AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Colts

After signing with the Colts this offseason, veteran CB T.J. Carrie spoke about his new opportunity to find a role in Indianapolis.

“We wanted to be in the best fit possible for us to still be able to have a chance to compete and still mold and shape guys, seeing that this will be going into my seventh year,” Carrie told George Bremer. “So when we had the option to join the Colts, it was a great fit in talking to JG (Jonathan Gannon) – one of the coaches. He explained to me that, ‘Man, look, there is an opportunity for you to compete, and at the same time we are young, so your veteran leadership on and off the field is much needed from that standpoint.'”

• Matt Miller mentions that the Colts are still a team to watch to take a quarterback in round one with one scout telling him: “This team has no quarterback under contract for 2021. They’re drafting one.“

Jaguars

• Sources around the NFL tell Matt Miller of B/R that they aren’t ruling out a surprise pick from the Jaguars at No. 9 overall such as a quarterback or a receiver.
• However, the consensus among Miller’s sources is that they will go defensive tackle and cornerback with their two first-round picks.

Texans 

Texans HC Bill O’Brien said Friday that the decision to trade WR DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals was “in the best interest of our team.”

“It was in the best interest of our team,” O’Brien said, per Aaron Wilson. “DeAndre Hopkins was a great football player. We loved DeAndre Hopkins He had three years left on his deal and he wanted a raise. David Johnson is going to be a great addition to our football team.”

• Regarding the current state of the team, O’Brien said: “We’re excited about where we’re at and where we’re going. It’s hard because there’s a lot of noise out there, but there’s a lot of things that make us excited about our organization.” (Aaron Wilson)
• O’Brien of losing DT D.J. Reader to the Bengals: “We would have loved to keep D.J. Reader.” (Aaron Wilson)
• Texans’ safety Justin Reid said he has spoken to O’Brien about his brother, free agent S Eric Reid, potentially joining him as a teammate: “He (Bill O’Brien) loves him as a player. He’s still in great shape and the prime of his career. Whichever team lands him is going to be lucky because he’s going to come in and make an impact. I just hope it’s us.” (Aaron Wilson)
• Reid said of wanting to play with his brother: “He talks about it all the time. When I first came into the league, we always said at some point or another we need to end up on the same team at least for a year to fulfill that childhood dream of playing together.” (Aaron Wilson)
• Scouts and league sources tell Matt Miller that the Texans are expected to look for secondary and receiver help in this year’s draft.

Titans

• From speaking with league sources, Matt Miller says the three positions that come up in regards to the Titans are cornerback, offensive tackle and a playmaker at receiver.