AFC Notes: DeAndre Hopkins, Titans, Jaguars, Texans

Jaguars

• ESPN’s Michael DiRocco notes the Jaguars’ stadium renovation plan could take two years or as long as four years and is expected to cost $2 billion. He adds there is a memorandum of understanding between the two sides saying they will split the cost 50-50. 
• Jaguars president Mark Lamping explains the city will put more of its share into the stadium while owner Shad Khan puts money toward developing the surrounding land as a part of the overall vision: “What we’ve discussed with the city and what’s contained in this memorandum of understanding is we get to 50-50, but more of their 50 percent is going to have to go into the stadium because that’s what the league’s going to look at and more of Shad’s 50 is going to have to go into the development around the stadium. And when you combine them, you get to 50-50.”
  
• The difference in renovation schedule between the two-year and four-year timeline centers around whether the Jaguars will keep playing at the stadium during renovations or play elsewhere for two seasons. Options include the University of Florida or Camping World Stadium in Orlando: “We’ve had conversations with both. We’ve given them the specs and I think it’s fair to say that both would be interested, assuming that the schedules would work.”
• A four-year timeline would add $190 million in total cost to the project, per Lamping. 
• The Jaguars could also play more home games in London while renovations are ongoing, per DiRocco. 
• The stadium deal needs to be approved by Jacksonville’s new mayor once they take over on July 1 as well as the city council. It also needs approval from the NFL and 75 percent of the owners. 

Texans

Texans ST coordinator Frank Ross says third-round WR Tank Dell has the dynamic speed to be the team’s returner, but adds that like every other returner he must focus on his ball security.

“There’s a God-given athleticism element, of course, where guys know how to just not spend too much time decelerating or it’s just easier for guys to run as a smaller guy,” Ross said, via TexansWire.com. “He’s got that quickness, that suddenness that hopefully he can translate to when he’s out there live with the ball in his hands. The ball can’t be on the ground, so whoever is back there handling it, security is number one. Get the ball back for our offense, start a drive. And then anything past the first down is bonus. When we get a chance to take it, we’ll try and do that as many times as possible.”

Titans

Regarding the Titans hosting DeAndre Hopkins for a visit, HC Mike Vrabel said they want players who are eager to be a part of their team and will do their research on Hopkins when he’s at the facility. 

“The first thing is we want players that want to be here,” Vrabel said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s site. “We’ll work through anything else. We brought in a bunch of different players, and DeAndre will be somebody that we’ll bring in next week, early next week, at the end of this week, and go through the same visit we’ll go through with everybody and start the process.”

Vrabel said he’s not recruiting Hopkins to Tennessee and is hopeful something works out for the receiver. 

“I’m past the recruiting – I did that in college,” Vrabel said. “Again, we really just want people that want to be here. And if that works out, then you go on to the next step. This will be pretty much it until either sign or don’t sign the next player.”