As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes, Derek Newton‘s new five-year contract with the Texans, signed back in March, didn’t create the biggest headlines at the times, but it’s looking like one of the best moves of the team’s offseason. Although he’s penciled in as Houston’s starting right tackle, Newton has filled in at guard and left tackle as well, and offensive coordinator George Godsey praised his willingness to help out in any way he can.
“He has a ‘coach me, Coach’ attitude,” Godsey said. “Even though we coach that position, that whole group, (offensive line coach) Mike Devlin does a great job and coaches them hard. He’s come to work every day. I couldn’t ask any more from Derek this preseason.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- While head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers won’t commit to a specific timeline for center Maurkice Pouncey, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests Pouncey will be back sometime after the club’s Week 11 bye. That would mean the veteran lineman will miss at least 10 games, making him a clear-cut candidate for the Steelers’ IR-DTR slot.
- In his latest round-up of Ravens news and notes, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun identifies several higher-profile players who could be on the team’s roster bubble, and writes that Dennis Pitta continues to work hard, intent on eventually returning and making an impact for the club.
- Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham didn’t just tear his ACL on the play that knocked him out of action for the 2015 season. As he tells John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. Suisham also tore his medial meniscus. The veteran kicker is glad the injury happened during the preseason rather than in November or December though, since it gives him a full year to recover for the 2016 season.
- As he heads into a contract year, Ryan Fitzpatrick will have an opportunity to start at quarterback for the Jets, and the veteran signal-caller tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that the possibility of a breakout year, even at age 32 (33 in November) isn’t out of the question. “So much of the game for the quarterback is the mental side of it,” Fitzpatrick said. “Everybody always talks about my arm and how horrible it is. I promise… you can put on some tape (and see) that I can make all the throws that you want me to make or that I need to make. … I see myself continuing to get better rather than declining.”
Unfortunately, the same saying that used to be applied to Kyle Orton can just as easily be applied to Fitzpatrick: “just good enough to lose.” Unless Fitz sets the world on fire, Geno will get the job back when he is fully recovered, and should Geno struggle, I imagine Petty would get a shot before Fitz gets re-inserted.