Texans players to watch: DT Earl Mitchell

When Wade Phillips was brought in as the Texans DC one of the biggest questions was who'd play NT in his 3-4 defensive scheme. With veteran Shaun Cody already on the team the Texans used what they had for the past couple seasons. But back in the 2010 draft the Texans drafted who they the player they saw plugging up the middle in that defense for years to come. That player was DT Earl Mitchell from the University of Arizona. Mitchell is now primed and ready to step in and make plays now with Shaun Cody no longer with the Texans.

Mitchell has spent the last 2 seasons 2nd on the depth chart. He used the time wisely though getting himself physically and mentally ready to step in and make a difference for this defense. In limited time Mitchell's shown he can be a difference maker. He's shown the ability to get to the QB as well as the smarts to get his hands up and swat passes like teammate and DPOY JJ Watt. If Mitchell can stay healthy he could have a very productive year with the Texans defensive unit.

Texans players to watch: OLB Whitney Mercilus

Going into this 2013 NFL football season the Houston Texans are a team some are saying have a chance to make a run at a championship. A lot of this is hinged on the Texans young players stepping up and filling big voids. One of those voids is the Texans lack of a pass rushing presence on the off the edge. In 2011 OLB Connor Barwin led the team with 11.5 sacks. But in 2012 the Texans didn't have a OLB register more than 6.5 sacks. Defensive Player of The Year JJ Watt had 20.5 sacks from the DE position to lead the Texans. The Texans are hoping their 2012 1st round pick Whitney Mercilus will fill that void this year.

Whitney Mercilus has the physical skills to be a great pass rusher but needs time and work on the field. Last year as a rookie Mercilus only saw limited time up until OLB Brooks Reed got injured in the Thanksgiving day game against the Lions. In the limited amount of time he did get last season he got 6 sacks, that led all Texans OLB's. Mercilus came into camp this season noticeably bigger, and ready to be a force outside. Mercilus was drafted 27th by the Texans in 2012. Coming out of Illinois Mercilus led the nation with 16 sacks as a junior playing DE. In my opinion Mercilus should have a big year. Team's will double team JJ Watt a lot, and this should make his job much easier. The other plus about Mercilus is that in nickel situations he's going to flourish. Both Mercilus and OLB Brooks Reed were DE's in college, and are both great rushing the passer from the 3 point stance.

Mercilus Stat Predictions: 49 tackles, 11 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 4 passes defensed.

Darryl Sharpton finally healthy for Texans

In the 2010 draft the Houston Texans drafted Darryl Sharpton, a MLB out of the University of Miami. In the 3 years Sharpton's been a Texan he's never had an injury free season. The Texans and Sharpton are hoping this is the year that he can stay healthy and be a key contributor on the field for this team. While playing at Miami Sharpton was a great player, he led the Hurricanes in tackles his senior year and was named to the ACC all defensive team. If Sharpton can return to that form he'll be a big difference maker beside Brian Cushing in the middle of the Texans defense.

If he can stay healthy Sharpton will give the Texans options at ILB. With Tim Dobbins, rookie JaGared Davis, Cameron Collins, and Mike Mohamed all competing for time behind Sharpton they should be much younger and deeper at the position this season.

Texans OTA's: 5 Things To Watch

Today the Houston Texans opened up their organized team activities, or better known as OTA's. The Texans finished their best season as a franchise record wise with a bitter taste in their mouths, after losing to the New England Patriots in just the second round of the playoffs. The Texans look to learn from the mistakes they made late in the season last year.  The goal of this team is simple, bring a Lombardi Trophy to the city of Houston. With OTA's starting today the Texans are now taking their first steps toward this team goal. Here's 5 things to watch for at the Texans first week of OTA's of the 2013-2014 season.

1. Starting LB Play: The Texans finished last year with a patchwork LB unit. After Brian Cushing, Brooks Reed, and Darryl Sharpton all got injured, and nine of them finished the season or played in the playoffs. The Texans were forced to sign veteran ILB Barrett Rudd to fill in and finish the season. Now after the draft the Texans have quite a group of young LB's. Both Sam Montgomery and Trevardo Williams are players that could make plays now. Put them along with an already young and athletic OLB core of Whitney Mercilus and Brooks Reed and the Texans have plenty at the OLB position. At ILB both Brian Cushing and Darryl Sharpton are looking to get back to 100% and ready for the season. After not being cleared last week by doctors ILB Darryl Sharpton was at the Texans workouts today. And from what I heard he looked to be healthy. That's great news for the Texans, who also signed a couple undrafted free agents at the ILB spot. With Tim Dobbins resigned, the Texans will still have 1 spot open at ILB. Undrafted free agent JaGared Davis is a player I think could take that last spot.

2. Deep O-Line: Last season 3 Texans offensive lineman made the Pro Bowl. C Chris Meyers, LT Duane Brown, and LG Wade Smith all deserved their spots in Hawaii this past season. But even with that many O lineman  making the Pro Bowl the Texans felt they had to get better up front this off season. They were able to get Ryan Harris resigned after he showed he could handle playing either T or G for the Texans. They also drafted 2 O lineman, and both Brennan Williams and David Quessenberry should make the team. Adding the 2 quality players to an already very good unit. The Texans should be able to rotate players when tired and in different situations. Gary Kubiak loves having the flexibility to do that with his offense.

