AFC Notes: Tee Higgins, Jeffery Simmons, Mike Vrabel, Jaguars, Titans

Jaguars

• Matt Zenitz reports the Jaguars are targeting University of Tennessee RB coach Jerry Mack for the same role. 

Titans

Bengals WR Tee Higgins said he would love playing for the Titans. 

“It would be good,” Higgins said, via Titans Wire. “Going back home to family and then being able to play for a coach that I’ve already been under, it would be ideal.”

• Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that former Raiders interim OC Bo Hardegree is expected to be hired as the Titans QBs coach.

Titans

Titans DL Jeffery Simmons said he still keeps in touch with former HC Mike Vrabel 

“I will start out with Coach Vrabel,” Simmons said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s site. “We had a great relationship, and we still have a great relationship. We communicate still. You hate to see it. You hate to see it happen. But things happen in this business, and like he said when we talked about it, it’s going to be good. I wished him the best. I think coming up this season for us is it’s going to be one of those seasons where we have to really reestablish ourselves in Tennessee.”

Simmons met with new HC Brian Callahan and is excited to work with recently hired DC Dennard Wilson. 

“Having a chance to meet Coach Callahan in person, when I was in the building, I could tell that he is ready, he wants to win. And I am excited for the staff he is bringing in, especially with DC (Dennard Wilson) from Baltimore. I am excited, man. I think it is going to be good for us as an organization.”

Simmons is focused on being a leader around the locker room after going 7-10 and 6-11 over the past two years. 

“You know I am always that guy,” Simmons said. “I am going to make sure I can keep the locker room tight, and make sure no matter what it might be, no matter the situation, of course we just got a new head coach, I think it’s going to be simple: Buy in or you just have to get left behind. For me, being a captain and a leader on this team, my job is to keep holding my end up on that. At the end of the day, it is a new beginning for us. It’s a new chapter. We have a new head coach, so we just have to take off with it.”