Jaguars
The Jaguars were one of the faces of this offseason’s tight end trend, making a major investment in the draft by double-dipping on second-rounder Nate Boerkircher and fifth-rounder Tanner Koziol. They haven’t been shy to talk up both players as having a big role behind starting TE Brenton Strange, freshly signed to a new contract this summer.
“They’re going to do great things,” Strange said via USA Today’s Casandra Chesser. “They both have very unique skill sets, and I feel like they’re both very talented players. Nate, he does a little bit of everything, and then you see Tanner out here making plays every single day in the passing game, and he’s special that way, being able to, you know, just go up top and get the ball. So both of those guys are super talented and special.”
Strange agreed with an assessment that Boerkircher has a similar game to him.
“Yeah, for sure. Like, just that he wants to do everything, and he wants to be involved in everything,” he said. “And I think that’s the most important thing, you know, being a football player, and then blocking especially is just being willing, and being willing to put your head in there. And he definitely has that. He doesn’t have any fear, and that’s very impressive because, you know, it’s a lot going on as a rookie, and these guys coming out here playing Josh Hines-Allen, Travon, it might startle some people, but, you know, you can really tell who somebody is when he comes out here and does what he does.”
Texans
Texans RB Woody Marks said their offensive playcalling is showing more “urgency” this offseason, with much more precision before the snap.
“Urgency in the play calling. Getting it in and everybody knowing what they have, making it as precise as we can,” Marks said, via TexansWire.
As for playing alongside veteran RB David Montgomery, Marks said there is a lot of camaraderie in their running backs group.
“It’s been lovely. Just being around him and being around all the guys in the room, we have a real great connection in our room. We hang out all the time. We lift together. We get in the cold tub together, hot tub together. We’re really tight in that room.”
Nick Caley also enters his second season as the Texans’ offensive coordinator. Marks said the coordinator is installing more things into their system for 2026.
“We’re importing more stuff. Some of the things we couldn’t do last year, we can do this year. Just by everybody knowing what they have to do. Putting in different plays, different routes with us, playing the running back out wide, put him in the slot, running two back running backs on the field. He’s putting a lot of stuff in and we’re picking up on it well.”
Titans
49ers LB Fred Warner said Titans QB Cam Ward is unusually willing to engage in verbal back-and-forth during practice, something he tries to use to disrupt opposing quarterbacks.
“I think Cam is one of the unique quarterbacks where he’s not afraid to sit there and play that game with you,” Warner said, via Paul Kuharsky. “You know, whether that’s a positive or negative, I think that’s still yet to be seen for their side. We’ll see. But for me, you know, I am always trying to get the quarterback out of his game. And anytime I am in that mode, that’s only going to amplify my game, right? So, I love joint practices; those are the best. What I mean is, he is one of the few quarterbacks who will sit there and actually get into that verbal back-and-forth, right? Where a lot of quarterbacks aren’t.”
Ward said he intentionally tried to get Warner fired up because he wanted to face the linebacker at his best and learn from the matchup.
“I got him riled up a little bit,” Ward said. “That’s what I want to see. Because I want him to be at his best so when I’m at my best, I know what I can and can’t do in a game. He helped me out a lot today. He’s a great player. Started talking shit. The right things to say to guys like that. I know they don’t hear it a lot from specific quarterbacks. Whether it’s a specific conference or their quarterback, I don’t know how Brock (Purdy) is. Its great because I get to see the other side of him that they might not be willing to show.”
Warner added some players can elevate their game through trash talk, but emphasized that execution ultimately matters more than anything said between snaps.
“But some guys, they elevate their play too when they get into that,” he said. “And I think he’s probably one of those guys who does elevate his play when he starts getting into that. But listen, that talking at the end of the day, you got to go out there, you got to play football. And it’s 11-on-11; it’s not just me versus him right? So, there were situations where I wish I could say something to him, but then we’re giving up a touchdown or something, right? And it’s like it’s a team game at the end of the day. You got to go out there, you got to play the game. All that talking is just talk.”
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