PHOENIX - A year ago, Texans owner Bob McNair was in the fight of his life, battling two forms of cancer that forced him to miss the NFL spring meetings, which begin again Sunday at the Arizona Biltmore.

After what he experienced in 2014, McNair is thankful and excited to attend the league's most important meeting of the year - when pressing issues are addressed, rules are changed and policies are adopted.

"I have checkouts periodically, had one a couple of weeks ago, and I'm in good health," McNair said about his 10-month ordeal with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma. "Everything's clean at this point, so that's good news."

In a wide-ranging interview before he left for the league meetings, McNair disclosed plans to honor receiver Andre Johnson, praised the team's moves in free agency, discussed the relationship between general manager Rick Smith and coach Bill O'Brien, gave a progress report on Jadeveon Clowney and expressed confidence that improvements to NRG Stadium will be made before Super Bowl LI.

In addressing Johnson's situation for the first time, McNair said the Texans will have a special day for him at NRG Stadium after his career is over.

Johnson was released after 12 seasons with the Texans and signed with Indianapolis, the Texans' AFC South rival and defending division champion.

"Certainly, at some point we'll bring Andre back and honor him and recognize what he did for our team," McNair said. "He'll always be remembered as a Texan.

"I think he's happy with the way it worked out. We wish him well and hope he's successful."

O'Brien's stamp

After O'Brien led the Texans to a league-high seven-game improvement to a 9-7 finish, the second-year coach continues to put his stamp on the team.

Five starters from last season are no longer with the Texans. They released Johnson and center Chris Myers. Outside linebacker Brooks Reid (Atlanta) and free safety Kendrick Lewis (Baltimore) signed with new teams. Nose tackle Ryan Pickett, whose contract expired, may retire.

The Texans re-signed cornerback Kareem Jackson, quarterback Ryan Mallett and right tackle Derek Newton.

They signed nose tackle Vince Wilfork, quarterback Brian Hoyer, free safety Rahim Moore and receiver Cecil Shorts III.

"I've been quite pleased with free agency," McNair said. "We've accomplished what we set out to do. We signed a quarterback and got help in the defensive line. We wanted a free safety with range, more of a center fielder, and we wanted to add some speed at receiver.

"And we were able to retain Kareem, Derek and Mallett. We did it within the cap, and we didn't sacrifice our future."

McNair is intrigued by the Wilfork signing, not only because of his impact on the defensive line but his influence on talented second-year nose tackle Louis Nix III, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve.

"Vince has been a terrific player," McNair said. "He's not 25 anymore, but we believe he can do the job for us, especially on first and second down.

"He plays hard. He'll be a good influence on Nix and show him what it takes to be a winner. Nix is healthy now. Having Wilfork mentoring him will have an impact on him.

"Nix is going to have to earn a spot. Physically, he's capable of doing that. We want to see the dedication and passion and have it show up on the practice field."

McNair scoffed at reports near the end of the season that he was removing Smith and hiring a new general manager. Smith is in his 10th year of running the personnel side of the organization.

"Rick's doing a good job," McNair said. "He and Bill work well together. I think they're on the same page.

"Rick has the ultimate responsibility for picking players, but he picks players the coaches want. He doesn't pick players the coaches don't want, or they'll just sit on the bench."

McNair has hired two general managers and three head coaches since he was awarded the team in 1999.

"I thought Bill and the staff did a superb job last season," he said. "We've got a strong staff, and I'm really proud of them.

'Learning curve'

"There's a learning curve for all of us. We all learn from our experiences, so I expect that he'll do an even better job next season. Hopefully, we can execute our plan even better."

McNair likes O'Brien's style of coaching, including what he believes are some special characteristics.

"I like the fact that when he sees someone not carrying out their responsibility, he corrects it immediately on the field," McNair said. "He doesn't worry if he's going to offend a (position) coach if he corrects the player. If he sees something that's not being done properly, he's right on it.

"He holds his coaches and players accountable. Sometimes loyalty can make a coach overlook poor performance, and Bill has a clear understanding that everybody has to perform, and it doesn't matter who you are. If you aren't performing, he'll make a change."

McNair has high expectations for his team again. The Texans competed for a playoff spot last season. He has similar goals for this season.

"I think we should be a playoff contender," he said. "I said that last year, and people didn't take it seriously.

"We have a lot of good players on our team, and we continue to get stronger. You've got to have a good coach, and you've got to have performance at quarterback."

Mallett and Brian Hoyer will compete for the starting quarterback job.

Meanwhile, O'Brien and Smith are preparing for the draft April 30-May 2.

"Because of injuries (Clowney, Nix and free safety Lonnie Ballentine), this year will be like getting extra picks," McNair said.

Clowney, last year's first overall pick, is undergoing rehabilitation for microsurgery on his knee. It's a recovery process that could take at least 10 months.

"He's making good progress, but he still has a ways to go," McNair said. "The good news is that our (medical and training) staff is pleased with the progress he's making, and he's working hard.

"We have every expectation that he'll be back for the start of the season."

McNair didn't sound too concerned about the behind-the-scenes negotiations with Harris County to make improvements at NRG Stadium before Super Bowl LI in 2017.

On a recent visit to Houston, NFL senior vice president of events Peter O'Reilly said improvements to the suites and club seats - as well as the installment of WiFi - must be made before the Super Bowl.

Two close to the negotiations say the improvements total more than $50 million.

"With the spotlight having been turned on that issue, I think it's gotten the attention of the county, and all indications from them is that they're going to take care of it," McNair said. "I'm pleased to see we're going to have some action."

Fans and media would like to have Wi-Fi in time for the season.

WiFi a priority

"It's something we need to do," McNair said. "We get a lot of complaints from people who have trouble once they get into the stadium.

"We want people to have a good experience at our games so they'll want to come back. We've got to make sure that happens. They're working on that now. Hopefully, it'll be available real soon."

How soon is soon? By this season?

"They're working on it, and I'd hope they could (get it available this season), but I don't know that it'll be this year," McNair said. "The key is we need to do these things as the need becomes apparent and not put it off.

"If you keep putting it off, and it keeps building up, ultimately, you end up with something like the Astrodome, which wasn't maintained. And there it sits, a condemned building. We need to take care of these things as they arise and not let them build up until it's a much bigger issue."

As much as McNair, and many others, would like for the Astrodome to be demolished, it's not going anywhere any time soon.

In a recent story commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Astrodome, the New York Times said, "Now deemed unsafe for public use, amid various proposals to use it as a mammoth parking garage, sports museum, center for special events or indoor urban green space with hiking trails, the old eighth wonder of the world stands silent and forlorn, like an aging, broken, jilted lover. … Wouldn't it be embarrassing to Houston and its dignity - some ask - if out-of-town fans, emerging from the big game, were forced to look at some obsolete vestige of the mid-1960s?"

McNair's attention - and the NFL's - is focused on NRG Stadium. The 2017 Super Bowl is sandwiched between Super Bowls at new stadiums (San Francisco and Minneapolis).

"We have competition from other new stadiums, and we have to keep our stadium up if we're going to attract these events," McNair said. "The Super Bowl is a tremendous event for the city, and we don't want to miss out on those opportunities, including the Final Four. Events won't come here if it's not a first-class stadium."