Poll: Who Will Win The AFC West?
Despite the fact that the Broncos were the AFC’s top seed in 2013, finishing with a 13-3 record, the AFC West race was actually the tightest of the four in the conference. The Chiefs and Chargers both joined Denver as playoff teams out of the West, in what was arguably the NFL’s second-best division behind the NFC West.
The Broncos head into the 2014 season as the favorites to repeat as division champs, and could be even stronger on the defensive side of the ball than they were a year ago. Aqib Talib replaces departed cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in a secondary that also added playmaking safety T.J. Ward. Meanwhile, DeMarcus Ware will join Von Miller to lead one of the league’s more dangerous pass rushes. Denver lost some key contributors, including wideout Eric Decker and guard Zane Beadles, but the Broncos are still deep and talented enough to go as far as Peyton Manning can lead them. Coming off a record-setting MVP season, Manning should be in line for another big year assuming he stays healthy, which is no given at age 38.
While Denver may be the frontrunner in the AFC West, the Chiefs and Chargers shouldn’t be overlooked. Neither club made the sort of big splashes that the Broncos did in the offseason, and Kansas City’s offensive line exodus is a cause for concern, with Branden Albert, Geoff Schwartz, and Jon Asamoah all moving on in free agency. However, these are still talented clubs that will be looking to return to the postseason in 2014. San Diego, in particular, could be a dark horse to make some noise in the regular season and the playoffs, having added cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett to a secondary that struggled a year ago.
As for the Raiders, they were an afterthought at 4-12 in 2013, and will be a long shot in the West again in 2014 — betting site Bovada.lv gives Oakland 18:1 odds at winning the division. But Matt Schaub could provide some stability at the quarterback position if he benefits from a change of scenery in Oakland. First-round linebacker Khalil Mack should have an immediate impact. And the Raiders brought in a number of interesting veterans in free agency, including Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, James Jones, Austin Howard, and Maurice Jones-Drew. A lot would have to break right for the Raiders to have a chance at the division title, but it’s not a totally inconceivable scenario.
What do you think? Which team will win the AFC West in 2014?
Previously:
Who will win the AFC North?
Extra Points: Davis, Hankins, Vernon, Brown
“Vernon Davis sounds resigned as if he’ll report to 49ers training camp in 26 days without a new contract,” writes Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, and the tight end does not sound stressed about it.
Here’s more lunchtime links:
- Giants 2013 second-round pick Johnathan Hankins came on strong down the stretch last season and is poised to inherit the nose tackle position vacated by Linval Joseph, who signed a free-agent deal with the Vikings, writes NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan.
- Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton was terrific against the run last season, but he’s making a concerted effort to improve his hand use and pass-rushing ability. In a story by CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher, Thornton says part of his motivation came from his wife telling him, “You only had one sack.”
- Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s stock is on the rise, says ESPN’s James Walker: “The former third-round pick exploded on the scene and led the Dolphins with 11.5 sacks…Vernon had another strong offseason, capped by his 2 1/2 sacks in Miami’s team scrimmage last week. Not only that, Vernon beat Dolphins Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert for two of his sacks…Vernon looks poised to hold onto his starting job and keep former No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan on the bench.”
- Tarell Brown‘s one-year, $3.5MM deal is the Raiders’ best contract, while Sebastian Janikowski‘s four-year, $15.1MM deal — which “ranks in the top 10 of the Raiders annual salary structure, top 3 in total value for the team among veterans, and first overall among kickers in the NFL” — is the worst, in the opinion of OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald.
- Chiefs injury plagued tight end Tony Moeaki is on the bubble, explains ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
- Same goes for Jaguars safety Josh Evans, thinks ESPN’s Michael DiRocco: “Evans will have to prove early in camp that he’s completely healthy and is more consistent than he was as a rookie. If he doesn’t, he’ll lose reps and could end up being the first David Caldwell draft pick who gets cut.”
AFC Links: Chiefs, Bengals, Bills
Former Jets running back Mike Goodson was a no-show at his scheduled court appearance on Thursday. Goodson was set to appear at Morris County Superior Court in New Jersey on drug and weapon charges.
