HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud lobbed the football high into the air Friday morning, an arcing spiral that sailed up the sideline over the head of cornerback Shaquil Griffin as the Texans’ rookie quarterback connected with wide receiver Nico Collins.
The touchdown pass from Stroud, the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and second overall pick of the draft from Ohio State, served notice of his incremental progress.
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Although Stroud was intercepted later in practice by middle linebacker Denzel Perryman when he misfired into a zone coverage scheme, the biggest sign of how the Rancho Cucamonga native is growing as a quarterback is the faith the coaching staff is placing in him.
Stroud, who threw three interceptions in a two-day span earlier in the week with one returned for a touchdown by cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., took every snap with the first-team offense during full-team drills.
This marked the first time that has happened for Stroud, or veteran Davis Mills since the launch of training camp.
#Texans wide receiver Nico Collins @lbg_nico7 who's had a strong camp so far as most popular target especially on deep balls for quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/vOapJgWiXd
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 4, 2023
While coach DeMeco Ryans has been noncommittal on when he’ll name a starting quarterback other than to say it will be determined and declared before the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, he did acknowledge Stroud’s progression.
“You know, Stroud is doing a great job, and he’s improving,” Ryans said. “It’s something we asked all of our guys. When it comes to development, what do I expect from camp? I expect everybody to be better than they were the day before. That’s the main thing that I’m seeing out of a lot of guys, and today it was really nice to see new guys stepping up and making plays. So, as we continue to build and new guys step up and make plays, it shows that our team is definitely growing in the right direction.”
Stroud was a two-year starter for Ohio State, where he threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions as the Buckeyes went 21-4. His 85 touchdowns over two seasons broke a Big Ten record held by Drew Brees.
Both Stroud and Mills were intercepted once apiece. Mills, who was picked off by backup safety M.J. Stewart, was more accurate overall than Stroud, but the rookie displayed a nice touch on his throw to Collins and appears to be building timing and chemistry with the 6-foot-4, 215-pound third-year pro from Michigan.
“Man, he is throwing it up where I can get it,” Collins said. “That’s why we’re here practicing every day, just to get it and get that touch right so on Sunday’s, we can shine, for sure. And I can’t wait for the season, man. It’s going to be great for everybody.”
“Oh man, just continuing to stack days. Overall, just seeing his reads, making plays. The game is starting to slow down for him, because once that line comes, it’s flying bullets. Everything is full-speed. But, you see him, how he’s adjusted slowly every day. That’s why we’re coming out every day. Keep going, growing together.”
Stroud has shown signs of being able to read the defense on the fly. He has occasionally pulled it down and ran with the football, displaying above-average mobility. And Stroud is getting the football out of his hands faster in recent days, one of the knocks on him in scouting reports heading into the NFL draft.
“With how quarterbacks hold the ball, with C.J. what I’ve seen is he’s definitely made adjustments,” Ryans said. “He’s getting the ball out quick, he’s making the proper reads and that’s the first thing. We want him to just make the proper reads and if one is open, deliver the ball. He’s doing that today and that’s how we want him to operate efficiently.
‘”That all starts with our coaching staff and the plan that they have, the plays that they design for him to run. It’s making sure that they’re efficient plays, making sure everyone knows what to do and it’s not just about that one player at quarterback. . So, it’s a lot of things that go into a play being efficient and also the quarterback delivering a nice ball. So, he’s been doing a good job.”
On the interception from Perryman, it wasn’t clear what Stroud was looking at. It was a mistake, but mistakes in practice are obviously preferable to making them in an actual game.
“That play, I think it was a zone, I was just doing my job,” Perryman said. “Staying in my little vicinity, my area, reading the quarterback’s eyes, saw his hand come off the ball and it was coming right towards me. Only thing I was thinking was, ‘Catch it.’”
Signed to a four-year, $36.3 million contract that includes a $23.3 million signing bonus all paid upfront, Stroud is off to a fast start at training camp.
