Texans Down 'N Dirty: Expectations Edition

Kevin Walter is dying for some real football. If you think fans are excited for the upcoming season, K-Dub is restless. Walter describes himself as a "hungry guy" who's "ready to get after it." I wonder if Dunta and OD feel the same way. They're out of commission for the time being, so it really must pain them to not even be practicing with their teammates. Of course, it's hard to consider mini-camps the real deal when a no pads policy is implemented, so maybe the two are enjoying the time off. Did I stray off from the original topic? The wait for training camp does that to me.

Walter's production has increased every single year he's been in the league, save for one. We often hear about the guys who barely cling to their teams off of hard work alone. Walter is one of those guys that went through that process, but now is one of the few that become budding stars through sheer determination. Playing alongside the oft double teamed Andre Johnson, Walter amassed 899 yards. The year before when Johnson missed seven games due to injury, K-Dub managed 800 yards as the primary receiving option for those games. In fact, he matched the TD production of AJ with eight in 2008. How much of this was due to hard work and how much was due to pure talent? Do you believe #83 has room to grow or has he reached his peak? How much of his stats do you attribute to the attention Johnson receives on the other side? Fire off in the comments section.

Matt Schaub has quietly evolved into a leader on and off the field for the Texans. It took him a while, over a season even, but as he states, becoming a leader doesn't happen overnight. We're just glad it's happened and so is Schaub himself. If anyone doubts his ability to lead by example, look no further than his coming back from injury much faster than any doctor could have predicted after Jared Allen's cheap shot in week 9. Just four weeks after the hit, Stump the Schaub returned to throw for 414 yards in the memorable Green Bay victory, all while wearing a troublesome leg brace. The man is for real.

Lastly, new fullback Boomer Grigsby is a great guy. Grigsby took time out of his life to visit with kids in his hometown of Canton, Illinois. As Tim mentioned previously, it's hard not to appreciate keeping the needs of others in mind.

Is it training camp yet?