AFC Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders

Broncos

• Broncos HC Vic Fangio said he is pleased with the job OC Pat Shurmur is doing so far: “I have no qualms with Pat other than our results haven’t been good enough and we have to find a way to fix that.” (Ryan O’Halloran)

Chargers

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the Chargers were monitoring things with Bears DT Akiem Hicks during the preseason and are a landing spot to keep an eye on should Chicago trade the veteran. 
• Staley said G Michael Schofield will be the starting right guard, but left the door open of “possibly looking elsewhere.“
• Staley also spoke highly of fifth-round rookie OL Brenden Jaimes but acknowledged Jaimes wasn’t quite ready to be a starter yet. (Jeff Miller)

Chiefs

• USA Today’s Josina Anderson reports the Chiefs don’t expect RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire to take more than three weeks to return despite going on injured reserve.
• A source told her the “right thing to do” was to put Edwards-Helaire on IR so he doesn’t feel pressured to come back too quickly. 

Raiders

Former Raiders HC Jon Gruden deflected when asked if there was a priority in getting RB Kenyan Drake more involved in the offense. He pointed out the Raiders have a wealth of options in terms of skill position talent and only one ball. 

“No, no. I’d like to. I’d like to get everybody involved,” he said via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “We want to get (RB Josh Jacobs) involved right now. I think it all starts there. We’ve got to get the running game going and there’s never enough balls to get around to everybody. We want to get (WR Henry Ruggs), we want to get (WR Bryan Edwards) going. We want to get (WR) Hunter Renfrow his turn, certainly, but there will be a time and a place for Drake. We’re having (RB) Jalen Richard come back, too. He needs to get the ball here and there. So, it’s a good problem to have.” 

Gruden was optimistic QB Marcus Mariota could return this week from injured reserve.

“I think he’s going to return this week and I can’t make an official announcement whether we will activate him or not. We’ll probably see how that goes on the practice field Wednesday and Thursday, but he’s in all the meetings, he says he feels very good. So, let’s see where it is on Wednesday and Thursday when he cuts it loose. But we’re optimistic he has a chance to play, if not this week, next week,” he said via Gutierrez.

• The Athletic’s Tashan Reed has a hard time seeing Raiders GM Mike Mayock stick around with a new head coach next year, though it’s not out of the question. 
• ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Raiders assistant strength and conditioning coach Deuce Gruden remains with the team after his father resigned.