Colts
Colts DC Gus Bradley weighed in on S Nick Cross, who was a Week 1 starter that found himself being benched in Week 2. Cross was also a healthy scratch for the last game of his rookie season. Bradley spoke with the young safety and let him know he is expecting better communication in his second season.
“He is extremely talented, he is fast, he’s got the ability. Now it’s just playing fast on the field,” Bradley said about Cross, via Kevin Bowen. “That part we didn’t see in the beginning of (last) year. We felt like he was thinking a lot. We wanted to get him in there and see just how fast he would play. Then I think it was the Kansas City game we moved Rodney in there and we just felt like it wasn’t so much play, it was the communication that took place, too. I think Rodney was a great communicator and I think it just brought a sense of calm to the guys back there because of that communication. That’s the part that held Nick back.”
“The conversation was more about doing things right, rather than just reacting, and it slowed him down some,” Bradley added. “I think as the season went on, conversations towards the end were more like, ‘I felt it. I know what that feels like now.’ Where you’re thinking too much and not playing as fast as maybe I did in college. So, if he can recognize that, own that and say, ‘Now in the next year, let’s get back to playing fast.’ That’s the conversations we had. So yes, it would be great for him to take the next step for us.”
Jaguars
Hopes are high in Jacksonville because of the way former No. 1 overall QB Trevor Lawrence seemed to come into his own as the season progressed. If Lawrence can keep that up, which is what the Jaguars are expected, the team should win the AFC South and be right in the mix with the other heavyweights in the AFC.
“I think going into his year three — year two with us — as a staff, I think the way he played the back half of the season is the way he needs to start this year,” Jaguars HC Doug Pederson said on the Rich Eisen Show. “There was a lot of confidence at the end of the year with him, and that’s the next phase, right? It’s putting all of that together, and we feel, or I feel too, like he’s the guy that, you know, which he showed towards the end of the year, he can put the team on his back.”
Pederson cited the wildcard win against the Chargers as an example of Lawrence’s potential, where he bounced back from an abysmal first half with four interceptions to rally the Jaguars from a 27-7 deficit for the win.
“We don’t want him to throw four picks and then four touchdowns. We’d rather him just throw the four touchdowns and win a football game, but he can do that,” Pederson said. “He’s capable of putting the team on his back and finishing a football game, and potentially winning. He did that against Baltimore. He did that against obviously the Cowboys. That was more of a pick-six walk-off there but did some things late in the season that proved to us that he’s our guy, and we’re excited about that, so for him to take that next step is just that. Just having that confidence the way he ended the season and start this year that way and try to come out with a fast start and finish faster.”
Texans
Texans LT Laremy Tunsil said the aura surrounding the team with the addition of HC DeMeco Ryans is creating a great atmosphere.
“It’s a whole new vibe, man,” Tunsil said, via NFL.com.” DeMeco came in with that energy he brought from San Fran and just changed the whole vibe around the building, and that’s something that we needed, especially since these last past three years we’ve been in a rut. So DeMeco comes in the building, he brought some new coaches, we’ve got some new players. Man, it’s just a whole new vibe that’s in that building. It feels great to be there.”
Tunsil also credits rookie QB C.J. Stroud for how he carries himself and his work ethic.
“He handles himself well. He came in the building with these unbelievable leadership skills, and he’s killing it, man,” Tunsil explained. “How I describe C.J.: dawg. He’s a straight dawg. He comes in there ready to work, he handles the huddle perfectly and he goes out there and balls, man. You’ve got to appreciate that, especially in a young quarterback like C.J.”
Tunsil is ready to take the next step in his career into a leadership role for the team.
“I’m like the O.G. in the building now, like the mentor. Everybody looks at me for answers,” Tunsil said. “I had some great mentors coming in the league. I had Branden Albert, I had Mike Pouncey, I had some good guys. So I’m ready to step into this role.”
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