The AFC’s roster chatter has a little bit of everything right now: contract uncertainty in Denver, more respect for Kansas City’s core, and a potential pay-day watch in Las Vegas.
In Denver, cornerback Riley Moss is heading into the final year of his deal, and there hasn’t been much progress on an extension, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN. The Broncos also have more business to sort out, with safety Brandon Jones and cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian both entering the last year of their contracts as well.
Kansas City, meanwhile, keeps showing up in league-wide conversations about top-end talent. Jeremy Fowler ranked Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker inside his top ten heading into the new season, and one AFC executive compared him to “a mix between peak Kareem Hunt and Maurice Jones-Drew.”
The same evaluator added, “Dense lower body, fast enough, tough to bring down. Not sure how his game will age yet, but he should be good this year.”
Fowler also placed newlywed tight end Travis Kelce in his top ten at the position. An NFC personnel evaluator called him “the ageless wonder at the position,” and pointed to “His elite route savvy, body control, and instincts allow him to still compete at a high level, despite him getting up in age.”
The Chiefs’ interior line got its share of praise too. ESPN’s rankings of the league’s top interior linemen included center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith.
One personnel executive described Humphrey this way: “He’s got an unorthodox style of play, but once he gets ahold of you, it’s really hard to shake,” and added, “He’s been really consistent and consistently the best center in the league. He runs the show well and is ultra physical and athletic.”
A veteran NFL defensive coach was even more blunt about the Chiefs’ line, saying, “We didn’t game-plan much for him, if at all,” while talking about Humphrey. “We were more worried about Trey Smith.”
And on Smith, that same coach said, “You can knock him back in the pocket or beat him backward,” and, “That’s how we felt last year. He’s a really good foundational piece.
Raw power, sets a tone. There just aren’t many like him.”
In Las Vegas, cornerback Taron Johnson is also a name to watch. The Raiders acquired him this offseason, and he is looking for a new contract. Ryan McFadden of ESPN noted that Johnson is someone to monitor before the season starts.
There’s a wrinkle there, though: rookie safety Treydan Stukes’ ability to play the slot could affect how eager the Raiders are to commit more money to Johnson. McFadden said the “best-case scenario” would be for the team to rework Johnson’s deal and add salary guarantees.
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For a team that has spent years searching for cheap depth and hidden contributors, that kind of turnover is more than a footnote. Carter Runyon is the one UDFA from that group who has actually advanced with the Raiders, while the rest of the class has splintered into different paths, including alternative leagues for some. It leaves the front office with an uncomfortable early reminder that not every low-cost swing turns into a useful piece, even when the team thinks it has found a few. [Read more 🡒]
5 Quiet Raiders Additions Could Matter More Than Fans Think
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Burford is the name to watch on the offensive line because there is a real opening for him to push into a bigger role, and Booker already looks like the kind of player who can help a defense without much fanfare. Masses gives Las Vegas another young defensive back to develop, and Slone is the sort of camp body who can turn into something more if he makes enough noise in the summer. None of those moves changed the leagues view of the Raiders overnight, but together they may end up looking a lot smarter than they did on the day they were announced. [Read more 🡒]