Cunningham plans to spend a ton of time hitting the weights

Before Texans rookie linebacker Zach Cunningham sheds his first block and delivers his first NFL tackle, he already has set a goal.

As the Texans concluded a two-day rookie minicamp Saturday, the rangy All-American linebacker and second-round draft pick from Vanderbilt wants to make getting bigger and stronger one of his major priorities.

“Definitely one of my biggest goals would be like they talked about living in the weight room,” said Cunningham, who is listed on the roster at 6-3, 234 pounds.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien likes the sound of that.

“We saw a guy at Vanderbilt that was a productive guy, but, with all due respect to Vanderbilt, this is a whole different ballgame,” O’Brien said. “He’s a guy that’s athletic. He’s a hardworking guy. He needs to spend a lot of time in the weight room.

“He’s got a long way to go, but we see, obviously, potential there.”

Foreman receiving advice from Campbell

As Texans rookie running back D’Onta Foreman gets acclimated to the NFL, he’s leaning on the advice of an accomplished mentor, Earl Campbell.

“Earl called me the other day, we had a conversation,” said Foreman, a third-round pick from Texas. “He’s a great man. I’ve learned a lot from being able to talk to him. I just continue to talk to him and get advice from him.

“He’s been here. He’s been in the NFL. He’s done great things. That’s somebody I definitely have in my corner and can call whenever. He’s very close to my family.”

Foreman, who is the only unsigned Texans rookie, watched Saturday’s practice from the side and occasionally rode a stationary exercise bike.

“Got to get in good shape,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “I tell them, ‘It’s not your fault you’re not in great shape. You’ve been getting ready for the combine: the broad jump, the 40-yard dash, the long jump, the steeplechase, whatever you’re doing at the combine.’

“So, they’re not in football condition. That’s not just D’Onta, that’s everybody. They’re going to work hard to get into that football condition.”

A native of Texas City, Foreman ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds and had a 33-inch vertical leap at the Longhorns’ pro day workout.

“As far as conditioning, we just want to keep working hard and keep doing what they ask us to do,” Foreman said. “The conditioning will come.”

Newton will miss entire 2017 season

As soon as Texans veteran offensive tackle Derek Newton bent backward awkwardly against the Denver Broncos and tore both patellar tendons, the odds were immediately against him making a speedy comeback.

That wound up being the case.

As expected, Newton will miss this season on the reserve-physically unable to perform list after being designated there Friday.

Newton avoided tearing either anterior cruciate ligament, but he underwent a pair of surgeries last fall to repair the damage.

“It’s a tough injury,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “It’s not something he can’t come back from, but it’s very difficult to come back from that within a year.

“It takes a ton of rehab. Every single day, he’s been in here early, late. I would never bet against him coming back, but the chances of him coming back this year obviously were slim.”

Decoud forced to sit for rest of spring

Texans rookie cornerback Treston Decoud is expected to miss the remainder of spring practices and workouts because of an NFL academic rule that impacts many players from Pac12 Conference schools.

Decoud is a fifth-round draft pick from Oregon State, which is on the quarter academic system along with UCLA and Stanford. The NFL allows rookies to participate in rookie minicamps but has a rule that limits a player to that time until his school has finished its session and the player hasn’t graduated yet.

Oregon State has its commencement June 17. The Texans’ mandatory minicamp concludes June 15.