Jaguars
Jaguars GM James Gladstone told reporters that he and Browns GM Andrew Berry had been working through the details of the trade for the No.2 pick for the past two weeks.
“The fact that it came to life as seamlessly as it did once the bell rang is something that was fulfilling,” Gladstone said, via Pro Football Talk. “Being able to sit here tonight with Travis Hunter as a Jacksonville Jaguar is a vision that Liam [Coen], myself, Tony [Boselli] and the rest of our coaching staff and scouting staff certainly have a collective vision for and are really interested in getting him here, getting him to the city, letting our fanbase begin to feel him and ultimately his teammates begin to get to work with him.”
Gladstone also mentioned the reasons that the team wanted to trade up to acquire CB/WR Travis Hunter, whom the team plans to start at receiver and work into the defense as the season goes on.
“First and foremost, we mentioned the idea that, a trademark of this leadership group, when there’s an opportunity to be bold, we’re not going to flinch. I think this is a reflection of that,” Gladstone said. “In the same lens, you’ve heard us mention the idea of adding people who are intangibly rich, and Travis, in fact, as a player, is rare. As a person, he’s also rare. Beyond that, when we say that the idea of inviting people into our ecosystem who by being nothing more than who they are elevate the space, is the epitome of what Travis is. We’re not going to ask him to be any more than him because by doing so, he elevates not only this football team, not only this city, but the sport itself, right? Along the way you can count however many drafts you want to, there are players who have the capacity to alter a game. There are players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of a team. There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself. Travis, while he has a lot to still earn, in our eyes, has the potential to do just that. It’s an exciting step for us to take, and obviously a lot of work to be done because while Travis’s dream is now reality, he is still dreaming in a different way than most do. He prepares in a different way than most do, but now it’s time to bring it to life.”
Gladstone also doesn’t want the fans to be concerned about not having a first-round pick next season, as he has experience going through the offseason without one from his time with the Rams.
“For our fans, I’ll tell you, don’t be scared,” Gladstone said. “This is something I’m uniquely positioned to navigate. We ended up bringing Travis Hunter to Jacksonville, and with that, he is somebody who is deserving of a first-round draft pick as a wide receiver, and he is worthy of a first-round draft pick as a corner. Certainly, look forward to each of those elements showing themselves over the next few years while he is under his rookie contract, but yeah, we’re excited about just getting him in the boat, so to speak.”
Texans
- The Texans signed CB Alijah Huzzie to a three-year, $2.675 million deal, yet he tore his ACL at the Shrine Bowl and could return late in the season. (Aaron Wilson)
- The Texans’ three-year deal for C Eli Cox includes $250,000 guaranteed. (Aaron Wilson)
Titans
Miami QB Cam Ward said he feels great about Tennessee and thinks he is going to be a strong fit for the team’s offense.
“It’s been good,” Ward said, via PFT. “I got a chance to learn more about them personally throughout this whole three months, four months. I was excited to hear my name called first and go to a good organization like that. . . . Pretty elite team in my opinion. They don’t get enough credit on paper for what they really are. I know it’ll turn out good.”
- The Titans signed OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson to a contract worth $255,000 (Aaron Wilson).
- Director of Scouting AJ Highsmith will not return to the Titans’ staff this season as they continue to make changes in the organization. (Neil Stratton)
The post AFC Notes: Travis Hunter, Cam Ward, Jaguars, Texans, Titans appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.