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Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud\u2019s supporting cast this season includes new running back David Montgomery (32) and a revamped offensive line.<\/p>\n
Brett Coomer\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Training camp began just a week ago for the Houston Texans<\/a>, but it feels like so much has happened in that time.\u00a0<\/p>\n From Jadeveon Clowney\u2019s signing<\/a>, to six training camp practices and much more, it\u2019s been a whirlwind.<\/p>\n You guys asked a ton of questions this week. I can answer but so much. So if I didn\u2019t answer your question, please let me know and I\u2019ll prioritize you in the next mailbag.\u00a0To ask a question, message me on X<\/a>, send me an email at jonathan.alexander@houstonchronicle.com<\/a> or use the form below.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get to your questions, which may be edited for brevity and\/or clarity:\u00a0<\/p>\n Q: Do you foresee WR Lewis Bond further separating himself from the pack in pursuit of securing WR4-WR6 anytime soon? Or is it a matter of overhyping training camp highlights?<\/p>\n Q: Do you believe that Jawhar Jordan is on his way to solidifying his place as the RB3 (at worst) of this team?\u00a0\u2014 Clayton Anderson<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: We should be mindful we\u2019re in the early stages of training camp with only two padded practices. Bond has made several nice catches, but he is behind several receivers I wouldn\u2019t expect him to pass this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to imagine he\u2019d be higher than wide receiver No. 6 by the end of camp.\u00a0<\/p>\n We\u2019re talking about established receivers in Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell\u00a0\u2014 all of whom are expected to have significant roles on this team.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bond is currently either wide receiver No. 6 or 7, depending on what the coaching staff is prioritizing when it comes to him and Justin Watson. Watson is a key special-teams player.\u00a0<\/p>\n As for Jordan, he is clearly the No. 3 running back. His experience with the Texans, having started two games, certainly helps him. But he\u2019s actually excelled during this training camp against the second-team defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s easily been one of the standouts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Q: What do you think the backfield split will look like this season if both David Montgomery and Woody Marks are healthy all year?\u00a0\u2014 Fantasy Tags<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: David Montgomery is expected to be the starter while Woody Marks will spell him. That doesn\u2019t mean Montgomery will get all the carries, or most of them every week.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019d expect the Texans to feed the hot hand, or whomever is having success that week. The two running backs have different skill sets, so the Texans can use them in different ways depending on the situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n For instance, Montgomery has a knack for the end zone. I\u2019d expect he\u2019d be in on goal-line situations. And Marks has some explosion to his game, with an ability to catch passes out of the backfield. So I wouldn\u2019t put a number on their touches because it\u2019ll be game-dependent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Q: Based on how this offense is looking, how would you like us to attack the Bills in Week 1? What are our favorable matchups?\u00a0\u2014 Jim Hughes<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: I don\u2019t have an opinion on how I\u2019d like the Texans to attack the Bills.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I think they\u2019ll do, though, is use the run to open up things in the passing game, as opposed to the opposite.\u00a0<\/p>\n DeMeco Ryans was open early in camp that the Texans have the ability to run 12 and 13 personnel this season, meaning they\u2019ll have a lot of two- and three-tight end sets, giving them the ability to better disguise what they want to do. That wasn\u2019t the case when they ran their jumbo package.\u00a0<\/p>\n But their offense will be largely geared toward establishing the run, which could play in their favor against Buffalo, as they want to give as few chances to Josh Allen as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n I\u2019m not as familiar with the Bills\u2019 defense this season, but I do know they were No. 1 against the pass in 2025, but were among the bottom teams in the league at stopping the run.<\/p>\n Tank Dell has mostly worked off to the side during the early days of training camp as he works his way back from a severe knee injury suffered late in the 2024 season.<\/p>\n Brett Coomer\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n Q: Will Tank Dell start when healthy? And how much run will he get? Will they move him full time to slot?\u00a0\u2014KO<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: I understand where this is coming from, but it\u2019s genuinely impossible to answer this question without seeing him practice in full.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I will say is it\u2019s hard to imagine he\u2019ll start the season on the depth chart ahead of Collins, Higgins, Noel and Hutchinson. Could he pass Noel and Hutchinson? Sure.\u00a0<\/p>\n But I\u2019d imagine it\u2019d take some time for Dell to get adjusted. He hasn\u2019t played real football in 1 \u00bd years. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley will figure it out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Q: Offensive line and C.J. Stroud. How much different are they than last year?