Day 2 of Texans training camp may have provided some answers on special teams, according to head coach Bill O'Brien.
"I thought we got better on the kickoff team today, worked our kickoff coverage," O'Brien said after Sunday's practice. "Looks like we found a couple guys there that are candidates to be on that kickoff team. So I thought we got better today."
The Texans have a myriad of players to try out as returners from Damaris Johnson to newcomers like undrafted rookie wide receiver Chandler Worthy. O'Brien's requirements are straightforward. First, make the catch, a job that is more complicated than it appears.
"That's a totally different task then catching a pass, totally different," O'Brien said. "You have to judge the trajectory of the ball, the nose of the ball, the wind, and the type of punter or kicker that's kicking to you. That takes a lot of work."
Second, O'Brien wants players who have instincts for the decision-making that follows the catch.
"Can they get the ball and then catch it cleanly and then go make a play? Make smart decisions with the ball," O'Brien said. "That's what we're looking for. We won't really see a lot of that until the games."
O'Brien did not name any specific players, when asked, that stood out on special teams during either of the Texans first two training camp practices.
The 2015 Houston Texans Training Camp presented by XFINITY continues with "Hard Knocks Day" hosted by the Texans and HBO. The Texans will hold their first evening practice in four years on Monday night at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
