AFC Notes: Broncos, Jets, Patriots

Broncos

Broncos OC Bill Musgrave said recently that he has completely rebuilt the team’s offensive system.

“Yeah, it’s pretty much all different,’’ said Musgrave, via 9News.com.

“It’s really a system that we built as a staff this offseason,’’ Musgrave explained. “We had wholesale changes on the offensive staff. We have our framework that I’m comfortable with and that I can teach and call in a timely manner. And then our staff has put together what we feel is a great system for our players, especially our QBs.”

Musgrave added that they’re trying to do what they can to make it more player-friendly.

“We’re trying to make it concise,’’ Musgrave said. “We don’t want long worded plays in the huddle. We’ve got three or four ways to go, ‘no huddle.’ And a lot of those are one-word calls. We’d love for guys to know it like the back of their hand, then they can just cut it loose and play.’’

Jets

An NFL agent tells Rich Cimini that it’s possible that the Jets’ pro-player stance on the national anthem issue could boost their odds of signing players in free agency “10 to 15 percent.”

“If two teams are close and the player sees the Jets as a more favorable environment, yes, it could have some effect,” one agent said. “I’d say 10 to 15 percent, but the total economic package is always the deciding factor.”

A separate agent isn’t buying that it will be a big factor in the end.

“You could put a checkmark next to Chris Johnson if you’re a player,” the agent said. “The only thing that really matters is the green, and I’m not talking about Jets green. The [owner-player unity] won’t move the needle. People will say it will, but it won’t.”

• Jets GM Mike Maccagnan was in attendance last Friday for Johnny Manziel‘s preseason debut for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
• However, Cimini reports that the Jets have no interest in Manziel and are happy with their current group of quarterbacks.

Patriots

A few players have publicly questioned the Patriots’ culture, but Shea McClellin, who played a few seasons in New England, says it “the best two years of my football career that I’ve had.”

“I definitely think it starts from the top, Bill [Belichick] and Mr. Kraft, and then it just trickles down,” McClellin said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN. “Then you have leaders like Tom [Brady] and Matt [Slater] and Dev [Devin McCourty] — the captains. When you come in as a new guy or a young guy, and you see how laid-back and easy-going the captains are; they’ll just come up and talk to you and genuinely want to know about how you’re doing and how your life is. I think that’s something that makes the chemistry and camaraderie that much better. When the older guys really care about you, it makes you want to play for them and for your teammates, and not just for yourself.”

McClellin explained that it’s hard for those who haven’t played for the team to have an educated opinion.

“I would say a lot of guys don’t know what they’re talking about, because they haven’t experienced it,” McClellin said. “When you have a winning culture, everyone is going to hate on it. That’s what comes with it, it’s the way it is. It’s hard for someone who hasn’t been in the situation to say, ‘Oh, it’s like this, it’s like that.’ It’s a winning culture and you’re going to get slander and hate — that’s just the way it is. From my standpoint, I absolutely enjoyed my time there — from the coaches to the owners, players and trainers.“