ED - Lilburn, GA, US: Hey Owen, Just wanted to say thank you for the time and effort you always put in I have seen other tight ends with this team but there all trash. You on the other hand I guess what I am saying is keeping doin you bro
Owen Daniels: This will be my last question for today. Thanks for sending the questions in. It's been a lot of fun.
Ed, thanks for the support. I think this is the deepest group of tight ends that we've had since I've been here. It will be one of our strongest position groups come Sundays in the fall.
Jordan McCollam - Houston, TX, US: Do the new members of the team seem excited to be a part of this organization?
Owen Daniels: Jordan, I think everyone is really excited to be here. Old guys and new guys. I think everyone sees how hard our team works and the potential that we have. It's a privilege to be in the NFL and we all want to take this organization and this city to where it deserves to be - in the playoffs!
Paul - lake jackson, TX, US: Owen I think ur a great player and want to see u staying with the texans for a long time. Do you see youself staying with the organization for aloy of years
Owen Daniels: Paul, I love the team and I love the guys on the team. I really like the direction we're moving as an organization. I'd love to be a part of it for a long time. It's not completely up to me, but I'll do everything I can to stay here and hopefully retire as a Texan.
Carlton - houston, TX, US: hey owen im a very big fan of yours i think your the best tight end in the league rite now. do yu think that with tony gone to NFC you will be an starter come next pro bowl?
Owen Daniels: Carlton, I appreciate the support. Tony Gonzalez is a great tight end. Having him in the NFC now definitely opens up a spot for someone to step in. We still have a lot of good tight ends in the AFC, like Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark, Heath Miller, Todd Heap, Tony Scheffler and Dustin Keller. I will do what I can to remain at the top of that list.
Paul - Houston, TX, US: Is the new strength training program better and do you think the new strength and conditioning coach will implement programs that will reduce injuries?
Owen Daniels: Paul, I think this program is a little bit more competitive than the program we had before. The program we had before was great and benefited me a lot. But this offseason we've been doing more races and competitions out on the field. As far as reducing injuries, some injuries are not preventable simply by training a certain way. Lots of injuries are due to being unlucky, so hopefully we'll be luckier this year than we have been in the past.
barrett - austin, TX, US: Owen, we over at texanstalk.com have given you the nickname "OPEN" Daniels. What do you think? Seems pretty appropriate I think!
Owen Daniels: I like it a lot. Whoever thought of that is a genius, and it works because it's true. Thanks.
Dean - Charlottesville, VA, US: You cost me the Madden 09 Championship here at a local tournament. Will your stats be better this year? LOL I'm just kidding - TEXANS RULE!
Owen Daniels: Dean, all I know is I deserve more respect than I got in Madden 2010. Thanks for the question and sorry about your championship.
Robb - York, PA, US: Do the Texans need to aquire another RB or do you think Slayton can handle the load?
Owen Daniels: We definitely need to have three solid running backs on the active roster. It's really hard to get through a season with one back and we don't want to wear down Steve. We have proven backs in Chris Brown and Ryan Moats. Some free agent running backs will be pushing those guys for a spot on the roster.
Jensen - College Station, TX, US: Owen, do you think you will be a mentor to the new TE's that were drafted this year? Also why do you believe the Texan's drafted 2 TE's when someone of your talent is there?
Owen Daniels: Jensen, I think I'll have to be a mentor for these guys. It's a new spot for Joel and I to be in, but we know the lay of the land and can help these guys out. We need to help them out if we want to be a great team. I believe that we drafted two tight ends because we needed a replacement for Mark Bruener and, at the time, James Casey was too versatile of a guy to pass up. So it worked out well.
Sunshine - San Antonio, TX, US: OD, you went 8-8 last year and looked like yall should have been a playoff team towards the end of the season. This year, it looks like the schedule is a little easier and the team has improved in a few key areas. With that said, what are you're and the team's expecations for the 2009 season?
Owen Daniels:
Brett, our expectations are to become a playoff team. We started slow the last couple of years. I think Coach Kubiak has noticed that trend and might try to keep us fresher during the preseason so that we can have a faster start.
Raul - houston, TX, US: What up OD!! from an offensive player point of view, how different does our "D" look this year comapred to the past sicne you ahev been here....