Stroud has displayed poise, accuracy, and a growing knowledge of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s playbook.
Before Stroud ascends to QB1 status, he and the Texans have a shared vision of him proving he’s absolutely deserving and ready for the high-profile assignment of leading the team.
“It’s been very open conversations, very transparent,” Stroud said. “I don’t want anything given to me. I want to earn everything.”
Schultz returns
Veteran tight end Dalton Schultz returned to practice after getting banged up in a collision Sunday with hard-hitting safety Jimmie Ward.
Schultz participated in the majority of the drills after working on the side for the past few days.
The Texans have been shorthanded at tight end with Teagan Quitoriano on the physically unable to perform list with a quadriceps muscle he pulled during the summer. Quitoriano is running at nearly full speed and is expected to be activated as soon as next week.
Tight end Brevin Jordan has a strained hamstring, and the Texans signed tight ends Nick Vannett and Dalton Keene this week.
“With our tight end group, I guess they’ve done a really good job throughout camp and those are guys that we will rely on,” Ryans said. “Our tight ends, they should be quarterback friendly. With the route-running ability, they should be very quarterback friendly for our offense that we’re expecting them to be big-time playmakers for us.”
Quessenberry on IR
The Texans officially placed starting center Scott Quessenberry on injured reserve after he tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee during practice Thursday.
They signed undrafted rookie offensive lineman D.J. Scaife, a former University of Miami player who has previous stints with the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers.
Rookie center Juice Scruggs, a second-round draft pick from Penn State, is the projected starter with Quessenberry out for the season.
“With Scott being hurt first and foremost, we’re all praying for Scott and hoping for a healthy recovery from him,” Ryans said. “It was hard to see him go down, and you hate to lose anyone like that on the practice field. Scott’s a competitor and I know he’ll attack the rehab just like he attacked his preparation each and every day. Smart guy, tough competitor, wishing him the best.
“When it comes to replacing guys or guys stepping up, it’s part of the game, alright? That’s why you’re here. Everybody’s here because we expect you to step up and play at some point. Who knows that time? No one knows what can happen, so you always have to be ready, you always have to be on your ‘A game.’ You always have to be prepared because you never know when that moment is for you to step in and play, and that’s the situation we’re in now.”
On the mend
Several players didn’t practice, including starting linebacker Christian Kirksey. Kirksey has a strained hamstring.
Rookie defensive end Dylan Horton isn’t practicing due to a groin injury.
Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil was given a day off from practice.
Offensive tackle Charlie Heck (foot) remains on the physically unable to perform list
Safety Grayland Arnold (leg) returned to practice.
Offensive tackle Greg Little limped off the field.
Safety Brandon Hill is dealing with a strained hamstring.
Defensive end Chase Winovich was activated this week from the physically unable to perform list.
“Yeah, Chase is working his way back, still knocking off some rust,” Ryans said. “Excited to see him out, see what he can do, how can he help us.”
No-nonsense approach
A former Pro Bowl linebacker and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Texans, Ryans is known for his relatable personality.
He’s also a demanding coach who expects accountability from the players and delivers them honest evaluations about their performance and the standard he wants.
“I am a coach that’s going to shoot it straight to the guys, right?” Ryans said. “These guys have a limited amount of time in their careers, and we don’t know how long their career will be. So for me, I’m not going to sugarcoat it to a player to make him feel good. I’m going to tell players the truth whether they like it or not because I know in the end, they’ll respect me more by telling them the truth.
“And that’s the type of coach I am. If it’s good, I’ll let you know it’s good and I’ll celebrate the good as much as I can. That’s what I want to do: spotlight as much good as possible, but we also have to make sure we are getting things corrected in a quick manner. We don’t have a lot of time. It’s a sense of urgency that we have a short amount of time to get things fixed and move on so we can be prepared to go play and play well. So, I have a lot of sense of urgency in my approach to coaching and I hope the players feel that.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com