Chiefs

Saints DB Justin Reid said Jaden Hicks is ready to step up and fill the role that he’s leaving in Kansas City.

“Absolutely,” Reid said, via PFT. “This is the same thing I’ve told him and the same thing I tell every DB — because when I first signed with Kansas City, everyone said, ‘Well, you’re going to be the next Tyrann Mathieu.’ And I said, ‘I don’t have a chance at being the next Tyrann Mathieu. I can be the best Justin Reid I can be.’ And that’s the same thing for Jaden. Jaden can’t be me, but he can damn sure be the best Jaden Hicks he can possibly be and that player is damn good. You know what I mean? So he can step into those shoes. He can fill, he can tackle, he’s athletic, he’s willing to learn, he listens, and he plays hard so he has all the tools to be successful.”

Jaguars

Jaguars WR coach Edgar Bennett is watching WR Brian Thomas closely ahead of his second season. Thomas is in a unique position following a breakout rookie season, as he is helping second-overall WR/CB Travis Hunter acclimate during his first offseason with the team.

“I’m steady watching it and just getting more and more excited about who he is, what he’s about,” Bennett told The Florida Times-Union. “I was surprised, because when I first got here, people were telling me, as far as, you know, the way he carries himself, his demeanor, very quiet and confident. But on game day, he’s different. He’s different, and I love that about him. Saw that instantly.”

“He’s definitely not resting. He doesn’t have that… that’s not in him,” Bennett added. “He always seems like, when talking with him, he has that approach as far as he wants to be the best. And so with that, he put the work in and so that’s his approach. He puts the work in, the effort is there each and every day and it starts in the classroom. The moment he walks through the door, it’s almost as though he’s already in that mode as far as the classroom, walkthrough, practice field, weight room, whatever, he’s giving it his all. He’s definitely taken more of a leadership approach and role, and he speaks up. And it’s not just from a verbal standpoint, he also leads by example. And so that’s another way he’s helping the entire room.”

Steelers

Steelers DL Cam Heyward talked about the “bittersweet” trade that landed the team CB Jalen Ramsey, but sent out DB Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“The way we heard about it first, it was we traded for Jalen Ramsey — and we’re like, ‘alright, that’s cool,’” Heyward said, via Steelers Wire. “You got Minkah [Fitzpatrick], you got the DeShon [Elliott], you got Joey [Porter Jr.], you got [Darius] Slay, and now you have Jalen Ramsey, and you think, ‘Dang, that’s going to be really cool to see those DBs just fly around.’ And then, I got the gut check of losing a really good teammate in Minkah Fitzpatrick, and I’m like, ‘Dang, I don’t know how to feel about this.’ It’s bittersweet. I’ve enjoyed playing with him, and I was kind of just shook by it all. … I’m excited about the new teammates, but I’m also sad to be losing a guy that I really respect in the locker room.”

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