Texans WR Jaelen Strong said he lost 20 lbs and is now at 211 lbs.

HC Bill O'Brien singled Strong out this spring by saying that the rookie needed to show up to training camp in better shape, and it looks like Strong has listened. He'll compete for snaps opposite DeAndre Hopkins.

Texans beat writers John McClain and Brian T. Smith discuss the candidates to replace Andre Johnson as the starter opposite DeAndre Hopkins. Smith said that "big picture" Jaelen Strong should be the guy, but Smith asked, "can he make enough of an impression during training camp?" The Texans are looking for consistency from the rookie.

Smith went on to say that Cecil Shorts "looked impressive" in camp, showing "really nice hands" and was the "one guy who truly stood out" at receiver.

Smith doesn't believe that Nate Washington will start, but went on to say that he could "really help this team" with his speed in three-WR sets.

Washington was the player that HC Bill O'Brien singled out, but it sounds like Smith believes that either Shorts or Strong will end up starting opposite of Hopkins. This may be something of a committee throughout the season and the quarterback situation in Houston makes it a dicey proposition to buy into the Texans' pass offense. Still, Strong is worthy of a late-round flier given his 15th round ADP even if he isn't starting Week 1.

Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson was a week from returning to the Vikings' roster after a three-game suspension for drunken driving, when ESPN reported on Sept. 18 that Simpson had been cited in July for misdemeanor marijuana possession and driving with an open bottle. The Vikings released Simpson later that day, and signed Charles Johnson off the Cleveland Browns' practice squad the next day.

It seemed at the time like a move to replenish the Vikings' wide receiver depth with a known commodity -- quarterbacks coach Scott Turner had been Johnson's position coach the previous year in Cleveland -- but Johnson was less than a year removed from knee surgery, and didn't play more than 20 snaps in a game until Nov. 16. From that point on, though, he caught 25 passes for 415 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and supplanted Cordarrelle Patterson as the team's "X" receiver.

"He was recovering from that knee surgery a year ago and I don't know that he was ever 100 percent," offensive coordinator Norv Turner said. "I think he's 100 percent. He's got great work ethic, and he's a big, strong guy. He's a 218-pound receiver that can run. He's got everything you need to be a productive player in this league."

In organized team activities and minicamp, there was no mystery about where Johnson figured in the Vikings' plans, the story went on to say. He was lined up at split end all spring, and teamed with Mike Wallace and Jarius Wright in the team's three receiver sets. According to ESPN, 33 of Johnson's 58 targets were at least 10 yards downfield, and 13 of those 58 were 20 or more yards downfield. Johnson worked out in Southern California with Bridgewater and a number of the Vikings' receivers this offseason, and also spent time in Houston with Rischad Whitfield, the "Footwork King" who has counted Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins among his clients. Johnson is one of 4for4.com Senior Editor John Paulsen's potential sleepers this year. We rank him 37th on our WR list and he looks to be in a good situation with the offense under OC Norv Turner and a developing QB in Bridgewater.

Texans beat writer John McClain:

I believe Brian Hoyer will be Texans' starting QB when they open against Kansas City.

Hoyer is such a nautral in the system implemented by coach Bill O'Brien and OC George Godsey. QB gets a lot of freedom at the line.

Hoyer is smooth, smart and accurate. Looks like he's been in this system for years. Has a nice touch on all throws. Looked good today.

Hoyer didn't have much success in Cleveland, but he could work his way into the QB2 conversation if everything breaks his way in Houston. He has a bona fide WR1 in DeAndre Hopkins, but after that there isn't a whole lot of certainty in the receiving corps.

Stephanie Stradley of the Houston Chronicle discusses DeAndre Hopkins and the Texans' receiving corps:

This offseason so far reminds me of the Texans offseasons when it was Andre Johnson and a buncha rando wide receivers competing to see who would be starters. No receiver targets in OTAs have been *oh-wow* type guys where you see a particularly positive future for him when they are in the offense longer.

Rookie Jaelen Strong, Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington seem to be the primary candidates to start opposite Hopkins, but no one is standing out, per Stradley. Damaris Johnson will probably man the slot.

Texans writer John Harris: When the Texans signed Nate Washington, I wrote a piece on him as it pertained to how his veteran savvy could be seen in his route running. I watched him closely today on a few of his routes and that man can get open in a phone booth. He has a knack of selling his routes to get open and it’s fun to watch a veteran at his age still know how to find seams or win against man coverage.

Our younger readers are wondering, "what's a phone booth?" Washington is the dark horse to start opposite DeAndre Hopkins. He's competing with Cecil Shorts and rookie Jaelen Strong.

Texans have agreed on a contract with WR Cecil Shorts.

In PPR formats, Shorts finished #25 in 2012 and #38 in 2013, so he has been fantasy relevant in his career. At this point, we're penciling him in as the starter opposite DeAndre Hopkins, but the team is likely to shore up the receiver position in the draft. Shorts isn't a threat to Hopkins up-and-coming status, and he's capable of turning in a fantasy starter-type season if he stays healthy and gets good quarterback play.