AFC Notes: Chris Jones, Patrick Mahomes, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

Broncos

Broncos GM George Paton is very excited with what he has seen from DL Elijah Garcia this offseason and believes he could be a player to watch in the future.

“Elijah has all the traits you’re looking for — size, length, plays hard, tough,” Paton said, via BroncosWire.com. “You watch the preseason — we liked him coming out. We thought he had traits, which were raw. We watched the preseason when he was with the Rams, and we saw those traits. [Defensive line coach] Marcus [Dixon] liked him. Late in the season, especially when you’re not winning, you’re looking for future guys.” 

Chargers

Chargers OC Kellen Moore spoke about how the team plans to balance their running and passing attacks. 

“With Justin [Herbert], you feel really good about throwing it,” Moore said, via ChargersWire.com. “There are games we may need to throw it 60 times. There may be games where we need to run it 60 times. However, we need to fit in-between that each week, it will take its own path and we’ll be comfortable with that. There’s potential there. Any time people play two-deep safeties — in a very cookie-cutter viewpoint here — you have to be able to run the ball to some degree there. The box is a little bit more in your favor, so you have to be able to find ways to have successful runs in there to give yourself, eventually, the one-on-one opportunities. If you can’t run it versus shell, you’re going to get shell all day. Now, the vertical aspect of it becomes a little bit more challenging when you have two deep safeties.”

“There are a million factors on your side with the way the game is flowing and then with who you’re playing,” Moore added. “There will be games where maybe it’s an advantage. There will be games where maybe it’s not an advantage. It’s just one part of the offense. You can play with a lot of different personnel. You can play with a lot of different types of tempo. You just want to have exposure to all of this stuff through training camp so that during the season when we feel it’s necessary or valuable for a game plan, we can pull back on that experience and go.”

Chiefs

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is pleased that WR Kadarius Toney is going to be ready to play in Week 1 of the regular season.

“The talent that he has, the competitor that he is — to be able to go out there and have that weapon would definitely be a huge positive,” Mahomes said in a press conference. “He’s done a great job in the practices that he’s been in so far, and I’m looking forward to him continuing to step up and be even better and be more like his normal self. Honestly going out there the first few days and seeing him, he looks like KT. I’m excited for that, he put a lot of time in that rehab process so that he can get himself ready, hopefully, to play in this first week.”

Mahomes also commented on the possibility of the team being without DT Chris Jones for the start of the regular season.

“At this point, you kind of just prepare to play the game with the guys that are in the building and let the front office handle that,” Mahomes said, via NFL.com. “We’ve got a tough test with the Detroit Lions, and we’re going to focus on how we can win with the guys that are here.”

Chiefs HC Andy Reid weighed in on Jones’ status as well.

“I can’t tell you (if he absolutely won’t play Thursday),” Reid commented. “I don’t know. I don’t know what his agenda is or when he’s coming or not coming. But we’re rolling right now. I haven’t put much thought into that part.”

“You’re never sure how it’s going to work out,” Reid added. “You’re dealing with too many people on this type of thing, so these things can go either direction. Again, I don’t spend a lot of time on it. I had 90 guys in the offseason that we needed to make sure we’re going in the right direction. Now we’re getting ready to play a game, and you’re either here or not here. That’s how I go about it.”

• According to Ed Werder, Reid told the media that Toney and CB L’Jarius Sneed will be ready to go for Week 1.
• Reid on Toney: “Right now, he’s good to go. He’s moving around pretty well. We’ll take it day by day.” (Nate Taylor)
• Tom Pelissero notes that Jones already has roughly $2 million in fines for his training camp holdout and gave up a $500,000 workout bonus. He would forfeit an additional $1,083,333 for each regular-season game missed.