AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

• 1075TheFan.com’s Kevin Bowen writes the Colts should strongly consider being sellers ahead of the trade deadline to add more picks to try and find an answer at quarterback. He mentions C Ryan Kelly and LB Shaquille Leonard specifically as two of the bigger-name players Indianapolis could consider dealing. 
• Leonard has struggled to stay healthy this season but the Colts have fared okay at linebacker without him. Kelly hasn’t played up to his Pro Bowl ability and has also had some health struggles in recent seasons. Bowen says if the Colts can find a buyer, it would help them redistribute their cap allocation to other, more impactful positions. 
• Bowen also mentions veteran CB Stephon Gilmore, who signed with the Colts believing they would be contenders this season. He’s been outstanding still so the Colts could potentially get a pick back from another true-contending team in need of cornerback help. 
• Colts LB Shaquille Leonard (back, concussion, nose) said he feels “more explosive” and missed last week’s game because their staff felt he wasn’t ready to play: “I feel like last week — coaches, they have to make decisions and it’s all about No. 1, player safety and No. 2, putting the team in the best position to win. I’ve just got to respect that and hope this week my number is called.” (ProFootballTalk)
• Colts HC Frank Reich confirmed that Leonard will play in Week 8. (Adam Schefter)
• Reich added that Leonard will play on a limited basis: “He will be on a pitch count.” (George Bremer)

Jaguars

Jaguars OC Press Taylor said RB Jamycal Hasty has earned the trust of his teammates and the coaching staff.

“I think he’s earned the trust of a lot of guys; coaches, players, everything,” Taylor said, via Jags Wire. “Our confidence in him has grown, I think his confidence in his own understanding of the system has probably grown.”

Taylor singled out Hasty as the guy who has proven that he’s capable of handling any situation on the field and credited him for not only converting on a short-yardage situation but taking it 60 yards for a touchdown.

“We have the versatility from our skill guys to be able to do a lot of different things, I think you saw that nobody anticipated the Indianapolis short yardage play, JaMycal taking it 60 yards,” Taylor said. “We needed a yard, and we were trying to emphasize that with him, we were confident that he was a guy that could go get a yard in that particular play, and he turned it into a 60-yarder. That was a short-yard situation, we put him on it, he did a great job executing it, everybody did across the board.”

Texans

Texans TE Jordan Akins had a brief stint with the Giants before returning to Houston and finding success with his original team.

“Coming back is an honor,” Akins said, via Aaron Wilson. “To be back with my brothers and compete and go to work with my soldiers. Anytime my jersey is called to make a play, I try to do the best I can whether it’s special teams or offense, anyway I can contribute.”

“We’re just picking up where we left off,” Akins added. “More repetitions for the tight end to run down the seams, in the flats, as well as inside the hashes. I think we’re connecting pretty well. He’s trusting us and we’re trusting him. Repetition, practice and just being able to read the defensive coverage well. He’s doing a great job of stepping up in the pocket, and the timing is perfect. We’re moving the chains, and we’re looking forward to continuing to do that.”