Texans 2009 Training Camp: Part I, Players That Need To Step It Up

Welcome to my two-part series on what to watch out for during the Texans 2009 training camp. For the first edition of this series I’ll examine five players that I believe need to improve their play this season. If they do it will go along way in making the Texans a more complete team and give them better shot at meeting the playoff expectations of Houston fans.

If not, we could spend another January speculating about what could have been.  And some of the players below could be out of a job. 

Travis Johnson

Travis Johnson tops my list because he’s been a perennial underachiever since being drafted 16^th overall in the 2005 draft. Johnson simply hasn’t “brought it.” He’s posted only two sacks thus far, and hasn’t been the factor in the run game that the Texans were expecting. To date, he’s best remembered for the Trent Green episode and subsequent press conference debacle more than his play.

What’s so frustrating about Johnson’s lack of production is that he has the athleticism and aggression to be a quality player. But, according to rumblings within the Texans organization, he doesn’t have the best work ethic. Furthermore, he needs to get serious about off-season conditioning as he tends to tire out in some games. At times it seems as though he’s content with being a good player when he could be a great one.

If, indeed, poor work ethic is the reason for Johnson’s sub-standard play, he’s in for a rude awakening with newly hired defensive line coach Bill Kollar. Kollar is known for his intensity and in your face coaching style – he won’t tolerate slackers.  

Certainly, Johnson knows this, and we hope he has already started a new approach to conditioning.  His window of opportunity is closing, and I doubt the Texans coaching staff has much more patience.

Johnson also has more competition to worry about this year with the addition of Antonio Smith. Although Smith is a defensive end, the Texans will utilize him on the inside when Connor Barwin is on the field. Moreover, many expect Frank Okam to improve and at 6’5, 337 pounds he’s better suited better to run support than is Johnson.  The Texans also signed Shaun Cody as a backup to Johnson.

It is imperative for Johnson to step up early and step up big to convince skeptical coaches and fans that he needs to be on the field. If he does, the Texans could have one of the better defensive lines in the league in Williams, Okoye, Smith, and Johnson.

Hopefully, the prospect of a big contract in the coming years (if nothing else) will push him to take his game to the next level.

Chris Brown

Chris Brown is a six-year veteran out of Colorado whose career has read like a recent chart of the Dow Jones Index. Although he holds an above average 4.3 yards per carry and a solid 51.1 yards per game he’s been unable to stay on the field – having missed 38 games in his six years in the league.

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