AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

Colts LB Darius Leonard is confident that Carson Wentz will help the organization contend for a Super Bowl and said the quarterback is already providing veteran leadership around the locker room. 

โ€œJust watching him in OTAs and stuff, heโ€™s got a cannon for an arm, and heโ€™s huge. He looks like a tight end. I was eating breakfast one morning beside him, and he was so big, I didnโ€™t know it was him, because everybody had their masks on. Then, somebody said something to him, and Iโ€™m like, โ€˜Damn. This dude is huge!โ€™ You would think that heโ€™s been in this locker room for about seven years,โ€ said Leonard, via Doug Farrar of TouchdownWire. โ€œHe has this presence about him and his leadership role, and thatโ€™s what you need in a quarterback room. We have a great offensive line thatโ€™s going to protect him. We have the best backfield in the NFL, in my opinion, and we have these great skill guys on the outside. He came into a perfect place to have success. We believe in him. We know who he is, and we know what he can be. I canโ€™t wait to see what he and [head] Coach Frank [Reich] are going to step up and do.โ€

Leonard had high praise of Colts DC Matt Eberflus and expects the coordinator to earn consideration for head coaching vacancies in the near future. 

โ€œDo I see him as a head coach? No question. Iโ€™m surprised heโ€™s still a defensive coordinator now, because of how smart he is and how well he understands the game. After my rookie season, I thought he was gone, and each year, after the season, heโ€™s having these head coaching interviews. I do see him as a head coach, and I do think he will succeed as a head coach. For me personally โ€” it might sound a little selfish, but [Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker] Derrick Brooks had the same defensive coordinator his whole career [Monte Kiffin, from 1996 through 2008; Rusty Tillman was Tampa Bayโ€™s defensive coordinator in 1995], and he played very well in that two-high scheme. Hopefully, I can have him my whole career, because I think itโ€™s why I keep getting better. When youโ€™re in the same system for so long, you understand it. You understand how people are trying to attack you. I wish him the best, but I hope he stays here.โ€

Leonard believes the Colts must show more defensive consistency in order to contend for a Super Bowl. 

โ€œBe consistent. When you look at the games we lost, itโ€™s nothing our opponents did โ€” itโ€™s everything we did. Especially on the defensive side of the ball, when thereโ€™s a bust or you jump offside โ€” things like that. You canโ€™t have that. If you want to be a Super Bowl contender, you cannot shoot yourself in the foot. We have to be more disciplined, trust in the game plan, play 110% every single play, and find ways to take the ball away. We want to be the No. 1 hustling team. We want to be the No. 1 takeaway defense. We want to be the No. 1 defense. And if we want to do that, thatโ€™s whatโ€™s going to help us win the Super Bowl, the division, everything we have to do.โ€

Jaguars

Jaguars DC Joe Cullen said he thinks everyone on the defensive line can double their sack total this season.

โ€œโ€ฆ We have a really good group of defensive linemen that were here, Kโ€™Lavon [Chaisson], Josh [Allen] had 10.5 sacks [in 2019],โ€ Cullen said, via Jaguars Wire. โ€œThen the free agent acquisitions we were able to bring in, Roy Robertson-Harris, Jihad Ward, those guys have gotten after the quarterback in this league. Iโ€™m excited to work with Taven [Bryan], bringing Malcom Brown here.

โ€œWe have a good group and the two young guys that we brought in via the draft. Weโ€™re excited and Iโ€™ll tell you itโ€™s going to come from a lot of different area. Itโ€™s going to come from the pressure that we bring in terms of blitzes, itโ€™s going to come from a four-man rush, and really, itโ€™s going to come from a collective unit defensively, our rush work, but also our coverage being able to make the quarterback hold the ball. Itโ€™s going to go hand in hand but Iโ€™m excited and really, weโ€™ll find out in the fall.โ€

Texans

Texans safeties coach Greg Jackson believes S Justin Reid will take a huge leap in 2021.

โ€œI think in this system here, I think heโ€™s going to rise up and I think heโ€™s going to do some good things for us because this defense is simple, but itโ€™s fast and it allows you to play football,โ€ Jackson said, via Texans Wire. โ€œThatโ€™s what we try to instill in our players is that weโ€™re not going to make anything difficult for you. Weโ€™re going to try to make it as simple as possible and weโ€™re going to allow you play football. I think thatโ€™s what you see in Justin when you watch the tape, is that heโ€™s going to improve.โ€

Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?

Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on X.com and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!

Leave a Reply