AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

• Mike Wells of ESPN points out that while the Colts are responsible for $15 million regardless if QB Carson Wentz is with the team next season or not, the team can still save around $13 million by letting him go before March 19th.
• Wells also thinks the team should move on from DE Ben Banogu, who has disappointed with just two and a half sacks since being selected in the second round back in 2019.

Jaguars

• Jaguars OT Cam Robinson may be the key to who the team takes in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft, writes ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. Robinson, an impending free agent, could be given the franchise tag again for 2022, which is $16.5 million, fully guaranteed.
• Jacksonville could also opt to re-sign Robinson to a long-term deal, which Spotrac estimates at $16.8 million.
• If the Jaguars let Robinson walk, 2021 second-round OT Walker Little could slide in at left tackle and protect QB Trevor Lawrence‘s blindside.
• DiRocco notes drafting a left tackle and spending the money to add weapons around Lawrence would likely be the most economical decision. 

Texans

Texans HC Lovie Smith was unsure if he would get another chance to be a head coach in the NFL again, but is determined to not let his past mistakes affect things going forward with his new opportunity in Houston.

“I’m from a little hick town in east Texas,” Smith told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “So, I think the odds of me ever being an NFL head coach was greater than me having an opportunity to do it again. But if the opportunity didn’t come back around, I was going to be okay with that. I felt like I had a lot more to offer, and the situations, how they played out at my last stop in Tampa Bay, Chicago, again, I thought we could do some things if we got another opportunity.”

• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe says he’s told the Texans still do not plan to lower their asking price of five to seven assets including at least three first-round picks for QB Deshaun Watson. 
• PFN’s Aaron Wilson says Watson filed a motion to move his deposition to after April 1 to prevent conflicts with the ongoing criminal investigation.
• Watson’s lawyer also says not all of his 22 accusers have had their depositions yet and the plan was for that to happen before Watson. He says ten of the 22 still need to be deposed. 
• On Monday, the judge told Watson’s lawyer she would consider a tailored protective order for Watson’s deposition but would not stay or delay his deposition. (Wilson)
• Watson faces 22 allegations of varying degrees of sexual misconduct as well as 10 civil complaints, with an NFL investigation and potential suspension coming after that.