Tonight’s look at the AFC:
- Speaking today to reporters, including John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien downplayed the idea that he and GM Rick Smith had a confrontation over Ryan Mallett‘s place on the team this week. Acknowledging that there are occasional disagreements between the two men, O’Brien said that “the majority of the time we agree,” adding that he and Smith “work together and communicate every day,” and aren’t engaged in any sort of power struggle.
- Jets first-round pick Leonard Williams wasn’t shocked when the Raiders selected Amari Cooper instead of him at No. 3 in this year’s draft. “I wasn’t too surprised,” Williams said, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “Everyone watches those pre-draft analysis and stuff like that, but it’s never completely accurate. I did think I was going to go top three or something like that, but I think it worked out pretty well that I came to the Jets. I’m under a lot of great players to learn from Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison, those guys have been able to take me under their wing and show me a lot of stuff.”
- Some have speculated that Andrew Luck returned to Stanford for a fourth year to avoid going to the Panthers with the first pick of the 2011 draft. On Wednesday, the Colts quarterback shot that theory down, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. “Absolutely not,” the first pick of the 2012 draft said. “And I hope people don’t think that.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.