A former first-round pick, longtime defensive end Derrick Morgan will be shifting to outside linebacker in the Titans‘ new defensive system this year. As he tells Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, Morgan is hoping to make a smooth transition and have a productive season in what will be the final year of his rookie contract.
“I definitely think about it,” Morgan said of his expiring contract. “But at the same time, you can’t put too much energy into something like that. It is football and I am going to approach things the same way as I always have. I am going to play hard, and at the end of the year I hope everything works out the way it is supposed to.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- As the 49ers’ tight ends coach, Eric Mangini will be working closely this season with Vernon Davis, a player that drew his interest during the 2006 draft. “When I was with the Jets I really loved Vernon in the draft,” Mangini said, per Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant. “We were pretty close to drafting him in New York.”
- Longtime NFL receiver Donte Stallworth, who last played for the Patriots in 2012, has joined the Ravens‘ coaching staff as a summer intern, the club announced today in a press release.
- The Texans will be looking to find a fullback during training camp, with rookie Jay Prosch among those competing for the job, head coach Bill O’Brien said yesterday (link via Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle).
- Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com poses 25 questions for the Browns to consider as the team prepares to begin its mandatory minicamp.
- After an uninspiring rookie campaign, 2013 third-round pick Dallas Thomas will have a second chance to earn playing time on the Dolphins‘ offensive line this season, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- While Kyle Auffray’s primary position is tight end, the newly-signed Patriot also has experience at quarterback and punter, notes Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk. Auffray is still a long shot to make New England’s regular season roster, but that versatility could be a plus.