Everything Texans S Calen Bullock said after Day 4 of training camp

Here is everything Houston Texans Pro Bowl safety Calen Bullock said after Day 4 of training camp, including his initial impressions of safety Reed Blankenship, cornerback Kamari Lassiter improving his game and what he is seeing out of quarterback C.J. Stroud so far in training camp.

Question: On thoughts on S Reed Blankenship

Calen Bullock: “Reed came in, smart guy, just picked up, he was just rolling.  So just hitting the field with him.  Him going out there showing and communicating with me.  We’re on the same page.  It makes both our jobs easier.”

Q: On if he notices anything different in S Reed Blankenship considering he has won a Super Bowl

Bullock: “His knowledge, his work ethic.  Like you said, he’s been to the Super Bowl.  He knows what it takes.  He’s seen how a Super Bowl team looks like from offense, defense, special teams.  He knows how it looks.  So just picking his brain in the meeting rooms and seeing what he sees out there in the field, it helps me a lot also on the field with him.”

Q: On if it gets easier year after year in the defensive scheme and how quick new players catch on

Bullock: “For me, I would say it’s gotten easier year by year, which it helps me a lot.  Just go out there, you know, being in the defense for three years, I’m comfortable in positions.  I know the defense in and out.  So just for me, I’m out there comfortable.  I’m out there playing with confidence because we know the playbook.  I always tell the young guys, we know the playbook and you know what you’re out there doing.  You’re not thinking too much.  It helps you go out there and make plays and play with some confidence.”

Q: On what he has seen from CB Kamari Lassiter in taking the next step

Bullock: “He comes in every single day.  He’s the same person.  Very consistent.  Year in, year out, he shows why he’s one of the best corners.  And he shows it by his game. He’s a guy, a lot of people probably don’t know; he’s a smart football player.  You’re going to see him in a building.  He’s walking around watching film all day.  Just him elevating his game on that level, just knowing what to expect, knowing the down and distances, what to expect at the receivers, it just shows his level of game, how it improved year in, year out.”

Q: On if he has a great view of everything in the safety position to see CB Kamari Lassiter’s play

Bullock: “Yeah, I get to see everything.  It’s the same way.  So I would say me and him, we’re always watching film together.  And we always, if we’re not with each other, we’re sending videos to each other, ‘How do you see this?  How do you want to play this?’  If we’re on the same side, ‘How you want me to communicate this?  Or drive this?’  So that just helps us when we’re going out here.  It brings us closer.  

And just the offseason work we put in together, it brings us closer, too, on the field.”

Q: On if there is anything that he specifically wants to work on this offseason

Bullock: “I would say just, me being down more, not just in the post all the time.  I think teams know I’m the post safety.  So just me trying to improve my game in other places.”

Q: On the most important thing S Reed Blankenship needs to do to fit in and not disrupt the defense

Bullock: “It’s not even just him trying to fit in or disrupt what we got.  He’s a part of the team, too.  He’s part of defense, too.  So, we’re playing around him also.  So, if he sees something he communicated, we’re going to play.  If he tells me something, I’m going to play what he sees.  And that’s just how we all be with each other.  We got each other back.  It’s not the case of him fitting in with us.  We welcome him with open arms.  It’s no even like he’s slowing us down.  He came in, he was rolling.  He knew the defense as soon as he came.”

Q: On how the defense can improve even more after having such a dominant season last year

Bullock: “I think it’s the plays, seeing the plays last year that we messed up on.  I think last year it was a lot of plays that we wished we could have got back.  It was games we could have had a lot of shutouts, but it was our mistake.  So, I would say our mindset is just being consistent each day, every single day, no matter what.  Just being the same people every single day.  Like you said, we set the bar high last year.  So, we know that this year we got to go out there and show it again.”

Q: On what he has noticed about CB Jaylin Smith and S Jaylen Reed

Bullock: “Their confidence level.  Those guys, they just been itching just to get back on the field, especially Jaylin, him missing the whole season last year.  Seeing him go out in Week 3, Week 1 through Week 3, him on special teams, he was making a lot of plays, being a very impact player.  But seeing him in this camp and he’s becoming a smarter football player and his confidence level is really high.  And he’s a very key piece to us.  Even Jaylen Reed, he got to go in, at the back end of the season.

He played for us in the playoffs.  So now this year is him just having that confidence in his head and still having the mindset that he’s a key piece of his defense.  And when his number gets called, he shows up every single day, both of them.”

Q: On thoughts on QB C.J. Stround in the offense

Bullock: “I would say C.J., just in his offense, he’s more comfortable out there, making better reads, making better decisions with the ball.  He’s our leader.  So we talk to him, what we see on the defense, if we see something, we talk about it in the locker room and he tell us, too.  So just that level of confidence, we got a level of confidence in him and he got confidence in himself and that’s all we really need for him.  And we know when he has that confidence, he’s one of the best in the league.”

Q: On how he handles the balance between making a play on the ball and making sure you make the play

Bullock: “I’m just trying to make a play on the ball every single time.  It’s a gamble.  I’m out there gambling and that’s what good DBs do.  You go out, you gamble.  That’s part of the game.  You have to gamble.  And I’m trying to get a pick.  I’m not trying to get a ‘PBU’ [pass break-up].  I’m trying to get off the field.  You get a PBU, we got to stay on the field.  I’m trying to get us to get off the field and get some water.”

Q: On how much he sees himself being the next great safety in the NFL

Bullock: “I feel like I am one of the stop safeties in this league.  I showed it since I got here, year in, year out.  Last year I showed it, so I feel like I’m up there with them top guys.”

Q: On what he learned when taking a video game class at USC

Bullock: “Really, I can’t even remember.  I was just happy to take it.  I love playing video games, so just going to video games classes, it shows you the background, how they make the games and everything that goes into it and I just love games.”

Q: On how much of a measuring stick these practices are

Bullock: “We go out there and we joke about it in the locker room with some of the receivers.  We were 1-0 today.  We have a series, we call it a series.  Like, ‘If we sweep y’all.  Hey, y’all got to do this or that.’  So it just gives us a little competitive edge on each other, confidence.  It helps us, though.  It helps both sides of the ball to be the best out there.  We have fun out there.  That’s really what we’re just trying to do.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans S Calen Bullock said after Day 4 of training camp