AFC Notes: Maxx Crosby, Patrick Mahomes, David Shaw, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

• Broncos new Senior Personnel Executive David Shaw on joining Denver’s staff: “I’m very excited to be back in the NFL but really to be back with some great people & that’s what I was looking for. I was looking to join a franchise with people that I knew, people that I trusted…This seemed like a perfect situation.” (Chris Tomasson)
• Shaw continued on his relationship with Denver GM George Paton: “I got to know George Paton pretty well during that process & we just stayed in touch & this offseason we talked about different things and I thought there might be a role.” (Tomasson)

Chiefs

While the Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl for the second straight season, it was evident their offense wasn’t the same as in past years where they could score at will. Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes admitted they weren’t at their best last season and talked about working towards improvement. 

“I think it’s two things, I think one is just the confidence that the defense has just off the year they had this last year. You can see that they’re trying to build on that,” Mahomes said, via Logan Lazarczyk of the Chiefs Wire. “Then offensively, obviously, we felt like we didn’t play our best last year and even though we won, we knew we a lot of places to improve.”

Raiders

The Raiders made a big swing in free agency by adding DT Christian Wilkins for $85 million. Las Vegas DE Maxx Crosby detailed what it’s been like playing with Wilkins so far and touched on managing expectations. 

“We’re flying around,” Crosby said, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “Christian works his ass off, and I haven’t had a guy that works like that since Yannick (Ngakoue). Yannick was constantly trying to compete with me and go at it, and we were competing at everything. Christian kind of reminds me of him in that way.”

“You can’t get too caught up in the noise and the hype and things like that. We’ve been a preseason Super Bowl contender and also picked to lose every game, so all that s— doesn’t matter. We just have to be ourselves and focus on what’s most important, and that’s the work and the process.”

• Raiders senior defensive assistant Rob Ryan had high praise for Crosby: “When you talk about Maxx Crosby, you’re talking about the best defensive player in the league. Probably in the history that I’ve ever seen. Now, I’ve only been around it 30 years, but I mean he’s that good.” (Michael David Smith)