After the fourth day of training camp, head coach Gary Kubiak told the media he liked what he saw from the team's ground game.
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on the Texan cornerbacks' talent and competition) "No doubt about that, they're both very gifted and the good thing about (CB) Dunta (Robinson) is, well I shouldn't say good, but in Dunta's situation is with (CB Jacques) Reeves and them is repetition picks up. So it's only going to make them better, they're getting a ton of reps for young players."
(on RB Chris Brown's injury) "His back was bothering him when he came in this morning and so we have him out of practice and he won't practice this afternoon and special teams, so we'll see if his back is better tomorrow."
(on if RB Chris Brown will return soon) "I would sure hope so. He is already a day behind and needs to get back out here, but his back cramped up, so..."
(on WR Jacoby Jones) "He's got an irritation in his foot that checked out fine. He's day to day. We talked this morning; we will wait and see. He won't do anything this afternoon, but I can probably catch you guys up on that day to day."
(on how he feels about RB Chris Brown's continuous injuries) "It's part of camp; you're always going to have things to deal with. But for him to help his football team, he has to be on the field. He has a lot of teammates out here that he has to come with and go to work with and missed time is not good time, but if his back is bothering him, it's bothering him, you know? Hopefully, he will be back on the field tomorrow."
(on if the entire team was present) "Yes, everybody's here today."
(on the running backs) "Well, it's interesting that you would ask because I was so impressed with (RB Chris) Taylor, (RB) Ahman (Green), 37 (RB Darius Walker), yeah, I call him all kinds of names, but (Steve) Slaton, just really, really an impressive morning from the group because they were short a guy, one of their partners was down and they had to pull on each other a little and Chris Taylor even took reps at fullback. But the running backs group had a hell of a practice."
{QUOTE}(on QB Matt Schaub)"I think we know what we have. I think we know what type of player he is. We saw that when he was healthy and he was in there, but of course the goal is to keep him upright. He is having a fine camp so far. You can't help but get better when you have Sage Rosenfels line up behind you every day. The type of player he is, you're going to get better, and it's great competition between those two guys."
(on the players' competition for positions) "There's competition at every spot. You match our starter and then go day to day and match our starting quarterback, but competition, but that's what makes players better regardless of who you are. It's like (RB) Ahman's (Green) getting pushed by young players now and (QB) Matt (Schaub) knows he gets pushed every day. So that's what makes the group better. That's why we're going to be better. Fred Weary is pushing (G Mike) Brisiel and (G Chester) Pitts, and (G Kasey) Studdard is a much better player (now), so it's just a part of the game."
(on QB Sage Rosenfels) "That's why he's a great player because he feels that way and that's the type of guys you want on your football team, and the thing that I have been impressed with the most is after everything we went through in offseason, which that was fine, he's all about business. He's right back to work, playing the way he did last year."
(on RB Darius Walker) "No, I was teasing, I said I have all kinds of nicknames for him. Biggest difference for him is his conditioning level. I see a kid that can go all day. He understands what he is doing; he's getting better in pass protection, better as a receiver. Darius (Walker) has got the chance to be a fine, fine football player. He is over all that rookie stuff and settling in to being a pro."
(on Walker's physique) "No, I think he is about the same as he was last year. He's just a thick kid, you know? He has always carried a little bit more than those other guys."
(on LB Kevin Bentley) "He is doing a good job. The hard thing for us is we were playing (LB) Chaun Thompson behind (LB) DeMeco Ryans, and Kevin's battling for a starting job on this team with (LB) Zac Diles, so we have to know that Kevin Bentley can run this team if something happens to 59, so he has to get a lot of reps and at the same time we have to be fair to him and give him a chance to be one of out three starters. So it's a nice problem to have, but he is professional and doing a good job."
(on LB Zac Diles) "He's doing good. He even had a pick today in the red zone. He's a very physical player. The more tough Zac becomes mentally, I think you're going to see an even better player."
(on LB Chaun Thompson's injury) "Yeah, Chaun could be out, it could be eight to 10 days with this hamstring, so it's a setback for him. I think he knows what he is as a player and as a past rusher. The time's going to hurt him, but I think we just have to get him back out here."
(on competition at right guard) "Well, guards in general, you take Chester (Pitts), (Mike) Brisiel, and then you take Fred (Weary) and you take (Kasey) Studdard, (Brandon) Frye, who's showing some of the things we thought he had when we drafted him and he can play inside, (Scott) Jackson was playing well until he got nicked a little bit. I think the group is just very competitive, but the core four, I think all four think they should be a starter, so we're going to be a better team because of that."
DT Jeff Zgonina
(on being old) "Yeah, you're the old jokes, the old guys. You've got guys with their cell phones, their Sidekicks, YouTube, whatever the heck that stuff is. Shoot, when I got in the league we used to have calling cards. We didn't have cell phones. You met somebody out for dinner, you hoped they were there (or) you'd better go find a payphone. Now, you can just flip a phone out. You get it both ways. They bring the new stuff in, and I've got to bring the old stuff out. It's all in fun."
(on if someone told him 16 years ago he'd still be playing today, what would he say) "'I hope so,' you know? That's great. Like I said, my goal was 10. I was way out there. I thought I could do it and I've had a little rough patch. I could almost get cut every year. I just got lucky enough and stuck and now I'm playing with the Texans."
(on how he has survived) "Luck. I mean, timing. Being in the right place at the right time. That's all, no matter where you're drafted. First, free agent, seventh like myself, you know. You get in the right situation and unfortunate circumstances happen, guys get hurt or whatever and you finally get thrown in there you finally get to stick, you've got a chance. That's how I got in. A couple guys got hurt and I finally got to play more and show what I could do."
(on being nervous of not making the roster anymore) "Every day. You have to (be). You just never know. It's a lot of luck. I'm nervous; it's my livelihood. I don't want to give it up yet, so you've got to worry about it. It's got to be in the back of your head. Also, I can't worry about it because it will affect my play. Early on, I worried way too much over it, stressed about it. It is what it is."
