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AFC Notes: Travis Etienne, Cam Ward, Dennis Gardeck, Jaguars, Titans
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars

Following their first couple of practices together, Jaguars HC Liam Coen has enjoyed RB Travis Etienne because of his versatility and consistency. 

“Every day, everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s done at a good click for us,” Coen said, via the team’s YouTube. “The ability in the screen game, to hand him jet sweeps, his vision so far in the run game has been good. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and more. There’s been a consistency.”

While many have speculated that the new Jaguars’ regime isn’t high on Etienne after adding two running backs in the draft, Coen shut down all the rumors regarding the veteran back.  

“He’s done a great job. I don’t really understand some of the stuff I’ve seen out there, that’s absolutely inaccurate.”

Jaguars

Jacksonville signed OLB Dennis Gardeck in free agency after he spent his first seven seasons with Arizona. New Jaguars HC Liam Coen had great things to say about Gardeck after facing him twice a year, and revealed he was consistently on their “game-wreckers” board during scouting reports. 

“A ton of respect for the player, competing against him two times a year in LA since 2018,” Coen said, via the team’s YouTube. “Every time we would go play the Arizona Cardinals, he was on the game-wrecker board. We would always introduce the game-wreckers to the players; he was on there, whether it was for special teams, and then also for rushing the passer and creating some disruption.”

Titans

Tennessee is heading into the 2025 season with a new quarterback and three changes on the offensive line. Titans OTs JC Latham and Dan Moore Jr. have been impressed with first-round QB Cam Ward’s leadership and demeanor through their first on-field practices together during OTAs. 

“I think he’s a great player and a great pick for the team,” Latham said. via ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “He has an immense amount of talent, shows up every day ready to work with the right attitude to hold himself accountable, and holds himself to a standard that a lot of people can learn from.”

“Whenever he’s talking, he has a sense of confidence that guys can feel and I sense that we’ll be able to feed off of energy from him,” Moore said. “One of the hardest things for a quarterback is just getting a grasp of the huddle and fluidly say the play and remember the play to get command of the huddle as well. I feel like [Ward] has that.”

This article first appeared on NFLTradeRumors.co and was syndicated with permission.

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