AFC Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

Broncos

Broncos WR Tim Patrick expressed his confidence in the team’s receiving corps. 

“The defense has to play us honest,” Patrick said, via BroncosWire. “We have four guys on the field that can make a big play at any moment. There’s not one guy that you can just shut down because all of us are capable of taking over.”

Patrick said all four of himself, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler have the ability to put up numbers in this offense and he’s not really worried about getting enough touches to go around.

“I think it’s going to help a lot of us, and if we’re on the field longer, that means there’s going to be more passes and more targets for everybody,” Patrick explained.

“We have a lot of weapons. If we all eat, that means we’re going to be winning. I’m not going to complain at all. As long as we’re winning, I don’t care.”

Chargers

• ESPN’s Shelley Smith expects Chargers first-round OT Rashawn Slater to start at left tackle as a rookie. 
• Smith adds Chargers K Michael Badgley has a very short leash after missing nine kicks last season, the most in the NFL. 

Chiefs

New Chiefs CB Mike Hughes is settling in as the newest member of Kansas City’s secondary, following an offseason trade from the Vikings.

“He’s coming along,” DB Tyrann Mathieu said of Hughes, via ChiefsWire. “He’s coming along really good. You know when he first got here, obviously, it’s a kind of complex system. Especially for the defensive backs. It’s a lot of reads, a lot of pattern readings, a lot of communication that takes place. But I thought that these last couple of practices that he’s had, he’s really shown why he was a first-round draft pick.”

Mathieu feels that Hughes fits in nicely with what they’re trying to do on the defensive side of the ball.

“I think in this defense if you can tackle and play the ball well, you can play for Spags (DC Steve Spagnuolo),” Mathieu concluded. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he does in camp, but I’m going to be that guy that’s going to continue to encourage him and motivate him because I know we’re going to need him.”