AFC West Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders

Broncos

• Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline says he’s told Broncos DT Shelby Harris would prefer to stay in Denver. Harris is a pending free agent. 
• According to Troy Renck, Mike Shula is a candidate to join Pat Shurmur’s offensive staff with the Broncos as QBs coach. 

Chargers

2019 was the toughest year of Chargers RB Melvin Gordon‘s professional career for a multitude of reasons. But now that it’s over, he can point to at least one silver lining — making it out healthy as he looks for his next contract. 

“I’m glad I made it out healthy, so now I can really get valued off my worth instead of being banged up,” Gordon said via ESPN’s Eric Williams. “It was on my mind, staying healthy, but then I was telling myself don’t think about that, I’ve just got to play hard because [being careful is] when you get hurt. You’ve just got to play the game, and I came out healthy.”

If he could go back, Gordon said he wouldn’t hold out through training camp and the first part of the season. He loves his teammates and would like to be back in Los Angeles in 2020. But he also said that maximizing his next contract remains his top priority. 

“That’s the thing, I’m comfortable with everybody here, but the money’s got to be right,” Gordon said. “Money talks, and I need it, man. It’s not like I’m Keenan [Allen] or a defensive end where you can make a $60 million deal, or $200 million deal, and then come right back and get a $60 million deal. This is it for me, and I’ve got to make the best of it.”

Chargers GM Tom Telesco took a hardline stance with Gordon during the holdout, pulling the team’s offer to Gordon and ending negotiations before the season started. However, he said if it makes sense for the team given their other free agents, they would like to bring Gordon back as well. 

“I can tell you this — obviously, Melvin held out, and that doesn’t make me very happy,” Telesco said. “I think it affected our team early, but you have to get over that. Despite all of that, I love the kid. On a personal level and a professional level, I love the kid. Even watching him play against Kansas City [in Week 17], I don’t think his statistics were great, but I thought he had a great game. I mean, toughness and heart. That’s how I feel about him. However, we have to really look at everything. Let’s see how everything fits together. He’s an excellent football player.”

• The Chargers worked out CFL CB Tre Roberson on Saturday. (Howard Balzer)

Raiders

• According to Richard Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, there’s a chance the roof on the Raiders’ new stadium isn’t ready by the July 31 opening date. 
• The team is scheduled to finalize its move to Las Vegas after training camp, but it does have an option to play the 2020 season in Oakland if the stadium in Las Vegas isn’t ready. 
• Former Raiders DL coach Brenston Buckner said he was surprised when HC Jon Gruden called him to let him know he was replacing him with Rod Marinelli: “‘I need to make a change. I need to make room for someone, it was nothing you did.’ And I thanked him for the opportunity.” (Vic Tafur)
• Buckner added he understood Gruden had history with Marinelli, winning a Super Bowl together with the Buccaneers, and could at least point to not being fired for performance: “The history is there. Marinelli is a great coach, one that I have learned from watching his teams in the past. … I didn’t get fired because of the job I did, so I can’t argue with that.” (Tafur)