2013 Houston Texans Training Camp: Notable Quotes From Day Seven

Have a look-see at the full set of quotes here from Day Seven or continue reading and get the juiciest tidbits below.

Gary Kubiak:

(on if there have been any trends so far and things he likes and doesn't like) "Yeah, there are various things. First off, I'm sitting here watching number 10 today (WR DeAndre Hopkins). I like that, I know that. He's making a lot of plays. I think one of our big pushes as a team is that we have to be better covering people and we have to be better beating man coverage. It's just a fact in this league. We've introduced a few periods in practice where the emphasis is getting open and covering people. I think we've gotten better there and then we've tried to introduce some things offensively that we haven't done in the past, which y'all see us working on. It's as much for our defense as it is for our offense. I think it's been good, but like always, we've got to get better."

(on if it's rare for him to see a rookie like S D.J. Swearinger have so much confidence from day one) "Well, we knew that's kind of what we were getting from our interviews with him and being around him, but I don't think we had any idea it was this, just mature and what he does as a football player. It's been, especially with (FS) Ed (Reed) being out, we expected it, but it's been even more. So hopefully he can get going, but he's going to be a big part of this team."

(on how close OLB Sam Montgomery is to practicing) "He's way behind the team. Way behind. He's behind conditioning wise and, now, he's got an ankle that he can do nothing about. It's not his fault, but he's way behind. Got to get back out here."

(on preparing for the pistol-formation that more teams are running now) "We're working on it. It fits some of the things we do, but our defense needs to see it. Just kind of like I said, we'll do some things they need to see. Whether we do it or not, I don't know. They'll do a lot of things for us that we need to see, whether (Defensive Coordinator) Wade (Phillips) does it, I don't know. We try to incorporate a little bit of everything. That is something new for us, but I think it's been fun for the players. It's another challenge."

Brandon Brooks:

(on going against DE J.J. Watt) "You know, coming out and going against him every play, like you said every day just from the beginning of camp until now, I feel like I got a lot more technically sound going against him."

(on how he gets practice in all skills during practice) "Yeah, exactly like you said, he's the total package. So, say I'm on a passer I know I've got to sit down for the bull but also got to be ready for speed or secondary type of moves. Like you said, it's all in one and I'm getting the best of both worlds going against him every play."

(on his mental game and how he is able to flow now) "Yeah, yeah. Once I got back, I got with the coaches and the playbook, got with (C) Chris Myers, (G) Wade Smith and Duane, extra film with them, then went through OTAs and everything. Getting the teaching ... in the classroom as the offensive line and then coming out here, going through it, the different team periods. It's starting to slow down for me. Starting to know what to expect on every play and what's expected out of me every play."

Brooks tries to stay humble during the interview but you can only imagine the boost of confidence he's gotten while going toe-to-toe with Watt.

Matt Schaub:

(on throwing to WR DeAndre Hopkins during the 2-minute drill) "Yeah absolutely, I mean you give a guy a chance and you just go in and make plays. In the 2-minute drill, that's what we're supposed to do as an offensive. Whatever we need to do to get ourselves in position, whether we need a touchdown or a field goal, that's what we're going to do. To start the drive off with the post route that we threw to him, I mean, that's him making a play. I'm giving him a chance and him coming down with it. That's on him to do that and get us right down in the red zone to where we can then look to score from there. It was a great job by him."

(on WR DeAndre Hopkins nice catch during practice) "That's what he has shown since he has got here. The ability to make plays on the football field. You don't have to be perfect when you're throwing him the ball, he can adjust to it. He has such body control and can go up and get the football. We saw on the first play, that's a huge drive starter in the two-minute drill when you can get a chunk like that and put yourself in the scoring zone after one play. Now you can take your time. You can get in the huddle if you want and you can change up the tempo of the game once you get down there inside a two-minute drill."

(on his excitement about WR DeAndre Hopkins) "Yeah absolutely, it's foreshadowing. You see what can happen down the road. For him to be able to step up and make that type of play then make the play at the end with the fade route to go up and get the football. You just see the types of things he can do down there and the pressure he might take off of a guy like (WR) Andre (Johnson) or (TE) Owen (Daniels) down in the red zone with an added weapon in there."

(on DE J.J. Watt and DE Jared Crick affecting his throws in practice) "Well right now they affect us because we play against them, but in the season we don't play against them because we're going against the scouts. There was a play, one of the first passes in practice, where I had (WR) DeAndre (Hopkins) open on a little skinny post but J.J. was there in front so I had to tuck it down and try to make a play elsewhere. That's a good play by him being in the spot to maybe bat the ball down if I let go of it. It's good to have those guys because it makes us better and makes us aware of those things."

It seems Schaub has developed a nice working relationship with Hopkins over the first week of Training Camp. Some of the catches I saw him make today were pretty impressive. If the flashiness they showed in red zone drills today can translate on the field, you'll be seeing a very exciting brand of Houston Texans football in 2013.

Leave your thoughts in the comments below, folks. Football is on the way!