Jadeveon Clowney Won't Be In Pads When Training Camp Begins

The first overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft will not be in pads at the start of training camp for the Houston Texans.  That is not surprising when you consider the challenges of recovering from microfracture surgery, even if Jadeveon Clowney is ahead of schedule in his rehab.  It's a prudent move to bring him along cautiously to make sure he fully recovers, and that there are no setbacks with the NFL regular season now finally on the horizon.

The quarterback battle between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer will be the big focus early in training camp, and "consistency" will be the key element for the one who will ultimately earn the starting job to lead the offense this season.

Head coach Bill O'Brien met with Sports Radio 610 and talked about that and more:

Jadeveon Clowney

"[Clowney] has put a lot of time in…in the offseason to get better," O’Brien told Sean, Ted, and John. "It’s not an easy thing to have an injury in his rookie year."

"He’s put a lot of time in. Will he be able to be out there right away when we put the pads on on August 3rd for our first full padded practice? No, he won’t be out there right away for that. I think you’ll see him eventually later in training camp and try to ramp him up for the season."

Quarterback Battle

"We want a guy that is a very consistent performer," O’Brien told The Triple Threat. "A guy that’s very smart. A very diligent hard worker that treats practice like a game."

"A guy that makes the right decisions on the practice field. Which makes us all feel good about what’s going to happen on game day."

"A guy that understands the game because of his preparation and his work ethic."

"Hard Knocks"

"Is it always easy to have a camera in your face every day for five weeks? No, especially in the beginning." O’Brien said, "We’re going to adjust to that very quickly. That will never be anything other than, that’s a show for the NFL and the fans."

"We feel that as an organization [Hard Knocks] will show these guys, these players as good teammates, good guys, hard working guys."

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Well, there's the latest from the head coach, and none of it sounds too surprising.  It's going to be an interesting first couple of weeks as things get underway in training camp.  Share your thoughts below.