AFC Notes: Chris Jones, Antonio Pierce, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

New Chargers DC Jesse Minter followed new Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh from Michigan to Los Angeles this offseason. Minter talked about how excited he is to create gameplans involving S Derwin James. 

“I’ve gotten a chance to get to know him a little bit, just an unbelievable person, unbelievable leader,” Minter said, via Eric Smith of the team’s website. “The type of mindset that we want to have here on defense is really kind of how he plays already. I’m excited just to sort of try to try to unleash Derwin. No. 1, put him in positions to best utilize his skills and — he can do a lot of stuff — but I also think there’s a fine line. Like, ‘Let’s try to maximize Derwin and allow him to do the things that he’s really, really good at as much as possible.’”

“Sometimes you can get a guy like that and you can almost do too much with him and move him around too much. I want him to understand the concepts of the defense so that there’s certainly times that we can maximize his skillset. I think he can really affect the game in a lot of ways.”

Chiefs

• Chiefs DT Chris Jones is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo thinks “he may stay in the AFC West.”
• Garafolo lists the Raiders specifically as a team that makes sense to make a run at Jones. (James Palmer) 

Raiders

Raiders HC Antonio Pierce is hoping for a long-term solution at the quarterback position.

“I would hope whoever we draft, that’s the route we go, that’s who the starter becomes,” Pierce said, via PFT. “You don’t want to put a Band-Aid at that position. That’s old…that’s old, man. I think the Raiders…we’ve seen that enough in this organization.”

Pierce said it’s on GM Tom Telesco to find a solution at the position.

“I don’t know how it’s going to play out, but [G.M. Tom] Telesco better start working his magic,” Pierce said. “I told him, ‘It’s your turn now. All eyes are on you. I am going to be undefeated for six more months.’”

Pierce wants a leader who can go toe to toe with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

“I want a guy that can lead, that wants to compete,” Pierce said. “I want a guy that’s not afraid of a challenge, because this is a big challenge that we have in front of us. We’ve got the world champs in our division again. You know what you have to deal with each and every year as long as you have Patrick Mahomes in our division…I want somebody that says, ‘You know what? I am up for that challenge.’ That’s the same way I look at it going against these three coaches in this division.”

Pierce added that he also wants someone that has gotten results year-in and year-out.

“I want to go with a proven winner,” Pierce said. “And somebody that knows what it’s like to grind and go through some adversity. You want guys with a bunch of starts underneath their belts — you don’t want a one-hit wonder You don’t want a guy who had one year of success and say that’s the guy. You want someone who has been battle-tested that has been through adversity, had challenges and wasn’t just handed the keys. Because that’s going to be the process here no matter what we do.”