The AFC West has a few familiar stars drawing fresh attention, and the latest buzz centers on a safety, a quarterback trying to beat the clock, and a rookie tight end who already has coaches talking.
For the Chargers, Derwin James Jr. landed at No. 2 in ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler’s top-10 safety poll, based on votes from coaches and executives around the league. One NFL secondary coach didn’t hold back on why James earned that kind of respect: “I thought Derwin had his best, most complete year,” the coach said.
“Blitzing, coverage, tackling, just overall was really good. … He can really do it all.
And he’s been healthy for a long stretch, which is good to see.”
In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes said he plans to be back for Week 1 even after tearing his ACL in December. He made it clear that’s the target, while also acknowledging the road back isn’t fully in his control.
“That’s my goal,” Mahomes said. “I’ve said that since the beginning, is being ready to go Week 1.
I can’t predict the future, and I know that it’s a long process. It’s not just my decision, but at the same time I’m going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1.”
Mahomes said he doesn’t want to sit out the opener, especially against the team that took the division while the Chiefs were away from the top.
“I don’t want to miss that game because that’s the team that won the division while we were gone, and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates,” Mahomes continued. “I’ll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1, and hopefully the doctors and the coaches give me the green light, and I’m able to go out there with my guys and compete against one of the best teams in the league.”
He added that the focus now is on steady progress and getting back around the team.
“[A]ll I can do is be as great as I can be every single day,” Mahomes concluded. “You just have to maximize that day and slowly get better and better as the year goes on.
I’m excited to get back to training camp. I’m excited to get the guys back around.
I’ve kind of been in the building in Kansas City by myself. Just [to] have the guys back and getting to be on the football field will get me going and get me ready for the season.”
In Las Vegas, Brock Bowers is already being positioned as a major piece of the offense. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said the tight end will remain a center point of what they do.
“ We’ve got to get the most out of Brock, ” Kubiak said, via ESPN. “ He’s been successful in college and high school with whoever’s coached him.
Can’t say enough great things about him. Love his work ethic.
He is a standard-bearer. ”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins also drew a comparison that speaks to how the Raiders view Bowers’ role. Cousins likened him to former Washington tight end Jordan Reed, pointing to the way he can be moved around the formation.
“ I remember in Washington, Jordan Reed was arguably our best eligible there, and he became kind of the Joker that you were able to use in unique ways, and Brock [Bowers], in a lot of ways, is that,” Cousins said.
In Other News...
Ravens Just Dragged Raiders Back Into The Tyler Linderbaum Drama
Baltimore is moving quickly to shore up the middle of its offensive line after Tyler Linderbaum left for Las Vegas in free agency, turning to veteran center Ethan Pocic on a one-year deal. The move gives the Ravens an experienced option at a spot that suddenly needed one, and it comes with a little extra intrigue because Pocic is still working back from an Achilles tendon tear suffered in December.
Even with that recovery timeline, Pocic is expected to be part of training camp, pending the final physical, which makes this a calculated bet rather than a simple stopgap. It also fits into a broader offseason pattern for Baltimore, which has already shown it is willing to pivot after missing on Maxx Crosby and landing Trey Hendrickson instead, leaving the Linderbaum ripple effect very much alive for the Raiders to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Another Raiders Line Gamble Just Turned Into A Much Bigger Problem
The Raiders brought in Alex Cappa last year hoping a veteran blocker could stabilize a line that needed help, but the fit never really took hold. He bounced between spots, never locked down a consistent starting job and struggled to find much traction as injuries and lineup changes forced him into different roles.
Now, with training camps approaching, Cappa is already off the roster and still looking for his next opportunity. His recent tape has drawn poor marks, and the conversation around him has shifted from what position he might hold for Las Vegas to whether there is still a place for him anywhere in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Made A Massive Bet To Fix Their Biggest Problem
The Raiders spent the offseason trying to clean up the mess that has lingered around their offensive line, and the move to bring in Tyler Linderbaum was the clearest sign they were done treating it like a secondary issue. After years of shuffling pieces and searching for stability up front, Las Vegas made the center position a priority and expects Linderbaum to be the kind of anchor that changes how the entire offense functions.
Klint Kubiak has already pointed to the value Linderbaum brings beyond the snap itself, noting the way he handles line calls, protection checks and the leadership work that happens when coaches are not in the room. The Raiders are betting on more than just talent here, because if Linderbaum settles in the way they think he can, he could quickly become one of the most important players on the roster. [Read more 🡒]