Owen Daniels: Raul, I think our defense is a lot more aggressive. That doesn't necessarily mean blitzing more, but there's always 11 guys flying to the ball and chasing us around. That's what you want to see out of your defense.
Jason - Houston, TX, US: Does it realy matter what others are projecting the Texans to do , when no matter what the Texans RULE!
Owen Daniels: I agree, man. Great comment.
Robb - York, PA, US: Is Matt Schaub the QB that will lead the Texans not only to the playoffs - but into the championship and dare I say Super bowl?
Owen Daniels: Robb, yes, Matt Schaub is our guy. He's a great leader and as long as we can keep him healthy, I think he'll have a great season. He's been nicked up in the past, but I think he's in better shape now. That will go a long way to staying healthy.
Brandon - Cypress, TX, US: Do you think the Texans defense will be able to perform at a higher level ,like the offense showed this past season, even though we have young DB's?
Owen Daniels: Brandon, absolutely. I think we made a lot of good additions to our defense in free agency and the draft. Only time will tell, but I think Frank Bush's new scheme will help all of our guys be successful. In practice, I can tell a difference already. Brian Cushing is a nice addition. He is very physical on the line of scrimmage. And Antonio Smith is a good player.
TexanAggie - Pasadena, TX, US: OD, So how did it feel to be finally recognized by the fans outside of Houston by going to the pro-bowl, of course i did enjoy our little secret TE here in houston, Good luck on a great year!!!! Section 117
Owen Daniels: Hi, it feels great to be recognized not only by the fans, but to get respect from my peers around the league. The Pro Bowl voting is 1/3 from coaches, 1/3 from players and 1/3 from fans, so to get respect from everybody really means a lot to me. A lot more fans come up to me around Houston now compared to last offseason. The support is nice.
Scrufy scurfy - houston, TX, US: Owen, thanks for answering these questions. I really think you're great. What do you do in your free time away from football and what are a couple of your favorite places around the city of Houston?
Owen Daniels: Hi, no problem. Thanks for sending in a question. In my free time, I like to relax, visit friends on the weekends and play golf whenever I have the time to. Houston has a lot of nice courses. My favorite courses are both of the Redstone courses (tournament and members) as well as River Oaks. There are a lot of others that I want to play at but I haven't gotten a chance to yet.
Eddie - Brownsville, TX, US: Now that Kyle Shanahan is calling the plays full-time, do you think we will see any noticeable differences? Has the play book had a lot of changes?
Owen Daniels: Eddie, I don't think that there will be any noticeable differences. The playbook hasn't changed from last year. We will always add wrinkles week-to-week based on our opponent. I'm sure that Coach Kubiak will always add his input whenever he feels it's necessary.
Stephen - Houston, TX, US: Do you think when Andre's contract nears its end, do you think he will stay in Houston or move on to somewhere else?
Owen Daniels: Stephen, I think Andre is the face of this franchise and I think he wants to retire as a Texan. I can't really speak for him, but I think he likes the direction this team is going and has a lot of confidence in what we can do. Hopefully, we're smart enough to keep a guy who is the best in the league.
Daniel Shorter - Barksdale AFB, LA, US: Owen, What have you done to improve over the offseason? Have you had any personal goals such as make it back to the Pro Bowl or are they mostly team oriented goals like making the playoffs or winning a Superbowl?
Owen Daniels: Daniel, I think I've gotten myself in really good shape. I think I've gotten stronger this offseason, stronger than I have been previously thanks to Ray Wright's strength and conditioning program. I haven't set any statistical goals since I've been here just because week-to-week I don't want to say that I need this many catches or touchdowns. I just want to be more consistent than in previous seasons. Getting back to the Pro Bowl is definitely a goal. Just going to the Pro Bowl is motivation to prepare myself and do what I can to get back there next year. The most important thing is the team and our goals. The better we are, the more recognition we get. The more recognition the team gets, the more recognition everyone on this team will get. Playoffs is our ultimate goal.
O.J. - Los Angeles, CA, US: Hey Owen. Everybody's talking about the two rookies, but what can you tell us about Joel Dreessen? Is he going to make the team?
