AFC Notes: Pete Carroll, Talanoa Hufanga, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton detailed what former 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga will bring to Denver in his first season with the team, while also commenting on his injury history.

“Well, he’s a great communicator, he’s super intelligent, his experience, and there is a toughness about the way he plays,” Payton said, via BroncosWire. “Sometimes you can be a second [defensive] responder [and] sometimes a first [defensive] responder, and he appears first a lot on screen. There’s a style to how he plays. Part of that style, because he’s so physical and so quick to support, he’s had a handful of injuries, but there’s a toughness to his game. You guys will like him. [There is] something about him when you meet him and you visit with him. So that was a big get. We felt excited about that.”

Chiefs

Chiefs seventh-round RB Brashard Smith spoke about transitioning from wide receiver to running back.

“The hardest part was being more patient. When playing receiver, you don’t really worry about the offensive line and what they have going on,” Smith explained, via ChiefsWire. “Playing running back, you have to be dialed into the whole offense. In my first couple of games, I feel like I just didn’t hit the hole fast enough or missed certain reads. As the season went by, I got better and better.”

• Albert Breer reports that the Chiefs are promoting Mike Bradway and Chris Shea to assistant GM roles, Ryne Nutt and Tim Terry to VPs of player personnel, and Marc Richards to director of football research and development.
• Kansas City is also hiring Dru Grigson as Senior College/Pro Executive.

Raiders

Raiders HC Pete Carroll is working to establish a new culture as the team goes through OTAs.

“They’ve been challenged from the moment we got here that we control the attitude. We control what we bring every day,” Carroll said, via Raiders Wire. “And so, in that challenge, if you want to be really good, you’ve got to work your tail off, and you’ve got to bring your energy and bring your juice. That’s the way they have opportunities to express what kind of a teammate they are. They’ve been called on and you can see the result of it. They’re really working with the kind of fire and energy that we expect.”

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby loves the atmosphere that Carroll has created.

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