\u00a0\u2014 Toro\u2019s Revenge Tour<\/a><\/p>\n Q: How is C.J. Stroud looking this year in training camp as opposed to last year?\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Jason<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: Through one week of practice, I see a more poised offensive line and Stroud. Defenses would often speed Stroud up.\u00a0<\/p>\n But I\u2019ve seen him have a little more time in the pocket and make plays. That was certainly the case in Tuesday\u2019s practice, when he connected on all of his passes. Stroud is also being supported by a better running game.\u00a0<\/p>\n If this running game can have success, then you won\u2019t see Houston in as many third-and-longs, which has been an Achilles’ heel for this team.\u00a0<\/p>\n Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair said something interesting when I asked him his thoughts on the offense. He said he and Stroud were having a conversation after practice Tuesday and they both agreed that this has been the most competitive training camp between the offense and defense that they\u2019ve ever been a part of. One day the defense has a good day, one day it\u2019s even, and one day the offense has a good day.\u00a0<\/p>\n But they\u2019ve got to sustain this over the course of camp.\u00a0<\/p>\n Q: How\u2019s Jaylin Smith doing?\u00a0\u2014 Young Thanos<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: Smith, who missed most of the 2025 season with a leg injury, has been solid. He hasn\u2019t done anything negative that has stood out. And he made an impressive play deflecting a pass in one-on-ones Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s on track to be cornerback No. 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n Guard\/center Keylan Rutledge (66), the Texans’ first-round draft pick, has impressed so far in training camp.<\/p>\n Brett Coomer\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n Q: Who\u2019s the starting offensive line in week 1?\u00a0\u2014 Pranav<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: Obviously a lot can and will happen between now and Week 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n But my projection from left to right is Aireontae Ersery, Wyatt Teller, Keylan Rutledge, Ed Ingram and Braden Smith.\u00a0<\/p>\n Smith might be a surprise to some given the fact that Trent Brown, the incumbent, hasn\u2019t made mistakes in camp.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Smith has played well since the pads have come on. And the Texans signed him to a healthy contract with the expectation that he would become the starter. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s set in stone, or that\u2019s how it will look by Week 18, but I do think Smith is the starter at right tackle initially.\u00a0<\/p>\n Q: Now that edge depth has been filled, do you think there\u2019s any position that needs adding to?\u00a0\u2014 K Harrington<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: Backup edge rusher was the biggest position that needed filling<\/a>. At this point, adding anything else would be a luxury.\u00a0<\/p>\n But if there was one position they could add, it\u2019s linebacker. With E.J. Speed suffering a quad injury, and Jake Hansen having a foot injury, the Texans have lost a lot of experience with those two guys.<\/p>\n Brevin Jordan and\u00a0Cade Stover (8), both coming off injuries in 2025,\u00a0are part of the competition at tight end.<\/p>\n Brett Coomer\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n Q: I\u2019d like your insight on the tight end room. I like what I have heard so far, but I know someone isn\u2019t making the 53.\u00a0\u2014 Mr. Optimistic\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Q: Can you rank the tight end group in order?\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Dat Boy Live<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: It\u2019s going to be a tough battle between the top five tight ends, because honestly, all of them have performed fairly well up until this point.\u00a0<\/p>\n I also wouldn\u2019t put it past the Texans to keep five. They all provide different skill sets. Dalton Schultz is one of the better pass-catching tight ends in the league.\u00a0Brevin Jordan is a good pass catcher. Foster\u00a0Moreau\u2019s specialty is run blocking. So is Cade Stover\u2019s. And Marlin Klein projects to do both in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n Having said that, I\u2019d expect they\u2019d keep four tight ends on the 53-man roster. And if I ranked them today, it would be Schultz, Jordan, Moreau, Stover and Klein.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even though Klein is No. 5, he won\u2019t be cut as he was their second-round pick<\/a>. That leaves Stover as the odd man out. But again, so much can happen between now and cut day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Q: Who have been the studs at camp?\u00a0\u2014 Ed Helinski<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: I\u2019ll give you four not-so-obvious names: Wide receiver Jayden Higgins, running back Jawhar Jordan, cornerback Collin Wright and guard Keylan Rutledge. All four have been turning heads.\u00a0<\/p>\n Q: I\u2019m curious to know where Fabechi Nwaiwu stands a few days into camp and whether he\u2019s gotten any looks at C?\u00a0\u2014 Sean<\/a><\/p>\n JMA: I think he\u2019s done a good job. He\u2019s run mostly with the second\u00a0 and third teams. I haven\u2019t focused on him much during camp, but he\u2019ll be one of their primary backups at both spots this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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