As the Texans launch their first practice of training camp Thursday, the defending AFC South champions won't have a general manager in the wake of their surprising ouster of Brian Gaine.

The Texans made an aborted run at New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio, briefly facing tampering charges before ending their pursuit, for now, of Bill Belichick's right-hand man.

That offseason drama leaves the Texans with no shortage of palace intrigue at NRG Stadium, along with plenty of questions surrounding a playoff team contending with a challenging first-place schedule.

Here are 10 questions facing the Texans as they enter training camp:

1. How are the big-picture decisions being made?

Texans coach Bill O'Brien operates as the ultimate boss not named chairman and chief executive officer Cal McNair. Besides his responsibilities as the head coach, O'Brien has significant personnel power and operates as his own offensive coordinator. He reports directly to McNair, with senior vice president of football operations Chris Olsen handling contract negotiations and the salary cap, team president Jamey Rootes in charge of business operations, and the personnel department being led by director of player personnel Matt Bazirgan, director of pro personnel Rob Kisiel and director of college scouting James Liipfert. Ultimately, the most important decisions will be made by O'Brien and McNair with input from other members of the staff. In particular, executive vice president of team development Jack Easterby, a former Patriots character coach, has gained considerable influence since joining the Texans in April.

2. Is Deshaun Watson poised for a breakthrough?

A dynamic dual-threat quarterback, Watson was added to the Pro Bowl roster as an alternate following a season in which he made a ton of plays while absorbing a lot of punishment — he was sacked an NFL-high 62 times behind a suspect offensive line. Watson endured a bus trip to a road game in Jacksonville after suffering cracked ribs and a partially collapsed lung during a win over Dallas. He made a lot of strides last year, his first season back after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament as a rookie. If the blocking is upgraded and the receiving corps is healthier, Watson could generate huge numbers and emerge as an elite passer in his third NFL season.

3. What's going on with the offensive line?

An overhauled line could take on a vastly different configuration this fall. The Texans are contemplating whether to start rookie Tytus Howard, their first-round draft pick, at left tackle or guard. Howard has strength and mobility and a blue-collar work ethic to lean on. He'll be competing with incumbent Julién Davenport, who struggled in pass protection and was a penalty machine as a starter last season. Former Pro Bowl left tackle Matt Kalil hasn't proved he can be healthy enough to compete yet. Veteran left guard Senio Kelemete is being pushed by second-year lineman Martinas Rankin.

While center Nick Martin and right guard Zach Fulton return as starters, the Texans are hoping Seantrel Henderson can remain healthy enough to be the right tackle to start the season after he broke his ankle in last year's opener at New England. If Henderson or Fulton has health issues again, precocious rookie Max Scharping could step in quickly and make an impact.

4. Where's Jadeveon Clowney?

An unsigned franchise-tagged player, Clowney is exercising his right not to report to training camp. He has yet to sign his $15.967 million franchise tender and has been working out on his own with LeBron James' trainer David Alexander in Miami. Clowney appears to be in excellent shape, but he is not expected to join his teammates until shortly before the Sept. 9 season opener at New Orleans. Clowney's unresolved contract status figures to remain a lingering issue all season. While Clowney is gone, the Texans will turn to Whitney Mercilus and Brennan Scarlett to take up the slack. It won't be the same, though, without Clowney's disruptive presence. With Clowney absent, the Texans' pass rush will be headlined again by defensive end J.J. Watt. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is coming off an excellent season in which he recorded 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles.

5. What's the outlook at receiver?

If the Texans can get full seasons out of Will Fuller and Keke Coutee, they could have one of the most dangerous groups of receivers in the league.

Between All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins' body control and penchant for acrobatic, one-handed catches, Fuller's deep-threat ability and Coutee's slick moves out of the slot, the Texans are loaded at the position.

Hopkins was extremely banged-up at the end of the season due to foot and shoulder problems but is medically cleared for camp. Fuller is coming off a torn ACL but is expected to be ready for the first game. Coutee was plagued by chronic hamstring issues as a rookie but is optimistic he has figured out how to stay on the field this year after being limited to six games last season.

6. Is a new-look secondary any better?

It's debatable whether the Texans have upgraded in the secondary with the additions of safety Tashaun Gipson and cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Lonnie Johnson. They lost safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Kareem Jackson during free agency. Gipson is bigger and more adept at covering tight ends than Mathieu and has a reputation for leadership, but he lacks Mathieu's speed and versatility. Roby had a disappointing run as a starter with Denver and got off to a rough start in the spring with the Texans after signing a one-year, $10 million prove-it deal. Drafted in the second round out of Kentucky, Johnson has prototypical size and speed at 6-2, 213 pounds with a 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash. Like Roby, though, Johnson didn't get off to a fast start with his new employer.

7. What's expected from D'Onta Foreman?

The former Doak Walker Award winner from Texas had a brutal season last year due to the nagging effects of a torn Achilles tendon and a lack of conditioning. Foreman took it to heart that he needed to dramatically change his approach to football and is in excellent shape now after drastically altering his diet and workout regimen. The former third-round draft pick is expected to assume a major complementary role behind veteran Lamar Miller. With Miller in a contract year, this amounts to a season-long audition for Foreman to become the featured back in 2020.

8. Who's in line for a new contract?

The Texans have maintained a policy of not negotiating contract extensions during the season. They have roughly $41 million in salary-cap space, the second-highest figure in the NFL. And it's time for them to begin locking up some of their younger talent. The leading candidates for new deals are nose tackle D.J. Reader, center Nick Martin and kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn.

9. What is Tim Kelly's philosophy?

The Texans' 32-year-old rookie offensive coordinator has a background as a tight ends coach and is known as an excellent teacher and communicator. Kelly is O'Brien's protégé and has been groomed for a larger role since his days as a graduate assistant under O'Brien at Penn State. Kelly won't call the plays, but he will have significant say in building game plans and orchestrating strategy on game days. As Kelly continues to grow as a young coach, he'll be given more and more responsibility while working in tandem with O'Brien. Kelly is expected to emphasize an approach that features Deshaun Watson's multidimensional game and DeAndre Hopkins' pass-catching skills while incorporating the running game enough to keep defenses honest.

10. Who's underrated?

Inside linebacker Zach Cunningham is frequently overshadowed by more prominent members of the Texans' defense, including Pro Bowl inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney. Cunningham can do it all. He's a stellar tackler, excels in pass coverage, and is instinctive in all facets of the game. The former Vanderbilt standout is one of the most complete young linebackers in the game.