Deshaun Watson feels “able to do things that I couldn’t do” last year

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When the Texans were getting started on offseason work this year, head coach Bill O’Brien said that he thought it would be big for quarterback Deshaun Watson to have a “full offseason” with the team.

Watson joined the program in progress as a rookie in 2017 and was coming off a torn ACL last year, but was able to focus on nothing but mastering the offense this time around. That offseason work is now over and Watson’s assessment of his work is in line with what O’Brien said he was hoping to see.

“I feel like I’m ahead of where I was, of course, last year,” Watson said, via the team’s website. “Just decision making, operation of the offense, being able to do things that I couldn’t do a year before and definitely my rookie year. Being able to take control and take leadership of this offense and be able to get the young guys lined up, make sure the protection is right, make sure the ball is getting placed in the right direction or where the ball needs to be versus this coverage. It’s been a great camp and we’re just trying to continue to improve and make this offense go.”

Watson believes the offense has the potential to go a lot of good places in 2019 and said “whoever is touching the ball on each possession can make something happen.” Keeping those pieces healthy and making sure a reworked offensive line can hold up better than last year’s edition will be keys to making sure that good things are happening in Houston.