Here’s a look at the AFC West..
- There was a lot of speculation about where guard Evan Mathis would wind up but, at the end of the day, his aim was to sign with a winner, Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “The No. 1 priority in finding a new place to play was playing for a contender,” Mathis said. “The Broncos weren’t in the mix early on. They were kind of the darkhorse in the race. They emerged here late and I just couldn’t turn down that opportunity.”
- Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio told reporters that Roy Helu is “running short of time” to earn his role on the team, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets. It would be surprising if Helu didn’t make the Raiders’ 53-man roster, but his spot might not be a sure thing at this stage. Helu signed a a two-year, $4MM pact with Oakland this offseason. That deal includes $1MM fully guaranteed.
- Del Rio said the Raiders think that new addition Taylor Mays could fit in well in a safety-in-box role, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The Raiders signed the former second-round pick to a no-risk deal earlier this week. In five NFL seasons with the 49ers and Bengals, Mays has made 84 tackles, recorded one sack, and recovered a pair of fumbles.
Stop being negative
Garbage
Hard to believe Helu would be in trouble. For a team that’s played from behind frequently, having a solid passing-down back is a big plus. He and Murray seem to complement each other decently.
Neither is in trouble. Both will make the roster. The message is that Sio will have to earn his way back into the starting line-up. Helu was only ever supposed to be a role player, so his journey will be easier. I would say the fear for Sio is that the team puts him on IR – something they may do if they do not feel he can be 100% this season. Hip injuries are tough, with no guarantee of full recovery.
It’s a solid roster this year and doesn’t surprise me about Helu. He is competing for spots with DeMarco Murray 2.0 , a former high first rounder and a Probowler…
Sounds like Del Rio just wants to put a burr in his saddle. I would be extremely surprised if Helu doesn’t make the roster…but if that were to happen he may set a record for the shortest unemployment of record!
Mathis was already on a contender in Philadelphia, at least in my view. I’m not sure I buy the notion that he took less money to play in Denver. Sounds like agent-speak to me.
Considering how terrible Richardson has looked Helu roster spot is all but guaranteed