Texans
Texans RT Tytus Howard feels he and Texans LT Laremy Tunsil are the best tackle duo in football, and that their offensive line as a whole is massively underrated. Tunsil gets his plaudits as one of the game’s top tackles, but Howard and the rest of the group have been a little more overlooked. He says he understands why since the Texans haven’t won many games but it adds more fuel to the fire to change that in 2023.
“Yeah, it’s motivating,” Howard said via KPRC’s Aaron Wilson. ”I think they just look over us because of how we perform as a team over the last couple of years. If you look at statistics, me and LT are the best tackle duo in the league. Just look at it. But we’re just going to take it with a grain of salt and put our work in and just continue to get better. We should be able to set the standard for the offensive line this year, perform highly and help our team win. You get what you put in. If you put in the work every day, the outcome it’s going to be good. I’m just trying to do the best thing I can do to set myself up for a successful future with my team also.”
Howard is also entering the final year of his rookie deal under the fifth-year option in 2023, meaning he’s in line for a potentially huge raise soon. He wants that to be in Houston but otherwise, he’s not spending a lot of mental energy thinking about his contract.
“Yes sir, because at the end of the day, if I do what I’m supposed to do and perform at the highest level, then you know the money is going to come,” Howard said. “I don’t stress too much about it because I know if I continue to do what I’ve been doing, I’ve been getting better every year, then it’s going to come. I’m patient. I’m going to keep on bettering myself every day.”
Dameon Pierce
Texans RB Dameon Pierce came just 61 yards short of 1,000 yards during his rookie season and is hoping to reach that goal in his second year in order to prove himself.
“The expectation is to cap 1,000 yards. … That’s a goal I have for myself,” Pierce said, via DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. “That’s what I expect from me. [Bobby] Slowik expects that. Everybody around me expects that, and I’m going to try everything in my power to get that.”
Recently extended OT Tytus Howard and new HC DeMeco Ryans both weighed in on what Pierce is bringing to the offense already this offseason.
“For us to be a good offense, we have to have Dameon at his A-game,” Ryans said. “Dameon has been having a great offseason from OTAs to even now. He looks great and in shape. Every time he touches the ball, you see the speed, you see the physicality.”
“We love Dameon, man. He’s the most energetic guy on the team,” Howard added. “We love blocking for him. We know that all we got to do is get our hats on guys, and he going to handle the rest. … He’s one of those backs that can do it all. So we’re hoping to get him to be one of the best running backs in the league, and we know he can do that.”
Titans
Titans TE Thomas Odukoya has adjusted to life in Tennessee, a place he now calls home as an International Pathway player originally from the Netherlands who was allocated to the Titans last year.
“It was an adjustment, but what they say about southern hospitality is definitely true,” Odukoya said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “Everyone has been really nice.”
Titans TE coach Tony Dews said Odukoya has a great work ethic and is one of the team’s most improved players.
“He’s gotten better because he works at it,” Dews said. “He’s a very conscientious guy. He’s a very smart player. He understands the game. He’s one of those guys who does everything you ask, and when he comes out to practice, he applies what we have talked about in the meeting rooms. … On the field he has a great work ethic. He hustles, he plays hard, is a great teammate. I could talk about him all day long as far as what kind of person he is, and his work ethic. He’s taken full advantage of his opportunity. There’s not a day that he doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity that he has.”
Titans HC Mike Vrabel also took time to single Odukoya out following the team’s minicamp.
“Physically he’s gotten stronger, is moving better,” Vrabel said. “He understands the game better. He’s just a fantastic addition to our team. He’s an unbelievable teammate. Love having him around, love having him in the building. It’s been really cool to see him improve and see where he can try and find a role on our football team. He is certainly one of the more improved players on our football team.”
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