AFC Notes: Jayden Daniels, Zach Wilson, Bo Nix, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton said QBs Zach Wilson and Bo Nix are “going to compete” for the starting job and they had genuine interest in Wilson. 

“These guys are all going to compete,” Payton said, via BroncosWire. “We were really happy to bring Zach on board. There was no specific timing, that just took a little bit of time. In other words, George [Paton] and Joe [Douglas] with the Jets have been working on that. So it wasn’t a smoke screen. I know when we signed him it was closer to the draft. It very well could have been three weeks ago.”

Payton said they considered the upside with Wilson given he was the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 and also feel comfortable with Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci. 

“We know we wanted to add into the room, and I think I said that much even at the owner’s meetings. We really liked that opportunity. There were a number of veteran backups that signed contracts, and yet we saw talent with a player that just three years ago was the No. 2 pick in the draft. We really like his traits. Of course, we [also] have Jarrett Stidham here and Ben [DiNucci]. So Bill [Parcells] taught me a long time ago [to] just let them play. We have to maximize the reps that we have, and let them develop, and that stuff will sort itself out.”

Chiefs

• Chiefs UDFA RB Emani Bailey signed a deal worth $210,000 guaranteed, including a $10,000 signing bonus and $200,000 salary guarantee. (Aaron Wilson)
• Chiefs UDFA DT Fabien Lovett signed a deal worth $195,000 guaranteed, including a $10,000 signing bonus and $185,000 salary guarantee. (Wilson)
• Chiefs UDFA CB Christian Roland-Wallace signed a deal worth $155,000 guaranteed, including a $5,000 signing bonus and $150,000 salary guarantee. (Wilson)
• Chiefs UDFA RB Carson Steele signed a deal worth $15,000 guaranteed. (Wilson)

Raiders

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the run on offensive players ahead of them in the draft surprised the Raiders a bit. But not enough that they weren’t ready to pluck TE Brock Bowers when he slipped to their selection. A source who heard some of Las Vegas’ war room conversations told Fowler the Raiders thought Bowers was a true difference-maker. 

“We kind of figured there could be a lot of quarterbacks going early just by looking at the needs and who was there,” Raiders GM Tom Telesco said. “Figured somebody [at another position] may come down that maybe usually wouldn’t. We didn’t know who it would be. … The draft is unpredictable. We do this for a living and we can’t 100 percent dictate who will be there.”

The Raiders were left out with the historic run on quarterbacks going before their pick at No. 13 but team sources told Fowler they weren’t that concerned. The team explored what it would cost to trade up for QB Jayden Daniels but it was too exorbitant. While they liked former Michael Penix Jr. and would have considered him if he hadn’t gone No. 8 overall to the Falcons, they weren’t as high on either J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix.

“Everything else was smoke and mirrors,” a Las Vegas team source told Fowler. “We weren’t going to reach or overpay for a QB. Never was a worry and nothing frantic.”