AFC Notes: Melvin Gordon, Broncos, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs

Broncos

Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett is excited to incorporate RB Melvin Gordon into the team’s offense.

“He’s a spectacular running back and he’s been a great running back in this league for a long time,” Hackett said, via Broncos Wire. “You can’t have too many good running backs at that position. He’s a powerful runner downhill and at the same time, he has the speed to be able to stretch it in the outside zone. We’re happy to have him and happy to integrate him in.”

Gordon opted to re-sign with Denver after they acquired QB Russell Wilson and he believes they’re on the verge of turning the corner as a team.

“To be a part of something special — which is what I think we’re trying to build here — would be [great] because obviously the ultimate goal made on Day 1 since we started playing ball as kids is to hold that Lombardi Trophy up,” Gordon said. “That’s the goal and the mindset, and we have to do whatever it takes to get there.”

Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes spoke about how quickly WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has picked up the team’s offense and started to fit in with his new team in Kansas City.

“I think he’s done a great job of learning the offense really fast and making plays when his number’s been called,” Mahomes said during a press conference. “He’s a smart guy, so you can see why he’s able to pick up stuff so fast. And he has a good feel for everything, especially there in the earlier part when we had a couple of guys banged up — he got a lot of reps and made a lot of plays.”

“So you saw a couple of them down the sideline where it was one-on-one and I just threw it up and let him make a play and he did,” Mahomes added. “So that’s a good thing to see and hopefully it carries on in training camp and into the season.”

Chiefs

Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave reporters an update on the team’s receivers group after minicamp. 

“Yeah, I really liked the way (JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling) worked,” Reid said, via ChiefsWire.com. “They have a nice connection with Pat (Mahomes) up to this point. I’d be curious to see how it gets when there are live bullets and all that stuff. We’ll see how that rolls but I wouldn’t expect anything much different than what I’ve been seeing. And the other guys too have worked in there. Mecole (Hardman) has upped his game here and done a nice job. Our young kid, Skyy (Moore), he’s mixed in there and he’s been good. I like the mixture that we’ve got going.”

Reid also shared his thoughts on rookie WR Skyy Moore and how he was impressed with his work at camp.

“You know what, he looks strong,” Reid said of Moore. “You see that in the way he’s built physically, but that transfers. You see those big hands he has, he catches everything. He’s a good route runner. Smart kid seemed to pick it up well.”