Texans’ C.J. Stroud not throwing due to tight shoulder muscle, not considered serious: ‘No concerns whatsoever’

HOUSTON – Texans star quarterback C.J. Stroud isn’t throwing at practice as a precautionary measure.

Stroud is dealing with a minor shoulder muscle issue per league sources. It isn’t regarded as long-term issue and Stroud could return to increased activity at practice as soon as next week as the team took caution with the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

With Stroud watching from the side while standing next to offensive coordinator Nick Caley, backup Davis Mills ran the offense again Friday morning.

Stroud did some handoffs to the running backs. Overall, though, he has been limited for the entire organized team activity besides warmups and some resistance training that involved the upper body and lower body.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, when asked about Stroud’s lack of involvement Wednesday, downplayed the activity level and emphasized players’ routines will vary widely day to day.

Caley had the same stance Friday during his press conference, emphasizing the team isn’t worried about Stroud.

“Yeah, he’s locked in every step of the way,” Caley said. “No concerns whatsoever. I know DeMeco has already hit on this. Everybody has a specific routine relative to their own routine, specific to whatever. Whether it’s football, whether it’s athletic training, etc., he’s doing a great job and he’s out here and he’s working.”

Several players didn’t practice Friday, including running back Joe Mixon. Mixon has been in a walking boot recently after suffering a minor injury while working out this offseason, per sources.

Among those not practicing at the voluntary session due to various health reasons: tight end Dalton Schultz, who worked out on a side field with trainers, linebacker Christian Harris (calf, ankle injuries last season), linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, wide receivers Christian Kirk, Justin Watson and Tank Dell (knee surgeries) and Braxton Berrios (torn ACL last October), tight end Brevin Jordan (torn ACL last September), running back Dameon Pierce, safety Jimmie Ward (foot surgery) and offensive tackle Trent Brown (knee).

Not attending the voluntary workout: defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry, defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Foley Fatukasi and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

When Stroud breaks the huddle this fall after delivering the play call to his teammates, the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year will experience something new in his NFL career.

Heading into his third season, the former Ohio State consensus All-American is being granted more responsibility and trust to orchestrate the Texans’ offense under Caley.

Now, Stroud is going to have increased flexibility to run the offense. That includes making adjustments before the snap as he scans the defense and has the ability to audible and change plays and protection schemes in tandem with Caley.

“It’s like anything else,” Caley said. “The more you can do, the better off you’re going to end up being. He wants to have the ability to be able to have control. When you’re at that position there is a lot of great value in being able to fix problems that come up or unscouted looks that come up.

“It doesn’t happen overnight. That’s for sure. It’s repetition. It’s comfort with the offense. He’s working hard. He’s done a good job. We’ll just keep growing that.”

The collaboration between Stroud, a former Pro Bowl selection, and Caley, a first-time offensive coordinator schooled in the Los Angeles Rams’ offense built by Sean McVay and the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady era schemes of Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, is pivotal to the outlook of the defending AFC South champions.

“I will be able to put my swag on it, have fun with it,” Stroud said at the start of the offseason workout program. “He is all about me taking full ownership, running the show, and that’s what I want. I’m gonna get what I want and it’s really been really cool just to see that he’s bought into me and he doesn’t really know me well yet. He talked about having blind trust and I have a lot of trust in him already. Just how he talks and how he presents in the room is really cool to see.”

This is what Stroud has been preparing for, advancing in his game and knowledge to the point where he can put his personal stamp on the offense Caley is installing. The replacement for offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, dismissed after the offense regressed last season due to a lack of adjustments, substandard pass protection and an unwillingness to listen to input from key players and assistant coaches, per league sources, Caley represents an agent of change for the Texans.

‘He’s a great leader:’ Why Texans owner Cal McNair has faith in Texans QB C.J. Stroud

While a relatively stagnant offense and Stroud dipped significantly statistically last season one year after he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year largely, the Texans are confident that Stroud will take another leap in his development next season.

For a franchise with ambitions set on making a deep playoff run after losing in consecutive years in the AFC divisional round, Stroud represents a key figure in everything they’re working toward. Stroud is a year removed from being eligible for what’s shaping up to be a blockbuster contract extension. And the Texans would gladly reward Stroud as long as the team captain continues to make strides in his overall game. There’s a strong belief in Stroud in the locker room, from the coaching staff and at the top of the organization from ownership.

