It was a somber scene when Texans linebacker Jake Hansen went down with a foot injury and pounded the ground in frustration.
Teammates gathered around Hansen, a contender for the third linebacker job vacated by E.J. Speed when he suffered a season-ending torn quadriceps tendon, before he was carted off the field. He wasn't able to put weight on his foot.
The initial prognosis isn't as dire as it looked, though. There's optimism that Hansen avoided a significant injury. He will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time.
The Texans continue to evaluate the foot injury and might bring in some linebacker depth after Hansen got hurt and Jake Hummel didn't practice Thursday.
"Jake Hansen went down, it seems to be a foot injury," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "We don't know the extent of it, it just happened. We'll evaluate him and see how he progresses towards getting back healthy.”
Among the other top candidates for the third linebacker job: Marte Mapu, Jamal Hill, Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher.
"I try and be the best version of myself every single day," Hansen said during an interview before training camp. "I hope that's just be the starter every single year. I prepare to be the starter. I think if you go in with that mentality, good things come out regardless of the results. It's important to be more process-oriented as opposed to result-oriented.
"It's a hard league to play in. The moment, you feel like 'I'm good and I'm going to make the team,' is the moment you get cut. You have to prove yourself and show that you're an impactful player in the league every single year. That's the mentality I take."
Flash forward five years later and Hansen is still around as a vital part of the Texans’ highly-rated special teams units and as a reliable backup linebacker. He signed a one-year, $3 million maximum value contract through the 2026 season that includes a $750,000 signing bonus.
The fact that the organization has invested in him is emotionally significant to Hansen
"I'm hoping to continue to prove that they made a good investment in me and hopefully can continue to be a Texan in the future," Hansen said. "I love every part of this organization. It’s a great feeling. Just kind of basically you’re appreciating the work I put in. I’ve kept my head down for a few years and I believe I’ve earned it. So, it’s great to be rewarded for hard work.
“It takes a lot of self-belief. Just being undrafted, I think you have to have a play with a little bit extra chip on your shoulder. It just takes a lot of self-belief. When other people may not believe you coming into the process, but continuing to believe in yourself and not listen to other opinions is really important.”
Texans hold workout
The Texans auditioned former Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins running back Alex Mattison, former Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers running back Hassan Haskins, former Denver Broncos and New York Giants and DC Defenders wide receiver Montrell Washington and former San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Evan Anderson.
None of the players were immediately signed to a contract, per a league source. The Texans could opt to bring in linebackers instead after Hansen's foot injury.
Reed Blankenship off to fast start
It's apparent that new Texans safety Reed Blankenship is already a strong fit for the top-ranked defense.
Since the Texans signed the former Philadelphia Eagles team captain and Super Bowl standout to a three-year, $24.75 million contract includes $16.5 million guaranteed, Blankenship is already fitting in nicely into arguably the top secondary in the NFL along with the locker room dynamic.
Adding a rangy, instinctive safety to an elite defense gives the Texans a chess piece they were missing last season opposite Pro Bowl alternate safety Calen Bullock.
A year ago, the Texans released former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson after friction behind the scenes disrupted team chemistry and not playing within the scheme of the defense led to multiple coverage breakdowns, according to league sources. The Texans turned to M.J. Stewart before he tore his quadriceps tendon, ending his season. Then, they leaned on rookie Jaylen Reed before injuries interrupted his season. Myles Bryant struggled in single coverage playing out of position and he wasn’t retained as a free agent.
Enter Blankenship to bolster the position.
“He’s a great dude, great football player," Texans nickel Jalen Pitre said. "He's been doing it at a high level since he's been in the league. We're happy to add him and he's going to do nothing but elevate the room. He's obviously won a Super Bowl, so he knows what it takes to get there. I think that that's really going to help us because we're all trying to get there as well. I’m really happy that Reed is in our room and just looking forward to the production that he's going to have this season.”
Blankenship, 27, is a large safety at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds.
Blankenship, who has run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds with a 33 1/2 inch vertical leap and benched 15 reps of 225 pounds, has started 50 of 56 career games played. He has defensed 23 passes with three fumble recoveries along with 308 tackles, three for losses.
“He’s a versatile safety that can play in the back or at the line of scrimmage," Pitre said. "He’s going to make tackles for loss, a hard hitter. He can really do it all, whatever the coaches ask of him. Our coaches are going to give him a set thing that he's going to do and he's going to own it like a pro, like he has in these last four years. Like I said, winning a Super Bowl and being a key contributor for that defense.”
Punters putting best foot forward
The punting competition between rookie Jack Stonehouse and Kai Kroeger is afoot.
The battle will largely be determined by preseason game performances, but practice counts heavily, too.
Stonehouse, an undrafted rookie from Syracuse is regarded as having a stronger leg with superior hang time.
Kroeger, the New Orleans Saints punter last season, is considered to have a smoother operation and has more NFL experience
“Our punting competition is hot and heavy right now," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Both Kai and Stonehouse have both had really good springs. Coming out, seeing both guys today, they're picking up right where they left off. It's going to be a really tight competition. What you look for at that spot, you're looking for consistency.
"That's what both guys are working towards, getting a consistency on ball placement. We’re seeing how both guys compete out here in practice and also we have the evaluation of the preseason games. We'll go through that and see which way we'll go and which guy will win. Both guys have done an outstanding job so far.”
Photo: Jack Gorman / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
An improved Woody Marks
As a rookie, running back Woody Marks emerged as a starter for a playoff squad, replacing former Pro Bowl runner Nick Chubb as the primary centerpiece of an up-and-down running game.
