Your one-stop shop for Houston Texans
Womens Jon Weeks Jersey , local sports, and news from around the league for Tuesday, March 19, 2019."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Texans
StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Texans NewsYahoo Texans Team PageYahoo Texans
ReportYahoo Texans Depth ChartYahoo Texans TransactionsYahoo Texans PhotosOdds
About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ??attle Red Newswire2019 Houston
Texans OffseasonHouston Texans News: March 19, 2019New,392commentsYour one-stop
shop for Houston Texans, local sports, and news from around the league for
Tuesday, March 19, 2019.CDTShareTweetShareShareHouston Texans News: March 19,
2019Mark Konezny-USA TODAY SportsHouston Texans NewsTexans sign tight end Darren
Fells (Houston Chronicle)Buccaneers sign safety Kentrell Brice, who visited
Texans (Houston Chronicle)Texans interested in ex-Raiders tackle Donald Penn
(Houston Chronicle)Ex-Raiders QB A.J. McCarron visiting Texans (Houston
Chronicle)Ex-Bills tackle Jordan Mills visiting Texans (Houston Chronicle)NFL
NewsFormer Jaguars QB Blake Bortles signs with Rams (NFL.com)Eric Berry taking
first visit to meet with Cowboys (NFL.com)Giants GM: Idea Eli is overpaid, can’t
play a ‘crock’ (NFL.com)Bengals releasing LB Burfict after seven seasons
(NFL.com)All-Paid Team: Highest salaries at every position (NFL.com)Thomas was
resigned to 1-year deal before BAL (NFL.com)Jeremiah’s QB fits: Rosen to Pats,
Lock to ‘Skins (NFL.com)Rosenthal: Best
Joel Heath Jersey White , worst free-agent contracts so far (NFL.com)Houston & Collegiate SportsHouston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks game preview (The Dream
Shake)Best free agents remaining: Bradford top QB left Big opportunities await
the big tight end in 2019"A promising rookie season created high expectations
for Jordan Thomas heading into his second season. It’s a well known fact, one
that’s been reiterated by Head Coach Bill O’Brien, that the most important leap
for a player is from the first to second season. As Thomas enters this pivotal
point in his career, it’s important to understand where he will impact the
Texans offense and what his ceiling is moving forward.At Mississippi State,
Thomas was was a pseudo-wide receiver, rarely putting his hand in the ground,
and lining up outside of the numbers to match up against smaller college corner
backs. With his basketball background, Thomas understands positioning and
spacing and is naturally skilled with his hands. For the Texans, Thomas tied
DeAndre Hopkins for most receiving touchdowns in a rookie season with four TDs.
In his best game of the season against the Dolphins, Thomas caught four
receptions, two touchdowns, and put on display his threatening red zone size and
speed combination. Next Gen Stats breaks down Thomas’ best performance.Thomas’
two touchdown game provides evidence to his potential next yearThis touchdown
exhibits Thomas’ development as a pass catching tight end and a route runner off
the line of scrimmage. In this play below, the Texans run simple play action
with Thomas running a corner route as the wing back. Off of the snap Thomas aids
in the run fake by heading towards the strong side linebacker. One of the most
undervalued parts of the play action is the timing factor of the play. If the
tight end turns up field too quickly, the gig is up. If Deshaun Watson turns too
quickly
http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-zach-cunningham-jersey , the fake does not sell. In this play, the Miami linebackers over-pursued after a
good initial fake by Watson, aided by Lamar Miller gouging the Dolphins’ defense
with every rush. Thomas does an excellent job turning his hips and changing
directions to be available immediately after Watson sets his feet.At 6’5”, 280
pounds, Thomas is a match up nightmare across the field. He blocks out the sun
against nickel cornerbacks and is too light on his feet to be handled by
linebackers. In this play above, Thomas finds the soft spot in the Brown’s zone
by reading the linebacker as he drops back into coverage. Since the linebacker’s
eyes are Watson and not the tight end, Thomas recognizes that settling down just
next to the defender allows Watson to make a safe throw over the middle. With
the ball in his hands, Thomas’ agility and size are on display as he gets almost
10 yards after the catch. Moving the chains is going to be Thomas’ lottery
ticket as Watson needs reliable options to go to when the pocket collapses.The
biggest learning curve for Thomas will be his ability to run block. Against 3-4
outside linebackers, he has a much better time maintaining his blocks than
grappling with 4-3 defensive ends with much lower centers of gravity. With newly
acquired tight end Darren Fells handling most of the blocking responsibilities,
Thomas won’t be thrown in the deep end for blocking duties. All four of Thomas’
touchdown occurred in the red zone. When the field gets a little smaller and the
windows shrink, you need a big target to stand out like a vegan at a brisket
competition. Thomas is easily the tallest and largest receiving option Watson
has on this roster.This type of formation will be very popular for the Texans
heading into the 2019 season. Sub out Ryan Griffin and DeAndre Carter on the
right side and sub in Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee, and you’ve got yourself one
dangerous offense. In this set, Thomas is lined up as a wing back off the line
of scrimmage. This not only forces the defensive end (#53 for the Browns) to
line up further outside, but still keeps a sixth person in the box for blocking.
This alignment is a pandoras box of plays and really sets up the defense to pick
and choose which battles they want to lose. Heading into the 2019
season
Jordan Thomas Jersey White , Thomas’ job will be simple, become THE safety valve for Watson over the middle and be a red zone mismatch. He will assist in
the run blocking when necessary, but the Texans seem to have a plan in place
with Fells to take over major run blocking issues when the time calls. Taking a
page out of his mentor’s playbook, O’Brien will only ask Thomas to do what he is
good at—catching the football.Texans have five tight ends on the roster who all
have legitimate claims to a roster spot. Kahale Warring, the third round draft
pick, Ryan Griffin, the veteran, Darren Fells, the much-needed blocking tight
end, Jordan Aikins, the high-upside third rounder from last year, and then there
is Jordan Thomas who has the highest ceiling of the group. Mike Bullock believes
Thomas will be the Day One starter at Tight End for the Texans. For that to be
true, Thomas must gain the trust of O’Brien and be able to extend his route tree
outside of play action corner routes and TE option routes. My prediction? Thomas
leads the tight end group in receptions and touchdowns with 38 receptions and
five touchdowns on the season. That’s pretty substantial production for a second
year sixth round pick.