Owen Daniels: O.J., I think Joel Dreessen is a very underrated player and doesn't get the respect that he deserves. He's a very solid blocker and can contribute in the passing game as well. He doesn't get the looks in the passing game because I'm usually the one in there running the routes. Joel absolutely will make the team. He contributes on offense and is one of our best special teams players.
doug - houston, TX, US: Are bragging rights on the line at the bowling alley Tuseday night...if so, who is the best bowler on the team going into Tuseday night?
Owen Daniels: Doug, thanks for another question. I'll be at the Pins and Pigskins bowling event tonight at 7 p.m. at 300 lanes. Anyways, there is always competition and bragging rights on the line when it comes to guys on the team, whether it's bowling, golf or a home run derby. Mike Brisiel is probably the best bowler. After him, Andre, Dave Anderson and Joel Dreessen are good. I consider myself to be in that group of guys, too. But Brisiel is head and shoulders above the rest. His high score is a 277 - all strikes and one spare.
Kevin - Houston, TX, US: Do you feel that teams are now going to pay more attention to you now that you're a Pro Bowl tight end? Do you think this will effect the level you were playing at before?
Owen Daniels: Kevin, I hope that teams pay more attention to me. It's hard to pay too much attention to me with Andre playing outside and Kevin playing opposite him. If I can draw some attention and take some pressure off those guys, I feel like I'm helping out a lot. I think I got more respect as the year went along last year. Teams tried to take me away at times, but it's hard to take away two guys in the passing game. That leaves a lot of holes open for other people.
J.D. - Huntsville, TX, US: O.D....first off congrats on your '08 season and for the ProBowl. There as been a lot of hype of how there is tons of good energy during the first couple of weeks of OTA's and what is your opinion about it?
Owen Daniels: J.D., thanks for the love. Things have been going really well. Pretty much everyone is healthy, especially on offense. Last year, Andre was nicked up and Matt Schaub was coming off surgery. Having everyone healthy and working together this early will help us in training camp and for the start of the regular season.
doug - clear lake city, TX, US: Owen How much did Bruener help you your first couple of years in the league as far as blocking and recieving? How much fun do you have knocking over defensive backs during the game? What are your impressions of Casey and Hall so far?
Owen Daniels: Doug, I was very lucky to have a guy like Mark Bruener around. Someone with his type of experience in the league has a lot to offer. He was nice enough and helpful enough to give me pointers every day after practice. He's been one of the best, if not the best, blocking tight end in the league for a long time, so it's always good to learn from the bes.t
As far as your second question, I've had fun implementing a stiff arm as one of my moves this past season. Hopefully, that will continue to be effective.
Finally, I think both James Casey and Anthony Hill will be able to help us out in both the run and passing game this year. James is very versatile. He's a guy that we can put anywhere on the field. His intelligence will help him be effective. Anthony will be a good blocker for us. It's hard to tell now without pads, but he seems like an aggressive player that can help us in that area.
Carlton Patton - houston, TX, US: hey owen how games do you thing we are goin to win this season?
Owen Daniels: Carlton, I think that we're going to win more games than we did last season. It's hard to say at this point in the offseason, but I think it will be enough to get us to the playoffs.
Mike G. - College Station, TX, US: what part of your game do you want to improve the most this year?
Owen Daniels: Mike, I always look to improve the most in the weakest part of my game. I'd like to think that I've improved my blocking since I've been here, but there are still some steps that I need to take to help out our running game.
Eddie - Brownsville, TX, US: How is the offense planning to improve production in the red zone? Maybe a few more touches for O.D.?
Owen Daniels: Eddie, I'd love to get more touches down there. I think I showed in the Pro Bowl that I can help out the team in the red zone. But as long as we're getting points, I'm happy. I think we need to run the ball a lot better down there. That will open up some more opportunities for myself and our other receivers.
Richard - Tomball, TX, US: I just would like to know if you have got a new contract yet with the Texans.
Owen Daniels: Hello. Thanks for joining me on this live chat. Sorry about the delay, but I was in a meeting and I just got out. I'm really excited to be here answering fan questions, so keep sending them in.
Richard, right now I am still a restricted free agent, but my agent is speaking with team officials about a new contract, so we'll see what happens. Hopefully, something gets done soon because I'd love to spend the rest of my career with the Texans.
