This offseason has been as smooth as a transition can be for quarterback Brian Hoyer. Despite being three years removed Bill O'Brien's offense, Hoyer feels like he's been able to pick up where he left off in 2011.
"It's not new - for me, it's kind of just getting back on the bike," Hoyer said Monday. "You learn to ride a bike and whether you don't ride it for a year or two, you can pick it up pretty quickly. There's some adjustments, especially with (George) Godsey being the offensive coordinator. It's been a great three weeks so far of getting re-acclimated and learning the nuances that he's kind of put his own spin on."
With organized team activities (OTAs) beginning later this month, Hoyer will be in competition with Ryan Mallett. Both quarterbacks have a familiarity with O'Brien's offense, but there will still be a learning curve for Hoyer. He's been working with receivers to build a chemistry and learn their route-running styles.
"For me, I'm kind of re-acclimating myself, so we're all kind of learning together," Hoyer said. "We've put a lot of extra work in after our workouts, whether it's going in the film room and looking at formations or going over concepts. I think that's really helped me and it's helped those guys, too. Especially in this offense, you're asked to do so much, so if you can do without thinking, it speeds up the process that much more."
Texans OTAs mark Phase Three of offseason workouts and begin May 26. During this time, NFL teams may conduct a total of ten days of organized team practice activity. No live contact is allowed but 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills are permitted. Mandatory minicamp for the Texans runs from June 16-18.
