Everything Texans OL Laken Tomlinson said after Day 6 of training camp

Here's everything Houston Texans offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson following Day 6 of NFL training camp, including his thoughts on rookie Tay Ersery, expectations for the upcoming season and how Nick Caley's offensive scheme is benefiting the offensive line.

Question: On why the Houston Texans were the desired landing spot for him

Laken Tomlinson: “It's been great so far working with the guys. Having familiarity with the guys here and, obviously, with Coach DeMeco [Ryans] and knowing some players here, Azeez [Al-Shaair] and then knowing some staff here as well. It's been great. It made the transition that much easier for me and made the decision that much easier for me, as a player, for my family. So far, it's been great.”

Q: On if he’s seeing cohesion among the offensive line now that they’re in pads

Tomlinson: “Oh, yeah. Guys are out here working. It's been great. Finally, the pads are on and we can go out there and really show what we can do.”

Q: On Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley’s offensive personnel and how it benefits the offensive line

Tomlinson: “It's been great. Working with the style that Coach [Offensive Coordinator] Nick [Caley] is emphasizing, it's been great for us and for the big guys up front. Obviously, he has a lot of stuff going on with the offense, but we're coming out there and executing and showing what we can do every day.”

Q: On taking on a leadership role among this offensive line

Tomlinson: “Coming in here, from the get-go, I've seen where we want to be. I felt it from the players that have already been here, with Tytus [Howard] and Blake [Fisher]. They had a standard that they wanted for themselves and for the offensive line and I felt it coming in. So, just having that from the get-go and then just coming in here and working with everybody, having the vision that Coach ‘Pop’ had for us and being out here to work with the guys on the field, working with the defense, it's been great. We're going to build chemistry every day and we're going to keep working.”

Q: On how this group can grow over time

Tomlinson: “Just spending time together. Spending time together as much as we can. One thing that's really impressive with this team is that guys, they stay here year-round. I feel like that's something truly special for our team. Guys are in the building and getting better and then when you have 57 guys here in the off-season it says a lot about a team. So, that's something that I came in, I'm just like, ‘Man, guys really care about each other. Guys really care about spending time with each other. Guys really care about being a part of a team here.’ So, that's really awesome, an awesome thing to have for a team.”

Q; On whether the group feels urgency and pressure to improve as a group from last year

Tomlinson: “Guys are coming in competing. We got new guys, new faces, but guys are coming in here competing. We're building chemistry. We know what it takes to be a great offensive line. We're going to come out here, we're going to compete every day and we're going to build that cohesiveness, that chemistry. We're just going to keep working. We're going to keep working all the way through training camp.”

Q: On how to manage the highs and lows of Training Camp from rep to rep

“We have a lot of vets in the room as well, myself included. You know, we got Trent [Brown], we got Cam [Robinson] and Tytus [Howard]. We got a lot of guys with a lot of experience in the room and that gives the young guys opportunities to kind of lean on those guys. We have young guys like ‘Tae’ [T Aireontae Ersery] coming out every day working on his craft, not only having Coach ‘Pop’ for technical craft, but veterans in the room that he can talk to, get feedback as well. So, when you have that in the offensive line room, I think it's great.”

On if the offensive line has to match the defensive lines physicality

Tomlinson: “Coach Nick [Caley] has his emphasis on the style that he wants us to play like. Us as a group, we're going to keep working towards that. Every day we have a fantastic defensive front, linebackers, secondary that we can work with and when you have guys coming in together working like that, I think it's great. So, us as a unit, come out here, work every day, and we'll see where we go.”

Q: On what he’s seen from OT Aireontae Ersery

Tomlinson: "He's a really good kid that asks a ton of questions, especially to the veterans in the room. He's talking to Cam [Robinson], he's talking to Tytus [Howard], he's talking to me, he's talking to everybody. He’s talking to ‘Pop’ [Cole Popovich]. When you have that for a young, talented young tackle, I think it's amazing because not only that he has it mentally, but he has it physically as well. When he can go out there on the field and execute those things, that's a special thing, especially for a young guy learning this game.”

Q: What differentiates Offensive Line/Offensive Run Game Coordinator Cole Popovich

Tomlinson: “I really love Coach ‘Pop.'. He's an offensive line coach through and through. Everything that he's doing for the guys right now, I truly appreciate it because he has a vision for us and we're moving full steam ahead, working towards that.”

Q: On the difficulties of learning a new offense and new teammates

Tomlinson: “I think it's fantastic. Just going from the offensive line standpoint, I've been here since OTAs and having that time with the guys, being able to work with the guys, building that chemistry, it's a day-to-day thing, especially in offensive line. Then, obviously, having such a good defensive front to work with, I think it's fantastic. [Head] Coach DeMeco [Ryans] has a saying, ‘Iron sharpens iron,’ and that's the best way to go about it right now in training camp. Iron is going to sharpen iron and we're going to work together and we're going to get better together.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans OL Laken Tomlinson said after Day 6 of training camp