Fresh off an intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday night, the Houston Texans came into camp Monday morning a tad bit lethargic to begin the day, but by the time the day was done the energy level was back to 10 as season ticket holders observed from the stands.

Houston is preparing to take on the Green Bay Packers this Saturday in their first preseason game of the season. Here are a few takeaways from Monday’s practice.

Watson Sighting

After a five-day absence from camp due to what was reported as a lower leg injury, quarterback Deshaun Watson was back at camp on Monday.

He attended his first practice since the Texans put on the pads nearly a week ago. Watson went through his regular routine of working in individual drills and not participating in the team drills. As previously stated in other articles I have written, Watson was not a distraction. He was even spotted talking to first-year general manager Nick Caserio before practice on the field.

Watson left practice for a moment to receive treatment and returned to the field to watch practice with no helmet or shoulder pads on.

Pharaoh Brown’s Presence

Tight end Pharaoh Brown is starting to make his presence felt at camp. Brown got a late start coming into camp due to some side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine shot but has made up for lost time during the opportunities he has been given.

During Saturday’s scrimmage, quarterback Tyrod Taylor found Brown creeping through the seams for a touchdown and on Monday he was right back at it, making himself a big target for every quarterback that was under center while he was on the field.

He is involved in a fierce competition with teammate Jordan Akins for first team reps and is looking over his shoulder as rookie Brevin Jordan is exceeding expectations in his first NFL training camp.

“Being undrafted, those opportunities come slim,” Brown said about being signed by the Texans in Week 4 of the 2020 NFL regular season. “So, when you get it, you got to take it and I been prepared each year, you know, going into my fifth year, I only played two years, but I've been prepared each year like I knew I was a starter, I believed I was a starter and I believed I could play in this league, and it was just a matter of opportunity.”

Lonnie Johnson Jr. Has A Point To Prove

Another player who started camp late, but is making his impact felt, is safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. Every time he is on the field, plays are being made and Monday’s practice was no different. He was involved in a lot of pass deflections and was very vocal in making sure players were in the right position.

This year Johnson will get to show how he has improved at the safety position. A natural cornerback, he was moved to safety during the season, a position he was not familiar with.

“Adjusting to safety last year was kind of tough because I pretty much didn't know nothing about it,” Johnson said during his press conference. “But this year, like mentally, I'm ready for it.”