AFC South

As teams continue to fill out their rosters at the start of training camp, the Indianapolis Colts are keeping an eye on one of their former players to potentially boost their wide receiver room.

General manager Chris Ballard told reporters Tuesday that T.Y. Hilton is "still in the mix" for the Colts to sign.

The receiver market got a little lighter Tuesday when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Julio Jones was signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Even though the Colts were rumored to be interested in Jones at times during the offseason, Ballard said they did not have "any discussions" about the seven-time Pro Bowler before he agreed to a deal with the Bucs.

Hilton has played his entire career in Indianapolis since being selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. The 32-year-old ranks third in franchise history with 9,691 receiving yards and is tied for third with 631 receptions.

He averaged 1,206 receiving yards per season in a six-year span from 2013 to '18. Injuries have started to become an issue for Hilton in recent years. After missing four games in his first seven seasons combined, he has missed 14 over the past three seasons combined.

Despite missing seven games in 2021, Hilton finished tied for third on the team in receiving touchdowns (three) and fourth in receiving yards (331).

The Colts' receiver depth chart currently features Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell and rookie Alec Pierce in the top three spots. Hilton's familiarity with head coach Frank Reich's system could make him an appealing option if the team wants to add more depth at the position during training camp to see what he has to offer.

Jacksonville Jaguars star Josh Allen has already seen a culture shift under first-year head coach Doug Pederson.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Allen described the locker room and environment as "professional," drawing a contrast to how things were during Urban Meyer's brief stint with the Jaguars:

From the moment he was hired, many wondered how Meyer would adjust to the NFL. He had never worked in the league, and his general revulsion toward losing games didn't fit.

The worst fears about the 58-year-old were realized when a 2-11 record and series of missteps got him fired in December.

In March, The Athletic's Jayson Jenks and Mike Sando wrote a lengthy feature on Meyer's tenure.

In addressing a bad play from a preseason game, Meyer allegedly threatened a group of players that he would cut them if they made the mistake again and said, "You couldn't get a job paying more than $15 an hour" if they were released. In another instance, he reportedly "berated a player so harshly that the player cried."

One member of the football operations staff described the Jaguars' culture under Meyer as "the most toxic environment I've ever been a part of," per Jenks and Sando.

Pederson referenced the mess Meyer left behind during a news conference in May.

"I do believe there has to be some kind of healing with the situation and everything that transpired last year because it's just there's a lack of trust that was broken, I think," he said. "For me, it's about gaining the trust back, and they have to see it through me. They have to see the transparency, the honesty."

Winning is a great tonic, one that can cover up whatever is happening behind the scenes. The dysfunction that permeated the Jacksonville locker room under Meyer made it more difficult to win, though.

Pederson appears to be laying a more solid foundation.

As Julio Jones continues to search for a new team before the start of the season, the Indianapolis Colts haven't checked in on the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.

General manager Chris Ballard told reporters on Tuesday the Colts haven't had any discussions with Jones or his camp about joining the team.

The Tennessee Titans released Jones in March after he had one disappointing season with the club.

The Titans acquired Jones in June 2021 from the Atlanta Falcons. Playing alongside A.J. Brown, the receiver duo was expected to open up the passing game in Tennessee for head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Todd Downing.

Early returns for Jones were promising. The five-time All-Pro had 128 yards on six receptions in a Week 2 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

That game turned out to be the high point for Jones in 2021. He dealt with hamstring issues that caused him to miss seven games during the regular season. The 33-year-old struggled to make an impact when he was able to play.

Jones set career-lows in targets (48), receptions (31), receiving yards (434) and touchdowns (one) in 10 games last season. He only played nine games with the Falcons in 2020, but he still managed to have 51 receptions and 771 yards.

Since he left the Titans, there have been rumblings about several teams that could have interest in Jones. Albert Breer of The MMQB noted the Dallas Cowboys could be a fit because of Jones' relationship with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Quinn was Atlanta's head coach from 2015 to 2020, leading the team to an appearance in Super Bowl LI after the 2016 season. The Cowboys also have a need at wide receiver after trading Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and losing Cedrick Wilson Jr. to the Miami Dolphins in free agency.

In May, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on The Pat McAfee Show the Green Bay Packers would make sense for Jones.

Green Bay could use some insurance at wide receiver after trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb and Christian Watson are the top four receivers on the roster as training camp opens.

There's no indication either the Cowboys or Packers are looking to bring in Jones at this point.

The Colts don't necessarily need another big-body receiver, even though Jones could be a huge difference-maker. He also has an established rapport with Matt Ryan from their 10 years together as teammates in Atlanta from 2011 to 2020.

Indianapolis could wait to see how rookie Alec Pierce looks during training camp to see if he is ready for a major role in the offense. If he looks green, perhaps Jones could pop up on the team's radar.

After trusting Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback in 2021, the Indianapolis Colts were looking for any other option this offseason.

"They were telling us they would prefer anyone over him," an NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic.

Wentz was placed in Tier 3 in a vote of league personnel for the top quarterbacks in the NFL, tying with Jalen Hurts for 20th overall. The same executive explained the low ranking:

"The only reason I'm this strong against him is that is my evaluation from watching him play. But adding information of what the team that is with him on an intimate level on a daily basis, by going from having Wentz to having none, zero, that tells me that my evaluation of him from afar matches the evaluation internally. If Carson Wentz was not a first-round pick, would he be in the league right now?

