AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

• NBC Sports’ Peter King notes stiff competition from the Panthers, Broncos, Colts and 49ers drove the price up for the Rams in their trade with the Lions for QB Matthew Stafford. 
• George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin notes that since Colts’ GM Chris Ballard loves the Senior Bowl, the team could be keeping an eye on Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond, who had a strong performance in the annual game.
• Bremer adds that the main position to keep an eye on for the Colts in the draft is left tackle, as they will most likely be looking to replace retiring LT Anthony Castonzo.

Jaguars

• According to Field Yates, the Jaguars are hiring former Cowboys assistant special teams coach Carlos Polk as their special teams assistant. 

Texans

Two members of the Ravens organization had high praise for new Texans’ HC David Culley, including current Ravens’ HC John Harbaugh and former GM Ozzie Newsome.

“Energy, loyalty, attention to players’ needs with the ability to get them to do the hard things as players and relate to every kind of personality positively, that’s a gift,” Harbaugh said, via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle.

“His ability to relate to players, David has coached some other veteran players with other teams that weren’t the easiest to coach and he was able to deal with that,” Newsome said. “David is very demanding, but the guys want to do well for him.”

• The Texans have not yet made QB Deshaun Watson available via trade but it would take a huge haul of picks to prompt them to part with him, starting at three first-round picks and more, per Wilson.
• John McClain of the Houston Chronicle said the Lions-Rams trade will have no bearing on the Texans’ situation and if they decide to trade Watson, they’ll look for two first-round picks, two seconds and two young defensive starters. He mentions the Jets as a potential target. 
• McClain adds that the Texans will allow the situation with Watson to play out as long as they can, considering that they don’t want to trade him. However, if Nick Caserio and David Culley can’t convince Watson to change his mind, McClain believes they should trade him close to the draft. 
• Despite some suggestions otherwise by ownership, Texans EVP Jack Easterby still appears to be involved in the football operations side of the business and has been making calls to agents on behalf of the team. (Lance Zierlein)