AFC Notes: Russell Wilson, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

Broncos

Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett isn’t worried about QB Russell Wilson picking up the team’s offense.

“When it first started,” Hackett said PFT, “you’re like, ‘Whoa, are you going to be able to pick this stuff up? Are we going to be able to own the offense like we want to?’ But he does such a great job of surrounding himself with great people that help him out so he can still do all of these things and still focus solely on football. It’s unbelievable to watch. Every single second that he has, he’s non-stop working. If he’s on a plane, he’s watching film, he’s studying, he’s calling people and he’s calling me. That’s what you appreciate. Everyone is professional and everyone does things differently. Some people are here, and they may not want to work as hard as he does when he’s leaving. Everyone is different and he does a fantastic job of learning everything.” 

• Broncos OC Justin Outten said undrafted RB Max Borghi was impressive at his minicamp tryout: “I thought he did some nice things. He’s got a good switch; he’s patient. He waits for that lane to open and he pops it. He did a couple good things in protection as well.” (Mike Klis)
• Broncos WR Tyrie Cleveland suffered an ankle sprain at practice. Cleveland took an awkward fall and appeared to have escaped a serious injury. (Ian Rapoport)

Chargers

• Chargers HC Brandon Staley is excited about DB Mark Webb and is looking forward to having him compete this year: “He’s going to add a lot of competition in the secondary, we’re expecting a lot from him,” Staley said. “He’s a guy that was on the verge of playing a lot of football for us and then he had the injury. We’re hopeful for him, and I’m excited to see him compete.” (Chargers Wire)

Chiefs

Chiefs first-round CB Trent McDuffie said that the team’s draft class is coming in with something to prove. McDuffie said that everybody is team-first, including himself and he’s looking forward to making an early impact.

“This class definitely came in trying to prove a point,” McDuffie said, via ESPN. “Everybody is very confident…They’re just willing to do the dirty work, which is something I know I can do. I love being a part of that.”

Kansas City drafted seven players on the defensive side of the ball, which means there will be more mental mistakes on that side of the ball due to lack of experience, something DC Steve Spagnuolo is preparing himself for.

“We’re going to have to live with some growing pains,” Spagnuolo said. “I believe that. Hopefully we can overcome that. But I think that’s the only way we’re going to get it to where we need it to go because some guys are going to need to step up and play. We need to find out about the guys that we have now. There are a lot of unknowns from a coaching standpoint: What can this guy do? Can he do the same thing somebody did last year? That may or may not be the case. It’s going to take some time. I’m throwing a lot at them right now. The volume is huge right now for a reason. Find out who can handle it and who can’t…There will be mistakes out there that normally we wouldn’t make.”

Chiefs fourth-round S Bryan Cook said that Spagnuolo has done a lot to help get the younger guys get brought up to speed quickly. Cook notes that it’s a lot like being freshman in college where you have to earn your spot and do everything you can to absorb as much as possible.

“He does a great job of explaining what he needs you to do,” Cook said. “It’s not rocket science. A lot of teammates and coaches help out the transition. It’s not as bad as it may seem. You come in and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s a lot of stuff.’ But it’s not that bad. You just have to figure it out. I think we’re all in the same boat. We’re back to [being] freshman again, trying to figure it out. We all understand that right now it’s grind time. It’s time to establish yourself and get respect from your teammates and coaches as well as figure out how you can best ready yourself coming in your first year.“