AFC West Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

  • According to Ian Rapoport, the Broncosโ€™ succession plan for their ownership after the passing of Pat Bowlen is to have executive Joe Ellis continue as the acting owner for โ€œat leastโ€ the next two or three years. 
  • Rapoport reports that the Broncos plan to โ€œuphold the wishesโ€ of Bowlen, which was to have one of his children inherit the franchise, with Brittany Bowlen emerging as the โ€œmost likely successor.โ€ 
  • Bowlen, 29, graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in finance, received her MBA from Duke, worked in the NFL league office, and is expected to take an executive role with the Broncos later this year. 
  • Rapoport points out that Beth Bowlen remains in the mix and there was a lawsuit filed on her behalf that made the case that she should be named the teamโ€™s owner. 
  • According to Rapoport, โ€œnothing functionally is going to changeโ€ for the Broncos with Ellis acting as owner, while Brittany Bowlen works her way into the organization. 

Chiefs

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (ankle) says he expects to be โ€œ100 percentโ€ healthy for the start of training camp next month. 

โ€œIโ€™m ready to go,โ€ Kelce said, via Arrowhead Pride. โ€œItโ€™s kind of been a little bit of an experience just not being able to really go out there and train for the upcoming season quite yet. I donโ€™t know if Iโ€™ve had an injury that hasnโ€™t allowed me to get on the field, at least a little bit in the offseason, outside of my knee surgery my first year.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s been a little frustrating,โ€ Kelce added. โ€œI want to get out there and mesh with everyone and teach, have fun and get better. But right now, just getting healthy is the main thing, and I think weโ€™re there. I think by the time training camp comes around, Iโ€™ll be 100 percent.โ€

Raiders

Raiders ST coordinator Rich Bisaccia said second-year P Johnny Townsend has โ€œimproved tremendouslyโ€ on his hang time since last year

โ€œHeโ€™s really done a great job working on his hang time,โ€ said Bisaccia, via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. โ€œThatโ€™s improved tremendously (over) the course of the year. Now, weโ€™ve given up a little bit of direction to get his hang time where heโ€™d like it to be, and hopefully we can get both โ€” the hang and the direction โ€” going into training camp.โ€

  • Gehlken notes that Townsend and undrafted P A.J. Cole are competing in camp with Townsend being the โ€œfavorite.โ€ 
  • According to Gehlken, Bisaccia only said there is โ€œcompetitionโ€ at the punter and long snapper jobs, meaning second-year K Daniel Carlson should have no issues securing the starting kickerโ€™s role. 

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