Texans News And Notes: June 4th

I was recently home in Texas to visit family, so naturally I went to the Texans Store at Reliant Stadium because it is impossible to find any Texans gear in my current neck of the woods.  Apparently saps like me spending a few hundred dollars a pop, plus all the revenue at the games between tickets and concessions, isn’t enough for the franchise.  In the last week they’ve decided to align with the Texas Lottery as well as sell add space on their practice jerseys.  Some people might think this is a slippery slope, but the NFL has a long way to go before every surface is plastered with sponsorship ads or better known as NASCAR. 

Fred Bennett is becoming a leader in the secondary by taking rookies like Glover Quin under his wing.  Really?  Don’t get me wrong, I have high hopes for Bennett and I am encouraged by the talk that he is taking advantage of Dunta Robinson's absence, but let’s not put the cart before the horse.  Bennett seriously regressed last year after a stellar rookie campaign, and as stupid as it sounds, I want him to concentrate on his own technique and ability.  I’m glad he’s a good teammate, but I’d rather him be a good to elite cornerback, which he has shown the capability of being before.

Duane Brown wasn’t by any means elite last year, but for a rookie left tackle he fared well, especially considering the competition he faced last year.  In the first eight games of Brown’s career, he was responsible for blocking James Harrison, Dwight Freeney, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Joey Porter and Jared Allen.  Those five players accumulated 63 sacks in 2008, so Brown’s 11.5 sacks allowed suddenly don’t sound terrible.  All the same, each of those pass rushers listed (with maybe the exception of Vanden Bosch) were elite and gave Brown trouble because of their speed.  To counter this, Brown has shed 10 to 15 pounds and has looked great in practice.  A lot will hinge on Brown’s play this year, so hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

Frank Okam is playing well in OTAs despite showing up to play at 365 pounds.  Okam has been able to slim down to a sleek 339 pounds and has managed to catch the eye of Gary Kubiak, although Kubes did take a small shot at Okam's work ethic:

“It’s just a discipline thing for Frank.  If Frank gets out in his environment – and I don’t know what that is when he leaves here – but it has put a lot of weight on him (before).  When he started the offseason programs, I wanted to say Frank was 365.  That’s way too big, but he’s been one of our most disciplined guys.  He does the work with everybody.  He does extra every day, and he’s showing the signs of that discipline.  But it’s got to continue when someone is not right there with him.”

You can bet on anything football related in Vegas, literally.  One of the most popular bets is which team will win the Super Bowl, a bet that begins as soon as the previous Super Bowl is over.  As with any bet in Vegas, there have to be odds.  If you like to bet with your heart, you may not like the odds for the Texans’ success this year.  They have the lowest odds to win the AFC South and are a 30:1 underdog to win it all.  At least Vegas approves of the Texans’ draft, as evidenced by the 40:1 odds that were assigned to Houston’s Super Bowl chances prior to April 25th.