AFC Notes: Broncos QB Competition, Patriots, Raiders

Broncos

• NFL Media’s James Palmer reports the Broncos quarterback competition between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater could take up all three preseason games.
• Palmer notes the staff has barely begun the evaluation process and expects for camp and preseason to form 97 percent of their evaluation process. Lock and Bridgewater will each get about 50 percent of the reps. 

Patriots

49ers WR Mohamed Sanu said he didn’t want to take a pay cut with the Patriots, which is why he was released.

“It was business,” Sanu said on the DNP-CD Sports Podcast, via Patriots Wire. “I wasn’t going to take a pay cut. I earn what I earn, I’m not going to take a pay cut just because of whatever y’all have going on. Y’all are going to release me, you’re going to release me, which is cool. I’ll always bet on myself. I’m a hard-working guy and I know what I can do, so I’m going to go ahead and show people who I am.”

• PFF’s Doug Kyed reports Patriots TE Jonnu Smith and OLB Chase Winovich will both be ready for training camp.

Raiders

After moving on from veterans on their offensive line such as C Rodney Hudson, G Gabe Jackson, and OT Trent Brown the Raiders faced many questions.

Las Vegas GM Mike Mayock says despite the questions, the team has only gotten more athletic on the offensive line and it also comes with a cheaper price tag.

“I know a lot of people were like, ‘Wow, why’d they do that?’” Mayock said, via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “But I don’t feel like we took a step back and we wouldn’t have made the moves if we felt that. You can criticize all you want, and I’m talking about the world in general, but I can’t tell you how excited I am to watch our new group play next year. We’re committed to what we’re doing and we believe in them. We really believe we got younger, we got more athletic and we saved a bunch of money.”