AFC Notes: Colts, Davis Mills, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts GM Chris Ballard is excited about third-round TE Jelani Woods and compared him to current Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox.

“It’s kind of like Mo,” Ballard said, via ESPN. “When you’re 6-7, the quarterback can put the ball up, and he’s…able to make a play on it. This kid can run. This kid can really run, so we’re excited to get him.”

Colts HC Frank Reich wants Woods to gain consistency and develop as a blocker in order to take his game to the next level.

“I felt like he looked even bigger in person. I really did,” Reich said. “I mean, he’s a big man. I knew he was big on tape, but he’s a big man — really looked good. It’s all going to be, for Jelani, about consistency, about not just making the big flash play, but really developing as a blocker. That’s going to be really important.”

Colts GM Chris Ballard believes Woods will be able to get the blocking aspect of his job down, adding that he expects him to put on an additional 25-30 pounds as well.

“Mo went through this, and Mo’s gotten better at it, but any time you’re that tall, learning how to play with leverage and play with your pad level down,” Ballard said. “It’s just something that’s going to take a lot of work. He’s a big man. I think he’s got 230 pounds of lean mass on his body. He’s probably going to play at about 255-260. It’ll take him some time to learn how to really block, but he did it at Oklahoma State. So, we think he’ll be able to do it here.”

Texans

Texans GM Nick Caserio noted that QB Davis Mills has made plenty of progress since last season. 

“Overall I would say from he was, call it a year ago, to where he is now, he’s certainly a lot further along,” Caserio said on Sports Radio 610. “So, I think the preseason and the training camp will be another opportunity, not only for him, but the whole team to see if we can kind of build on some of the things that we’ve done here over the last however many weeks it’s been.”

Caserio added that they’ve been particularly impressed by Mills’ ability to shake off bad plays.

“I would say two of the most important things are decision making and accuracy,” Caserio said of Mills. “So, when you look at that position, do you take care of the football, do you make the right decision, do you go where the play tells you the ball should go. So, I would say, for the most part, the majority of the plays that we’ve run during the course of the spring, that’s been the case. Are there some instances where he could have made some better throws or a throw there? So, I would say for the most part those couple of areas I articulated I would say he’s certainly ahead. I would say the one thing that’s been consistent relative to his personality and his demeanor if regardless of what happens on a play good or bad, it’s just kind of on to the next play. He really doesn’t let that ruffle him, which I would say is good quality as a player because, look, there are 70 plays that happen during the course of a game. So, you’re going to run a play, and then you’re going to go to the next play. So, what happened two or three plays ago honestly it doesn’t really matter. What matters is can you focus on what your job is, what you have to get accomplished on that particular play regardless of the situation.”

Titans 

Titans DL Denico Autry has been changing his workouts in order to improve and play a bigger role defensively this season.

“I mean, I bought in and played my role to the best of my ability,” Autry said, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “Just buy in and keep being the best teammate, that’s all I can do. Change up my workouts, change over to CrossFit, boxing a little bit, just trying to stay in shape the most I can do. Rob Mathis was just working our hands with pass-rush and I just kind of bought into boxing.”