3. Watching a young secondary mature: Well in the offseason the Texans signed future hall of famer Ed Reed. At 35 Reed will obviously be the oldest player in the secondary for the Texans. Fellow S Daniel Manning is the next oldest at 31. Other than them 2 the Texans don't have a CB or S on the roster in their 30's yet. Players like Kareem Jackson, Brandon Harris, and Brice McCain are all young and all  played really well when needed last year. The Texans also drafted DJ Swearinger, a S from South Carolina. He's supposed to learn from Ed Reed and eventually take his job when Reed retires. The Texans are hoping that they can count on these young players early and often this year. In a pass happy league having plenty of DB's that can cover is a necessity.

4. DeAndre Hopkins: With their 1st round pick the Texans picked explosive WR DeAndre Hopkins out of Clemson. Hopkins was drafted to make plays, and since he's arrived he's done nothing but impress. The Texans have wanted another athletic threat outside to compliment Andre Johnson and they believe they got it with this kid. Andre Johnson will be a mentor to Hopkins and will try to teach him the tricks of the trade at WR. Many people said the Texans lacked a deep threat that had the ability to stretch the field. The team's hoping that Hopkins not only stretches the field, but that he can help get them over the hump in the AFC.

5. Earl Mitchell gets his chance: When Wade Phillips was hired as the Texans DC 2 years ago the biggest question was who'd play the NT in his 3-4 scheme. That year the Texans drafted Earl Mitchell, a DT from Arizona. Mitchell hasn't gotten a real shot at consistent snaps because the Texans had Shaun Cody manning the middle of their D line. Now with Cody gone Mitchell will get his chance to prove he can make plays. Mitchell was mostly used in pass rushing situations when he has been on the field the last couple seasons. He wasn't big enough to make plays against the run game. But he's added some weight and is now big enough to help the Texans in both the pass rush and run defense. Along with Mitchell the Texans have Terrell Mclain who was signed to the team late in the season last year. Both Mclain and Mitchell have shots at the starting job, but I'm thinking Mitchell gets the start. He's one of Wade Phillips guys, I think his ability to be disruptive in the pass game will help them immediately on field.

Texans Brooks Reed back at 100%

Last season the Texans defense was hampered down with a lot of injuries late in the year. Brian Cushing missed time, along with players like CB Jonathan Joseph and OLB Brooks Reed. Reed had a groin injury in the Thanksgiving day game against the Lions. It now sounds like Reed's finally back to his normal self after missing the remainder of the season over the injury. The Texans OLB said in an interview with Comcast SportsNet Houston's Dave Zangaro that he's now "100 percent" following a surgery on his injured groin in January.

Reed got his shot at the starting job playing OLB for the Texans 2 seasons ago after Mario Williams tore his pectoral muscle, ending his year. Reed accumulated 6 sacks to finish the 2011 season as Super Mario's replacement. Since then he's become an important piece to this Texans defense amply named the Bulls On Parade. Reed had only 2.5 sacks last year but was a monster in the Texans run defense. When Reeed went down the Texans were 12-4 last season. Without Reed they were just 2-2.

Texans Draft Breakdown: David Quessenberry

The Houston Texans had a very good offensive line last season. Head coach Gary Kubiak was able to rotate most of his interior lineman in an out of games as they got tired. But the Texans were a bit short handed at the T position still last season. While Derek Newton and Wade Smith were both very effective the Texans felt they needed to get another big body to add to the their already strong group of O lineman. Enter San Jose State's David Quessenberry, a 6'6 295lb T that the Texans hope will become a solid player and maybe their future RT.

Quessenberry will come into Texans camp as the 3rd LT in the Texans depth chart. That'll put him firmly behind both Duane Brown and Ryan Harris and battling Nick Mondeck, a T that was signed to the Texans practice squad last season but made the teams roster. The biggest knock on Quessenberry is his size. He'll need to gain some muscle weight to be able to play T at the Pro level. But the Texans are hoping with 2 players ahead of him on the depth chart he'll have time to learn, and put on some more weight. If Quessenberry gets time to mature the Texans are hoping he'll be the anchor on the right side of their line I a year or 2 opposite All Pro LT Duane Brown.

Texans Draft Breakdown: Trevardo Williams

After picking Sam Montgomery in the draft the Texans didn't hesitate to grab yet another OLB. Trevardo Williams from UConn will be converted from a DE to an OLB. Unlike Montgomery Williams was drafted strictly because of his pass rushing ability. Williams played all four years at UConn and had quite a productive career. Williams split time his first 2 years as a freshmen and a sophomore, only recording 6.5 sacks total in both seasons. But as soon as he got a chance at starting he never looked back. He had 12.5 sacks as a junior and 11.5 as a senior. Period point blank this kid is extremely quick off the edge and gets low when turning the corner on his way to opposing QB's. Williams should be a solid back up to last year's first round selection Whitney Mercilus. Both are great pass rushers.

