryans said Tuesday. "He's just doing a really great job of really developing that pass rush repertoire. "I have to keep him away from my quarterback because he's getting a little too close. But, he's doing a great job.' The Texans return to training camp in front of fans on Wednesday morning before the off day on Thursday.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Hard-hitting safety Justin Reid reflects on Saints' first padded practice of training camp
Two-time Super Bowl champ brings invaluable experience and leadership to the secondary With the abrupt retirement of Louisiana legend Tyrann Mathieu, questions quickly surfaced about who would step up as the vocal leader in the defensive backs room. Losing such a foundational presence left a void -- but it didn't take long for eyes to turn toward newly-acquired safety Justin Reid. Mathieu's former teammate on the Houston Texans, and a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency. And with Mathieu retiring from pro football, Reid is now the elder statesman in the secondary. Another Louisiana native, Reid is not only known for his play on the field but also for his strong leadership and poise on the backend. In a recent tweet after the first padded practice session of training camp, he gave fans a glimpse into his mindset, expressing his deep passion for the game and what he truly loves about football. With a young group surrounding him in the secondary, Justin Reid now steps in as the seasoned veteran of the defensive back room. A two-time Super Bowl champion with several years of high-level play under his belt, Reid brings invaluable experience and leadership to the unit -- serving as both a steady presence on the field and a trusted resource off of it.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Analyst ranks Texans young core among the best in the NFL
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans have done an exceptional job building a young core for their roster to make them a threat for years to come. Despite three straight losing seasons and nine combined wins with three different coaches, the crop of talent that currently calls Houston has been a blessing toward back-to-back AFC South division titles. Players like quarterback C.J. Stroud, receiver Nico Collins, edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., defensive back Jalen Pitre, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., receiver Tank Dell, cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock are the cornerstones of the team, as well as other depth pieces who could emerge in the coming years. Even more name like Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Cade Stover could become pieces that look promising and take Houston over the top and out of the "darkhorse" conversation. SB Nation's Joseph Acosta ranked the top six young cores in the NFL heading into 2025 and put the Rams at No. 5, just ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and below the Los Angeles Rams. "You can make a legitimate argument for the Texans being higher because they hit on the QB, but slotting them here feels like a good stopping point," Acosta wrote. "Stroud is great, a throwback signal caller who throws with touch and precision. Anderson Jr. is one of the focal points of the Texans' defensive front and is due for another big campaign in 2025, and Lassiter came on extremely strong to end his rookie season. Outside of that, the young core of this team has a lot of question marks. If WR Tank Dell can come back healthy and Houston gets some production from their youth on the offensive line, they could end up much higher." Houston's lack of young offensive line depth is the most concerning part for Acosta. This group is legitimately missing a ton of options for the long haul after the trade of five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, though rookie Tay Ersery is looking the part of a promising option during the early stages of training camp. The final missing piece for the Rams' young core at defensive tackle. Right now, the Texans are rotating multiple linemen on one-year deals, but they have upside to hold down the fort for the impending season, but for the long-term, Houston should look to invest in a younger option via the draft in 2026. Having the quarterback is always a great starting point. With four members of the secondary locked up, a bona fide top 10 pass-catcher, plus a premier pass-rusher who wants to remain in Houston long-term, the key positions are filled. The rest of the roster is mostly filled out with veterans, which is a big reason why the Texans remain a true contender in the AFC once more.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
41 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No.41?
The Houston Texans are less than 50 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we're counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast. Texans Wire will daily inform you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and select the player who best represented the number during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has worn No. 41 since the inaugural season in 2002. Texans players to wear No. 41 No. 41 currently belongs to veteran cornerback Damon Arnette. Selected 19th overall by Las Vegas in 2020 out of Ohio State, Arnette, 28, was released by the Raiders less than two years later after a video surfaced of the former Buckeyes standout brandishing firearms and making death threats. Although Arnette had a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins on a practice squad that year, he never returned to an active roster on Sunday. In 13 games, Arnette recorded 29 tackles, one tackle for loss and three pass deflections. He signed with the Chiefs in 2022 but was cut nine days later after he was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and other gun charges. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said following the retirement of Ronald Darby that the team would look at multiple options and apparently, Arnette is one of them. Last season, while playing for the Roughnecks in the United Football League, Arnette racked up 18 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception. Best Player: Zach Cunningham Although his time was cut short due to a change in the program's direction, Cunningham became a staple of the Texans' front seven and a reliable tackler who took over games as a run-stopper. The Vanderbilt product eventually surpassed Brian Cushing as the new leader at the second level and a solid running mate to Bernardrick McKinney during Houston's peak in the Bill O'Brien era. A second-round pick, Cunningham quickly proved to be the right fit for a 3-4 unit in both coverage and against the run. He posted three 100-tackle seasons, including an NFL-leading 164 stops in 2020 as the lone bright spot at linebacker amid a 4-12 finish. The Texans believed Cunningham's best years were ahead of him, which is why they inked him to a four-year, $58 million contract extension with $23.5 million guaranteed ahead of the 2020 season. After that, things went downhill due to injury and personnel changes. In his final season, Cunningham only totaled 67 tackles before being waived in December. Since his departure, he's bounced around the league, playing for Tennessee, Philadelphia, Denver and now Detroit on one-year contracts. Still, Cunningham's impact in the late 2010s, plus his three triple-digit tackle seasons, warrants a spot on the list as the G.O.A.T. of No. 41.
