AFC Notes: Joey Bosa, Zamir White, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

Chargers OLB Joey Bosa focused on his diet over the offseason in order to gain weight, enabling him to be more productive in run defense. 

“I specifically tried to really eat good and put some weight on this offseason, get back to my weight I was at a few years ago, where I could really use my power,” Bosa said, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. “Really handle guys in the run and be more effective in that part of the game.”

Chargers OLBs coach Giff Smith said Bosa dealing with some injuries going into last season forced him to lose weight with his recovery. Now that Bosa is fully healthy, Smith explains the edge rusher was ready to put back on the pounds. 

“When we went to this system of defense, he thought he needed to be a little bit lighter and he was dealing with some nagging injuries, so you always lose a little weight when you have some lower half injuries,” Giff said. “He’s finally healthy and he was able to add the muscle mass, good muscle mass, and he feels comfortable. And then it does expose the power. Everybody knows how gifted he is with his hands and his movement, but when you can shock [opponents] with the power, it just has another element to his game.”

Chargers HC Brandon Staley thinks Bosa returning to 265-270 pounds will be beneficial. 

“That’s where he’s most comfortable,” Staley said. “You have to be able to establish power as a rusher, that’s what’s going to make you really, really dangerous. He has some of the best hands in the NFL, which is kind of what he’s famous for, but to set those hands up, you have to really establish power.”

Chiefs

• Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick does a 53-man roster projection for the Chiefs and projects them keeping QB Shane Buechele as the No. 3 quarterback. 
• Derrick writes Chiefs UDFA RB Deneric Prince has made a compelling case for a roster spot and all but locked up a role as a kickoff returner during the regular season. 
• Derrick thinks the Chiefs could easily keep seven receivers with how deep the roster is, including Justin Watson, Richie James and Justyn Ross. They need the depth with starting WR Kadarius Toney‘s injury history and Derrick adds James is the starting punt returner. 
• Chiefs TEs Blake Bell and Jody Fortson have been battling some injuries, which Derrick notes potentially opens up a spot for TE Matt Bushman who’s been having a strong camp.
• Derrick thinks Chiefs OT Prince Tega Wanogho is ahead of OT Lucas Niang for the final roster spot on the offensive line, though they could keep both if they keep 10. 
• He adds Chiefs CB seventh-round CB Nic Jones has opened up a pretty strong lead for the fifth and final cornerback slot. 

Raiders

Raiders RB Zamir White has been nicknamed “Zeus” by his teammates and is getting the chance to showcase his skills during the absence of starting RB Josh Jacobs.

“Just head down, grinding, that’s about it,” White said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “I’ve just been focused on my part and just being here ready to work every single morning. That’s about it for me, grinding it out. This year it has eased out some. Just doing the extra meetings, the extra film, the game calmed down, too. So, you really just go out there and do your thing and have fun, really. Just don’t think about all the negatives. Just think positive when you’re out there.”

Raiders HC Josh McDaniels and G Jermaine Eluemunor weighed in on White making the most of his opportunity with Jacobs holding out.

“The backs are all going to get opportunities in training camp,” McDaniels said. “This is our opportunity to try to get them all a foundation in our system and see what they can do and see if they can develop and improve. [White’s] running skill and innate ability to see things when he has the ball — find lanes, cutbacks, when he’s supposed to bounce, when he’s not, when he’s supposed to go ahead and tuck it in there and make some hard yards — I’d say just overall, his ability to go forward on contact … that’s how he ran in college. He’s putting in a lot of time and effort into trying to be a complete player, not just a guy that has the ball and can do something with it. He wants to be good in blitz pickup, he wants to improve in the passing game. And all those things are part of a young back’s progression.”

“I don’t think anyone is like Josh in the league, Josh is one of a kind, and I can’t wait to get him back,” Eluemunor added. “But Zeus is definitely a guy. We’re lucky to have him because, like him and Josh are two different guys. Josh can run you over, or juke you out. Zamir is just going to run headfirst and run you over. “He doesn’t care, and it’s cool playing for guys like that because you know if you open up a hole and he gets to the safety, nine times out of 10, he’s going to run him over and score.”

• The Raiders hosted free-agent RB Reggie Corbin for a visit. (Aaron Wilson)