AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts HC Frank Reich declared OT Matt Pryor the team’s starter at left tackle in Week 1. Reich said that Pryor got extra reps in the preseason game to help him gain familiarity and comfortability at the position. 

“Matt has deserved and earned the spot that he’s in right now as the No. 1 left tackle…I thought it was great for him to get a little bit of extra work this week, given that he was newer to the lineup than everybody else,” he said via the Athletic’s James Boyd.

• The Colts brought in DL Cortez Broughton for a workout. (Aaron Wilson)

Jaguars

Jaguars HC Doug Pederson weighed in on RB James Robinson who is still attempting to get back to full health following an injury.

“I don’t think you go full steam ahead. I think you gradually increase his reps,” Pederson told ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “You don’t want to stress his body [in practice], but at the same time, he needs to get enough work where he’s possibly ready to go for Washington if that’s the case.”

Jaguars OC Press Taylor has a plan for how the team will split reps between Robinson and RB Travis Etienne who is back from injury after missing his true rookie season.

“We have a vision for what we hope it is,” Taylor said. “You kind of always envision what you’re going to do when everybody’s healthy, but until we get to that point and we see everybody in there and everybody is available on game day, then you kind of just have to go with what you have in that particular availability for that game.”

“It is tricky with the type of injury that he had,” Pederson said of Etienne. “I’ve been around offensive lineman that have had the same injury that have bounced back fast, and other guys it takes a little time, but I think in his case, he’s on track, but again, we have to be smart as a staff, medically, coaches, to make sure we don’t have any setbacks at this time.”

Texans

• Texans DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo suffered a biceps injury but is expected back for the first regular season game. (Aaron Wilson)
• Texans HC Lovie Smith on fourth-round RB Dameon Pierce: “We’ve seen everything you need to see from a good running back. He can catch the ball. He can run in between tackles. He’ll make you miss in the open field. Pads down low, there’s a lot of things to like about Dameon.” (Aaron Wilson)
• Former Texans team president Jamey Rootes passed away at 55 on Monday. (PFT)

Titans

Titans HC Mike Vrabel was encouraged by what first-round WR Treylon Burks was able to accomplish in the team’s preseason game, even if it didn’t all show up in the box score.

“The thing that I’ve always tried to say with regard to receivers is they can’t control when they get the ball,” Vrabel said, via PFT. “All they can control is they get open and we can review the film and say, hey, this is where we would like the ball to go. I don’t want to tell quarterbacks, ‘Hey, throw it to this guy.’ That’s not the direction that we really want to head. But was really encouraged by some of the things that he did, especially without the football — trying to block. There were times when he was open — whether that be for a catch-and-run. And then there were some other times where we would like to see a better route. Just continue to progress and work on the conditioning in the game, all the things that are required of the receivers.”