AFC West Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

Broncos

• Mike Klis reports that Broncos RB Devontae Booker will test the open market and should draw interest from teams in the second wave of free agency.
• Klis adds that RB Theo Riddick’s shoulder has healed and he’s medically cleared. Riddick will also test the free agent market.

Chargers 

• Matt Verderame of Fansided believes that if the Chargers want to land free agent QB Tom Brady, they should be on the phone with the Redskins attempting to acquire LT Trent Williams.
• Verderame also notes that if the Redskins want the Chargers No.6 pick, it would be too risky of a move, and Los Angeles should instead draft a tackle like Louisville’s Mekhi Becton or Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.
• According to Verderame, if the Chargers were able to acquire Williams for a second-round pick, Los Angeles could still use the No. 6 pick to draft a tackle or add a strong defensive prospect such as Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah or Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons.
• Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes that the Chargers’ willingness to move on from LT Russell Okung could be an indicator of how high they are on former third-round pick Trey Pipkins. Popper also believes that the Chargers could have their choice of tackles with the No. 6 pick.
• Popper could also see G Dan Feeney move to center if C Mike Pouncey, who still hasn’t been cleared to return after his season-ending neck injury, is forced to retire.
• According to Popper, the Chargers could look for a quarterback later in the draft, such as Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. Popper notes that the team could go all-in on QB Tyrod Taylor and sign a free agent such as QB Marcus Mariota as a backup. This would allow the team to use their draft picks on other areas of need such as tackle and wide receiver.
• According to Matt Miller, there’s “considerable buzz” that the Chargers feel good about Tyrod Taylor as their 2020 starter.

Chiefs

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes explained that his reps and the team have discussed an extension, but he wants to make sure it’s done “the smart way.” 

“When you look back on your career at the end of your career, you want to look back and see a lot of success, a lot of wins, a lot of Super Bowl wins hopefully — it’s something where I want to look back and see a lot of success,” Mahomes told Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports. “Obviously I want to get a contract, obviously I want to provide for my family for a long time and do everything like that.

“But I want to make sure I do it the smart way and do it the right way, and so I don’t know exactly which way that is, yet. I know that my people and the Chiefs’ people will talk about it, and will do it at the right time and for the betterment for the team. But I’m excited to be a Kansas City Chief for a very long time, and I know that’s going to be handled the right way because of the people the Kansas City Chiefs have in their organization.”