AFC Notes: Melvin Gordon, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos RB Melvin Gordon told GM George Paton when negotiating his new contract that he wasn’t going to lay down and allow RB Javonte Williams to completely take over the backfield.

“I told [him] when I was at the table, I’m not going to lay down, I’m not going to lay down,” Gordon said, via ESPN. “I’ve always got that mindset that I’ve got to go get it every year. I know a lot of people want me to take the backseat and I get it. It’s been like that for a while, it was like that with the Chargers — everybody wanted Austin [Ekeler] to start. I just come out here and do my thing. Thanks for the motivation everybody, I appreciate y’all.”

Gordon said that his goal is to continue to put his best foot forward and allow his play on the field to dictate his snap count.

“I put my best foot forward every time I go out there and see what happens,” Gordon said. “The goal is to make them want to play me…Me and [Williams] are going to do it. I don’t know how they’re going to do the reps and all that…I don’t care how old people think I’m getting, I feel good. I’ve been sharing the ball since I got in the league, so this is nothing new.”

Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett is excited that Gordon is returning to the team’s offense.

“We’re excited to put him in there and watch him roll,” Hackett said. “He’s a spectacular running back, he’s been a great running back in this league for a long time and you can’t have too many running backs.”

Chiefs

Chiefs WR coach Joe Bleymaier was asked about what he has seen from former Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling so far this offseason.

“He’s been great. He is the epitome of a professional. He comes to work. He’s all business. He wants to know what he’s doing, why, the whole picture, the whole story. Detailed,” Bleymaier said, via ChiefsWire.com. “The athletic ability, I think, speaks for itself. When he gets into the classroom, you kind of see how he has gotten to where he’s gotten. He is on his P’s and Q’s. Wants to know and wants to learn. Not only what he’s doing but the whole offense, and I think part of that is he’s had success individually and he’s been part of a successful team. And that’s what he did in his past, so that’s carried over. Initial reaction, that’s what it’s been and that’s been awesome.”

Bleymaier was then asked if Valdes-Scantling has more to show in Kansas City and if the team was going to let him loose on game day. 

“We’re not going to put him into a box here,” Bleymaier said. “They had reasons for how they used him in Green Bay and we’ll see what he can do and how he writes his plays here with us. Without putting him into a box and saying, ‘This is what you did in the past.’ They had specific reasons — we may or may not have those same specific reasons. But there are obviously things that he does great and you want to emphasize those strengths and then just kind of let him flourish and grow into the offense.”

• The Chiefs revealed that DE Frank Clark‘s absence from mandatory minicamp Tuesday was excused. (Nate Taylor)

Raiders

Raiders QB Derek Carr appreciates that GM Dave Ziegler and HC Josh McDaniels have publicly committed to him as their quarterback instead of slow-playing the situation like previous regimes have done in the past.

“They told me that they were committed to me. And the cool thing, too, is, in public, they’ve been committed to me,” he said via Raiders Wire. “Usually when you get a new coach, GM, they kind of slow-play it like, ‘Oh, we’ll see…’ I’ve been through that. My future is always up in the air, it seems like. But these guys just made it clear, No, we believe in you, and you’re our guy, and we believe we can win with you. And we’re going to prove that to you, too. We’re gonna sign you to an extension.”