How C.J. Stroud is ‘feeling good’ physically, holds longer view on Texans’ offense: ‘It takes time’

HOUSTON – C.J. Stroud devoted himself for the entire offseason to his fitness, working diligently in the weight room and running to upgrade his mobility and stamina.

The process left the Texans’ star quarterback with personal records for individual testing and with a sleeker physique. He’s definitely moving better inside and outside of the pocket and he’s had no issues with the shoulder muscles in his throwing arm that briefly sidelined him during spring practices.

“I feel good, I feel fast, I feel strong, I feel healthy,” Stroud said. “I don’t know if I look chubby or look fat, but I feel good. I don’t know. I feel good though. I’m running fast.”

While Stroud has made personal strides, a new-look offense engineered by new offensive coordinator Nick Caley remains a work in progress.

The offense is still working to build timing and get into a consistent rhythm. While the offense, including Stroud, have made plenty of plays, there have also been quite a few interceptions, sacks allowed and running plays stamped out by an elite, aggressive defense.

At times Saturday morning during full-team drills, the offense struggled. There were also some bright spots, including a solid run by new running back Nick Chubb, the top back during Pro Bowl runner Joe Mixon’s convalescence from foot and ankle injuries.

“It takes time,” Stroud said. “It’s not something that happens overnight. I feel like we’re getting better every day. We’re having good conversations on how routes are going to be ran and scheme is seen by both player and coach.

“So, it’s been really good to hash out some things and going against a good defense. So, it’s not always easy going against them and they’re really good. So, it’s bumps and bruises, but I feel like we’re making progress.”

Heading into a pivotal third season, having previously led the Texans to a pair of AFC South division titles, the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has taken on greater ownership and autonomy over an overhauled offense that became stagnant last season under former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

While absorbing a ton of sacks and hits and watching his statistics decline behind a failing offensive line and adapting to an injury-riddled receiving corps, Stroud never complained. Ultimately, the Texans took major steps to try to upgrade the offense from a personnel standpoint. And Slowik was fired and replaced by former Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots assistant Nick Caley as the new offensive coordinator.

Stroud is embracing all of the change while being analytical about his own growth as a leader. It’s a new day for the Texans and their quarterback in his third season playing for coach DeMeco Ryans.

Stroud is maintaining his big-picture perspective and keeping a positive attitude. He realizes the importance of never looking discouraged when things aren’t going right. He’s also his own toughest critic.

“My body language isn’t always great,” said Stroud, a former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. “I love winning. It’s hard when you’re not doing what you want to do or things around you aren’t great. It’s easy to be negative. So, my thing is I have to try to be more positive in my body language and things like that.

“This is a little nugget that I got from a pastor was, ‘Mistakes and failures or even successes can either be a classroom or a coffin.’ So, I can either let it train me and I can learn from it or I can let it kill me and I can get in a coffin with it and let that mistake take a course in a negative route. For me, I try to make it a classroom as much as possible to where I can learn from it, analyze it, study it and then move on. I think that’s something that I’m trying to get better at.”

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.

Stroud’s numbers dipped last season to 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions one year removed from an epic rookie season that’s one of the best quarterback performances by a first-year player in NFL history. That wasn’t entirely on him, though. He was on the ground a lot, sacked 52 times in the regular season. He was sacked eight times and hit 14 times overall in an AFC divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I don’t really look at it as a challenge, more like opportunity to learn something new about the game of football and also take the opportunity to help other guys,” Stroud said. “When you’re playing football, you get used to learning new schemes and learning new people. So, it’s been fun.

“As a quarterback, I feel like I’m just starting to feel comfortable, trying to get better every day. I think I’m really hard on myself and I think it’s a good thing to get better each day. I think next step for me is taking the guys around me to think the same way and to get them to buy into what, as a team, we’re trying to do. I think that’s where I can grow as a quarterback.”

Winning for Stroud takes on a different form in terms of his responsibilities this season in a new-look offense that includes dramatic changes to the offensive line after trading five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil in addition to adding wide receivers Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to go with returning Pro Bowl selection Nico Collins.

An overhauled offensive line has had its share of issues at training camp, especially trying to block star defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

“Yeah, it takes time,” Stroud said. “Especially the first couple of days, no pads. It’s not always easy. I think that’s the best defensive line in football right now, with just how they get off the ball, to edge guys Will and Danielle are crazy athletes. They rush together, they rush as a unit. I think it’s just making us nothing but better. I think you don’t want to continue to just say the defense is good.

