With organized team activities (OTAs) set to begin this week, we’re taking a look around the AFC South to check in on the Tennessee Titans’ division rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans.
Colts owner Jim Irsay didn’t mince words about the tenure of Carson Wentz, and it’s safe to say his comments took the veteran signal-caller by surprise.
In Houston, there is a belief that 2022 fourth-round pick, Dameon Pierce, could seize a significant role in his first season, and one Texans writer revealed what Davis Mills needs to do to be considered a success.
The Jaguars spent the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Georgia’s Travon Walker, but did so without having fully figured out where they’ll actually play him.
We cover those stories and much more in our latest weekly trip around the AFC South to check in on the Titans’ division rivals ahead of OTAs.
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Former Colts and current Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz was surprised by Indy owner Jim Irsay saying “it was very obvious” the team had to move on from what he considered a “mistake” in Wentz.
“I thought we did some incredible things, came up short at the end. Obviously, I struggled down the stretch there and timing was poor. But yeah, I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect things to unfold the way they did and I thought things were in a pretty good place there,” Wentz said on the Colin Cowherd Podcast. “I had awesome relationships with every single person in that building. Can’t say enough good things about the people over there. Yeah, it kinda came out of left field, you know? He’s entitled to his own opinion and he’s entitled to do what he wants with his football team.”
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It appears a reunion is in the cards for Colts head coach Frank Reich and quarterback Nick Foles, both of whom won a Super Bowl together in Philadelphia with the Eagles.
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According to Stephen Holder of The Athletic, Hilton has informed the Colts he plans to play in 2022 and both sides continue to have discussions, but the veteran wideout is also receiving interest from at least two other teams, although they weren’t mentioned by name.
The Titans should be one of those teams with interest thanks to their need at wide receiver, but it remains to be seen if that is the case.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Texans Wire’s Mark Lane believes there is a chance that 2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce takes control of Houston’s backfield in his first season.
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Mark Lane of Texans Wire says if quarterback Davis Mills can stabilize the position and make a playoff push during his rookie contract, drafting him will have been a success.
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Unlike the Titans, the Texans had a bad 2019 draft class, which Mark Lane of Texans Wire believes helped lead to the downfall of former head coach, Bill O’Brien. We agree, but that is one of many things BOB screwed up.
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Jags head coach Doug Pederson provided injury updates on some key players this past week, including running backs Travis Etienne (foot) and James Robinson (Achilles).
Etienne is further ahead in his recovery than Robinson, who Pederson hopes can start doing more physical things by the time training camp rolls around.
“Travis [Etienne Jr.] is doing extremely well,” Pederson said. “He’s been in our offseason program and working every day and feeling good. Again, it’s a process and we’re going to continue to monitor that and keep it slow. James [Robinson] is progressing well. He’s obviously not doing the things physically now on the football field, but we’re hoping at some point during training camp that that becomes more of a reality for us and he’s doing extremely well.”
Pederson also notes that Robinson and wide receiver Jamal Agnew are in a similar boat, although the latter is a bit further along.
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The Jaguars spent the No. 1 overall pick on Georgia’s Travon Walker, but where exactly he’ll end up playing has yet to be determined.
He played mostly defensive line with the Bulldogs but has been getting looks at outside linebacker during the offseason program. Walker did play some outside linebacker in college.
Walker noted that he doesn’t know what the future holds for his exact position, but he’s getting more comfortable at outside linebacker.
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
In a poll conducted by Jaguars Wire, 42.33 percent of fans believe the team will finish with six to seven wins. Here’s a rundown of the entire tally of votes:
Six to seven wins: 42.33%
Seven to eight wins: 24.27%
Less than five wins: 16.12%
Eight to nine wins: 11.26%
10 wins or more: 6.02%