AFC West Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

• Chargers HC Anthony Lynn said he thinks first-round S Derwin James (hamstring) will practice within the next week: “When you have those soft-tissue injuries, you don’t want to come back too soon, and then they linger all camp and maybe into the season.” (Jack Wang)
• Chargers CB Trevor Williams had to be helped off the field with a leg injury on Tuesday. Lynn thinks Williams sprained his ankle. (Jack Wang)

Chiefs

Chiefs GM Brett Veach said that they actually tried to trade for LB Anthony Hitchens last summer when he was still with the Cowboys. However, they’re happy to add a “leader” and someone to set the tone for them on defense.

“Everyone that had interactions with Anthony Hitchens was like, ‘He has a wife; he has a couple dogs; and then it’s a football playbook,’” Veach said, via Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star. “We were all into that. Coach [Andy Reid] is all about eliminating distractions. We wanted a guy to come in here and really be excited about the whole process — coming in being a leader, setting a tone on defense, playing hard, playing physical and really teaching the young guys.”

Raiders

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie tells Vic Tafur of The Athletic that DE Khalil Mack is likely to hold out until he gets an extension.

“Khalil is my guy. … It’s unfortunate that we have to go through this. But his camp decided to do it this way … and Khalil is not the first guy to hold out,” McKenzie said. “But we’ll get through this. But there is nothing really to report. He is going to hold out until he gets an extension, and that’s where we are.”

“No, our waiting game is just with Khalil. Our focus … I will be honest, we are not even thinking about Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald could sign tomorrow, and we’re only focused on Khalil. … Setting the market, all that, that is not the case at all.”

Raiders HC Jon Gruden said recently that the team’s defense wasn’t very good even when they had Mack in the lineup.

“We weren’t very good last year on defense with Khalil Mack,” Gruden said, via ESPN.com. “We’ve got to get a better pass rush, we’ve got to play better defense, period. And we hope Khalil gets here, but in the time being, we’ve got plenty of guys who need work.”

• Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that some wonder whether the Raiders have the financial wherewithal to give Mack the massive extension he’s in line for and may opt instead to string it out on a year-to-year basis.
• Florio adds that if the Raiders can’t afford to give Mack the kind of guaranteed money necessary to sign him to a long-term deal, they should trade Mack to a team that can and will pay him what he’s worth.