AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Justin Reid

Colts

• The Indianapolis Colts have submitted a proposal to the league office that guarantees each team has a chance to go on offense. If approved, the rule would take into effect in both the regular and postseason. (Judy Battista)

Jaguars

The son of Jaguars owner Shad Khan, co-owner Tony Khan, explained new HC Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke are both “very analytics-driven” but they will still likely add an executive vice president at some point. 

“I’m so analytics-driven and data-driven and Doug is a data-driven coach, which was so important to me during the search,” Khan said. “Trent (Baalke) is very analytics-driven from his time in San Francisco and went to the Super Bowl with a team where a lot of the team was built on stats. I’m in there and we’re all working together and I think now with Doug in we have a great group of people that like working together with my dad and me, with Doug and Trent. I think we’ll add an EVP and have a really good room.”

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes people around the league think N.C. State OT Ikem Ekwonu will be very appealing to the Jaguars with the No. 1 pick if he tests as well as he’s expected to at the Combine. 

Texans

Texans S Justin Reid told the media that the team hiring HC Lovie Smith will certainly factor into his decision about returning to Houston in 2022. Reid says he isn’t opposed to re-signing with the Texans but offered no guarantees.

“Honestly, it made a bigger impact than I would have thought it would have,” Reid said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I didn’t know he was in the running. I think it kind of caught everybody by surprise whenever they ended up hiring him. I think he’s more than qualified. He’s done it before, he’s been to a Super Bowl and he gets his guys to play hard for him. I don’t have anything against any of the other candidates, but I actually have a deep love and respect for coach Lovie Smith, his coaching philosophy, the way he’s able to get the best out of his players.”

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirms there are teams who will trade for Texans QB Deshaun Watson without resolution to his 22 civil cases for sexual misconduct, but the real hangup is whether Houston can get what it feels is fair value.