Colts

Colts DC Lou Anarumo said rookie S AJ Haulcy has impressed with his mental consistency and ability to consistently be in the right position.

“He hasn’t had a mental error to my recollection,” Anarumo said, via the team’s website. “So he keeps that up, and that’ll be good for him in his field.”

Anarumo added that Haulcy has continued to handle his assignments well throughout training camp.

“Out here he’s done well,” Anarumo said. “That doesn’t mean he’s played perfect, but he’s been in the right spot.”

Colts HC Shane Steichen praised Haulcy’s instincts and ability to consistently find himself around the football.

“I think he’s got really good instincts,” Steichen said. “He’s always around the ball, and you need that at that position.”

Anarumo said Haulcy’s preparation and communication have also stood out away from the practice reps.

“He really puts the time in,” Anarumo said. “He’s done a really good job communicating.”

Jaguars

After losing LB Devin Lloyd in free agency, the plan for the Jaguars seemed to be to give LB Ventrell Miller, who has been waiting in the wings, the first nod to replace Lloyd in the starting lineup. But a sleeper candidate, second-year UDFA LB Branson Combs, has come out of nowhere to give Miller a really tough run for the job. Jaguars HC Liam Coen talked up Combs again recently and noted that his skills in coverage might get him on the field even if Miller is the starter. 

“If you think about it, how much teams are trying to expose linebackers in coverage, we saw what Devin was able to do for us in coverage and be able to create some turnovers with vision on the quarterback and I think Branson innately does that,” Coen said via Jacksonville.com’s Ryan O’Halloran.

Combs didn’t make many splashes last year, starting out on the practice squad before earning a promotion to the roster later in the season. He was a receiver at Southern Illinois before the coaching staff moved him to linebacker, and he later transferred to Wake Forest for his final season. He’s ready to continue doing whatever the team asks. 

“Last year, special teams was my role and now, I’ve been able to figure some things out, smooth some of the edges out and just get a chance to compete,” he said. “That’s all you can really ask for. Whatever (my role) is, I’m going to embrace it.”

Texans

Texans CB Kamari Lassiter said WR Jayden Higgins looked NFL-ready immediately as a rookie and now appears more comfortable and confident within Houston’s offense.

“I knew ‘Higg’ was good last year,” Lassiter said, via Texans Wire. “When he first stepped foot in this door, he was NFL ready. You take the offseason to just work on whatever you feel like you need to work on. Obviously, he’s worked on a lot of things. He’s bigger, he’s faster, he’s stronger. He’s running routes the way he wants to. He’s running with precision. He’s running with power. He’s playing with confidence. I feel like it might not be that he’s gotten better. It just might be he’s more comfortable in the system. He’s more confident. I just feel like he’s playing with that confidence.”

Lassiter said Higgins continues to add to his game and has consistently made plays throughout training camp.

“It’s just like all of us, he just continues to get better,” Lassiter said. “Every day you can tell that he’s adding something to his bag, whether it’s route running or whether it’s precision. He’s playing with confidence. He’s out there catching every ball that comes his way. He’s a really good player; he’s always been a really good player. He’s only going to continue to go up and up.”

• Texans DE Jadeveon Clowney signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract, including $4.5 million fully guaranteed and a $2 million signing bonus. (OTC)