AFC Notes: Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

Broncos

• Broncos recently signed WR Phillip Dorsett said he opted to join Denver’s practice squad instead of a spot on the Raiders’ active roster but he wanted a “fresh start” with a new team: “I just felt like it was right. I mean, obviously they wanted me to come back to Vegas, but I just felt like I needed a fresh start,” via Chris Tomasson.

Chargers

Chargers HC Brandon Staley was hired fresh off a year as the defensive coordinator for the league’s No. 1 defense in 2020 with the Rams. In two years since, however, he hasn’t been able to reclaim that same level of success. He’s optimistic things will be different in Year 3, however, with time to find the players they need to run his scheme and build continuity. 

“We’ve been able to, in all three phases of our team, kind of engineer it the way that we want it,” Staley said via the Athletic’s Daniel Popper. “Going into every year, that’s what you want to say, is that you’re a better team than you were last year and that you’re building something along the way that’s growing. I think that’s what’s happening here.”

Continuity in particular is something players cite as the missing ingredient, as Staley’s scheme has a lot of complexity in an effort to befuddle opposing offenses that are more efficient and explosive than ever. 

“We had so many people coming from different places,” Chargers DT Sebastian Joseph-Day said. “That’s what people fail to realize. This ain’t a defense that you just say, ‘Hey, here you go.’”

“Every position matters, man,” he added. “This defense is a true team defense. Yeah, you have superstars within the defense like Khalil and Joey and Derwin. But what makes this defense run is everyone. If one guy doesn’t do his job, seven-yard run. If a corner doesn’t crack replace, 70-yard touchdown run. If a guy, let’s say, busts on Cover 2, it’s a 70-yard bomb. If a D-lineman doesn’t stay in that B gap, big run, 50-yard touchdown. That’s what makes this defense the ultimate team game.”

Chiefs

Chiefs OC Matt Nagy said he’s been impressed by WR Richie James and thinks he brings “some veteran experience” to the locker room. 

“Yeah, for me, having met Richie when he first got here and seeing him in OTAs, what he transferred to training camp, and where he’s at now is just a great knowledge of the offense being in the right spot at the right time,” said Nagy, via ChiefsWire. “And so as a quarterback, or as a coach, when you have somebody like that you trust him. And then, on top of that, he’s very talented. You saw that in a preseason game with being able to go downfield, make great catches, etc. So he’s got some veteran experience that he brings to that room as well.”

• Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the Chiefs have been planning as if DT Chris Jones won’t be available for Week 1 given he’s still holding out for a contract. 
• Russini cites a team source who indicated they haven’t made any progress with Jones this week: “We haven’t made any progress over a few days.”
• Jones commented on what he has been doing during his time away from the team: “I’ve been keeping in contact with my teammates. I’m still working out every day, still doing similar things that they do in training camp. The camaraderie, we got a lot of new players, there’s that aspect of it. But I’ll be ready to go when that time calls.” (James Palmer)
• He added that he wants to remain with the Chiefs and is simply asking for a raise in pay. (Nate Taylor)
• Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt on the recent injury sustained by TE Travis Kelce: “It’s one of those unfortunate things, particularly for it to happen days before the season opener. The good news is the MRIs are all good on the knee and so it’s just gonna be a day-to-day thing and his ability to tolerate the pain.” (Rob Collins)