HOUSTON -- Texans coach Bill O’Brien and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo did not overlap while they were with the New England Patriots. But O’Brien saw plenty of Garoppolo last season in Week 14.

Garoppolo threw for 334 yards in his 49ers second start -- a 26-16 victory over the Texans. This week, the 49ers and Texans participated in two joint practices ahead of the teams' Saturday night preseason game.

“Good player,” O’Brien said in his assessment of Garoppolo. “Really quick release, good leader . . . accurate guy, really good guy, good person. It’s what you’re looking for at that position, just guys that are easy to coach, that want to be coached, that are obviously good players. It makes it a lot of fun to coach that position.”

O’Brien served as a Patriots offensive assistant for five seasons under coach Bill Belichick. O'Brien left after the 2011 season to become Penn State’s head coach. Garoppolo spent 3½ seasons with the Patriots, beginning in 2014, before being traded to the 49ers last year.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects Garoppolo to play “maybe a little more” in the 49ers’ second preseason game. Garoppolo started and played one series, nine snaps, and converted two third downs on pass plays last week against the Dallas Cowboys.

“I see it pretty similar to the first game,” Shanahan said. “We’ll feel it out. But he’ll probably go a little more. I wouldn’t expect much more.”

Sherman, Hopkins Work Together

Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman did not take part in any competitive drills during the two 49ers-Texans practices as he continues to rehab from a hamstring strain. But he and Texans All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins spent time together after practice Thursday talking shop while Sherman mirrored Hopkins on some half-speed pass routes.

“I got a little work with Sherman at the end, just kind of go over some stuff that I need to work on,” Hopkins said. “It’s always good to up against a veteran guy because he can tell your weaknesses. He’s going to tell you after what you need to work on. So going up against guys like that, it helps me stay on top of my game.”

Hopkins’ work on Day 1 ended after one play when he and 49ers cornerback Jimmie Ward got into a fight and were kicked out of practice. Hopkins and Ward almost immediately shook hands and seemed to put the incident behind them.

“It was basically a little game of tic-tac-toe,” Hopkins said. “It’s football. That’s my friend. That’s football. It’s nothing more than us just out here playing football.”

McGlinchey’s Learning Experience

The first time 49ers rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey lined up against Texans All-Pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt, he was rudely tossed to the ground. As it turns out, McGlinchey had no idea what he was supposed to accomplish during that particular sequence. It was a one-on-one run drill -- something the 49ers never do.

“I don’t think guys were expecting that,” 49ers left tackle Joe Staley said. “I know Mike had no idea. He was like, ‘One-on-one run? What do you do there?' I was like, ‘Just come off the ball as hard as you can, like the Oklahoma drill, old school.’

“It didn’t go well for him the first rep. You could see that. But he was awesome. He told me after that, ‘I was just like trying to focus and don’t get embarrassed because he’s pretty strong.’ I was like, ‘J.J.’s one of the best in the NFL, so, yeah, he’s going to be pretty strong.’ ”

All in all, McGlinchey appeared to fare well against Watt for the remainder of the snaps in which they were matched against each other.

“I thought it was good work for him,” Shanahan said. “I think he battled. He definitely lost some and definitely won some, so it was a good start for him.”

Transactions

The 49ers re-signed safety Dexter McCoil to a one-year contract to take the roster spot of rookie safety Terrell Williams, whom the club placed on injured reserve. Williams sustained a hyperextended knee with a significant bone bruise and posterior capsule tear, according to the team. He was injured when he slipped on concrete at the side of the practice field at the end of a one-on-one coverage drill in practice Thursday. McCoil appeared in eight games with the 49ers last season after being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Chargers.

This ‘N’ That

Slot receiver Trent Taylor had two good days of practices, and he appears to be all the way back from offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his lower back. “His cuts are becoming more decisive and efficient, and it’s nice having him out there,” Garoppolo said. . . Shanahan said he was not sure whether veteran running back Alfred Morris would play Saturday. Morris joined the team in Houston and took part in the two practices. Jeremy McNichols, Joe Williams, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson are likely to split the playing time with the team’s top two running backs, Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida, sidelined with injuries. . . . Joshua Garnett and Jonathan Cooper are expected to see their first playing time of the preseason, as they join Mike Person and Erik Magnuson in the competition for the starting right guard job. Shanahan said the practices are equally as important as the games in evaluating the competition. “Every day that we put on pads and go against someone, it’s all equal,” he said.