Takeaways from the Texans’ first padded practice Friday at Houston Methodist Training Center:
Jordan Thomas is star of the day
Third-year tight end Jordan Thomas, who had only one reception last season, made catches all over the field inside the practice bubble. Bill O’Brien had Thomas interviewed during Zoom interviews, and the tight end lived up to the praise of his coach.
Thomas caught passes on the sideline and over midfield from quarterback AJ McCarron, who makes Deshaun Watson. By
6-5, 277, Thomas was a charge for the linebackers and defensive backs who struggled to keep up or hit the ball away.
“Jordan came back in great shape,” O’Brien said. ‘He really lost a lot of weight, is (is) running well, caught the ball, blocked, so he has to keep going. He has great hands. He can run routes. He came in really well in and out of his lap. ‘
David Johnson stands out with new teammates
Back running David Johnson, acquired in the trade with Arizona for receiver DeAndre Hopkins, looked in great shape and excelled in the running game. Johnson, who played in his sixth season, showed good vision, made neat cuts and was explosive through the holes.
“Johnson has been a great addition to this team,” said Bill O’Brien. ‘He’s back in great shape. He (also) had (Thursday) an excellent day. It looked like he was doing some good things today.
‘He has a good vision, good feet in the hole, especially for a boy of his size, a big boy. He can run the ball downhill. He can run it to the edge, and he’s really good in the passing game. ”
Justin Reid in top form
This could be the first season in which safety Justin Reid makes the Pro Bowl. Reid and cornerback Bradley Roby are the Texans’ best defensive backs. Reid, who plays deep, has a lot of range and hits hard. He saw in the first day in midseasons form in pads.
After the season, Reid underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. It was an injury that hampered him last season but did not keep him out of games. Reid worked hard in the offseason and through the first three weeks of camp. He was impressive on the practice field playing with new safety Eric Murray.
Rookies Ross Blacklock and Jonathan Greenard make an impression
The Texans’ first two meetings, defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and outfielder Jonathan Greenard, did not look lost Friday. After spending the offseason in the virtual program, both looked good at times. They are expected to boost a passrush that was weak last season. They have taken advantage of many passes since camp began in late July.
“Blacklock seems to be picking it up,” Bill O’Brien said. “Greenard had some good plays today. (Rookie cornerback) John Reid is a smart boy. He looked good. ”
Reid is a fourth-round pick that leaves his coaches and teammates impressed.
“Some of them (rookies), it’s the speed of the game, how hard it moves, plus all the missions you need to know, how important special teams are,” O’Brien said. “Some of them work hard, but they’re a little behind.”
Lonnie Johnson a key to secondary
The last time fans saw cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr., he was burned by Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce in the Texans’ playoff loss to the Chiefs. Without security, Tashaun Gipson sr and Jahleel Addae, who were both injured, left the Texans with no one to cover Kelce.
Johnson, a second-round pick last year, did not look like a rookie on Friday. He went through a gruesome offseasons program to get back in the best possible shape. He is a cornerback who looks like a safety at 6-2, 213.
If Johnson can play both positions, expect him to be more on the field and have a chance to make more plays. The secondary needs Johnson to make a substantial contribution in his second season to make the kind of improvement the defense needs.