AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

Colts OL coach Eric Strausser said there’s no clear favorite between Sam Tevi, Will Holden, and Julie’n Davenport for the starting left tackle role while Eric Fisher recovers from his Achilles injury. 

“Yeah, I mean you’re always looking for someone to come in and separate,” Strausser said, via Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star.  “But I think at this point in camp you understand guys have (only) been in our offense for two to three weeks out here in pads, so it takes some time for them to have all the details and then separate themselves. We’d always be excited for someone to be the clear-cut favorite. But we’re just not there yet.”

Colts HC Frank Reich said that allowing three sacks in their preseason game against the Panthers was “too many by our standards.” 

“There are times the protection was good, a couple of times it was a little soft,” Reich said. “Looking (at the stats), three sacks, that’s too many by our standards.”

Jaguars

Jaguars HC Urban Meyer said he has a timeline in mind for a decision between QBs Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew, but it will remain a conversation between himself OC Darrell Bevell and passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

“I do [have a timeline] in my own mind, but once again, it’s conversation that the three people are having daily,” Meyer said, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN. “In theory it could [go through the final preseason game on Aug. 29], but I’d rather not.”

Lawrence said he’s not bothered by splitting first-team duties with Minshew and is embracing the competition between them. 

“It doesn’t bother me,” Lawrence said. “I think that’s the way to run a team, honestly. The best player has to play and you’ve got to compete. As a first-year player coming in, it’s kind of what’s expected. You want to compete for the job. There’s a right way to do things, and I think they’ve handled it great. We’re in a good spot and we’re just going to keep working and I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get. That’s all I can really do.”

Lawrence believes the coaching staff is doing well to manage reps between himself and Minshew but admitted that he’d like more practice time. 

“I think we do a good job of managing it,” Lawrence said. “Obviously as a young guy, you want as many as you can get, just because every look that you get is something new you’re seeing and that you can learn from. So, for me, I just want as many as I can get. And we’re at that point now we’ve been practicing for so long, it’s more about getting a lot more mental reps, too, because we can’t go out there for three hours every day as the season starts.”

Texans

Texans HC David Culley had high praise of OL coach James Campen‘s ability to develop young players. 

“He’s so fundamentally sound,”  Culley said, via Aaron Wilson. “He’s a guy that played the game also this league, and he’s had a great reputation of developing guys. He’s had really good offensive lines where he’s been before. He’s taken young guys and developed them and gone on and had really good careers in this business. He’s just been everything that we thought he would be.”

Campen is excited about the opportunity in Houston and thinks their offensive linemen have shown good effort in camp. 

“Being here is a tremendous opportunity for us,” Campen said. “For all of us to start at ground level and build something is always a special thing. Offensive line, working hard. We’ve had almost everyone here all the time and they’ve done a heck of a job. I really appreciate all their efforts learning and doing things a little bit different. It’s been good.”