“He’s a great person, so he has all of our respect,” Texans principal owner Cal McNair said of Stroud during the NFL owners meetings in March “I think we’ve seen his ability on the field is totally there to lead the team. We’ve seen it for two years now, and I think he’ll take another step this year. He’s a great leader and we’re looking for him to lead us where we’ve never gone before. We think he can do it.”

A former second overall pick and Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State, Stroud, 23, has won a pair of AFC wild-card round playoff wins. He has completed 66.1 percent of his throws for a combined 976 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in the playoffs. In the regular season, Stroud has a 19-13 winning percentage with 63.5 percent accuracy, 7,835 yards, 43 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a 93.7 passer rating.

Caley worked closely with prolific Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a strong-armed gunslinger, as the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator under McVay.

“They love the position,” Caley said of Stroud and Stafford. “They take a lot of pride in what they do. Yeah, they love football.”

The Texans fired offensive line coach Chris Strausser and replaced him with Cole Popovich after Stroud was sacked a career-high 52 times during the regular season, the second-most in the league. Stroud was sacked eight times and hit 14 times overall in a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The thinking is, if the play-calling is upgraded along with the play and blocking schemes of the offensive line, Stroud will go back to the high-level trajectory his career was on as a rookie.

Caley takes over an offense headlined by Stroud, who emulates Tom Brady’s even-keeled approach and is an admirer of Stafford’s style of play.

“He comes from L.A. and New England and he is going to bring some of that swag over here, so that kind of is what I’m used to,” Stroud said of Caley. “Taking control and being a little more pre=snap, having tools to put my guys in the best position. That is something that we really didn’t work on these last two years.

“Even those principles I learned from, and it made me better because it added a new element to my game. We will be able to just get better and learn from what he did with New England and L.A. and will definitely help me because those are two schemes I am used to in a sense. That is kind of what I ran at Ohio State, kind of how New England does a little bit, L.A. is kind of what we ran here these last two years.”

While there will be familiar territory for Stroud based on utilizing schemes similar to what the Texans ran for two seasons under Slowik as far as West Coast offensive concepts McVay learned from Mike Shanahan in Washington and some of what the Patriots utilized, this marks Caley’s first time running an NFL offense and being a play-caller.

There will be familiarity with the retention of quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson as well as receivers coach and passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels, Josh McDaniels’ brother. Stroud has been working with Johnson since he was 16 years old, going back to his time with the Elite 11 program in high school. And Johnson’s role figures to increase with Caley, too.

“I think it’s very important,” Stroud said. “Jerrod is somebody who has been with me since my rookie season, but also has known me since I was in high school. For him to be here and seeing me in those different lights and those different points of my life, it’s been cool.

“He’s going to give him a lot more responsibility, which I think Jerrod is due for and I think he’s going to do great with it. I told him, man, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with. Just the way he thinks, the way he operates, the fact that he played and really, just the human being he is and I’m excited to see him elevate as a coach and to be more hands-on is going to be amazing.”

The relationship between Stroud and Caley is off to a strong start. The bond they build now and the mutual understanding of a philosophy for how to best attack defenses will be a critical factor in the Texans’ ability to compete this season.

There’s already a common ground as they exchange telephone calls to discuss the offense heading into organized team activities.

“Just a lot of similarities when it comes to family, just how much we love our families and how much we love ball,” Stroud said. “And he’s very personable, somebody that I’ve found respect for already just on how he approaches the game, how much he loves it. It’s been nice.”

The Texans are strong believers in Stroud, and his work ethic. And Stroud has dedicated himself even more to improving this offseason.

SEE ALSO:

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How Texans’ C.J. Stroud embraces city at Travis Scott softball classic: ‘I love Houston, I hope I’m here for 100 years’

‘He can spin it, he’s got the It factor,’ how Texans new OC Nick Caley approaches coaching C.J. Stroud

“He can spin it, he throws the ball,” Caley said during his introductory press conference. “He’s an accurate thrower of the football. He is a natural thrower the football. He’s instinctive. He’s got the It factor. And he’s a warrior in terms of his competitiveness. I’ve admired him dating back to his college days.”

Offensive line shuffle

Texans rookie Aireontae Ersery began with the first-team offense at left tackle with veteran Cam Robinson working in behind him.

The Texans are experimenting with several different offensive line combinations.

With Ersery at left tackle, Laken Tomlinson was at left guard, Jake Andrews at center, Tytus Howard at right guard and Blake Fisher at right tackle.

