AFC Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Second-year WR Jerry Jeudy said he thinks he knows how to fix his drops issue from last year.

“Mostly concentration and focus on the ball,” Jeudy said, via Pro Football Talk. “I’d be so quick to catch and run, hurry up and make a play instead of catch first and then run. That’s mostly what it is, just trying to make a play too fast and not focused on the bigger picture.”

• Broncos HC Vic Fangio said he is encouraged by what he’s seen from Jeudy: “The big thing that happened with Jerry in the 15th game when had some drops, I thought it was going to be a defining moment in his career. Had a very good game in last game. I think that was a very defining moment. I see more focused wide receiver.” (Troy Renck)
• Jeudy thinks he’s grown from last year: “I feel like I have matured. In my second year, I learned from my first year so I know how to overcome (adversity).” (Renck)
• Jeudy said he’s been impressed with new QB Teddy Bridgewater: “He’s able to anticipate where the plays are going to be at. He’s a great QB.” (Renck)
• Fangio mentioned he wants the quarterbacks to play a lot in the preseason, hoping it will make his decision easier. (Renck)
• Broncos OL Dalton Risner has recovered from his bout with COVID-19 and is participating in OTAs. (Mike Klis)
• CB Bryce Callahan has been impressed by rookie CB Patrick Surtain II: “Oh man, he’s a baller. He has great size. He has discipline in his technique. And he’s learning this defense really fast, which is rare for a rookie. Hats off to him.” (Renck)
• Callahan added he has high expectations for the defense: “We might change it up a little (in the secondary) with the depth we have. The expectations are high. We have all the pieces to have the best secondary in the league. It’s up to us to prove what everyone is thinking.” (Renck)

Chiefs

Raiders

Raiders S Johnathan Abram said he’s fully recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained in 2019 and hopes to play with more control going forward. 

“Last offseason was a struggle for me coming off the shoulder injury,” said Abram, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. “So this year I stayed around the facility a lot … I’m more than 100 percent, honestly. I’m as strong as I’ve ever been. This year, [the goal is] just being more consistent. Playing under control. Not really taking that many wild hits, getting myself knocked out of the game [and] hurting my own body … being consistent, being disciplined and constantly just doing my job. Filling my grade sheet with ‘plusses’ every day. Then every Sunday, I think my game will blossom.”

As for Raiders’ recently signed S Karl Joseph, Abram said the veteran safety is someone he looks up to and he will help develop their younger players. 

“One of the things I appreciate about Karl the most is he’s a pro, through and through, day in and day out,” Abram said. “He’s a guy that’s going to be the first in and probably the last out. For me, that’s something that I really look up to. That’s what we need with having a young secondary trying to learn this new defense.”

Abram doesn’t feel that the Raiders sent a message to him by adding Joseph, second-round S Trevon Moehrig, and fourth-round S Tyree Gillespie, and he personally reached out to each of them quickly after joining the organization. 

“It doesn’t,” said Abram. “Only thing it does is bring us together. As soon as those guys got drafted, as soon as Karl got signed back, I reached out to everybody. I told them, ‘It’s time to go to work. Each guy’s going to push each other. We’re all going to come out every single day and just be our best. Day in and day out. Being a pro … if everybody does that, it’s going to make the room entirely better.”