The Texans lost OLB Connor Barwin to the Eagles in free agency and are now attempting to stay young and productive at the OLB spot. When Whitney Mercilus was selected last season I figured Barwin wouldn't be resigned. Drafting Williams was a move made simply to have another explosive pass rusher. At 6'2 and 235lbs Williams isn't quite prototypical size for the position yet. But the Texans know what he lacks in size he makes up for with smarts and pretty good pass rushing moves. Having really long arms is another plus for Williams, he'll be able to reach out and strip a lot of QB's. Williams may have a big impact this year, as Wade Phillips likes to rotate guys in and out to keep then fresh. Or if any unforseen injuries pop up at the weak side OLB spot. But regardless of size I believe if Williams gets significant time on the field this season he'll make plenty of plays for the Texans.

Texans Draft Breakdown: Sam Montgomery

With their second 3rd round selection they went defense. Knowing that moving OLB Brooks Reed to ILB was a real option the Texans took a player that was built to come in and replace him immediately with the right coaching. When they drafted Sam Montgomery a DE from LSU I knew immediately that he'd be a player the Texans would use right away. At 6'5 and 260lbs Montgomery has the size to play the weak side LB spot in Wade Phillips defense down in Houston.

In the Phillips 3-4 defense the weak side LB usually the one rushing the QB. While the strong side LB is usually responsible for the backend of the defense whether it's stopping the run or in coverage. Montgomery will have to work on his coverage, but his ability to see and stop run plays in the backfield is one of his strengths. At LSU Montgomery recorded 13.5 tackles for loss in 2011 and another 13 in 2012. He was extremely disruptive in the run game for LSU last year. Montgomery was also extremely good at identifying where the ball was against against the option last year. With the evolution of the option and pistol offenses in the NFL that skill will start to be something that's coveted among defensive players.

Texans Draft Breakdown: Brennan Williams

Going into the draft a priority for the Texans was getting younger and better on the O line. Picking Brennan Williams out of UNC will definitely help them do both of those things. Williams came from a team that ran a pro style offense during his whole time with the Heels. The transition from what he did in college to the Texans zone scheme shouldn't be too hard for the 6'7 300 plus lb tackle. O line coach John Benton said this about Williams after rookie mini camp. “He’s a big man; he’s got long arms, two big things that you look for. He’s really a pretty good athlete from that standpoint, but I really liked his play-style. I thought he fit what we did. He’s aggressive."

Williams is expected to compete for the starting job with veteran Derek Newton and Ryan Harris. Harris is coming off a knee surgery so he may not be 100%  when the season starts. But if he isn't the Texans are comfortable with Williams having to contribute early as a rookie. Benton said this about the Texans situation at RT: “We’ve got kind of an up-in-the-air situation with Derek Newton being injured,” Benton said. “We’re not quite sure when he’ll be able to come back. Ryan Harris probably figures into the mix a little bit. We’ll put Brennan in there right off the bat and compete, and we can only get better through that competition.”

Texans Draft Breakdown: DJ Swearinger

With their 57th pick the Houston Texans drafted South Carolina S DJ Swearinger. Swearinger will be the heir to Ed Reed and is the same type of player in many ways. Swearinger is a hard hitter known for being penalized for some of the hits he's laid on offensive players in college. He has the ability to make WR's think twice about going over the middle of the field. In his highlights from South Carolina he plays like a missle. He should bring a toughness to this Texans defense, and with the departure of S Glover Quin he'll be able to step on the field in a lot of situations early.

Wade Phillips likes to use safeties to cover TE's one on one while pressuring the QB.  Swearinger's coverage ability is probably the most underrated part of his game. He can cover WR's in the slot as well as on the outside if needed. This is already evident to the other rookies that participated and saw his pick 6 INT during the Texans 3 day rookie mini camp. Texans DC Wade Phillips had this to say about his instincts after that practice: "He’s very instinctive. He’s just learning the defense like everybody else, but he seems to catch on quickly, and he made an interception today where he was playing in another area but made the play. He’s a naturally good player that needs to keep developing, but we like him.”

Texans ILB Sharpton still not healthy

Houston Texans ILB Darryl Sharpton has yet to be cleared by doctor's to participate in the teams OTA's. Sharpton was a favorite of the whole Texans staff,  and if healthy was to line up next to Brian Cushing this season as a starter. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said this week that Sharpton had yet to be cleared to be on field for any team activities. Sharpton has had a problem with staying healthy since joining the Texans 2 years ago. After Cushing went down last year Sharpton stepped in briefly before getting hurt. Sharpton being injured could open up opportunities for a rookie to step in and contribute immediately. 

One name off top... JaGared Davis.  Davis was signed after the draft as an undrafted free agent. Playing at SMU Davis was a monster to opposing offenses. He had a knack for finding his way to the ball. He played OLB in college but has the tools to be a good ILB in Wade Phillips defensive system. He's very instinctive and once he recognises where the ball is, he makes plays. If not Davis getting the job at ILB, Brooks Reed switching to ILB is something the staff talked about already.