AFC Notes: Broncos, Orlando Brown, Chiefs, Raiders, Davante Adams

Broncos

Broncos G Dalton Risner said that he’s been focused on proving himself as a leader to the team’s new coaching staff. 

“When you have a lot of new, you have to prove yourself in a lot of areas. I have been focusing on proving who Dalton Risner is as a leader, with my energy, my work ethic, on what I bring to the team, what I bring as a left guard,” Risner said, via Troy Renck. “I earned a lot of that the last three years, but with a new staff — there is barely anyone left in the building from when I got here. I have to prove who I am. There’s a lot of urgency. You’ve got Russell Wilson. We have got to win some games this year.”

Risner is confident that he fits in well with HC Nathaniel Hackett’s system. 

“I think I fit into perfectly. There’s a lot of talk about whether I could fit in this system or not. I could really care less about all the talk. You know what I am about. I am going to outwork you and prove that I can fit any scheme,” Risner said. “I believe I have done that. I think if you talk to any of the coaches, I think they would say I fit this scheme. If you have work ethic and you are willing to be coachable, you can fit in any scheme.”

Hackett said that Risner has been an “unbelievable surprise” this offseason and the lineman has bought into his scheme. 

“He’s been another one who’s been an absolute unbelievable surprise. We brought this whole system into this organization, this outside zone world, and it hasn’t been that way (before),” Hackett said. “He has really bought in and he’s doing a fine job running off the ball and (he’s) great in pass protection. He’s done a really good job and I’m really excited about where he’s at.”

Chiefs

• According to Nate Taylor, the Chiefs and LT Orlando Brown were closer to agreeing on an extension than what was portrayed earlier his week. In the end, Brown wanted more guaranteed money throughout a long-term deal.
• Taylor also reports that it’s still possible that Brown reports to training camp on time and he’ll determine his decision over the next week.  
• Ian Rapoport writes that Kansas City made a “strong effort” to finalize an extension with Brown and offered him a higher average per year than 49ers LT Trent Williams‘ $23,010,000, but the structure of the deal didn’t fit Brown’s liking. 
• Albert Breer points out that another franchise tag for Brown in 2023 would cost $19.99 million. Should Brown stay away from training camp, Breer thinks the left tackle would want to be assured that the Chiefs won’t use a second tag on him next year.
• Matt Verderame also reports that Kansas City offered Brown a higher signing bonus than Williams’ $30.1 million from San Francisco.
• According to Mike Garafolo, the Chiefs’ offer to Brown was $91 million over the first five years of the deal, while the sixth year included over $40 million in order to inflate the average annual value.
• Josina Anderson reports that Brown is still deciding whether he will report to training camp.

Raiders

Raiders TE Darren Waller has been watching WR Davante Adams in camp to see how he is able to explode off of the line so quickly.

“I try to go get in the line with him in individual [drills] when they’re releasing, doing releases on the little tire man over there in the corner,” Waller said on Chris Long’s Green Light podcast. “He’s working his little double-hand swipe, windshield-wiper off the line. I don’t know, it’s just like, you know what release he’s going to do — the little split with the shake — but it’s just so smooth, and quick, and effective. And guys are just about to shit themselves trying to stop it. And I’m over there in line just watching him, or if it’s in a team drill and I’m not in and he’s in, I’m just trying to be like, what is it about that that makes it so effective? And I don’t know man, it’s just a balance, a mindset of, ‘I’m running shit out here. Nobody’s going to make me move at a pace that isn’t my own.’”