AFC Notes: Chargers, Kellen Moore, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

Chargers OC Kellen Moore spoke about what type of offense he would build next season with players like QB Justin Herbert, RB Austin Ekeler, WR Keenan Allen, and WR Mike Williams.

“We’re going to build a 2023 L.A. Chargers offense,” Moore said, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. “Mike and his ability to make 50-50 plays are phenomenal. What Keenan can do to separate his route-running and, put him on routes where he’s able to make decisions, he is going to make things happen. From my vantage point, what Austin has done has been remarkable. You saw Josh start to develop a role. Certainly, that’ll be a situation that, hopefully, we develop two or three guys in there that can all take turns.”

“Will you be able to see the Air Coryell, Jason Garrett side? Absolutely. Will you see the West Coast, Mike McCarthy side? Absolutely,” Moore added. “We’ll keep things that are in place here that Justin feels really, really good about. Then, we’re willing to explore. We all know that the top offenses in this league, the beauty is when those two things are in sync. It’s a beautiful thing.”

“As we build this thing, certainly, the run game and the play-action pass and the movements on first- and second-down, when those two are in sync, and the presentations are similar, it puts defenses in conflict,” Moore concluded. “I think that’s something that we’re really excited about building here and developing, certainly in the first- and second-down game and it will allow you to be more aggressive, to get the ball downfield.”

Chargers HC Brandon Staley added that he is excited about the style of play Moore will establish and will in turn be able to focus on the 

“The vision that we have for this team and for our offense is committing to a style of play,” Staley said ahead of hiring Moore. “That’s what I want to establish moving forward is that style of play, especially in the running game.”

Chiefs

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco believes he can help fuel the team to a Super Bowl victory in his first season, with HC Andy Reid having a strong belief in the seventh-round pick.

“I’m going to be the guy that brings a spark,” Pacheco told The Athletic. “It doesn’t matter if we’re down or we’re up. You can’t coach effort. I’m going to go hard. As a seventh-round pick, I always have something to prove. If you can dream big, you can go get it.”

“He’s a tough guy, and he plays his heart out,” Reid said. “I’m very impressed by him. He’s smart, and we ask running backs to do quite a bit in the run game, the passing game, and (with pass) protections. He has handled all of that well. But most of all, he is that Energizer Bunny guy. He’s got endless energy.”

• Reid said QB Patrick Mahomes has moved well in practice: “He can really do everything, at least what we have in the game plan.” (Adam Teicher)

Raiders

• The Athletic’s Vic Tafur highlights Raiders WR Mack Hollins as the team’s No. 2 most important pending free agent behind only RB Josh Jacobs and thinks Las Vegas would be willing to bring him back for twice the one-year, $2 million deal he signed last year. 
• Other free agents the Raiders could look to bring back, per Tafur, include QB Jarrett Stidham, LB Denzel Perryman, S Duron Harmon, and OT Jermaine Eluemunor. 
• Tafur mentions guys like TE Foster Moreau, CB Rock Ya-Sin and DE Clelin Ferrell could get more money or more interest to sign elsewhere. 
• PFN’s Tony Pauline notes the buzz at the Senior Bowl is that the most likely option is for the Raiders to put the franchise tag on Jacobs. That’s setting up an interesting standoff given he’s been clear about his distaste for that outcome.