AFC Notes: Jaguars, Steelers, Titans

Jaguars

• Per the Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Jaguars QB Nick Foles will not be at OTA’s for personal reasons and there’s no timetable for his return. 
• Jaguars HC Doug Marrone on Foles: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Nick and his family. … The football part (of planning practice without him), we’ll just figure that out.” (Phillip Heilman)
• Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue is not at OTA’s after previously saying he wouldn’t miss any practices despite entering the final year of his deal. (Popper)

Steelers

Steelers TE Vance McDonald said he will be counted on more to step up without WR Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh anymore. 

“It’s required; it’s definitely being asked, and I will embrace it,” McDonald said via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

While McDonald says the Steelers will miss a talent like Brown, he added there are ways in which his absence could make them more creative. 

“The things A.B. is capable of doing — he’s a freak; he’s so good,” McDonald said. “Ben [Roethlisberger] is the best quarterback who will allow us to take that piece that A.B. was given and now allow it to go through different avenues, whether it’s the tight ends or the receivers. It will take some part of the coaches, too. Obviously, you’re calling plays specifically for A.B. in the game. Now it might go to JuJu, [Donte] Moncrief, Eli [Rogers] or [Ryan Switzer] or me or the other tight ends. It will be fun and interesting to see how we can be creative and let that happen.”

Titans

Titans HC Mike Vrabel has taken to replacing the word “good” with “great” as the Titans try to take a step forward from the 9-7 record they’ve had each of the past three seasons. 

“I think I’ve caught myself more than [Vrabel has] caught me,” WR Adam Humphries said via Erik Bacharach of the Nashville Tennessean. “But every time someone asks me, ‘How are [you] doing?’ I’ll begin to say, ‘I’m doing good,’ and then you catch yourself and say, ‘great.’ So it’s pretty cool that they’re really establishing that mindset in the building and it’s carrying over each and every day.”

• Per Paul Kuharsky, Titans QB Marcus Mariota has put on 12-13 pounds in an effort to be more durable going forward.