AFC Notes: Bengals, Texans, Titans

Bengals

New Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson was mostly a part-time rusher with the Saints. But he arrives in Cincinnati on a big-money deal — four years, $60 million — and he’ll be expected to play big-money snaps as a starter. 

“It’s going to be a unique opportunity to rush the passer and be used in different ways,” Hendrickson said via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It’s looking very unique [from] anything I’ve ever played before, but I think it’s playing to both the [Bengals] defense and what I can bring to the table.”

Texans

Texans LBs coach Bobby King praised LB Charles Omenihu‘s versatility and thinks he can line up in many areas that “affect the quarterback“: “Charles is a guy that has versatility just because of his size and length. You can play him at a lot of positions and he can affect the quarterback in a lot of different ways. We expect big things from Chuck this year.” (Aaron Wilson)

Titans

Titans GM Jon Robinson said that the organization felt that “we needed” to acquire WR Julio Jones from the Falcons. 

“My charge is to get as many good players on the team as possible and I’m excited about the guys we had back on the roster, the guys that we added in the offseason, but when you’re able to acquire a player like Julio and can add him into the mix of our football team, what we try to do offensively, those don’t come around very often,” Robinson said, via Kevin Patra of Around the NFL. “We thought it was a move that we needed to make for us. I know our fans are super stoked to have him here.”

Robinson is also excited to combine Jones with WR A.J. Brown, WR Josh Reynolds, TE Anthony Firkser, RB Derrick Henry, and QB Ryan Tannehill. 

“To have both of those guys (Jones and Brown), with (tight end) Anthony Firkser, with Josh Reynolds, with Derrick in the backfield, obviously with Ryan, we’re just excited about how they’re all going to complement each other, the stresses they can put on defenses and make defensive coordinators’ job harder to try to game plan of those guys,” Robinson said. “I’m excited that both of those guys, as well as Josh Reynolds and Firkser and (tight end) Geoff Swaim and Derrick, are on the team, and hopefully, we can continue the trend of what we’re trying to do offensively.”