AFC Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

The Chargers put a lot of effort this offseason into rebuilding their offensive line, and time will tell how well they did once the starters play in the regular season. But the preseason has exposed how much work Los Angeles still needs to do to rebuild the depth on the unit, as guys like OT Trey Pipkins, C Scott Quessenberry and fifth-round G Brenden Jaimes have struggled. 

“I was concerned tonight about how we played,” Chargers HC Brandon Staley said via the Athletic’s Daniel Popper. “I thought we lost physically up front, and I didn’t feel like we gave ourselves a good enough chance for our skill players and our quarterbacks to operate, and that’s why I was proud of our quarterbacks. I felt like they did a really good job all night giving us a chance to operate. But we got to show more toughness, more resilience, more physicality up front — and more consistency. And I think that for all those guys that are competing for spots, that’s so much of the game, is that consistency, the resiliency. I felt like tonight, it was an uneven performance up front for those guys.”

Chiefs

• The Athletic’s Nate Taylor doesn’t expect the Chiefs to carry three quarterbacks on the roster, which means undrafted rookie Shane Buechele will likely be waived in the hopes he goes unclaimed and can sign to the practice squad. 
• Taylor believes Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon has the lead on Darwin Thompson and Derrick Gore for the third spot on the depth chart, with the latter two strong candidates for the practice squad. 
• While the Chiefs just spent a fifth-round pick on WR Cornell Powell, Taylor says WR Daurice Fountain has been the better player during camp and the preseason and should get the last roster spot at wideout. 
• Taylor adds Chiefs TE Jody Fortson has earned a spot on the roster with his work as a receiver, blocker and on special teams. 
• Defensive line is one of the deeper positions on Kansas City’s roster and Taylor thinks DE Tim Ward has locked up the final spot. 
• Once seen as a strong candidate to make the team, Chiefs undrafted rookie S Devon Key has faltered a bit. But Taylor writes he should still land on the practice squad. 

Raiders

• According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Raiders QB Nathan Peterman was fined $5,556 for unnecessary roughness. 
• Raiders HC Jon Gruden said DE Clelin Ferrell is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury but may play in Sunday’s preseason finale against the 49ers. (Paul Gutierrez)
• Gruden mentioned that CB Keisean Nixon is being evaluated for a leg injury.