“You want to start seeing progress and seeing plays being made. I think we’ve seen that these last couple of days. So, it’s helpful for me to start going through reads and be able to go through my full progression when the offensive line is picking everything up. They’ve done a great job of continuing to work and keeping their head up, staying confident because it’s not easy going against those guys every day, I get that. But we have trust that those guys, our guys are very talented too on the offensive side of the ball.”

Stroud now has the freedom to audible and change protection schemes, which wasn’t happening under Slowik. The relationship between Stroud and Slowik deteriorated as confidence in the former San Francisco 49ers assistant declined. Slowik wasn’t adapting and making halftime adjustments. And Stroud couldn’t make the changes he wanted to make under the previous setup. That isn’t the case with how Caley is approaching Stroud’s role. Stroud has the ability to institute change and take on greater leadership over an offense that includes returning quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, whom he’s worked with since his Elite 11 days in high school, and new senior offensive assistant and pass game specialist Jerry Schuplinski.

“This is more of a quarterback’s offense where you’re IDing, calling the shots, switching protections if you need,” Stroud said. “It’s just me and the center. I must have good communication with those guys and relay to everybody else what’s going on. Nick is doing a great job teaching us that, so is Jerry and Jerro. It’s a lot more ownership.

“I think it’s an opportunity to grow there. Every year there is a leadership role I can learn a little more. I think that gives me another edge where guys, if you change the play or do something good, guys can say, ‘Okay, we can trust this guy.’ That definitely helps leadership.”

As Stroud goes, so do the Texans. It’s a lot for Stroud to work on, but it’s a privilege he embraces.

“From that quarterback perspective you want that ownership,” Ryans said. “You want it to be on your plate so to speak. C.J., he’s looking forward to it. He’s open to it. He wanted it and we’re here. And so, I think he’s done a really fantastic job so far.

“Caley has done a really great job working with him. They’re getting on the same page, making sure the terminology, everything makes sense so we can get in and out of the huddle fast and play fast and operate clean. We’ve been doing that.”

Role model and friend Tom Brady won six Super Bowls in New England running a version of the offense Caley is installing.

Stroud has been watching vintage film of Brady from the formative years of the Patriots’ offense. While Caley has influences from Rams coach Sean McVay during his time as tight ends coach and passing game coordinator and working for Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick in New England, he’s putting his own stamp on the offense that he plans to adapt to the Texans’ personnel and change to attack every game plan depending on the opponent’s strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.

Stroud hasn’t consulted with Brady about the offense, but he’s watching his past handiwork to learn an offense that includes a lot of motion and movement before and at the snap and option routes for the receivers and quarterbacks as they read the defense. There’s also a plan to establish the run and become more physical.

“Those clips are always great to watch, somebody do it and at such a high level,” Stroud said. “He’s not like physically imposing his will but mentally whopping guys, play in and play out. I want to get to that. Like you said, they started back in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003.

“It’s been a long time that it’s been the same offense. This is my first year, it’s not going to be what I watch on film yet. I’m sure that one day it will. I haven’t talked to him, but I’m sure if I did, he would have some advice.”

Stroud and Caley are already off to a strong start in their relationship.

“He’s doing a good job,” Caley said. “I enjoy being around him every single day and growing every day. So, it’s been a lot of fun.”

Caley is a coach with a lot of energy and high-octane attitude. He gets up early every day fired up and ready to go. Stroud is a lot more laidback in terms of personality, but they’ve meshed well in their collaboration.

“Nick is a fiery young coach who loves to yell and run around,” Stroud said. “I love it. He brings juice to the building every day. So, I’m excited to work with him every day and try to build a relationship. He’s done a good job relating to the players and always asking us what we want, how we want to do things and making it player owned. I love that of him.”

For a franchise with ambitions set on making a deep playoff run, Stroud represents a key figure in everything they’re working toward. There’s a strong belief in Stroud in the locker room, from the coaching staff and at the top of the organization from ownership.

The interactions on the field, especially with outspoken new safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, have been fun for Stroud.

“He’s a different cat,” Stroud said. “He’s a great guy. He wants to be a locker room guy, he is a locker room guy. Very friendly, very cool. Me and him mesh well. His first day, I texted him and welcomed him on the team and was just excited to have him.

“I think it’s dope because he’s coming off some, a lot of playoff experience and Super Bowl experience. So, he doesn’t do nothing but help us. He’s doing a great job of just helping us all around.”

Stroud is determined to control the controllable. For him, that means everything: strategy, attitude, the whole nine yards.

“My attitude, my play, my communication. I think those are some things I can control,” Stroud said. “I’ll try to do that as best I can. I think we won some games and went to the playoffs and did some great things. Everybody is different, different personalities, different people. We got to adjust on what people like. For me, my job is being a servant, so I’m trying to serve others.”

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