The Colts traded Wentz to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2022 third-round pick, a conditional third-rounder in 2023, and a swap of 2022 second-round picks that moved Washington up five spots.

It came one year after Indianapolis traded a 2021 third-round pick and what eventually became a 2022 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Wentz.

Indianapolis eventually found a quality replacement in Matt Ryan, but it wasn't even known if he was available when Wentz was traded. The team instead had Sam Ehlinger on top of its draft chart for several weeks after dealing away last year's starter.

Wentz has produced quality numbers in his career, most notably in 2017 when he was an MVP candidate with the Philadelphia Eagles. He finished last year with 3,563 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

His 94.6 quarterback rating was 13th in the NFL among qualified players, and it was the fourth time in six years he had at least a 90 rating.

The Colts were still a disappointment last season, missing the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Wentz was a big part of the team's inconsistency, especially struggling in the final two losses as the squad fell short of the postseason. He tallied only 185 passing yards on 17-of-29 passing in the Week 18, 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the season on the line.

Indianapolis needed a fresh start and got it by dealing away Wentz.

Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III announced Sunday he'll likely miss the 2022 season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Metchie, 22, was drafted in the second round by the Texans this year and was placed on the non-football injury list after the announcement.

"Recently I was diagnosed with APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia), the most curable form of Leukemia," the statement read. "I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time. As a result of this diagnosis, I will likely not be playing football this season. My main focus will be on my health and recovery. Thank you in advance for your support and well-wishes. I cannot wait to come back stronger than ever. God bless."

In his three seasons at Alabama, Metchie caught 155 passes for 2,081 yards and 14 touchdowns. He caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns last season, pairing with Jameson Williams to give Heisman winner Bryce Young a pair of 1,000-yard receivers.

Metchie's 2021 season ended in the SEC Championship Game after he tore his ACL.

Metchie's college coach, Nick Saban, offered his support to the wideout in a statement Sunday:

The Texans traded the Nos. 68, 108 and 124 picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up and draft Metchie at No. 44.

He had hoped to recover from that injury in time for training camp before his APL diagnosis.

One of the last remaining unsigned picks from the 2022 NFL draft is finally under contract.

The Tennessee Titans announced Saturday that Malik Willis has signed his four-year rookie deal.

Per Spotrac, the contract value for the No. 86 pick is $5.2 million with a $932,800 signing bonus.

Saturday marked the first day for Titans rookies to report to training camp. Veterans will join them Tuesday.

Willis was the last remaining unsigned player from Tennessee's draft class. There are still nine players who have yet to agree to terms on their rookie deals, including second-round picks David Ojabo (Baltimore Ravens), Jaquan Brisker (Carolina Panthers) and Andrew Booth Jr. (Minnesota Vikings).

Matt Corral, who was selected eight picks after Willis at No. 94 overall by the Carolina Panthers, is the only unsigned quarterback from the 2022 draft.

Going into the draft, there was speculation that Willis could be the first quarterback off the board and potentially a top-10 pick. The 23-year-old was a bit of an unknown by virtue of making his name as the starting quarterback at Liberty.

Willis did show off his tremendous skill set during his two-year stint with the Flames. He threw for 5,107 yards, ran for 1,822 yards and accounted for 74 touchdowns (47 passing, 27 rushing) in 23 starts from 2020-21.

Given the uncertainty around many of the quarterbacks in this year's draft class, several teams were able to take advantage of the board by getting them later than expected before the first round began.

Kenny Pickett was the only signal-caller taken in Round 1 (No. 20 by the Pittsburgh Steelers). It marked the first time since 2013 that only one quarterback was taken on Day 1 of the draft.

The Titans ultimately moved up in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to select Willis with the 22nd pick in the third round.

Coming off a 12-5 record last season, Ryan Tannehill figures to remain Tennessee's starting quarterback for the entire 2022 campaign. The 33-year-old is signed through 2023, but the Titans could save $17.8 million against the cap if he is released or traded after this season.

Willis' raw potential makes him an intriguing option to eventually become the Titans' starting quarterback. He may not get an opportunity to take the reins in 2022, but offensive coordinator Todd Downing could find ways to use his arm strength and running ability in certain packages.

Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson remains the best at what he does, according to NFL personnel.

The fourth-year veteran was ranked the No. 1 interior linemen in the league in a survey of executives, coaches, scouts and players, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. It's the third straight year of topping this poll, with no votes ranking him lower than third.

"He's still the guy you would start a team with [at guard]," a prominent NFL coach told Fowler. "You just have to watch him to know he's a special player who can dominate a game at times."

Nelson is coming off what might have been his worst season in the NFL. After making all 48 possible regular-season starts during his first three years, he missed four games in 2021 because of foot and ankle injuries.

The left guard earned a fourth Pro Bowl selection and was named second-team All-Pro, although it was his first time not being on the All-Pro first team.

The Colts still benefited from his blocking, finishing second in the NFL in both rushing yards and yards per carry. Running back Jonathan Taylor led the league in both rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18).

Though Carson Wentz was inconsistent in the passing attack, it wasn't due to a lack of time in the pocket. Indianapolis ranked tied for ninth with 32 sacks allowed last year.

Other linemen like center Ryan Kelly and tackle Eric Fisher (now a free agent) also played a big part of the unit's success, but Nelson is the true difference-maker up front.

This production has helped the Notre Dame product easily live up to expectations as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 draft.