Texans Camp Notebook: Keke Coutee's Mentor? Dez Bryant

“I feel like this is more sticking to my routine, being ready when my number is called and just being able to make plays when the ball is in the air,” Coutee said. “So, that's what I'm going to continue to do. I feel like it's wide open opportunities. Just sticking to myself, as I said before, continuing to make plays for this team.”

“We've got a lot of different talent in that room from one to the bottom, as well. Everybody brings something different to the table, a great group of guys, so I feel like we all can make plays.”

Pharaoh Brown makes big impression

Pharaoh Brown slipped behind the defense in the red zone, finding a seam in the back of the end zone for a touchdown catch.

Activated this week from the non-football injury list, the 6-foot-6, 258-pound former Oregon standout is reinforcing his value to the Texans as an imposing tight end who can catch passes, break tackles and block.

Re-signed to a one-year, $2.2 million contract, the former Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns player has excellent size and all-around skills for the position.

In 13 games with nine starts, Brown caught 14 passes on 16 targets for 163 yards and two touchdowns last season.

“Well, it's good to have him back," Texans coach David Culley said ."Obviously, size does matter, and getting him back and getting him in the swing of things. He's starting to get more and more and more reps right now with us, and he's one of those guys that we're counting on at that position to be able to help us.”

Brown overcome a serious leg injury suffered in college that nearly cost him his leg and is coming off the best year of his career.

The Texans like Brown's versatility.

"You can ask him to do different things, whether it’s align him away from the formation, align him as a fullback, align him as a tight end in-line, align him as an off-the-ball tight end," Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said during the season. "He finds ways to make it work and to excel at it. I’m very pleased with Pharaoh. He does a really good job in both the run game and pass game. He’s just a good football player.”

“He’s done a really good job of bringing a physical element to us, particularly in the run game. Being so big and long, he does a really good job of not only using those tools and being physical, but being a student of the game and really taking pride in knowing basically a multitude of positions.”

No deal for free agent WR

The Texans' No. 1 personnel issue is, in the view of most, all about QB Deshaun Watson, who is in the building but not working on the field. 

Meanwhile, in other personnel news, the Texans aren't signing former Iowa State wide receiver La'Michael Pettway after working him out Friday, according to a league source.

The Texans didn't immediately sign former Boston College linebacker Connor Strachan.

Pettway was invited to the Texans' rookie minicamp.

Pettway played collegiately at Iowa State after transferring from Arkansas.

He was an honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection. In 2019, he caught 55 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns.

In his final season at Arkansas, Pettway caught 30 passes for 499 yards and four touchdowns.

Strachan last played in The Spring League.

$4 million spent on locker room, training room

Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair and his family have invested roughly $4 million to significantly upgrade and modernize their locker room and training room.

The locker room has red neon lights, which sets a tone of futuristic design.

The players’ large red-and-blue lockers feature spacious leather seats.

Every player has a safe for their valuables, shoe and shoulder pad dryers, a helmet ventilator, and personal television screens that feature the daily schedule along with messages from coaches.

There are fuel bars located in the locker room that includes customized healthy snacks. Every piece of fabric is anti-microbial to provide a sanitary environment.

“The locker room is beautiful,” Texans safety and special-teams ace A.J. Moore said. “I thank (general manager) Nick (Caserio) and (executive vice president of football operations) Jack Easterby, Mr. McNair. We really thank them for that. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally done and we're very grateful.”

“My favorite thing is the neon light, it's super cool. Everything is comfortable in there. Come on, you know, new smell, everything. We're excited.”

During the tour of the locker room, in a video posted on the Texans’ website, McNair said: "The locker room is important to y’all. Y’all are important to me.”

Added Caserio: "We have done some things during the offseason, made some modifications to the facility. Appreciative of the support of ownership and the capital commitments they made with the new locker room and training space. With all of that designed to give the players and staff the resources they need to be successful and give them the opportunity to go out and perform to the best of their ability."