AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Titans

Colts

Colts DE Yannick Ngakoue said he’s seeking revenge against the Las Vegas Raiders when they play against each other this season. 

“They’ll see how I feel when we play them,” Ngakoue said, via Tyler Dunne. “We go to their house. They’ll see why they f—-d up. They’re going to have to pay. They’ll pay.”

Ngakoue spoke about a troublesome relationship with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ ownership, which contributed to him being unable to land a long-term deal as a free agent. 

“When I felt like I was getting disrespected,” Ngakoue said. “I was vocal about it. Which I felt like led to this situation. All these owners know each other. I guess I left a bad taste in peoples’ mouth.”

As for his time with the Ravens, Ngakoue feels he joined a system that didn’t fit his playing style. 

“Where I messed up, is I didn’t do my research on what kind of scheme they ran. By the time I got there, the scheme didn’t fit my style.”

Ngakoue felt upset to see players with similar statistics to him land larger long-term deals on the open market. 

“Seeing guys who didn’t have my numbers getting bigger deals, longer-term deals than me hurt my spirit,” Ngakoue said. “They didn’t have that stigma that teams try to create behind your name. I’m the only guy who really went head-to-head with the owner on Twitter. There was a point in time when I was like, ‘Bro, why am I even doing this shit?’ That’s how I felt: ‘Why am I even playing ball if I’m putting up numbers but I’m getting labeled as a f—–g insubordinate?’ I was like, ‘Bro, why am I doing it?’”

Jaguars

Jaguars rookie OL Luke Fortner discussed how he expects the team to use him this season.

“I probably let a little too much of football slip early in my career and focused a little too much on school,” Fortner said, via XL Primetime. “So toward the end here, I kind of went back to focusing on football. Now I have my aerospace degree, and I’m OK at football. They just want a guy who can come in and be consistent across the board and play three positions inside there. Just bring consistency to the offensive line and hopefully help and protect Trevor Lawrence back there.”

Titans

Tennesee native DB Theo Jackson is excited to have been picked up by the Titans this offseason.

“I’m not going to lie to you: I’m going through so many emotions right now,” Jackson said, via TenneseeTitans.com. “But it’s the best feeling. To grow up in Nashville, go to school in Tennessee, and then come back home for pro ball. I can’t even think of the words to even say right now. I’m just so excited and I’m so eager to get to work. They [the Titans] loved my versatility. I can play safety, play the dime, or play some slot, but it’s really how they want to place me at.”

• Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com has no doubts that QB Ryan Tannehill will help rookie QB Malik Willis to develop.