AFC West Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Chargers

The Raiders recently released Marquette King following what was described as a personality clash between the veteran punter and new Oakland head coach Jon Gruden, but King says he’s perfectly capable of toning down his act if need be. “You can’t judge me by what you see on TV or social media, and sadly, a lot of people do that,” King tells Jim Trotter of NFL.com. “If those things were an issue, just sit down and tell me. I can be a zombie if you want me to. But everybody knows what they sign up for when they get into professional sports. You know there are going to be ups and downs, and you’ve got to be able to handle them regardless of the situation, with professionalism and a positive attitude.” King has since signed a thee-year pact with the Broncos, and is clearly relishing the opportunity to play against the Raiders twice per season from here on out.

Here’s more from the AFC West:

• Although the Raiders are reportedly not close to an extension with star pass rusher Khalil Mack, the club expects to reach an agreement before the 2018 campaign gets underway, tweets Trotter. Mack failed to report for the first day of voluntary workouts on Tuesday, but no one inside the Oakland organization is panicking, per Trotter. The fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Mack has averaged 12 sacks per year over the past three seasons and is likely looking for an annual salary in the $20MM range. Mack, 27, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and is scheduled to earn a base salary of $13.836MM thanks to his fifth-year option.
• Several rival teams have told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that the Raiders are open to dealing the No. 10 overall selection, and a trade could become all the more likely if a quarterback prospect is still on the board when Oakland’s turn comes. While the draft’s top four signal-callers may well be gone by pick No. 10, second-tier passers such as Lamar Jackson and/or Mason Rudolph could still be available (one AFC executive thinks both will be selected in the top-20, per La Canfora). At that point, the Raiders — who are already set with Derek Carr under center — could collect extra draft capital by moving back a few slots.
• Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea met with the Chargers on Tuesday, according to Josh Norris of Rotoworld (Twitter link). To this point, Vea has also set up visits with the Bengals, Cowboys, Packers, Buccaneers, and Browns, and is widely viewed as a surefire first-round pick. In Los Angeles, the 6’5″, 340-pound Vea would play in between star pass rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, and help the Chargers cover for the suspended Corey Liuget. He’d also be considered an eventual replacement for fellow defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who is entering his age-33 campaign.
• While most mock drafts have the Broncos ending up with a quarterback, running back Saquon Barkley, or guard Quenton Nelson, Mike Klis of 9News argues Denver could consider trading back and hitting other positions. Receiver and corner are still considered areas of need on the Broncos’ roster, so general manager John Elway could conceivably pick up a few extra picks and use his first-rounder on those positions.