6 AFC West stories from last week for Chiefs fans to know
Training camp is rapidly approaching for NFL teams. Players are still away from team facilities ahead of camp. What’s been happening with the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC West opponents in the meantime? Below you’ll find some of the top stories from the past week for the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders.
Who will claim backup running backs spots for Chargers in 2021?
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
"We are a little less than three weeks away until Chargers training camp begins, which marks the period that players will fight for spots on the 53-man roster. Among the most intriguing positional battles lie in the backfield, where a few players will be auditioning for the spots behind RB Austin Ekeler, with those being Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III and Darius Bradwell."
With training camp around the corner, we're going to be hearing a lot more about various position battles. Joshua Kelley is a name to watch for the Chargers' No. 2 RB spot. He had his most productive day of the season against the Chiefs in Week 2 of 2020, racking up 64 yards on 23 carries and two receptions for 49 yards. Read the full story here.
Chargers' Keenan Allen named NFL's second-best slot receiver
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
"Despite proving himself on the field and having the stats to back it up, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen still doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves to this day. In the eyes of Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, however, Allen is regarded as the second-best slot receiver in this league, only behind Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill."
The Chiefs may have the best slot receiver (and third-best outside receiver) in the league, but Keenan Allen isn't far behind according to Touchdown Wire's rankings. In Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season, Allen caught 7 passes for 96 yards against Kansas City. He was on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for the Week 17 matchup. Read the full story here.
Broncos QB Drew Lock is OK after scary car incident
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
"Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock is okay after he had a scary vehicle incident while driving across Kansas on Wednesday. While the quarterback was driving, a lugnut struck and nearly broke through his windshield, according to Ben Gardner, a technical trooper and public resource officer for the Kansas Highway Patrol."
Broncos QB Drew Lock, a Kansas City native and former starter at Missouri, was involved in a scary accident while driving through Kansas on Wednesday. A highway patrol officer shared an image of a lugnut that struck the windshield of the car Lock was driving, damaging the windshield. Lock was OK, but the incident could have been much worse. Read the full story here.
Broncos' Garett Bolles ranked among NFL's best offensive tackles
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
"Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar recently ranked the top 11 offensive tackles in the NFL, and Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles received some deserved praise. Bolles is ranked No. 4 on the list. He was the only offensive tackle in the AFC West to make the cut."
Gone are the days of making fun of Bolles for being a bust. The former first-round draft pick has certainly turned his career around over the past few seasons. Hit the jump for commentary from Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar. Read the full story here.
Raiders QB Derek Carr: 'We were three or four plays away from having 12 wins'
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
"However, this team is not that far away from being contenders in the AFC. In fact, quarterback Derek Carr believes they should have been an 11 or 12 win team last year. In a recent interview with Michael Holley and Michael Smith of the Brother from Another show, Carr expressed just how close this team is from making the playoffs. . ."
Strong words from the unquestioned starting QB for Las Vegas. Chalking up the Raiders' dysfunction last season to three or four plays feels a bit delusional. Three to four plays didn't cause that team to lose 43-6 to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12 with the playoffs on the line. It just goes to show you that this team is not ready to take the next step in the division or otherwise. Read the full story here.
Raiders OT Brandon Parker on roster bubble heading into 2021
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
"In Round 3, the Raiders took another offensive tackle; Brandon Parker. Like Miller, Parker was a good athlete with excellent size for the position. But coming from North Carolina A&T, the jump from college to the NFL proved to be bigger than expected. Entering the 2021 season, there is a good chance Parker doesn’t even make the roster this year."
Parker becoming another bust for Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock would be brutal for the Raiders. It would be especially brutal during a year when they desperately need players to step up on the offensive line. Read the full story here.
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