AFC Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, DeAndre Hopkins, Raiders, Davante Adams

Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton eluded to why the team opted to release K Brandon McManus and said that it had to do a lot with the financial aspect of the business.

“Yeah, look, ultimately, you’re constantly looking at what’s the best interest for your team, relative to — and a lot of times, money — and what your musts are coming into it,” Payton said, via Broncos Wire. “And so, you guys [media members] know this better than anyone — the transactions continue from now until training camp and there might be a player or two we’re still looking to sign. So we factored a lot of that in and then we made that decision.”

Chiefs

• Albert Breer reports the Bills and the Chiefs were the only two teams to have any substantial trade talks with the Cardinals about WR DeAndre Hopkins, adding the contract was an issue for both teams but the contract of Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. stopped any progress made in Kansas City. 
• Breer also reports the Chiefs received permission to speak with Hopkins earlier in the offseason and did so before the draft. He mentions Hopkins’ asking price would have to come down after the team signed LT Donovan Smith. 
• Pat Leonard reports the Bills, Chiefs, Giants, Jets, and Patriots are all teams that could be in the mix for the services of WR DeAndre Hopkins. 

Raiders

Raiders HC Josh McDaniels said WR Davante Adams has “earned the right” to vent about the team.

“And I respect the hell out of anything that [he] would say or suggest or anything like that,” McDaniels said, via ESPN. “During the course of the process of trying to improve our team, which, I know where Davante comes from, he’s a competitor. He wants to win, and that’s really his sole focus, and that’s what he does here every day. He’s here pushing himself, pushing his teammates. He’s been a tremendous leader again this spring for our football team.”

Adams explained that he’s excited to catch passes from QB Jimmy Garoppolo and that he remains fully committed to the team despite outside chatter that he’s discontent with the front office.

“I’m ecstatic to get to work with the new guys, and Jimmy’s a great guy, love him to death,” Adams said. “I didn’t know him very well before he got here. As far as the front office, I haven’t had a relationship like what I have with those guys…so you can grab something and run with it if you want just to get clicks, and that’s what people often do with me and things that I say, whether I misspeak or if I speak up. But at the end of the day, I’m a Raider and I’m excited to be here. I love my head coach, and I love the general manager here and everybody, I mean, from the top to the bottom…when I say that these are some good men in this place, that I really value the relationship that I have with them, I mean that. So that’s about all that needs to be said.”

Adams added that the team encourages him to speak up and voice his opinion. He embraced GM Dave Ziegler and said that his opinion is welcome within the building.

“I’ve never been encouraged to speak up and share my feelings with the organization the way I have with these two guys,” Adams said. “It’s never my intention to bring any type of negative attention or throw off the focus of the team or whatever, which did not happen, by the way. I don’t ever want Jimmy to feel a way, think that I didn’t want him here or I don’t like him, or I don’t want Josh to feel like, or I post a picture with Zigs, and they’re like, ‘Oh, is it Josh? That must be the real problem.'”