Patience was a watchword for Marks, who didn’t earn the starting job over Chubb until the ninth game of the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That marked the first game of an 10-game winning streak that was snapped in the AFC divisional round against the New England Patriots.
Marks led the team with 703 rushing yards with two touchdown runs and caught 24 passes for 208 yards and three scores.
Now, Marks is adapting smoothly to a complementary role behind featured veteran running back David Montgomery after an offseason trade for the former Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears starter.
“Woody is that Year Two player where I see the jump happening," Ryans said. "I saw it in the spring and I’m seeing it now in training camp. Woody has put the work in and he looks more confident. He looks more relaxed being in his second year, he’s confident in what he’s doing. I see a guy that is playing faster, making great decisions and I see a guy that is going to thrive and make some big plays for us.”
The Texans still envision a solid workload for Marks that includes third-down pass-catching duties and carries along with a new role on kickoff returns.
“I think the key for Woody is understanding his role, which he does,” running backs coach and assistant head coach Danny Barrett said. “He’s going to get lots of opportunities. Last year we brought him along slower, which was good to help him kind of learn the game. And once he learned the game, he played a lot faster. And you can see him now playing even faster.
“So, his role is going to pick up some third downs, special teams.He’s a kickoff return guy. But, more importantly, probably in the passing game as well. Just his level of confidence in the offense going into Year Two is at an all-time high right now. We’ve got to keep it there.
A fourth-round draft pick from USC last year, Marks rushed for a season-high 112 yards and a touchdown in an AFC playoff wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was held to 17 yards on 14 carries and lost a crucial fumble in the loss to the Patriot as the Texans’ running game was stonewalled with just 48 yards on the ground.
Marks’ adjustment to the NFL was relatively smooth overall, though.
And he’s liking his projected role for his second NFL season in the Nick Caley system.
Marks was a prolific pass-catching presence at USC and at Mississippi State before transferring.
“Nick Caley is doing a great job right now,” Marks said. “Got me doing all types of routes, learning the route tree. Just get outside and just using me as he can so I can be productive.”
NOTES: The passing connection and chemistry between second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins and quarterback C.J. Stroud is improving. Stroud found Higgins regularly Thursday. Higgins, a second-round pick last year from Iowa State, caught six touchdowns as a rookie. ... David Montgomery was a factor catching passes out of the backfield. ...
Alijah Huzzie intercepted backup quarterback Davis Mills on a pass intended for wide receiver Josh Kelly. And the second-year cornerback from North Carolina returned it for a pick-six touchdown. That marked one of the biggest plays of the day. ... Ryans was bothered by sloppy play on offense. That included a botched snap exchange between Stroud and rookie center Kaylen Rutledge, who's competing with Jake Andrews for the starting job. “The one thing that stood out to me is we had some poor pre-snap penalties," Ryans said. "We went backwards offensively. Those are some things that stood out where we can clean those things up. Defensively, we got to finish on a football better. We had a couple opportunities to take the football away and we didn’t. On both sides we have things we can clean up on." ... Ryans praised offensive line coach and run game coordinator Cole Popovich. A former New England Patriots assistant, Popovich coached an offensive line that did a better job of protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud last season. He was sacked a career-low 23 times. "Cole Popovich has done a really good job when it comes to teaching," Ryans said. "I think he has a unique style of teaching and getting it across to his guys. When you see their drill work, it's the consistency at which he operates. It's the same message over and over again. It's the little precise details on foot placement. All of those little fine details that most of us have no idea about when we talk about offensive line play. We just see a guy get beat and we want to criticize him, but it's those little fine details that allow you to be a really great offensive lineman. It can get boring, it can get monotonous, but as soon as you're not on those small details that Coach Cole is teaching, that's when you give up a big play." ... It's obvious that Texans rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald plays with a lot of strength and power. He's also in better shape than the spring and he has been impressive in drills. "Kayden has really shown how strong he is," Ryans said. "He's probably one of the stronger guys that we have. When you see him doing drills, he's knocking the coaches back a lot. Coaches are trying to hold bags and be tough guys, but Kayden is doing a great job of showing the strength that he has. Now it’s, ‘Can he pull it all in and consistently play with the proper hand placement, the proper footwork every single rep?’” ... From a chemistry and blocking standpoint, the Texans are happy they signed veteran tight end Foster Moreau. He has been the primary backup to starter Dalton Schultz. Moreau has previous stints with the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders. "Foster has done a great job in his career playing on the line of scrimmage," Ryans said. "When it comes to blocking, he's a tough player. I saw that in his tape in New Orleans. also back when he played with the Raiders, he brings that. Foster brings something you just can't coach. He has a very fun personality, I really enjoy being around him. I talk about bringing joy every day, enjoying the day no matter the circumstance. Foster brings that type of joy. He always has a smile on his face, always working hard, but he knows how to keep it light as well. That's needed when you go through a grueling camp as we go through. We need that joy from Foster and he brings it every day.” ... Wide receiver Tank Dell remains out of practice by design as he works his way back from a devastating knee injury sustained two years ago. "Tank is out here and he's working," Ryans said. "He's very eager, I would say. He's eager to get back out there. It's not from Tank, it's me. I'm holding Tank back a little bit to make sure when he's ready to go, he's able to stay out there.” ... Tight end Brevin Jordan has been impressive as he has made a full recovery from a torn patellar tendon last season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament two years ago. He caught a touchdown pass from Mills on Thursday. ... Jaylin Noel is working out on the side while remaining on the non-football injury list with a finger injury. The Texans have had Justin Watson and Xavier Hutchinson filling in at Noel's slot receiver position.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790. He also has a YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AaronWilsonSport