HOUSTON -- A few observations on the Houston Texans, gleaned from the team's Aug. 15 practice:
1. Putting Carr in rearview mirror
It took the Texans at least one afternoon to get over David Carr. He may have been the face of the franchise, but in the locker room, he was a nonfactor. Players didn't dislike Carr, but they never felt close to him. When Matt Schaub came over in a trade, he immediately started calling his new teammates. Coach Gary Kubiak has talked about how encouraged he was when he left the office one evening and saw Schaub and several players hanging out in the Reliant Stadium parking lot. On the field, he looks sharp. And the main thing the coaches -- and the beleaguered offensive line -- love is the fact that he gets rid of the ball quickly. Schaub carries himself with a bit of a swagger, and his teammates seem to feed off that confidence. Will it be enough to make fans forget about not drafting Vince Young? Probably not, but I think it's a major upgrade.