AFC Notes: Broncos, Jaguars, Jets

Broncos

Jeff Legwold of ESPN writes that there will be increased competition at the receiver position for the Broncos this summer. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are clearly locks to make the team and Denver used a third-round pick on Carlos Henderson and a fifth-round pick on Isaiah McKenzie, so they’re both in a good position to secure roster spots.

That leaves Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer, Jordan Taylor, Kalif Raymond, Marlon Brown, and Hunter Sharp competing for one or maybe two roster spots on the team’s 53-man roster.

Broncos HC Vance Joseph agrees that the receiver competition will be intense in the coming months.

“That’s a full room,” Joseph said. “We drafted two young guys who are going to help us in that spot. It was a good room last year. We added, in my opinion, more speed. We added a guy in Isaiah who can do a bunch of different things for us on the offensive side of the football. When you draft guys that have a shot, it does naturally motivate guys. It should.

“I know Fowler had a hell of a camp,” Joseph said. “Latimer and Jordan, who was healthy, had a hell of a camp. … It’s going to be a tough decision in terms of who makes our football team, but that’s the way it should be.”

Jaguars

• Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union takes a look at 10 non-starters for the Jaguars who will have a lot at stake during training camp and the preseason.
• O’Halloran’s list includes S James Sample, RB Corey Grant, OL Tyler Shatley, WR Rashad Greene, CB Josh Johnson, DE Carroll Phillips, DE Hunter Dimick, TE Neal Sterling, FB Tommy Bohanon and DT Michael Bennett.

Jets

• Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that the fate of Jets DT Steve McLendon is out of his hands this year, as he’s one of just four players currently on the team’s roster over 30 years old.
• Costello says that McLendon is not a lock to make the 53-man roster, given that the Jets are clearly focused on moving forward with younger players and he has a nonguaranteed $2.8 million salary in 2017.
• If the Jets were to move on from McLendon in the coming months, the Jets would likely turn to Deon Simon and Mike Pennel.