AFC Notes: Treylon Burks, John Metchie, Colts, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts WR Alec Pierce won’t lie down and give up his role, even after the team drafted rookie WR Adonai Mitchell to compete with him.

“He is as consistent as they come,” Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter said, via Colts Wire. “His work ethic. His work habits. His pre-practice habits. … He had a great shot at a few (catches) today, and he went out and made some huge plays.”

Colts HC Shane Steichen said Mitchell has displayed his explosiveness and the ability to win one-on-one matchups.

“Just explosiveness,” Steichen explained. “Kind of similar things we saw in the spring from him winning the one-on-one matchups with any young player, learning the system. But you can see the explosive ability, the one-on-one winners that he’s had. We got to continue that.”

Texans

Texans WR John Metchie said he feels great after recovering from cancer treatment and is looking forward to competing for a role in the team’s wide receiver rotation.

“Absolutely, you kind of figure it will feel better, it is only a matter of time,” Metchie said, via Click2Houston. “You go through so long with treatment for so long and even though you are done you are not really done. You have to give it some time for your body to flush it out and for you to able to keep building and just flush it out. I kind of expected it would be better.”

Metchie said that entering his second year in the system, he’s playing faster and is less focused on learning a system and having fun on the field.

“I think I am just more comfortable overall,” Metchie said. “Of course, it is the second year in the playbook, so you know it a lot more, you are not thinking at all when you are out there. My body feels a lot better. Now it is just about having fun, really. I don’t have to think about a new scheme or about being on the field, or anything new. Now it is just completely having fun.”

Titans

Titans HC Brian Callahan knows that third-year WR Treylon Burks will have to step it up now that veteran WR DeAndre Hopkins is expected to miss time due to injury. Burks himself is upset that Hopkins is out but has taken advice from the veteran receiver about going out and having fun despite his injury history.

“It’s a chance for guys to get more opportunities and you get to see what they’re going to make of them,” Callahan told The Tennessean. “Treylon’s probably the one that benefits the most at that position. We’re going to get some looks at him as a starting receiver for us when D-Hop’s (Hopkins) out. So I’m excited about that. When you get opportunities to see guys do more. I think Trey’s had a really nice camp. We’ve seen good things and now we’re going to get the chance to see more.”

“Man, I’ll just be honest. It sucks because I look up to Hop a lot,” Burks said, via ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “But he just told me to just do what I do, go out there and just take care of business. That’s what I’ve been doing before the injury even happened, just going out there and having fun. I’m just going to continue to keep doing what I’m doing.”