AFC Notes: Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

After the Jaguars fired former DC Mike Caldwell following the 2023 season, Jacksonville needed to find someone with a good resume to come in and take this defense where they want to be. HC Doug Pederson spoke at the combine about why he ended up going with new DC Ryan Nielsen.

“I love the fact that he’s coming in with a mindset of attacking and being aggressive,” Pederson said, via Jaguars’ YouTube. “How he wants to use our personnel on defense. We know we’ve got to add some pieces to that and add some depth and competition, but right there, just the fundamental details, the simplicity of what he’s teaching.”

Jaguars GM Trent Baalke talked about how the decision was mostly Pederson’s, but the connection they have already was evident.

“Just the synergy that Coach [Pederson] and him had when they got up and started going back and forth on the board. The relationships that he talks about and has built through his career, the emphasis he puts on teaching. All things that were very attractive and he’s going to do a heck of a job for us.”

Texans

Texans DE Will Anderson, Jr. described his emotions when the team signed DE Danielle Hunter.

“I was jumping up and down, man, because I was so excited because now teams – they gotta choose who they’re going to double team. . . . It’s really exciting,” Anderson said, via PFT. “He’s a great guy. He loves football, man. I can’t wait to go out there and wreak havoc with him.”

Titans

The Titans had struggles in free agency last year because of their salary cap situation, but this season they enter the offseason with over $75 million in cap space before they make any roster cuts. Despite the drastic switch, new GM Ran Carthon emphasized how they won’t be in a hurry to spend.

“It’s a lot of cap space,” Carthon said, via Jim Wyatt. “But we have to spend wisely. We don’t want to just load up and spend money.”

“Again, we are trying to build a long-term, consistent thing, and you can’t do that spending all $90 million out front. We have to be patient, and we have to position ourselves, (knowing) there are going to be guys that come free in June and July, like when we got D-Hop, that we have to have the space for and be able to afford it.”