Broncos

Broncos ST coordinator Darren Rizzi comes to Denver following his six-year stay with the Saints. Rizzi highly praised return specialist Marvin Mims, saying he’s someone he always admired during his time in New Orleans. 

“He’s a player that I’ve always admired,” Rizzi said, via BroncosWire. “We [the New Orleans Saints] watched him from afar, obviously played against the Broncos last year and had a chance to study him. He’s a guy that seemed to show up on the plays of the week film every week. We would show our players great special teams plays from around the league, so I’ve always admired him. I remember him in the draft process because we had a high grade on him coming out, so now to get a chance to work with him, and work together with him [is] really exciting. There’s still a lot of things he can do. I don’t know if this kickoff return is getting as much publicity as it should. I think it’s really going to change the game for the entire league this year.”

Rizzi points out that changes to kickoffs should equate to a “dramatic increase in returns.”

“We’re going to see a dramatic increase in returns. You look back last year, if I’m not mistaken, he had single-digit kick returns and people were just kicking touchbacks. This year, the analytics are going to tell you to put the ball in play, so I think he’ll get more opportunities. I think the guy that’s back there with him is going to get a lot of opportunities because I’m sure they’ll try to play keep away from him as well. He’s been a great leader with our younger guys, and I’m really excited to work with him during the season.”

Chargers

Chargers second-round WR Tre Harris was excited to be drafted to Los Angeles and play with one of the game’s elite quarterbacks in Justin Herbert.

“His ball placement, his attention to detail with everything is supreme,” Harris said, via the team’s website. “I’m super excited to be able to play with a quarterback like that. Every throw he’s made to me has been right on the money. If it’s on the money, I’m going to make the catch.”

Harris has been focused on learning new terminology and is learning what it means to become a professional.

“For me, the biggest challenge is just learning the different terminology,” Harris said. “You want to call it a hitch, but it’s called something else. Certain different routes and just calling it the right terminology. Just understanding it and putting it into your brain and making each thing connect. That’s really been the biggest point of emphasis I’ve been working on. Making sure whenever I get this play call, it sticks in my brain and I’m not thinking about it or second-guessing myself.”

Chargers WR Coach Sanjay Lal has worked with Harris on his route running and making his transition from college to the pros.

“One thing he taught me already is just speed off the ball and just being super fast into the defense and not worrying about the defense,” Harris said. “Not letting the defense dictate your route. It’s not, ‘I have to get open.’ They got to cover me,” Harris later added. “That’s the mindset I’ve taken from him, that’s the mindset I’m real glad to get from him.”

Chiefs

Many around the Chiefs organization have their eyes on veteran TE Travis Kelce, who will turn 36 in October and opted not to retire this offseason. Regardless of whether he ever plays another snap, the Ohio native will be heading into the Hall of Fame when he hangs up his cleats.

“We’ve all seen it over the last few years,” GM Brett Veach said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN. “There are periods throughout the season where you’re like, ‘This might be it.’ But when the games are the most important and the lights are the brightest, he finds it somewhere. The great ones know how to find it. They know where it’s buried, and they know how to access it. And they can’t access it at that age week in and week out, but when they need it, they know how to find it.”

“His numbers won’t be the same,” Veach added. “You have to acknowledge … that he’s older. He’s not 28 years old. But everything runs more efficiently when that guy is out there. He’s still going to demand the attention or at least the occasional eyes of primary defenders just because of his name and his legacy. Having Travis on the field makes us better. I don’t know if I look at it in terms of expectations for yardage or touchdowns or catches. When he’s on the field, he makes us better. He’s also a guy who makes the people around him better.”

Chiefs HC Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahomes aren’t concerned and believe that Kelce will continue to contribute at a high level for the team.

“I expect Travis to be Travis,” Mahomes told reporters. “Obviously, the play on the field’s going to be high. He’s going to go out there with the mentality that we’re trying to win the Super Bowl this year with us falling short this last year. Then, I think more than anything, it’s the leadership that he brings to the building every single day. How he leads by example and how he leads vocally, it’s a big impact on our football team, so I expect him to play at a high level and then be an even better leader. From what I’ve seen … he’s ready to go. He’s been putting in the work this offseason, and he’s excited for another chance to make a run at it.”

“It’ll be similar to last year,” Reid said. “He’s in great shape right now, so I think he’s looking forward to getting going. I always watch him. I always keep an eye on him. I know he’s getting older. He doesn’t know he’s getting older, but I do. I can be the bad guy in some cases there, if needed. If I think it’s catching up to him a little bit, I’ll pull off and put him where he needs to be. Other than that, he hasn’t showed me any of that yet. He’s done really well with it.”

“That decision for me needs to be made back in March or early April,” Kelce commented when weighing in on the situation. “You set the tone and put a regimen together that gets your mindset and gets your body [right], and really from there you can start to tweak your skill set. So it’s just everything involved. You have to evolve every single year in all phases of the game. So you already know that started back in March, and so far we’re on track.”