Colts
Colts GM Chris Ballard said he doesn’t plan to trade QB Anthony Richardson and noted that he hasn’t checked in with him since the trade request, which Richardson confirmed.
“I haven’t really even talked to my agent about that recently,” Richardson said, via James Boyd of TheAthletic.com. “I haven’t talked to Ballard or anybody about that recently. I’m not necessarily sure what’s going on. But I’m just here right now, trying to make sure I can stamp my foot on this team and be the best version of myself I can be for the team.”
“If that’s what the team wants, that’s what I want,” Richardson added. “I just want go be able to help a team. If it’s this team, then I thank God for it. I’m just ready to showcase what I can do and be a winning piece to help the team win.”
Texans
Texans’ second-year RB Woody Marks has been impressed by first-round OL Keylan Rutledge in training camp, saying the rookie is showing a lot of toughness and is playing well against LB Azeez Al-Shaair.
“I love him. He’s the guy who’s going to show up on film every time with toughness. You could kind of see it yesterday with him and Azeez. He’s not scared of anybody. He isn’t going to back down. He has a lot of fight, he wants to be feisty. He wants the chance to attack. It doesn’t matter who it is. He’s going to go after him. You sometimes have to pull back on him, but we like to see that fire coming out of a rookie on the offensive line,” Marks said, via TexansWire.
As for his advice to undrafted rookie RB Noah Whittington, Marks said he’s telling the running back to relax and to slow things down.
“I just tell him to take a deep breath. When you get in the huddle, take a deep breath. When you get into the backfield, take a deep breath. I had to learn that last year, just to slow the game down and not be so anticipated to go out there and do something that’s not right. Going out there and doing something that’s wrong. I told him yesterday, just slow it down. He comes to the sideline always asking questions. I was like, ‘You just have to take it one play at a time. Don’t keep repeating a play over. You’re going to forget it.’ He’s doing a good job.”
Marks mentioned that he dropped five pounds over the offseason and is feeling “more explosive and faster.”
“Yeah, I was around about 217, 218 pounds last year. I’m like 212. I’m trying to be in the range of 212, 210. I feel more explosive and faster getting out my cuts and running routes and sinking my hips.”
Titans
Titans WR Xavier Restrepo said he is focused on controlling what he can rather than worrying about the numbers battle at receiver.
“You can’t think too much about that, right?,” Restrepo said, via the team’s website. “When you think about numbers and all that other stuff, it will get to you.”
Restrepo said he believes he belongs in the NFL and is focused on staying ready whenever an opportunity comes.
“I just have to be myself,” he said. “I can’t control the opportunities given to me. My mom tells me all the time, control the controllable. But I know at some point, an opportunity will present itself. So, I’ve just got to stay ready, so I don’t have to get ready. I’ve played football since I was four years old, so I’m going on year 20 playing football. So, each and every single time I step on the field I am confident I am going to make something happen, whether the ball is in my hands or out of my hands. I know I can play in this league. I am super prepared and can’t wait to compete.”
Restrepo said his offseason work has made him faster and helped his confidence after improving his 40 time.
“Everybody on the field is fast,” Restrepo said. “Last year I was still running with everyone, but I think it was good for my self confidence just to put that (time) on a clock and just see it. I definitely feel a lot faster.”
Restrepo said he approaches every practice believing he is the best player on the field and is determined to capitalize on every chance he receives.
“I think personally one mindset that I have carried my entire life is: Any field I step on, I feel I’m the best on the field,” he said. “I look at it like that each and every time I step on the field. I am trying to take advantage of all my opportunities. I am feeling better than ever. Any opportunity that I’ve gotten I’ve taken advantage of it, and I’m just looking forward to taking advantage of more.”
- Titans fifth-round G Fernando Carmona has the inside track to start on the right side, per HC Robert Saleh, but the competition is not over yet. (Turron Davenport)
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