AFC Notes: Travis Etienne, Jeffery Simmons, Colts, Jaguars, Titans

Colts

Colts LB Zaire Franklin said during a recent media appearance that QB Anthony Richardson has all the tools in order to succeed in his rookie year. 

“It’s cool to have a young boy come in with a lot of glitz and glam. But, you know, I think the thing I so much about Anthony is he’s all about the work,” Franklin said on The Jim Rome Show. “He’s all about the game. He comes in early. He’s putting that work in.”

“As he’s settled in, he started to make plays. He’s athletic, he makes some big throws,” Franklin added. “I think just as he’s settled down and as he continued to get comfortable and work with coach Steichen and the offense with those guys in a rhythm, a routine, I definitely think he has everything necessary to be special.”

Jaguars

Jaguars HC Doug Pederson and RB coach Bernie Parmalee weighed in on an improved version of RB Travis Etienne that they have seen this offseason. 

“We’ve seen it this offseason; he’s progressed nicely there,” Pederson told Jaguars.com. “Once we get the pads on  and we start in our run periods, we’ll see how he’ll see the hole better. It just goes back to last year being kind of a rookie season for him. It’s like in the pass game: There’s a lot to learn, a lot to know and understand and, he’s really picked it up well. I’m excited for him for this year and what he can do, and even more to build off last year.”

“There’s a lot more – a lot more,” Parmalee added. “We talked about it every day. He knows it, too. It’s one thing when you talk about it as a coach and the player doesn’t realize it. But when the player realizes what you’re talking about is true and he’s going to do everything he has to do to make sure he gets better, it’s going to bode well.”

Titans

The Titans locked up DT Jeffery Simmons to a big-money extension this offseason. 

Simmons told reporters that for the first time, he’s not focused on trying to prove himself to people and is instead focused on improving his game. 

“My goal this year is not to try and prove who I am,” Simmons said, via TennesseeTitans.com. “My goal is: How can I be better than I was last year? Especially health-wise. I wasn’t 100 percent [last year]. I want to go into this season down in my weight, and I want to be able to be consistent with that. I want to be consistent with my technique and my fundamentals, and consistent with my leadership – that’s what I have to prove to this team. I am not trying to prove, ‘I am better than this guy in this league.’ … This organization knows who I am as a player, and that’s why we came to an agreement. At this point in my career, it’s just, ‘How can I be more consistent with my play?”