--New defensive coordinator Frank Bush was originally coach Gary Kubiak's first choice for the job three years ago. Bush was under contract, however, with the Cardinals then and was not allowed to interview with Kubiak.

Kubiak then went with Richard Smith, who was already on the staff and slated to be the linebackers coach.

This will be Bush's first opportunity in the NFL as a defensive coordinator.

"Frank was ready for this opportunity a few years ago," Kubiak said. "This league's about opportunity. Look at all the so-called hot coordinators that are getting chances to be head coaches. They all started somewhere.

"Frank has been around good football people. ... I don't have any doubt that he'll call things extremely well."

The Texans asked Washington for permission to interview Jerry Gray, but the Redskins turned them down.

"We don't want to venture away from our 4-3 scheme and what we're doing," Kubiak said. "I love Frank's ideas and identity and what he sees us being as a defensive team.

"I know he's a great teacher and a great motivator. I think we're heading in the right direction, and Frank keeps us going in that direction."

This is Bush's 25th season in the NFL. He was a player, scout and assistant coach with the Oilers. He coached linebackers, defensive backs and special teams with the Broncos and Cardinals.

--FB Vonta Leach was disappointed when he saw team-issued t-shirts campaigning for a number of players on the Texans roster for Pro Bowl consideration. There were no t-shirts made for Leach. So about a week before the Pro Bowl vote, Leach took a Sharpie and wrote "Vote 4 Leach" across his white weight-lifting shirt and wore it around Reliant Stadium.

It didn't end up earning him a spot in the Pro Bowl but he was named an alternate.

"I hope my name's out there now," Leach said. "I hope our marketing people do a good job of getting me out there. I'm going to start early this year. So, hopefully we get a lot of wins and stuff and that'll take care of that."

--Before the team has to return for offseason workouts, LG Chester Pitts said he plans to enjoy his time off. He decided to spend some time in Los Angeles and try to get on television. He has enjoyed the spotlight ever since he was in last year's Super Bowl ad for the NFL.

It's a much different offseason agenda than he had in his younger seasons in the NFL.

"My rookie year and probably the first five I didn't do a whole lot, just kind of rested, hung out, let my body heal up," Pitts said. "And then I would come and do the offseason program. Never really did anything fun or exciting. But last offseason I got to do some cool things, some running around. Actually two years ago I went to Dubai and that was really nice. So I did that in the offseason and last year you know was the whirlwind offseason, it's really not last year it's this year, but I had a lot of fun and got to go to the Playboy mansion and do all of the little things that are really kind of fun and kind of the LA/Hollywood lifestyle-type stuff."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's huge and that's my goal for next season. I'm going to make sure to get that accomplished. I can't help when guys dive at my legs or anything like that, but I'm going to do my best to be ready to go for 16 weeks next year. You can see, other than my injury, we stayed really healthy throughout the season on most guys along the front and on defense and offensively. So, if we can keep that together then the sky's the limit." -- QB Matt Schaub, on how important it is for him to stay healthy for a 16-game season.