AFC Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Derek Carr

Broncos

• The Broncos’ plan is for Quinn Meinerz to play right guard, which is where he started after the injury to Graham Glasgow. Denver is implementing the outside zone run scheme and will need to improve their pass protection, per Troy Renck. 
• New Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett said that TE Albert Okwuegbunam is going to be more of a “move tight end” and a hybrid receiver/tight end: “Excited to get the ball in his hands.” (Zac Stevens)
• Hackett was asked about splitting the running back workload with Javonte Williams: “That’s a great question. I think that with any running back, you always want to have as many as you can. You want a big stable.” (Andrew Mason)
• Broncos president Joe Ellis said their goal is to have a new owner for the start of the regular season. (Ryan O’Halloran)

Chargers

Chargers HC Brandon Staley spoke about attempting to build the team around QB Justin Herbert while he is still playing on his rookie contract.

“A lot is made of the rookie contract window, but there have been plenty of quarterbacks who have won championships outside that rookie contract. It looks like there’s an explosion of that concept,” Staley said, via Pro Football Talk. “I think from a pure financial standpoint, yes, there is more flexibility to build other places around him in his rookie contract. But I think the goal is still the same, is to build a complete team. It’s not enough to just outscore people in this league because there’s going to be a time where you don’t shoot it well. You’ve got to win in a lot of different ways in this league. So what I think if you have a quarterback, it’s not just surrounding him with offensive weapons. It’s surrounding him with a complete team where the pressure isn’t on him every single game to score 35, throw for 350, to bring you back. And I think that’s what we’re trying to do, is surround Justin and all of our players with a complete team.”

• Staley noted the team losing LB Kyzir White to the Eagles was tough for him: “Probably my first time where the challenging side of the NFL comes in…and there are decisions that you have to make that don’t line up with all the people you really value joining up with.” (Jeff Miller)

Chiefs

• Per NBC Sports’ Peter King, former Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill‘s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Chiefs GM Brett Veach gave him permission to gauge the trade interest in Hill around the league if they weren’t able to hammer out a deal. 
• Rosenhaus added he wasn’t in a hurry to get a deal done, as he had a hunch the contract for WR Davante Adams would impact Hill. That ended up being the case. 
• On Tuesday, the day before the trade, Rosenhaus said Veach and the Chiefs came back with a surprisingly strong offer: “There was a time Tuesday when I thought there was a really good chance we’d work out a deal and go back to Kansas City. Next conversation with Tyreek, we talked about the advantages of playing in New York. Next conversation was pro-Miami; he calls it his home away from home. So I could have seen any of those outcomes last Tuesday. All the way through the process, Kansas City was awesome. They wanted to do right by Tyreek.”
• Chiefs HC Andy Reid said of a potential extension for franchise LT Orlando Brown Jr: “We have a good relationship with Orlando. (I’m sure) that’ll all work out.” (Nate Taylor)
• Reid also mentioned that Brown is looking to hire an agent soon. 
• Reid was asked what Ronald Jones brings to his offense: “He adds size and speed. He’s a tough runner, good vision. I’ll take that.” (Greg Auman)
• The Chiefs signed LB Jermaine Carter to a one-year, $1.77M contract with a guaranteed base salary of $1.035M and a $735K signing bonus. (Aaron Wilson)

Raiders

• Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network reports LSU CB Cordale Flott has scheduled top 30 visits with a handful of teams, including the Raiders.
• The Raiders are set for an official visit with Minnesota edge rusher Esezi Otomewo. (Kaye)
• New Raiders HC Josh McDaniels was asked about 2021 first-rounder Alex Leatherwood and where he could play this season: “We’re going to try to give him an opportunity to earn a role that’s his best fit, and the best fit for the Raiders. We know what he was drafted for, and we’re going to give him an opportunity to do such. But ultimately, what we want to do at the end of the day, is we’re going to put the best five guys out there.” (Paul Gutierrez) 
• As far as Derek Carr and an extension, McDaniels said they are “trying to build around” Carr while adding: “Derek’s going to have to make decisions about what’s best for him & we have to try to do what’s right for the team. There will be a sweet spot in there hopefully for everybody.” (Vic Tafur)
• The agents for Carr posted the following on Twitter: “Clubs always do “what is best for the team” in every situation. Players (even QBs) don’t expect teams to do “what is best for the player.” Successful negotiations always end in a “sweet spot.” That said, our practice is not to comment publicly regarding ongoing negotiations.”
• McDaniels said there has not been anything substantial with free agent CB Stephon Gilmore. (Vic Tafur)
• McDaniels also addressed the running back position, where the Raiders have kept Kenyan Drake and added Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden to a backfield that already included Josh Jacobs: “That’s a position that’s hard to stay healthy…they touch the ball more than everybody but the quarterback, and they get hit more than anybody. And so, we have a couple of guys that are rehabbing now. To have depth in that room is important.” (Paul Gutierrez)
• Raiders WR Demarcus Robinson has a one-year deal that includes a $102,500 signing bonus and a $1.035 million base salary with $325,000 guaranteed. (Aaron Wilson)