The second-team offense included Ed Ingram at right guard. Juice Scruggs played center with the second-team offense at times with Jaylon Thomas at left guard and Howard, briefly, played some right tackle.

Ersery has vast potential, but he’s also learning on the job under the direction of offensive line coach-run game coordinator Cole Popovich. Ersery had one false start.

“Yeah, he’s working,” Caley said. “You know, it’s like anything else, there is an adaptation. He’s working and he’s got a great attitude and great way about him. Just really trying to get with Cole, [assistant line coach] Zach [Yenser], the offensive line, the vets, and trying to refine his skills and learn the technics that might have been foreign to him coming from Minnesota to here. Like anything else, he’s doing a good job. He’s working hard.”

What is Caley looking for from the offensive line that needs to improve on last season’s performance?

“Yeah, consistency, dependability, toughness, the ability to grow and take coaching,” Caley said. “Those are the most important things. If you have guys that care, if you have guys that have capacity, which we do, okay, and you have guys that work hard and take coaching, you’re going to move the needle and improve.”

Anderson excels

Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was unblockable.

He bolted past Tytus Howard with a new move he’s been trying out for a sack of Davis Mills. He also beat Blake Fisher for another sack.

“The challenge we put to Will is to fine-tune the details,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “What does it take to go from good, to great, to elite, to the best? As he’s climbing that ladder it gets harder and harder to make those steps up those rungs.

“We know he’s a great player. How do we keep climbing and fine tuning to become even better? He’s on a mission. He dropped a move today in the pass rush setting that was a new move for him. He executed it really well. Really cool to see. He’s just really trying to work on a lot of details to climb that ladder to be the best.”

Harris update

As Christian Harris works his way back to full health, the Texans are looking forward to getting him back on the field.

Burke said he expects him to be ready for training camp.

“Yeah, he’s been here working, like he always is,” Burke said. “He’s another guy -- sound like a broken record, Christian has been doing his thing. All the guys are on different plans and routines. The goal is to get all these guys ready for camp, and he’s on track to be there for us.”

NOTES

Wide receiver Jared Wayne caught a touchdown pass on a throw from Mills. The former Pitt standout got behind cornerback Kamari Lassiter.

Reserve cornerback D’Angelo Ross made a nice play on the football, but dropped a potential Kedon Slovis interception to close out the practice.

Rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins caught a touchdown pass.

Both Higgins and fellow Iowa State alum Jaylin Noel are off to great starts since being drafted in the second round and third round, respectively.

The speed of Noel is a huge factor.

Tight end Cade Stover is getting a lot of reps with Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan sidelined. The gritty former Ohio State standout has been impressive.

“He’s tough,” Caley said. “You turn on the tape, you guys have all seen it. He plays with his hair on fire. There is no substitute for that. I appreciate the way he plays the game. I’ve had a lot of respect for him dating back to his days at Ohio State.”

Having nickel Jalen Pitre back from a torn pectoral provides a boost to the defense.

“Oh, yeah, it’s great, it’s awesome,” Burke said. “I feel like we got a team full of those guys. We talked about it last year, how like he stayed obviously like energy and being in the building and meetings.

“Another guy that’s really trying to like just elite focus on becoming the best whatever you want to call that in the league. Trying to move him around a little bit. We know what his talents are bit just the energy, the work ethic, enthusiasm is just unwavering with him. It’s always, always, always a pleasure to be around Jalen.”

Texans defensive end Dylan Horton, who made an inspirational comeback from lymphoma, has gotten noticeably bigger and stronger.

“Dylan, obviously everyone knows what he went through last year, so I think really cool from just physical standpoint first of all, what he did in the offseason to really get back,” Burke said. “His starting point this year is a lot different than it was last year. So really cool. (DeMeco Ryans) always puts in the team meeting in the morning some highlights of guys that are working, and he highlighted Dylan Horton this morning.

“Just like working a technique that he needed to get better at. So, just like how he’s transformed his body. Got back it the strength and size he’s used to playing and he is working his craft really well out here. Excited for him to be on the journey he’s been on for sure.”

Bill Walsh coaches

The Texans have added eight coaches to their staff for the spring under the annual Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellowship.

That includes Elijah Brooks, Jamil Douglas, Jordan Holland, Kerry Hyder, Tevin Madison, Maurice Sims, Tyree Thompson and Cary Williams

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com