AFC Notes: Russell Wilson, Broncos, Derwin James, Chargers, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos’ new CEO Greg Penner had “nothing to say” about QB Russell Wilson‘s contract status.

“At this point, nothing to say about his contract,” Penner said, via BroncosWire.

Penner added that the team is ecstatic to have Wilson as its quarterback and feels he’s a “tremendous benefit for us.”

“We couldn’t have been more excited as we were going through the process to see that the organization had made the trade for Russell,” Penner said. “It’s critical to have a great quarterback in this league and coming in this organization with Russell in place is a tremendous benefit for us.”

Penner already gets the sense of Wilson’s leadership around the locker room and is looking forward to watching him play. 

“On our first diligence trip in May here, one of the first people we ran into the hallway when Rob, Carrie [Penner], and I were here was Russell. Right away, we got a sense of how positive he is as a leader. He is just such a dynamic individual. I can’t wait to see him on the field. I don’t know how much we will see of him on the field on Saturday, but we are looking forward to it.”

Chargers

Chargers HC Brandon Staley was complimentary of DB Derwin James regarding how he’s handled his contract situation this offseason.

“Of course, we would like to have Derwin out there, but at the same time, as I mentioned, I think what’s most important to us is that we get the contract negotiation right,” Staley said, via PFT. “First things first is just keeping the main thing, the main thing. Then, all of the football stuff will take care of itself. Derwin has been very patient through the process and he’s been a tremendous leader, like he always is, through the process. I think he’s handled it extremely well. His teammates have handled it extremely well. We’re looking for good news soon.”

Raiders

• Adam Schefter reports that Raiders TE Darren Waller is being held out of training camp practice due to a hamstring injury but it is not considered to be serious. 
• Albert Breer points out that veteran RB Ameer Abdullah is “carving out a real role” in HC Josh McDaniels‘ system, similar to how the coach used RB James White with the Patriots.
• Breer also writes that OT Lester Cotton is a “sleeper” who is impressing in training camp. 
• Breer adds that CB Nate Hobbs is on the ascent in the Raiders’ defense and is playing well against Las Vegas’ strong receivers group.