AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Titans

Colts

The trade of DT DeForest Buckner to the Colts has received nothing but praise from both current and past executives with the organization.

“The most important person in the defense, the key player is the 3-technique, the guy who is closest to the ball,” said former Colts GM Bill Polian, via Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. “He does the most disrupting. And he’s the guy who triggers the pass rush.

Polian notes that unlike current GM Chris Ballard, he made the mistake of not acquiring a strong defensive tackle, and until the team traded for Anthony “Booger” McFarland, they were unable to get to a Super Bowl level.

“The fact that Buckner is an elite pass rusher from the inside, and also an elite run player gives you the opportunity for a really key defense,” said Polian. “We did not get to a Super Bowl level until we got Booger McFarland. And that’s on me. I didn’t do a good enough job of getting someone like that. Chris Ballard has learned that lesson and went out and got Buckner and that’s going to be huge for that defense.”

Ballard knows that by bringing in Buckner he has solidified his defense for years to come.

“All you have to do was put on the Super Bowl,” Ballard said. “The great players produce in the great games. Just watch the Super Bowl, that guy played his ass off. And he was disruptive the entire game.”

Jaguars

• Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes the Jaguars are one of 11 teams where QB Colin Kaepernick would be a fit. 
• NFL Media’s Jeffri Chadiha also believes Jacksonville would be a strong fit, especially if Kaepernick still wants to be a starter, as the Jaguars’ current group of quarterbacks is among the least-established in the NFL.
• The Athletic’s Mike Sando lists the Jaguars as a team that should pursue Kaepernick. When Sando polled NFL evaluators in 2016 before Kaepernick’s protest, he was generally seen as a high-level backup. 

Titans

• The Athletic’s Mike Sando lists the Titans as a team that should pursue free-agent QB Colin Kaepernick. When Sando polled NFL evaluators in 2016 before Kaepernick’s protest, he was generally seen as a high-level backup.