AFC Notes: John Metchie, Calvin Ridley, Colts, Jaguars, Texans

“I think it was good for both of us,” Ballard said, via NFL.com. “He’s just at a point in his career that, he’s at the end of his career. I thought he was a decent fit for the defense. But a chance to get a pick for him in the last year of his deal. Shed a little bit of the contract money off. I thought was good for both of us, be able to send him to Dallas, which is a good spot and a good fit defensively for him. That kind of went into it.”

“I think it’s always a position that, you know you want to have as many cover guys as you can,” Ballard added. “But yeah, that’s a position we got an eye on. Both — and we think there’s still some free agents out there, too, that could help us if need be.”

Jaguars

Jags WR Calvin Ridley believes he’s going to be just as good, if not better when he comes back in 2023.

“I’m trying to be humble, [and] I’ve been pretty good at football all my life, and I not only have been good, I also worked to be good,” Ridley said, via ESPN. “They say two years off. But what about the healing process? What if I got faster? What if I got stronger? Obviously I got wiser. Why can’t I be better?”

Ridley believes that he’s still a 1,400 yards a year player.

“I am a 1,400-yard type of player. God is going to determine what type of stats I am going to have,” Ridley said. “Football is serious. I mean, you don’t just play 17 games straight and think you’re going to be in every one of them and playing healthy in all of them. So what I’m saying is I am a 1,400 yard receiver with a broken foot.”

Jags QB Trevor Lawrence noticed Ridley’s physical tools and said he’s picked up the offense quickly.

“He’s been awesome,” Lawrence said. “He’s hungry. He’s excited to be here. He’s got the right attitude. I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve noticed. On the field he’s a freak, just the way he runs routes, how explosive he is. We just started, but it seems like he’s picking [the offense] up pretty quickly.”

Texans

Texans GM Nick Caserio said WR John Metchie has made “significant progress” in his recovery from leukemia.

“John has made a lot of progress,” Caserio said, via TexansWire. “I’d say not exactly sure — call it his status — but I’d say he’s made significant progress. He’s made significant strides. I mean, he’s worked his ass off, I would say, from the time he arrived and everything that he endured during the course of the fall. Can’t say enough about John about his attitude and his approach. I mean, I don’t want to use the word ‘rare,’ but what he’s done and what he’s endured physically, I mean, honestly it’s mind blowing. It really is.”

Caserio added Metchie is in a “pretty good spot” and they’ll continue evaluating him this spring. 

“John is as good of a kid, good of a person as we have this year,” said Caserio. “He’s made significant progress. I think the spring is about making sure that a player is physically ready to go for what he’s able to do on the field. Ultimately the most important thing is for a player to be ready for training camp. So, I’d say John has definitely made a lot of progress and is in a pretty good spot, and we’ll see how much progress he can continue to make here over the course of the spring.”