C.J. Stroud wants to put more on his plate and 'own' Texans offense in year two

C.J. Stroud operates with a certain level of confidence, but he showed self-awareness Thursday at Texans training camp when asked about taking his game to the next level.

“Yeah, I mean, there is a ton of things. Most of the things, you know, I really can say just like owning the offense more, the operation, putting more on my plate with run checks, protection checks, things like that," Stroud said. "And then really just like everything inside the field. Xs and Os can always be better. You can always have better footwork. I want to definitely attack down the field more this year and press guys back and also take what the defense gives me.

"If it's boring, if it's a boring play, just stay with the boring stuff and just be efficient with that. So, those are all things I can get better at and I hope to do that.”

Stroud was not shy about pushing the ball down the field last season. He was second in both intended air yards per pass attempt and completed air yards per pass attempt. But he's willing to admit that his footwork and decision making can still improve.

“I'm still young in the game. I’m still pretty new. It's only year two for me, so I have a lot to learn. I want to get better. I'm willing to get better. And I'm willing to be vulnerable about that and ask I questions. I ask hard questions. I want to know why I'm doing what I'm doing. Last year, I got to see a lot of success from that. Also, some things that I need to get better at.

"So, it's a balance of not just shooting yourself in the foot, but also holding yourself accountable when you need to, while also raising yourself up and staying confident. That's kind of where I'm at now, most definitely."