AFC West training camp watch: Biggest surprise, hottest seat, more

During OTAs, Ross' hands wowed quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "He snatches [the ball]—there's no drops or anything like that," Mahomes said of the WR. "And so, the more reps he gets, I can only imagine how good he's going to be because of the talent he possesses." 

Don't be surprised if Ross continues to climb the depth chart throughout training camp.  

HOTTEST SEAT | Russell Wilson, QB, Broncos: What, you were expecting Andy Reid? All eyes in Denver will be on Wilson after he went 4-11 as a starter last season and posted career lows in passing TDs (16) and completion percentage (60.5 percent.) He can't use poor coaching as an alibi. Denver hired former Saints HC Sean Payton, a Super Bowl champion, this offseason to get the most from Wilson.

Wilson might have competition because Denver signed QB Jarrett Stidham, 26, to a two-year deal. "His arrow's moving in the direction of where we feel like he can become an NFL starter," Payton recently said of Stidham, via Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports.

MOST SURPRISING CUT | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs: The role of Edwards-Helaire, the 32nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, diminished last season. He lost the starting job to 2022 seventh-round pick (No. 251 overall) Isiah Pacheco and played on 32 percent of offensive snap counts, a career-low, per Pro Football Reference.

Kansas City didn't pick up Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option and re-signed RB Jerrick McKinnon, who caught 56 receptions for 512 yards in 16 games in 2022. Both moves indicate the Chiefs feel the RB's stock is declining and it's time to move on.

THE BIGGEST QUESTION | Will Jimmy G be healthy? Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who suffered a broken left foot last season that required surgery, signed a three-year, $72.75M deal with the Raiders in March. But he needed a waiver to nullify a failed physical, per Mike Florio of NBC Sports. The injury sidelined him during OTAs and mini-camp. 

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported the Raiders believe Garoppolo will return during training camp. However, it's an inauspicious start for a player with an extensive injury history. Over the past five seasons, the 31-year-old missed 31 games because of injury, including an ACL tear and high ankle sprain. 

BIGGEST HEADLINE COMING OUT OF CAMP | Raiders RB Josh Jacobs holds out: On Monday, the Raiders and the Pro Bowler didn't reach a long-term agreement. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Jacobs sat in a car in the parking lot of the Raiders facility with defensive end Maxx Crosby, ready to sign if Las Vegas prepared a deal.

The 25-year-old could skip training camp in protest. If Jacobs holds out, he can't be fined because he has yet to sign his franchise tender (a one-year, $10.091M deal) and cannot play until he's under contract.