AFC Notes: Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

• The Jacksonville Jaguars announced they’ve hired former UNLV OC Nick Holz as their passing game coordinator.

Texans

• On3Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports the Texans are hiring former Troy OL coach Cole Popovich as an assistant offensive line coach.
• Popovich was previously the Patriots’ co-offensive line coach in 2020, assistant running backs coach in 2019, and was a coaching assistant from 2016-2018. 
• Aaron Wilson also reports Houston is retaining RBs coach Danny Barrett for HC DeMeco Ryans‘ staff. 

Titans

Titans TE Chigoziem Okonkwo said he is focused on improving following his rookie season and being the “best player I can possibly become.” 

“My feeling is, now that (my rookie) season is over, I’m just going to put my head down and I am ready to grind and become a better player,” Okonkwo said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. “It’s the offseason now, and I’m just ready to become the best player I can possibly become. I am going to work on everything I struggled with this year – that’s my mindset now, turn the page and all I can do is get better for the team and that’s what I am going to try and do this offseason.”

Titans’ run-game analyst Luke Steckel said Okonkwo’s speed is one of his “best assets” and has a good understanding of the game. 

“His speed is obviously one of his best assets that he has,” Steckel said. “And you can’t use that speed if when the ball is snapped you are spending all your energy thinking of what you are supposed to be doing or reacting to how the defense is playing. The more Chig has gotten a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish and the more he is able to see the big picture, the more he is able to cut loose and use that speed to win, whether it is firing off the ball in the run game and getting his hands on guys blocking them, or running routes in the pass game. So, I think he has made huge strides there.”

Okonkwo praised HC Mike Vrabel and thinks the coach is going to get him every opportunity possible to succeed. The tight end believes he’s just “scratching the surface” of his potential under Vrabel. 

“He’ll tell me, he’s only going to coach me as hard as he cares,” Okonkwo said. “I know when he is pushing me and he is looking at every single rep I am doing, I just embrace it. He doesn’t want me to be a terrible player. He wants me to become the greatest player that I can become. So, for me, I always keep that in the back of my mind and don’t let anything he says get under my skin. I know he wants me to be great, and I know he is not doing this to make me feel bad. He just wants me to be a great player. I think I can get better at everything, really. I feel like I am just scratching the surface. I am just trying to polish myself and become the best player that I can, and I know for that to happen, I have to work on everything.”