Osweiler puts in time to be quick study for new team
New Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler is spending more time learning his playbook and bonding with his new teammates than worrying about the Texans’ prime-time game at Denver on Oct. 24.
When he signed a four-year, $72 million contract that included $37 million guaranteed, Osweiler knew he would return to a hostile environment in Denver, the team he left after four years to join the Texans.
“It’s very exciting to see who you’re playing (and) when you’re playing, but that’s (return to Denver) so far down the road,” Osweiler said Wednesday during the team’s offseason program. “I have a very large playbook to learn (and), that’s my focus right now.
“When that game comes, the Houston Texans will be prepared to play. That Bronco game will come, as well as all those other games, but right now, my focus is on learning this playbook.”
Osweiler got help with his playbook from quarterback Tom Savage and their receivers during a week of workouts at Arizona State, where Osweiler went to college.
“It was a great week,” Osweiler said. “We got some great work in, as far as throwing routes. I was able to hear some of the language from this playbook. Those guys were coaching me up on the field.
“We’d get a little workout in. Each night we’d pick a spot for dinner. We’d hang out and get to know each other.”
Receivers attending were DeAndre Hopkins, C.J. Shorts, Jaelen Strong and Keith Mumphery.
Asked what impressed him the most about his receivers, Osweiler
said, “Just their work ethic.
“It was 95 degrees every day. I never heard one complaint about how hot it was or how many routes we were having them run. They work extremely hard and want to be great.”
Hopkins is already great. In his third season, he was voted to his first Pro Bowl and also was voted second-team AllPro.
“Working with Hop is fantastic,” Osweiler said. “He’s obviously a tremendous talent, but he’s also a great person. The thing he really brings to the table is work ethic. I saw that right away in Arizona. Every time we hit the field or the weight room, he was pushing everybody.
“It’s not just Hop; it’s all those receivers. They worked their tails off. I didn’t take it easy on them that week. I was running them into the ground and making them earn their dinner each night. They’re hungry to be great.”
Osweiler made quite an impression on his receivers in Arizona.
“I was very impressed with his leadership skills, him getting everybody out there and demanding the best from us, giving us a time and a schedule, basically an itinerary of every day,” Hopkins said. “For him to know none of us, that speaks a lot about his character and his leadership skills.
“He had Tom Savage with him, so those guys were doing more talking about the playbook and what goes on in the quarterback room.”
Savage spent last season on injured reserve. He’s entering his third season and has a good chance to win the backup job in competition with Brandon Weeden.
“It was great having Tom in Arizona,” Osweiler said. “He was able to give me a little background on how (offensive coordinator) coach (George) Godsey and (offensive assistant) coach (Pat) O’Hara want things done.”