Texans players have arrived back in Houston for Phase 1 of offseason workouts led by head strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald.
Feels good to be back. #Houston — JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 6, 2014
The first phase, which lasts two weeks, is strictly strength and conditioning since no team drill or contact with coaches is yet allowed.
"We go in the weight room and work out for about an hour," Duane Brown said in an interview with Texans Radio on Tuesday. "Then we hit the field and work out for about an hour, hour and 15 minutes, just do a lot of agility work. Some days we do some speed training. But overall, some very, very good conditioning. I'm excited for the future of it."
Players are getting their first sessions with the newly-appointed Fitzgerald, who recently revamped the Texans weight room to incorporate a more intense circuit training in the players' strength programs.
"It's very different," Brown said. "I feel kind of like a rookie all over again; coming in, learning a new offense, having a new strength coach with his different philosophy and beliefs. It's exciting. I've been in the same system for six years. Now I'll get a chance to become focused on everything and trying to learn everything. This offense is going to be exciting, just getting a slight glimpse of it. Coach (Bill) O'Brien is doing a great job of getting everyone to mingle and get to know each other. We're only the second day in it, but just knowing that we're trying to do everything we can to get to know each other, I think (it) will work out."
Later this month, Texans will begin their on-field workouts with individual player instruction and drills in the three-week long Phase 2 portion of the offseason program. Team offense vs. defense happens in Phase 3, the final four weeks of the program. Phase 3 will also include ten total days of OTAs (organized team practice activity) where live contact is not permitted but 7-on-7s, 9-on-7s, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.
