Houston Texans: 5 Storylines Proving That Minicamp Is Overrated

Fans miss football in the offseason and breathlessly await any update about their favorite team.

Unfortunately, this desire for information often leads to fans fixating on unimportant storylines and buying into the unwarranted hype of players' progress.

Here are five storylines from prior minicamps that show why Houston Texans fans should simmer down before getting too excited about players having good (or bad) minicamps.

Owen Daniels 2009

Owen Daniels was slapped with the franchise tag in 2009. He dutifully signed the tender, but didn't show up for OTAs. This is exceedingly common for players who have yet to sign a deal under the franchise tag.

General manager Rick Smith didn't take kindly to Daniels' absence. And the whole kerfuffle had the potential to explode.

Only it didn't.

Daniels eventually signed, and despite losing half of 2009 to an injury, still posted career highs in touchdowns and yards per reception. He was on pace for a 1,000-yard season when he was lost.

Running the Football 2008

Gary Kubiak was tired of the turnovers. He was determined the Texans would run the ball more effectively in 2008.

The 2007 Texans ran the ball 417 times and turned it over 38 times on the season. That was 31st in the NFL. They struggled to an 8-8 record.

After a major emphasis on the run game in the 2008 offseason, the Texans ran the ball 432 times, or once more a game. While they did have a better yards per attempt, they still turned the ball over 32 times, good for 30th in the NFL as they struggled to an 8-8 record.

Texans coaches were enthused about running back Chris Taylor in minicamp. The excitement paid off in the regular season as he posted 37 yards on 14 carries.

Kareem Jackson 2010

Kareem Jackson was supposed to be the solution at corner for the Texans. The first-round pick impressed everyone in minicamp as he defended Andre Johnson.

Well, the story was mostly right, I suppose. Jackson did play immediately, but he didn't play very well. Despite his outstanding first minicamp, he has never shown that ability in actual games and pads. He's graded out poorly in coverage in both his first two years in the league.

An excellent run defender, Jackson has never quite fit in the Texans defense as a cover corner.

Rex Grossman 2009

Rex Grossman competed for the backup job in Houston in 2009.

I've just wasted more breath on the topic than it deserves.

He did manage to beat out the immortal Dan Orlovsky for the job but appeared in just one game. He threw nine passes and an interception.

His career passer rating for the Texans was 5.6.

Jacoby Jones 2010

Jacoby Jones just never lived up to the hype. After the 2010 minicamp, he was poised for a big breakout season. Unfortunately for the Texans, spring glory often doesn't last when the leaves turn.

He did post career highs in yards and catches in 2010, but his yards per reception, touchdowns and kick return numbers all dropped significantly.

Jones posted a pair of mediocre seasons in 2010 and 2011, never fully establishing himself as a full-time starter.

He was recently cut and is still waiting for a breakout year.