AFC Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos RB Melvin Gordon admitted that he let last year’s competition with Phillip Lindsay get to him more than it should have. 

“I got too caught up in that with Phil,” Gordon said, via BroncosWire.com. “It’s not about that. It’s not about that at all.

“A lot of people love Phil here. It was as if I got drafted to the Packers with the how the fans would feel, how the media and how the people would feel. They feel like you’re taking away from their guy. It was in my head a little bit. I got over it and I kind of dealt with what it was.”

Gordon is once again competing for playing time with rookie RB Javonte Williams, but he says he’s not worried about it this time around. 

“I’m not really worried about that,” Gordon said. “When I’m coming out here, I’m thinking about what I can do to help make the team better. What can I do to make myself a better player? That’s what I’m going to come out here and do.

“[I have the] utmost confidence in myself to come out here and work, so when I touch the field, I do what I need to do when my number is called. I can’t be worried about who I’m competing with.”

Chiefs

• Chiefs WR Antonio Callaway sustained a bone bruise in training camp while OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is dealing with a hand injury. (Herbie Teope)

Raiders

Raiders’ team president Marc Badain stepped down and has since been joined by V.P. of strategy and business development Brandon Doll.

“I heard lots of theories about why he left,” King said of Badain, via Pro Football Talk. “That he didn’t approve of some of the spending by owner Mark Davis in the midst of a disastrous first financial season in Las Vegas (including Davis’ decision to buy the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces), that he was just tired of the nonstop pace of running a franchise in a new city, that he and Davis were having significant disagreements on the direction of the franchise at a time when money was tight.”

• Jason Cole reports that the Raiders have hired an outside law firm to deal with the issue that has led to four top executives leaving the team.
• Vincent Bonsignore reports that the Raiders signing of veteran DT Gerald McCoy will not affect the status of DT Solomon Thomas.

• McCoy’s one-year, $2 million deal includes a $150,000 signing bonus, a $1.1 million base salary, and $750,000 in playing-time incentives. (Field Yates)
• Raiders DE Carl Nassib said his teammates have been extremely supportive of his coming out as an openly gay athlete: “It’s been great. I knew it was going to be good. I had zero stress about that. Absolutely no worries about it. Got a great locker room. Great teammates. Been met with nothing but love and support. It’s been incredible.” (Ed Werder)
• Nassib had high praise of his fellow defensive linemen on the Raiders, like Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue, Clelin Ferrell, Malcolm Koonce, and Gerri Green: “Great competition. Maxx [Crosby] and Yan [Ngakoue] and Cle [Ferrell] and Malc [Koonce], Gerri [Green], they do sh_t, that I, sorry, they do stuff that I’m trying to copy them. They’re trying to copy me…competition only makes you better. Complacency really doesn’t do anything for you in football or in life…we don’t want any fall off between any rotation guy so it’s been great.” (Paul Gutierrez)