JULIAN EDELMAN, Wide Receiver

(On how practice went today against a competitive team coming off of a playoff appearance)

"It's good to go out and get to play against such a hard-nosed, tough franchise like the Houston Texans. You're pretty familiar - at least I'm pretty familiar - with a lot of the guys on their coaching staff. Their stories and their journeys on how they got to where they're at makes you respect and realize how tough and hard-nosed this team really is. You know it's going to be a battle and it's going to make us better, ultimately. It was good work, a good working environment once again, a good way to go out and get to polish your tools against a team defensively that ranks high up there. They're a very good defense. It's definitely been good work."

(On if it is different facing them in this kind of practice environment as opposed to a playoff or primetime tilt)

"I feel like you go somewhat full out out here. That's the great thing about these practices, is that you have an opportunity to get out of training camp. It's almost like when you're in school and you go on a field trip. You may be learning things but it's like ten times better than being in class. It's like the same thing with joint practices. You get to go out, you get to hit someone new, you get to go use your techniques that you've been working against guys for so long against someone new and see how they stack up. Against a team like this with how well-coached they are, the talented players that they have, that's definitely great for our team."

(On if there becomes an irritation level in working with your own guys all camp)

"100 percent, 100 percent. It's the brother syndrome. You go out and your mom's not around, you're with your brother and all day you guys hang out and you guys just end up beating each other up. When you get to go out and play with someone else, it's a little different. You get to have fun and you take pride on that and you're actually closer with your brother who is there with you and you work harder together as a family. That's what the great thing about coming out here to West Virginia really is. We get to see and develop the development of our team away from home. There's nothing really out here other than beautiful hillsides, this beautiful facility that we get to be on. You get a sense of bonding and you get to learn each other. It's a cool experience and I look forward to taking advantage of it tomorrow and having another practice."

(On if the offense responded well when Tom Brady scolded them a bit)

"Somewhat. I have to watch the film. I mean, yeah, I say that all the time, but you've really got to go and watch film to see really how things went. That's just Tom being Tom. When you've got a leader that wants to go out and practice at the ultimate, highest level, when something that you should do doesn't go right, there's going to be a little fire under that and that's what you need from your leader. That's just Tommy being Tommy."

(On if he is surprised that Wes Welker has pursued coaching after the end of his playing career)

"Not really. Wes is such a smart, intelligent football player. He played a lot of years. He's a grinder, meaning he earned everything he got. He didn't start on third [base]. He had to have a long journey to get to being, ultimately, a revolutionary player who basically created a position. Being in the locker room with him for so many years and being able to pick his brain and seeing just from how he practiced and how he played, it doesn't surprise me at all, because he was such a student of the game. He knew just about everything, so it was one of those things where being a coach, you know, it's a grind. It's a huge thing but he's a football guy. He loves the sport."

JIMMY GAROPPOLO, Quarterback

(On if the team is able to bond on a trip like this away from home)

"Yeah, I mean it's a great opportunity. We spend - what is it - three, four days, something like that here. It's a lot of time away from the families. We're all just together. It's just us, so there's not much to do so it's a lot of team bonding time. It's good for all of us."

(On how much that can benefit the time in the long run)

"Yeah, it's just one of those little things. You can't really put your finger on it exactly, but it's just something that's going to carry you throughout the season. Being a tightly knit crew as we are, it always helps us."

(On what value there is practicing against such a competitive defense like Houston has)

"It's great, it's great. You can really gauge where our team is. We're going through training camp every day, had a good week with Jacksonville last week and another opponent this week. Like you said, they're talented across the board defensively so it's a good test for us."

(On how hard it is to not show your hand versus them in practice considering you'll play a game against them in a few days)

"That's one for the coaches to worry about. That's a tricky situation. We play them early in the season, so we'll let the coaches handle that one."