AFC Notes: Broncos, Sean Payton, Chiefs, Raiders, Patrick Graham

Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton spoke about the timing that went into his hiring in Denver, which was largely due to the compensation being discussed between the Broncos and the Saints.

“There was a complexity to my hiring, obviously, that involved compensation to the Saints,” Payton said on the Broncos’ YouTube. “So that made that a little bit longer and I’m really thankful for George Paton and Mickey Loomis. Those guys were on the phone for days working out compensation that allowed this to happen. That made it uniquely different. Our plan is to win. And that process starts today.”

Chiefs

• Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman is listed as doubtful for the Super Bowl, while WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Kadarius Toney, and CB L’Jarius Sneed are currently listed as questionable. (Field Yates)

Raiders

Raiders DC Patrick Graham said that their 2023 NFL Draft process is beginning at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. 

“The draft starts here in Mobile,” Graham said, via Tashan Reed of The Athletic. “And I thought that was going to be a good opportunity for me to be around a bunch of players at one time, see them in the meeting room, see them on the field, see their competitive spirit and get an idea about that because all of that stuff plays into the evaluation process.”

Graham said he’s learned to remain patient as a defensive coordinator.

“I think that the biggest thing I learned was just being patient,” Graham said. “Moving forward, it’s understanding what you got to take away and how you’re going to take it away.”

Graham said that he’s observing how prospects respond in meetings and who is being attentive. 

“You get a chance to spend time in the meeting room, see who’s being attentive, see who can retain and then see how guys learn,” Graham said. “That’s one thing as we transition into different generations — this is going into my 15th year coaching — the players are different. You learn how these guys learn. It’s also helping me out for how I might have to adjust throughout the season in terms of teaching methods with the younger guys. And then being out there on the field, it’s a chance for me to get my hands on them and see how they can handle a correction. Whether I’m talking to the O-line about playing inside-out or talking to a D-linemen about shooting his hands or a receiver with the stem, I see if they can take it from me talking to them about it to doing it out there on the field quickly.”