AFC Notes: Calvin Ridley, DeMeco Ryans, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is excited to play with WR Calvin Ridley this season and has even worked out with him once already. 

“We have [thrown together] once and I’m super excited,” Lawrence said, via Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union. “We’re just excited to have him. He’s gonna be another piece for this offense and our team and [he’s] just a good guy that we’re excited to bring into the locker room. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

• Per the Athletic’s Matt Barrows, the Jaguars are one of several teams believed to be highly interested in adding a kicker this offseason. Jacksonville had a private workout with Auburn K Anders Carlson in March. 
• Ryan Fowler reports that Louisville EDGE YaYa Diaby has top-30 visits scheduled with the 49ers, Jaguars, and Seahawks.

Texans

Texans’ new HC DeMeco Ryans points out there are “a couple of good” quarterbacks set to go early in the 2023 NFL Draft and would like to sign a “young quarterback to our team” at No. 2 overall. 

“We have a really good, to a couple of good, quarterback prospects at the top of the draft, and we want to add a young quarterback to our team. We think that will be the right thing to do for our team. We feel like we have a good nucleus of players. I still want to add some competition to that quarterback position, and this year, there’s two good guys at the top that we’ve looked at and that we value pretty highly. So we’re excited about the draft to be at that No. 2 spot,” said Ryans, via DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. 

Ryans added it’s also important to build around the quarterback with a strong offensive line and other weapons. 

“How do you build around that quarterback,” Ryans said. “Yes, we want a great quarterback, but no, we need a great offensive line to protect the quarterback. We need great running backs, great tight ends, great receivers.”

As for recently signed TE Dalton Schultz, Ryans thinks the tight end allows them to have a “vertical passing game.” 

“I think Dalton has shown that he can make some plays in the passing game, in the vertical passing game, so I’m excited to add him,” Ryans said at the NFL’s annual league meetings last week. “I think tight end is a very quarterback-friendly position, easy completions. Dalton has done a really good job of expanding his game, becoming a better blocker, as well. I think all around we’ve got a quality starting tight end in Dalton.”

Titans

• Per the Athletic’s Matt Barrows, the Titans are one of several teams believed to be highly interested in adding a kicker this offseason.  
• According to Aaron Wilson, Houston WR Tank Dell has met with the Bills, Browns, Cowboys, Texans, and Titans.