Day two is in the books. Let's get into the Harris Hurry-up from today's workout.
-- Defensive back Johnson Bademosi continued to make plays throughout the day, breaking up at least two passes that I saw in all passing drills, including one in the end zone during team drills.
-- One thing that truly stands out during these workouts is the crispness of the workout and the clean nature of practice. There are very few procedural errors in practice and few guys running laps or doing push ups.
-- Furthermore, the tempo with which each unit is making substitutions and changes on the fly is impressive.
-- All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins once told me "one hand catches are overrated." I think he meant they're easier for him than anyone on this planet. He made one that my man Tyler Suddarth caught on video - you can see it below.
-- One thing that stands out watching the entire passing operation during individual is the few times that the ball actually hits the ground. There are few pass catchers on this team that don't snatch the ball out of the air and the quarterbacks are on point with their tosses.
-- I love seeing new drills from different positions/groups. There was one that I've never seen in all my years of football - a toss/bootleg drill between the quarterbacks and running backs. It was brilliant from the quarterbacks and running backs.
-- Rookie receiver Keke Coutee made a pair of grabs, including a DeAndre Hopkins Toe Drag Swag type catch, during team drills. His hands are just outstanding.
-- Fellow slot receiver Bruce Ellington made another couple of catches down the field on Friday as defensive backs struggled to cover him deep in the secondary.
-- A few of the defensive veterans relished the challenge of covering the team's rookie tight ends - Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas - during drills. They, in particular linebacker Benardrick McKinney, had some success early, but Akins went down the seam later in practice and hauled in a beauty and the chatter seemed to stop at that point.
-- First play of 7-on-7, Watson hit Hopkins on an out route to the sideline. Pitch. Catch. Toe Drag...it's like they've doing that for years.
-- Rookie receiver Jester Weah adjusted to a deep throw from Brandon Weeden during 7-on-7, making a sliding catch. He just has to be more consistent catching everything thrown his way.
-- There's a comfort in having Tyrann Mathieu at safety for this defense. He had a pass breakup on the first play of team in the red zone.
-- Down in the red zone, after a few stops by the defense, Watson lasered one to Jordan Akins. The defensive back seven looked at each other afterwards like "nothing we could do." They were right.
-- We can talk all we want about receiver Will Fuller's speed, but he's a much more accomplished route runner than anyone likes to discuss. Yes, his speed helps sell those routes, but very few utilize that speed properly on their routes.
-- When the two units got together to compete during team, it was evident how much camaraderie each unit has. I saw each huddle fist bump everyone before they started scrimmaging.
-- I love hearing "1s on 1s" because both units are nearly even and it makes for one heck of a team competition.
-- The last drill of the day was an 11-on-11 drill from inside the ten yard line. The star? Cornerback Kevin Johnson. He broke up the first pass attempt for Hopkins. Then, he intercepted the last pass of the day. It was an excellent end to day two for Johnson.
-- I haven't focused much on the offensive/defensive lines as there have been no pads until tomorrow. I did watch left tackle Julien Davenport tangle with J.J. Watt and liked what I saw from the second year tackle. That's the best education he can get to face number 99 every rep, every day.
-- That defensive line is a tight group and no one is safe from a little bit of ribbing. The group was working on using their hands in different ways versus an offensive lineman dummy. Whenever the dummy "won"...and it did a few times...it elicited catcalls from the group. Not even J.J. Watt was spared.
-- Kicker Kaimi Fairbairn has been kicking into an Arena League like goal post throughout the past two days. Today, he nailed one from about 60 through those pipes (and the NFL pipes too).
Pads go on tomorrow, so I'll definitely hit more on the big fellas over the next couple of days. See ya then, everyone.
Check out the best photos of Day 2 at Texans Camp in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia.