Broncos
Former Broncos and current Jets OL Billy Turner spoke about last season’s struggles and felt they had everything needed to be successful after acquiring Russell Wilson, but things just didn’t work out as expected.
“Just because you bring in certain people and expectation levels raise, that doesn’t equate to success… We weren’t good at all. I’m just going to be honest with you, we were shit. We had everything in our core to be a great team, we did, but we were not. It’s just how it is,” said Turner, via MadDogRadio.
As for the dynamics between former HC Nathaniel Hackett and Wilson, Turner doesn’t think either person deserves blame for last year’s problems and the team just couldn’t figure out how to mold together throughout the season.
“I think it had something to do with it, 100 percent, but it definitely wasn’t the total reason for the downfall and how our season ended up in Denver. It’s easy to point the finger at Nathaniel Hackett or Russell Wilson… but it’s not entirely either of those people’s fault. Our margin for error was super small. We had a lot of one-score games that we didn’t figure out how to pull it out… There’s things that were going on in that building that we couldn’t figure out as a team and we just could not figure out how to gel on the field,” said Turner.
Chargers
Chargers GM Tom Telesco had no updates to offer on the situation involving RB Austin Ekeler, saying the team still has no interest in moving him, despite allowing their star running back to seek a trade.
“Nothing’s changed,” Telesco said on The Rich Eisen Show. “His situation is unique. I completely understand that which is why we kind of allowed them to kind of look and see if there was anything out there. We had no intent, no interest of trading him, but fully knowing his situation to go ahead and do it.”
Chiefs
- Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes that based on “conversations with folks aware of the dynamics of the situation,” the expectation is the Chiefs and QB Patrick Mahomes will agree to an updated contract before the start of the season that puts him back on top of the salary scale for quarterbacks.
- Mahomes has nine years left on the 10-year, $450 million extension he signed in 2020. The deal put him way ahead of the rest of the market at the time but since then he’s been overtaken and is $7 million behind the top of the market in average annual salary.
- That figure could move even further once Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Bengals QB Joe Burrow sign extensions.
- Chiefs first-round DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah did not participate in the first rookie camp practice. It’s not clear if it’s related to the right foot injury that held him out of the Combine. (Adam Teicher)
- Chiefs HC Andy Reid on the team signing former Buccaneers LT Donovan Smith: “He’s been a left tackle at a high level. He’s a good player. He’ll be with the left side with the ones. Jawaan (Taylor) will move over to the right.” (Nate Taylor)
- Reid says that RB Isiah Pacheco had offseason surgeries to repair a broken bone in his hand and a torn labrum. He is progressing well and currently has no timetable for return. (James Palmer)
- As for Anudike-Uzomah, Reid mentioned he had thumb surgery ahead of the draft and could be ready by OTA’s.
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