'Consistently Better!' Coach Ryans Reveals Why Ka'dar Hollman Made Texans Roster
The goal of the Houston Texans' offseason has been growth - be it at an individual level, from players such as rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and second-year safety Jalen Pitre, or a team level, where improving on last year's 3-13-1 record is the ultimate priority.
Ideally, the two levels will ascend together, generating a step forward in Houston's first season under coach DeMeco Ryans, who was hired this spring after a successful two-year run as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator.
And in a sense, with next Sunday's regular-season kickoff fast approaching, the Texans are seeing growth right before their eyes - just look at cornerback Ka'Dar Hollman.
Ka'dar Hollman, credits courtesy of HoustonTexans.com
A career journeyman who's been a part of seven different teams since entering the league as a sixth-round draft pick in 2019, Hollman starred when given the chance to start in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints, recording two tackles and defending three passes.
The standout performance simply capped off a strong training camp for Hollman, who played in 18 total games during 2019 and 2020 with the Green Bay Packers but hasn't appeared in a regular season game since.
But that may change this year - Hollman won a spot on Houston's roster over former third-round pick Cam Dantzler, among others, and he recently drew praise from Ryans for the progress he made this offseason.
“Ka’dar consistently got better each and every day," Ryans said. "From where he started to where he finished training camp, he consistently got better. He competed every day, played hard, he was available every day, and Ka’dar has done a really good job.”
The next step for Hollman is proving his emphatic finish to the preseason was merely a sign of things to come ... and it appears that Ryans and the Texans believe it is.
After all, that game was a continuation of the strong work that had been done on the practice field throughout the entirety of camp and appears to have put the finishing touches on a well-rounded summer resume.
Can Hollman carry this level of play for the next 18 weeks? Who knows - but he certainly appears poised to get his first regular season action in three seasons ... and with his effort, competitiveness and day-by-day growth, he's more than capable of outperforming expectations.
Hollman's Texans will get the regular season rolling in just over a week's time, as they're set to hit the road for a matchup with the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 10. Kickoff inside M&T Bank Stadium is scheduled for noon CDT.
