AFC Notes: Rashee Rice, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

After hiring HC Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers changed their coaching staff this offseason and will get entirely new systems on both sides of the ball. Los Angeles DB coach Steve Clinkscale spoke on how DC Jesse Minter’s system aligns with his philosophies and what they will prioritize.

“The beauty with Jesse is that he’s a defensive back guy himself. We speak the same language,” Clinkscale said, via Alex Insdorf of the Chargers Wire. “I can anticipate the issues that he wants, his pet peeves, my pet peeves. It’s been an easy transition to teach those guys what Coach Minter is looking for. With him being a back end guy, we do put a lot of responsibility on the secondary. We put a lot of work into those guys. We want to make sure that they’re going to do things right. That’s a reflection of him and I, right away, the secondary.”

“His vision on the defense is that we’re going to communicate. We’re going to destroy blocks. We’re going to disrupt the ball. We’re going to have great effort and angles. We’re going to finish and make tackles. That’s what we want to put on film week-in and week-out. If you do those fundamental things, whatever he calls, we should be able to work. Sometimes, they’re going to give us something that’s going to be an issue for the coverage, but as long as what our guys know what to go to when in doubt with the check, then when the ball is snapped to enforce our separators, our fundamental approach to the game, we’ll be fine.”

Chiefs

• Chiefs HC Andy Reid said first-round WR Xavier Worthy missed Wednesday’s practice after tweaking his hamstring earlier in the week, via Courtney Cronin. 
• Regarding Rashee Rice‘s legal issues this offseason, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said they are trying to help Rice as teammates to get on the “right path”: “We’re trying to do whatever we can to help him learn from his mistakes… We’re going to try to do whatever we can to get him on the right path.” (Nate Taylor)
• According to Josina Anderson, Rice’s camp was told by a Dallas police official that the investigation surrounding his alleged assault at a nightclub is “done,” despite police publicly saying the investigation is still ongoing.
• Josina reports Dallas police have never interviewed Rice and the receiver’s representation has an affidavit from the complainant stating the event was a “misunderstanding,” and includes an acknowledgment on paper from the complainant that the issue “will result in this offense being cleared.”

Raiders

The Raiders acquired first-round TE Brock Bowers in the draft despite picking TE Michael Mayer in the second round the year before. Las Vegas HC Antonio Pierce explained how they feel both tight ends fit into the offense.

“I mean, if you’re thinking about ’12 personnel’ in the 2000s, it was a true ‘Y,’ like, that extra O-lineman, and that really skilled player, right?” Pierce said, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “That [extra] guy was just like, man, he’s 6-6, 270. Just an extra offensive lineman.”

“This is different. You’re talking about [two] skill players who can catch the ball, who can come out the backfield, who can do a lot of different things for you, and you see it. Kansas City does it a lot with their tight ends.”