Jaguars

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence said WR Parker Washington has earned himself more opportunities, and it’s going to be hard to keep him off the field.

“It’s going to be tough to keep that guy off the field the way he’s playing,” Lawrence said, via PFT.

Texans

Texans HC DeMeco Ryans praised RB Nick Chubb for his physicality, running aggressively during the team’s second preseason game.

“Chubb did a really nice job playing physical, running behind his pads,” Ryans said, via Click2Houston. “I just like the way the whole team played a physical brand of football, the type of football I expect us to play and I’m really proud of the guys for that. Just really, really proud of the offensive line again. I think this is the second week in a row now that they’re just improving, they’re getting better. We were able to run the football. Again, Chubb did a really nice job playing physical, running behind his pads. I just like the way the whole team played a physical brand of football, the type of football I expect us to play and I’m really proud of the guys for that.”

Ryans was also impressed with rookie RB Woody Marks for his ability to power through defenders.

“I thought Woody definitely shined today,” Ryans said. “I talk about playing a physical brand of football, Woody did that. Running through four defenders, three defenders at times, still falling forward. That’s what I expect from our backs and he did a really nice job of that.”

Texans QB C.J. Stroud said he’s impressed with the revamped offensive line headlined by new OL coach Cole Popovich.

“I think our O-line has done a great job,” Stroud said, who was sacked once on a coverage sack and threw a touchdown pass to Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins. “We’re a run the ball team first that wants to establish the run. I think we brought in guys who are tough, that like to run the ball. That’s first and foremost. The communication, I think Cole Popovich, he’s done a great job with those guys, coaching them tough, training them tough at practice, getting those guys ready for every day. Because up there, you’ve got to be really gritty, want to grind, want it dirty, want it the worst way. I think this line wants that. I think he’s done a great job, him and Nick [Caley] have done a great job making our plays fit our scheme and like what the guys are good at.”

Titans

Titans first-round QB Cam Ward made headlines in the spring with his excellent work habits, going beyond just his 5:30 AM arrivals to the team facility. Ward also led his own meeting with fellow rookie skill players in addition to the work they were doing with the coaching staff. Those weren’t just a spring thing either. Ward has continued to blow the Titans coaching staff away with his dedication and maturity in training camp, maintaining the early meetings that he started doing while he was still in college. 

“To his credit, I’ve seen players come in during the offseason, in the spring, and they’re all gung ho — I’m gonna do this, and I’m gonna be here until eight o’clock,” Titans HC Brian Callahan said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “And it lasts for a little bit. And, sometimes, it definitely falls away, and by the time you get to training camp, they’re right back in the normal routine like most players are. But Cam’s been impressive — he hasn’t. He hasn’t changed, and he probably never will. That’s just who he is. And that’s always cool when you can say, O.K., this is for real, this is who he is, it’s not an act, this is just his process. For a player his age to have a routine and a process that he sticks to is also impressive. A lot of guys are trying to figure it out — they’re trying to figure out what it looks like for them, and Cam very much already knows what it is.”

Callahan has coached for a lot of teams with high-end quarterbacks, including Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr, and Joe Burrow. He’s already seeing a lot in common between that group and Ward. 

“I’ve been fortunate to be around really, really sharp quarterbacks,” Callahan said. “He belongs in the same conversation, in terms of his ability to conceptualize, understand, apply. That’s the key part. There are a lot of guys who can hear you and understand it. His ability to apply it in the moment pretty quickly after he learns it is impressive. And that’s where it’s been cool to have these different experiences with these quarterbacks, and I got them all at different points of their careers, and they all have different bases of knowledge, but they all play the position the way you’re supposed to.”