Confidence and optimism is at an all-time high around this time every year. As NFL teams conclude OTAs and prepare for training camp, everyone is starting with a new slate. The New England Patriots have the same record as the Cleveland Browns.
Eventually, this optimism gives into reality. It starts in early September with Week 1 of the regular season and continues throughout the fall.
But for the Houston Texans, it looks like said optimism might end up becoming reality in and of itself. Having won the AFC South with Brock Osweiler under center last season, Houston made sure to upgrade that position. It selected former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson No. 11 overall after trading up with the Cleveland Browns.
Maybe, this is the year Houston actually breaks through in January.
In any event, Texans defensive line coach Anthony Weaver (a former NFL player himself) seems to be extremely high on talented pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. By extremely high, we note that he views the former No. 1 overall pick as a potential future Hall of Famer.
“I told him he can be a Hall of Famer,” Weaver said Friday, via the Houston Chronicle. “Now, there’s a number of things that have to happen. You’ve got to stay healthy, you have to be consistent and persistent. But he has all the qualities and athletic attributes in order to do that.”
After struggling with production and injuries in his first two NFL season, Clowney broke out big time this past season. He recorded 52 tackles and six sacks en route to earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
With J.J. Watt apparently back at 100 percent, the Texans’ front seven is going to be absolutely dominant this upcoming season. Should Clowney continue to progress, that will be taken to an entirely new level.
Whether that means Clowney will eventually live up to being Hall of Fame material remains to be seen. He might actually want to prove himself to be among the best defenders in the NFL before we even have this conversation. At the very least, Clowney has one guy who believes in him big time.