The Houston Texans open training camp Wednesday at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Here’s a closer look at the Texans’ camp:
Top storyline: Last season’s No. 1 defense lost three starters to free agency -- A.J. Bouye, Quintin Demps and John Simon -- and Vince Wilfork is not back with the team. The Texans do get back three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who played in just three games in 2016 because he reaggravated his back injury. Watt said he is happy with how his back responded during spring practices and is looking forward to putting pads on and being able to hit during training camp. Although he says he's healthy, it remains to be seen whether Watt will return to the level he has played at in the past. Despite missing games last season, Watt still boasts an NFL-best 76 sacks since entering the league in 2011, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Last season, without Watt, the Texans had 31 sacks, their fewest since 2010.
QB depth chart: All eyes will be on the quarterback competition between Tom Savage and rookie Deshaun Watson during training camp. Coach Bill O’Brien has said Savage is his starter right now, but he also acknowledged he has been impressed by what Watson has shown the coaching staff since being drafted. The Texans didn't trade two first-round picks to draft Watson and have him sit on the bench. He will be the Texans' starting quarterback -- it's just a matter of when.
Bubble watch: Most of the Texans’ roster is set, but if there is a surprising player in jeopardy of not making the team, it could be running back Alfred Blue. Blue backed up starter Lamar Miller last season, but Houston drafted running back D’Onta Foreman in the third round to compete with Blue for the No. 2 role. Blue had a career-low 100 carries last season but averaged a career-best 4.2 yards per carry. As it stands, the Texans have a crowded backfield behind Miller, and special teams could be the deciding factor, especially for players such as Tyler Ervin and Akeem Hunt.
That rookie could start: It might not happen immediately, but unless Savage plays really well throughout, Watson could start this season. The hardest part for Watson, O’Brien said, will be learning the Texans' terminology and offensive scheme. But O’Brien added that the young quarterback has made good progress in that area in a few months' time.
Left tackle no-show?: Veteran left tackle Duane Brown didn’t participate in any of the Texans’ offseason activities, including the mandatory veterans minicamp, and it remains to be seen whether he will be at training camp. Brown is seeking an improvement on his contract, which doesn't have any more guaranteed money left and expires after the 2018 season. The Texans don’t have many options at the position, and they also don’t have a clear starting right tackle.
Who will step up in secondary?: The Texans had the No. 2-ranked pass defense last season, but they lost cornerback Bouye and safety Demps in free agency. The two players combined for seven of Houston's 11 interceptions in 2016, so the team will be looking for a playmaker in the secondary to step up. The likely candidate is third-year cornerback Kevin Johnson. The 2015 first-round pick was starting for the Texans last year until he broke a foot in Week 6 against the Colts and missed the rest of the season.
New QB enough for DeAndre Hopkins?: Hopkins had a dip in production last year and was targeted 44 fewer times than in his breakout 2015 season. He finished with 78 catches and 954 yards. The Texans hope a new quarterback, either Savage or Watson, will make a difference. Though it's a small sample size, Savage targeted Hopkins on 30 percent of his passes last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. By comparison, Brock Osweiler targeted Hopkins just 24 percent of the time. Hopkins is a free agent after the 2017 season and held out for one day before training camp last year.
For daily updates at camp, check out the Houston Texans clubhouse page.