Familiarity breeds contempt; teams separate
RICHMOND, Va. — The last practice between the Texans and Redskins was cut an hour short after a series of brawls briefly interrupted normal activities Saturday morning.
There were fights on adjacent practice fields. Eventually, order was restored as players and coaches from both teams broke up the combatants.
“After (three) days, you kind of get sick of each other,” Texans linebacker Brian Cushing said.
Cornerback Johnathan Joseph was in the middle of it, but as a peacemaker.
“Me being a veteran, I was just trying to get things de-escalated,” he said. “Sometimes guys just get tired of practicing. It was nothing personal. We played hard to the whistle. I don’t think it was anything extra. Any time you have a big skirmish like that, there’s always going to be some punches.”
Among the fights was an altercation between Texans rookie cornerback Kevin Johnson and Redskins receivers Andre Roberts and Pierre Garcon.
Roberts and Johnson got in each other’s faces and blows were exchanged after Roberts took exception to Johnson hitting fullback Jordan Campbell.
Johnson declined to discuss what happened.
“We know we can’t do that in a game,” Redskins tight end Niles Paul said. “We’re all men out here. We’re highly competitive. You never want somebody to get the best of you, and you’re always going to take care of your brother. People just started fighting.”
After the undercards, the teams practiced on separate fields and didn’t interact.
“It’s training camp,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “It’s intense out there. It’s too bad, but it’s two competitive teams. We both got our work done; we just separated the practice.”
Cornerback Kareem Jackson wasn’t surprised tempers flared, saying tension had been building.
“It’s football, things like that are going to happen,” Jackson said. “It’s very fortunate that nobody got hurt. As men, we all have that competitive nature. Any time we come out here on the field, I don’t think anybody wants to be shoved around.”
Baylor Bears hold reunion
Texans long snapper Jon Weeks played at Baylor with Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
“Every Baylor Bear I see in the league, it puts a smile on the face,” Griffin said. “We stick together. We had a nice talk.
“Jay ( Gruden, Redskins coach) came over, I’m talking (with Weeks), smiling ear to ear. He’s like, ‘This guy must be a Baylor Bear.’ They know every player from Baylor is the greatest player in the world in my opinion. That’s just the way it is. It was good to see him.”
Polk’s return helps RB depth
The return of running back Chris Polk from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him all week provided a boost to the Texans’ backfield.
“He’s missed some time, and him being back helped that running back situation, depth-wise,” coach Bill O’Brien said.
The Texans need help at running back because Arian Foster is out for two to three months after undergoing surgery on his groin Friday.
“I see him as a threedown back,” O’Brien said of Polk. “He’s still learning our system. He needs to be out there every day. He’s a hard-working guy. Biggest thing with him is health.”
Trail in the mix at linebacker
Texans outside linebacker Lynden Trail had some fans cheering for him during practices against the Redskins.
Trail transferred from Florida to Norfolk State, where he played outside linebacker, defensive end and tight end. Trail (6-7, 269) has gotten the attention of his coaches.
“Really good length, a very bright player, kind of like (Rice rookie nose tackle Christian Covington,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “Aguy that has some plays that aren’t so good sometimes, but he flashes, and he’s competitive.
“He’s out here every day, and we really enjoy working with him. It’s a long road ahead for him, but if he gets better every day he’s got a shot.”
Confidence grows for rookie Strong
Texans rookie receiver Jaelen Strong, a thirdround pick, has enjoyed a good start to camp, including three days of practices against the Redskins.
Strong missed much of the offseason program because of a hamstring injury.
“I think he continues to improve,” general manager Rick Smith said. “When a guy, especially a rookie, comes in and he’s injured early on, it presents problems for the guy in his development.
“So he’s fighting an uphill battle from that perspective. But I think he continues to come out every day and get better. I think he’s increasing in his confidence, and I think the more confident he is, the more success he has, the more I think you’ll see him play.”
Aaron Wilson, John McClain