Free agent linebacker Rosevelt Colvin is visiting with the Texans on Wednesday, while linebacker DeMeco Ryans received defensive signals through earpieces in his helmet for the first time from linebackers coach Johnny Holland as the Texans practiced with artificial crowd noise on Day 10 of OTAs.
General manager Rick Smith
(on LB Rosevelt Colvin visiting the team) "He's a good football player who is still available and so we decided to bring him in. He adds a pass-rush type of element for us, if we are able to add him or are so inclined to do so. That's what it is. It's an exploratory type of visit. We want to get a look at him and see how healthy he is and continue to talk to him."
(on Colvin's health status) "I haven't heard yet. He is having a physical this morning. We'll find out a little bit more later."
(on if he and Colvin talked about both playing for Purdue) "You know, I recruited Rosevelt Colvin out of high school. He was at Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis and I was at Purdue at the time and I was successful in convincing him to come to Purdue. And he had a pretty good career."
(on if the same tactics will work with the Texans) "We don't pay as much!"
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on practicing with crowd noise) "You just try to do things to let them know what it's all about. We pretty much got our systems in and we've got a few more days here to work. I know they are tired and I know they are worn out. We tried to tax them a little bit mentally to see who can keep up without the coaches in there all day. You find out a lot about players in those situations, so it's good. We need that kind of work."
(on any new injuries) "Petey (Faggins) didn't work. Chester (Pitts) did come back and do more today than he did yesterday. Scott Jackson's not here today. His son had a little minor surgery this morning, so I told him to go and be with him. Other than that, we're here."
(on LB Rosevelt Colvin visiting the team) "I just briefly know about him. Of course, I coached against him for many years and know he's a fine, fine player. We are going to keep looking around and to see if we can find somebody we think can help us. Everybody talks about us needing a pass rusher and that type of thing, but if we can find anybody that we think can help us as we move forward in camp, we are going to listen. So we are going to talk to him today and see where he's at."
(on if Colvin is healthy) "It is my understanding he is. I know he has had the issue with the knee these last few years, but it is my understanding that he's healthy and ready to go."
(on what a healthy Colvin can do) "We know he can rush the passer. He bring a lot of maturity to your team from a standpoint of that he's been on some great football teams and won a lot games in this league, a very smart player who has played a lot of places. I just think he would bring some veteran leadership and accountability to our team."
(on if we wants a contract extension) "I've got a ways to go. I'm trying to fulfill the one I've got."
DT Amobi Okoye
(on practicing with crowd noise) "Coming out with here with the noise and getting the feel of being in the game really helps out a lot."
(on what he is more comfortable with this year) "Knowing what to expect, knowing that it (the season) is longer than what you think. For me, it's waking up in the morning and looking forward to practice, looking forward to practice and looking forward to workouts. Now, compared to last year where everything was so long and you wake and you are like, 'Ah, I've got to get through today.'"
(on if rookies hit a wall during the season) "It happens. I wouldn't necessarily say for me, but it happens."
(on what he has to do better this year) "I have to play with a great motor, just going every down and every play. I'm the type of person that likes to talk when I'm playing, and I couldn't do that last year because I was clouded- very, very clouded in my head. This year, everything is clearing up. So I'm looking forward to it."
(on if he thought too much last year) "Oh, yeah, I did a lot of thinking. You don't know what to expect because you are a rookie. You just come in here and if they say, 'Go lift,' you go lift. If they say, 'Go right,' you go right."
(on the biggest surprise for him his rookie year) "It was the length of the games. They tell you it's 16 games and preseason games, but you really don't know until you are involved in it how long it really is."
LB DeMeco Ryans
(on wearing the defensive ear piece) "It's me and C.C. Brown. I have to stand there and make the calls to everybody."
(on what happens when he leaves the game) "I'm not coming out."
(on using the defensive ear piece with the crowd noise in practice) "It went OK. Like I said, it's something different that I have to get used to. It makes communication a lot clearer between the coaches and the players."
(on if defensive ear piece makes things quicker than using signals) "Sometimes. Today we were having to wait on out offense to get the call first. Then we were getting our call. Once we get everything cleared up and there are two different channels, it will be a lot easier. Richard (Smith) can get a call in a lot easier. If he has time left to alert me of something that they may be doing, then he can do that which makes me like an extra defensive coordinator out on the field."
(on being comfortable with the system) "I'm comfortable with it because it shuts off (with) about 15 seconds left in the play clock. It's not a lot of talking going on. It's just, get right to the bases."
(on if the system is a good thing) "Yeah, it can be a really good thing because you don't primarily have to work with signals. The offense is on the other sideline and they can't steal your signals or try to pick up on certain blitz signals or this or that. They don't know what we are putting in. They don't know what he is saying to me in the helmet. So it makes it a lot easier."
(on working with linebackers coach Johnny Holland and the new defensive ear piece) "It went really well. Like I said, it's interesting and it's something that will help us a lot on defense."
