Veteran Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is still drawing respect around the league, even if the conversation has shifted a bit with age and injury in the mix. One NFL defensive line coach offered Jeremy Fowler an honorable mention for Buckner on a list of interior linemen, saying: “No real drop-off in his play. He’s still elite - just older and injured.”
Sauce Gardner also landed on Fowler’s cornerback list, though not everyone around the league is sold on the Jets star the way they once were. One NFL offensive coach was blunt about the criticism Gardner has faced, pointing to the production gap and some of the rough edges in his game: “Sauce lost the sauce,” an NFL offensive coach said.
“Now, he got traded for a reason - he’s a long strider and has the confidence to overshadow his weaknesses. He can press and play Cover 2.
But he’s not going to tackle all the time, he’s not going to crack replace, and when playing zone, sometimes he’s not playing it correctly. It’s just hard for him to hold up over the course of the game…Not many move like him.
He moves like a much smaller man. But he’s not making plays at the same rate he was.”
In Jacksonville, Ameer Abdullah is making his case as more than just a camp body. Jaguars running backs coach Chad Morton praised the veteran’s experience after 12 seasons in the league, saying he gives the room a steady voice and something to learn from.
“ He’s the old head in the group and guys can learn and soak up knowledge from him, ” Morton said, via Jags Wire. “ He’s well spoken, calm, competitive, a hard worker.
It’s imperative that these guys get as much as they can from him. ”
Abdullah’s value doesn’t stop there. Jaguars special teams coach Heath Farwell said the veteran brings real utility in the kicking game, which matters as he fights for a roster spot.
“ Ameer’s been a guy that I’ve watched across the league for a bunch of years. I’ve always admired the way he plays, ” Farwell said.
“ He’s a fantastic kick returner, can punt return as well. He can play all phases.
It’s a battle with that running back room that’s so talented. I’d love him to be here because he’s a very good special teamer as well as a running back.
”
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen added that Abdullah can help on third down, especially as a receiver and route runner out of the backfield. “ I think he’s a natural slash runner.
He can stick his foot in the ground, ” Coen said. “ He’s got some wiggle inside and then in the pass game, I really like him in the pass game.
He can run routes, he can double you up. He can come to balance and work edges on people.
So, I’ve been very happy to have Ameer. ”
Over in Tennessee, Titans quarterback Cam Ward addressed the viral comment he made after last season’s 26-0 loss to the Texans in Week 4, when he said, “we ass,” and made clear he meant every word of it. Ward said he stands by the blunt assessment and will keep being direct with the media and with teammates.
“That’s how I’ve been my whole life. That’s how I was raised, to be honest. That’s how I was brought up,” Ward said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
In Other News...
Titans Camp Is About To Force Some Brutal Roster Decisions
Rookies are set to report to Titans training camp one week from today, with veterans not far behind, and the real roster math is about to get serious. Tennessee is carrying 90 players right now, which means a long summer of evaluation is coming before the group is trimmed to 53 after the third preseason game.
The hard part is that this wont just be about the obvious cuts. There are legitimate battles still to sort out at right guard, center, swing tackle, the final receiver spot and the last secondary jobs, and that leaves a handful of familiar names squarely on the bubble as camp opens. [Read more 🡒]
Carnell Tate Is Suddenly Raising The Stakes For Cam Ward
The Titans made their intentions clear in April when they used the No. 4 overall pick on Carnell Tate, a move that put another premium offensive weapon next to Cam Ward right away. Instead of staying on the defensive side of the board, Tennessee chose to invest in a receiver with the kind of profile that can change how a young quarterback is defended from the start.
Now the early buzz around Tate is only adding to the pressure and the promise. Sayre Bedinger has already slotted him near the top of the 2026 Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation, and the bigger idea is easy to see: if Tate becomes Wards go-to target quickly, the Titans may have found the kind of pairing that can speed up Wards rise and change the shape of the offense sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Camp Battle For One Backfield Job Just Got Real
The Titans backfield picture is mostly set heading into 2026, with Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears expected to carry the offense and fifth-round pick Nicholas Singleton projected to make the roster as a developmental piece. That leaves training camp focused on a smaller but still meaningful question: who, if anyone, earns the fourth running back job on the 53-man roster.
Julius Chestnut, Kalel Mullings and Michael Carter are the names to watch in that fight, and each brings a different case to the table. Chestnut has the longest track record in Tennessee and the kind of special teams familiarity that tends to matter in roster decisions, Mullings is trying to build on a quiet rookie year, and Carter arrives as the lone newcomer with a profile that could make him a natural fit behind Spears if the Titans decide they want another back who can add a little burst. [Read more 🡒]