AFC Notes: Colts, Texans, Will Anderson, Titans

Colts

Colts GM Chris Ballard pumped the brakes on speculation that the team could trade up to number one to select a quarterback.

“I know this was coming up, because I know all the speculation out there,” Ballard said, via PFT. “One, to move up, there’s got to be a guy worthy of it. This is what’s great right now: Everybody has just automatically stamped that you’ve got to move up to one to get it right. I don’t know if I agree with that. I don’t. But that’s going to be the narrative, and that’s OK…But I don’t know if that’s the right course of business. When we meet as a staff and we say, ‘OK, this is what we need to do. This is the guy for the next 10 to 15 years,’ and we think he’s the right guy, sure we’ll do it. But who’s to say we won’t get one at four?”

Texans

Alabama DE Will Anderson Jr. said he had a good meeting with Texans GM Nick Caserio at the NFL Combine and feels excited about the Houston organization. 

“It was fun,” Anderson said, via Aaron Wilson. “We just went in there and watched tape, got to know each other. I’m very excited about the Texans as well.”

Anderson considers himself to be a consistent player who has a hard work ethic. 

“I’m super excited,” Anderson said. “All the work has been good. What I bring to the table is consistency, being humble. Whatever culture I’m in, I’m going to do things the right way and I think that’s what sets me apart. It means a lot. That just shows all your hard work has been paying off and the sacrifices the blood sweat and tears to get to this moment. It’s super exciting it’s a blessing.”

• Maryland WR Rakim Jarrett has met with multiple teams at the combine including the Bears, Cowboys, Giants, and Texans. (Aaron Wilson)

Titans

The Titans hired Chad Brinker away from the Packers as their new assistant general manager under new GM Ran Carthon.

Carthon spoke very highly of Brinker, particularly his understanding and implementation of analytics.

“[Brinker is] a guy that Green Bay thought enough of to pay for him to get his executive MBA from Northwestern,” Carthon said on the Official Titans Podcast. “So, not only does he go and get his executive MBA, but through the course of getting the MBA he meets with some guys that are in the tech space and he creates his own AI model for injuries and cap studies.

“So he figures out a way to create these models that he owns the IP (intellectual property) for, and so wherever he goes he can bring that IP with him,” Carthon added. “And, again, it allows us to grow in a space that we’re trying to evolve to, which is in the analytics department… I have an understanding of analytics because coming from where I’m coming from, but he’s on another level than I am, and so that’s an area where he’s going to be a strength to our organization.”