AFC Notes: Broncos, Raiders, Ravens

Broncos

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton believes the organization’s decision to draft WRs Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler will help “stretch the field vertically” for their offense and prevent teams from loading the box. 

“We have guys who can stretch the field vertically and that can take those safeties out of the boxes,’’ Sutton said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “You make everyone pay respect to everybody on the field. It kind of makes all the defenses play their defenses and their schemes the right way. You’re not going to be able to cheat to one side. You’re not going to be able to load the box for the run game. You’re not going to be able to shade safeties over the top of certain places. We have speed and talent in all of our positions in our room.’’

Sutton called Broncos WRs coach Zach Azzanni an “underrated blessing” due to his assistance in helping teach the program’s new system under OC Pat Shurmur. 

“It’s an underrated blessing for sure because when you’re learning a new offense, having some type of stability in that change is nice, especially someone that’s in your room who is the teacher of the new offense to us,” Sutton said. “He breaks down the small details. To be able to have him in our room, it’s pretty cool to keep him.”

Raiders

Few expected Raiders DE Maxx Crosby to record ten sacks in his rookie season, but he believes his hard work against RT Trent Brown during the preseason helped to prepare him for his first year in the league.

“I wasn’t really knowing what to expect, but when you have Trent Brown looking at you every single day and you’re going against him, it’s a little bit different than the MAC,” Crosby told Tashan Reed of The Athletic.  “Going against him every single day, it got me ready for the season. There’s no question about it. He’s top of the line. He’s the best tackle in the game. Anybody that plays him says the same thing. Going against him, I really found out what I need to work on.”

Ravens RB Mark Ingram believes Baltimore can break the NFL’s rushing yards record that it set last season after adding second-round RB J.K. Dobbins.

“We broke the rushing record last year. You know, that would be a lot to go and attain again, but we’re going for it. We’re going to shoot for it. We have the players to do it,” Ingram said, via SI.com. “In order to win championships, you have to add great players. I think we did that this offseason, so we’re looking forward to the season.”