“I told him to leave his house early because of traffic. It’s a lot worse than it is in Cleveland.” Darren Fells’ advice to Duke Johnson
The Texans put on the full pads and practiced indoors at the Houston Methodist Training Center on Tuesday.
Running back Duke Johnson practiced for the first time since the Texans traded for him on August 8.
"It's great to have him out here," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's a good addition to the team, good in the passing game, good runner, had some good plays today. Good to have him out there."
When asked, O'Brien said he did not know yet whether Johnson will play in Saturday's preseason game at Dallas.
Johnson already knows several of his teammates well, including fellow Miami Hurricanes Lamar Miller and Andre Johnson as well as tight end Darren Fells. Johnson and Fells were teammates last year in Cleveland.
Cornerback Derrick Jones, wearing No. 35, also made his practice debut after signing with the Texans on Monday. The third-year player spend the last two seasons with the New York Jets where he also contributed on special teams.
The Texans began game planning on Tuesday with players getting reps against the scout team. The third week of the preseason is when the mode of practice begins to look more like a regular season practice, O'Brien said Monday.
Buddy Howell, who saw action in 15 games in 2018, said he is not thinking about the impending roster cuts and is just grateful to be in Houston.
"At the end of the day, I can't control it," Howell said. "I can only control what I can control and what I do on the field."
The second-year back led the team in Saturday's preseason win over the Lions, rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Wide receiver Tyron Johnson impressed with a deep catch in practice and is a contributor on special teams. On Saturday, the rookie had one kickoff return for 38 yards.
Fells, a six-year veteran, said he is enjoying running routes and catching passes from Deshaun Watson.
"His accuracy is on point," Fells said. "He just tells you where to be and you go there and you know the ball is going to be exactly where he told you it's going to be."
The Texans will practice Wednesday and Thursday. They will travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Saturday with kickoff set for 6 p.m. CT on ABC-13 and SportsRadio 610.
