AFC Notes: Chargers, Jets, Texans

Chargers

Chargers LB Melvin Ingram believes he could play tight end if needed this season with Hunter Henry out for the year.

“It’s just getting in where I can fit in, you feel me?” Ingram said, via Eric D. Williams of ESPN. “Just making some plays — the more you can do — everybody here knows that I want to get me a couple touches.”

• Ricky Henne of Chargers.com mentions TE Braedon Bowman as a player who hasn’t gotten as much attention as he probably deserves up to this point. Henne says that Bowman has impressed with his playmaking ability this spring and he figures to be a player to watch during training camp, given that the Chargers need someone to step up at tight end.
• Regarding Chargers G Forrest Lamp and his recovery from a torn ACL, GM Tom Telesco said: “Forrest is progressing, so that is good news. His frame of mind is very confident as well. I don’t have any firm timelines on when he will start working full but everything is positive right now.”

Jets

• Rich Cimini of ESPN notes that the Jets will carry around $16 million in available cap space this season after they sign first-round QB Sam Darnold to his rookie contract, which will cost them around $5.5 million against the cap.
• Cimini mentions that the Jets’ cap space will give them the flexibility to pull off a trade without cap constraints being an issue.
• Regarding the possibility of signing free agent CB Bashaud Breeland, Cimini believes the Jets are comfortable moving forward with players on their roster.
• Although the Jets don’t expect CB Morris Claiborne‘s wrist injury to linger into training camp, Cimini could see New York signing a cornerback if Claiborne is not fully recovered.
• Cimini does not think the Jets could suitably start Darnold in the first four weeks of the regular season given that the team plays three games in 11 days to start the year, including two road games, and then play the Jaguars in Week 4.

Texans

The Texans locked up LB Benardrick McKinney to anew five-year, $50 million extension this past week.

When asked about his new deal, McKinney said it’s a “blessing” to get this kind of extension from the Texans.

“It was a blessing,” McKinney said, via the Houston Chronicle. “It’s a blessing for the Houston Texans to extend my contract. It’s a blessing for the Houston Texans to have faith in me to be their inside linebacker and for them to have faith in me to do a contract. It is a lot of money. It’s a complete blessing.“