AFC Notes: Bengals, Broncos, Raiders

Bengals

The Bengals have the smallest scouting department in the NFL, with a department of just six people including de facto GM Duke Tobin. Those six are responsible for both college and pro scouting. The prevailing opinion around the league is that’s just a sign of the Bengals being old-fashioned and cheap. But now that the team is in the Super Bowl, Tobin has proof to back up his preference for his small but nimble front office. 

“The biggest thing that’s important to us is organizing the info and the schedule,” Tobin said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “As long as you’re organized, we get multiple looks on guys. But we rely on our looks, we rely on quality over quantity. And the longer you work with guys, the more you know how they grade and get a feel for what they see. And our guys are all very consistent in how they view players. And so we feel really good about the looks that our guy gives, and then you don’t get it muddied by eight opinions.

Broncos

  • KUSA’s Mike Klis reports Ben Steele will be the Broncos’ assistant offensive line coach.
  • According to Klis, assistant offensive line coach Chris Kuper has been let go. 
  • ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports the Broncos are hiring Temple DC Ola Adams as an assistant secondary coach. 

Raiders

Former Notre Dame HC Charlie Weis knows new Raiders DC Patrick Graham from when Graham worked with the Patriots early in his career. He raves about the coach Las Vegas is getting. 

“Patrick is one of my favorites of all time,” Weis said via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “That was a great get by Josh. The defensive players are going to love and respect him. He will get after them — I guarantee that.”

Graham consistently has been praised for putting his defensive players in the best possible position to make plays. He runs a 3-4 defense, but a shape-shifting one that is always changing. 

“One thing I’ve always raved about Pat Graham is just how smart he is in terms of knowing our opponent and knowing his players,” Giants DL Leonard Williams said last season. “You know, we don’t run the same defense every week. It’s like we change our defensive coordinator to who we are playing, what type of schemes we are going to get that week. He also does a good job of knowing his players and putting them in the right position, and I think that goes a long way.”

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