AFC West Notes: Phillip Lindsay, Broncos, Raiders

Phillip Lindsay

Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay said he is “anxious” to return after missing team drills this offseason due to a wrist injury. 

“I’m anxious to be out there with my teammates. I see Book and Royce put in a lot of work and I want to be out there with them. I like the grind. I like being tired. I like sweating, the blood, the tears,” said Lindsay, via Mike Klis.

Lindsay mentioned that he is focused on earning the respect of Broncos’ new HC Vic Fangio and OC Rich Scangarello. 

“My RB coach (Curtis Modkins) knows what I can do, but now it’s about earning coach Fangio and coach Scangarello – all their respect and I’ll do that. That’s the type of person I am. I never run away from anything,” said Lindsay, via Klis.

Broncos

Fangio said that rookie quarterbacks Drew Lock and Brett Rypien must be “resilient” and learn from their mistakes. 

“The need to be resilient. It’s okay to make a mistake or two. It’s not okay to repeat it, and it’s not okay to let it drag into the next play. … They have to learn that,” said Fangio, via Klis.

Raiders

Raiders DC Paul Guenther said having veteran LB Vontaze Burfict is like having a “quarterback” on defense given that he enables them to “get in and out” of play calls. 

“It’s like having a quarterback that you’ve coached in there so you can get in and out of calls at the line of scrimmage,” Guenther said, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports. “Last year we didn’t do that as much. We did it a few times and I just felt like it was a lot for the guys in the first year of the system to put that added weight on them. I wanted them to kind of go out and play.”

Guenther believes Burfict will help players pick up their defensive system “a lot faster.” 

“Now in year two, add in a guy like him and having another year under the system, the guys will pick it up a lot faster,” said Guenther.