AFC Notes: Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

Jaguars EDGE Josh Allen feels that he’s in a good place with his development and is focused on improving. 

“I feel like I’m in a good spot right now,” said Allen, via John Oehser of the team’s official site. “I’m all about growth this year. I’m all about us all getting better.”

Jaguars HC Doug Pederson mentioned that Allen spent time training on his own over the offseason and is a “tremendous leader” for the team. 

“He spent time away and came back just here recently and came back in the right frame of mind,” Pederson said. “He’s obviously a tremendous leader on the defense and the team and a guy that wants to learn and just study our defense and just get better and that’s what we need.”

Allen added that he worked to find the correct mentality and mindset this offseason and after not being at a “consistent level” last year. 

“I was just working,” Allen said. “I was really trying to craft myself and really trying to just find myself again – find that mentality, find my mindset, how I want to approach the game again. I feel like I lost that – bits and pieces. I still had that dog but, it wasn’t on a consistent level.”

Allen thinks his mobility has improved and is a better football player overall as opposed to exclusively being a pass rusher. 

“I feel like I’m moving better than I have in a long time,” Allen said. “I feel like that’s the growth I really needed. I needed to come back a football player – not a pass rusher, but a football player.”

Texans

Texans HC Lovie Smith said that DB Jalen Pitre is picking up the defense quickly, and he’s been a “sponge” this offseason.

“Jalen, he’s a sponge,” Smith said, via Texans Wire. “He’s picking up quickly.”

Smith did acknowledge that Pitre still has a ways to go.

“He needs reps,” Smith said. “Offseason work helps those guys so much, and that local flavor is good also.”

Pitre learned under Baylor HC Dave Aranda how to stay patient during his time in Waco and said that he’s applying that to his new challenges in Houston.

“The biggest thing that I learned was just to be patient with things and just to wait on my turn,” Pitre said. “Coach Aranda is a very patient individual. That’s something I’ve been trying to work on.”

Titans

• Jim Wyatt of TenneseeTitans.com notes that with WR Robert Woods practicing in a knee brace and rookie WR Treylon Burks starting slowly, the team is likely still hoping to bring in a receiver this offseason.