As Darryl Slater of The Star-Ledger reports, the player’s attorney, Alfred Gellene, said that Smart was unable to land a flight from Texas because of financial difficulties. ESPNNewYork.com’s Jane McManus adds that Goodson faces up to ten years in prison if found guilty on the weapon charges and could also be arrested if he fails to attend his July 24th hearing.
About a week ago, some of Goodson’s former Jets teammates expressed their concern for the player’s well-being. No one in the organization had heard from the 27-year-old throughout minicamp.
Let’s see what else is going on around the AFC…
- The Chiefs have claimed defensive back Brandon Jones from the Chargers, the team announced (via Twitter). San Diego waived Jones on Wednesday.
- Bengals wideout Cobi Hamilton has a good chance of making the final roster, opines ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey. The former sixth-round pick will likely be competing with veteran Brandon Tate and rookies James Wright and Colin Lockett.
- ESPN.com’s Bills writer Mike Rodak gives quarterback Jeff Tuel an 80 percent chance of making the team. Tuel showed some talent in minicamp while his main challenge for the third quarterback spot, veteran Dennis Dixon, did not.
Extra Points: OTAs, Packers, Titans, Brady
Minicamps are finished. The 2014 NFL season awaits.
Players have left their respective clubs until the opening of training camp, and as ESPN.com’s John Clayton notes, coaches now will cross their fingers that they don’t receive the 3 a.m. phone call alerting them of the star player’s transgressions.
Clayton, the Worldwide Leader’s senior NFL writer, outlines seven things learned from the offseason programs, with No. 1 being the lack of readiness for rookie quarterbacks. Reading into Clayton’s words, he believes that no rookie quarterback will open the season as the team’s starting signal caller. Teddy Bridgewater is the most pro-ready, Clayton says, but Matt Cassel will get the first snap on opening day.
Taking a page out of Pete Carroll‘s playbook, Clayton writes that teams around the league are gravitating toward taller defensive backs. Case in point, the Kansas City Chiefs, who released 5-foot-9 cornerback Brandon Flowers in a cap-saving move. They’ll look to replace Flowers with 6-foot-1 Phillip Gaines, 6-foot-2 Marcus Cooper and 6-foot David Van Dyke, each of whom are first- or second-year players.
Other news and notes from around the league…
- Among the 10 Packers stories to watch before training camp opens by Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is peace of mind at backup quarterback. It wasn’t pretty for the Pack at QB when Aaron Rodgers went down in a Week 9 loss to the Bears, but coach Mike McCarthy should feel better about this year’s situation with Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien backing up the All Pro, Dunne writes.
- Quarterback Jake Locker, receiver Kendall Wright and the defense’s front seven are all things Titans fans should feel good about, The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt writes. Locker should be at 100% coming off foot surgery in November and had started the 2013 season with a bang, while Wright will team with Nate Washington and Justin Hunter to ease Locker’s return to health.
- Tom Brady‘s private quarterback coach, Tom House, admitted in an interview with SiriusXM radio that the three-time Super Bowl champion has struggled as of late to connect on the deep passes. “As he’s getting a little older you lose a little strength, you lose a little flexibility,” House said. “And what was happening was he was noticing that his accuracy and his long ball weren’t what they were three or four years ago. So we ran him through the computer, compared him to the models we have created for movement efficiency, and there were really, really small things that were causing his issues.”
AFC West Notes: Chargers, Signings, Mack
Chargers‘ head coach Mike McCoy is excited about his team, and Kevin Acee of the UT San Diego has highlighted a few players who could back up the coach’s expectations. Acee sees Manti Te’o, Andrew Gachkar, and Melvin Ingram coming together to form a deep linebacking group (one that could exclude Larry English). He also likes third-year tight end Ladarius Green, the running game behind a strong offensive line, and a few rookies who could make an impact.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC West:
- The Chargers have also claimed defensive tackle Chas Alecxih, according to Michael Gehlken of the UT San Diego (via Twitter). Alecxih, the former Chief, completes the team’s 90-man roster.
- The Chiefs announced that they have signed wide receiver Mark Harrison, according to their official team Twitter page. Harrison spent 2013 with the Patriots, placed on the reserve/non-football injury list last summer.
- Raiders‘ defensive coordinator Jason Tarver has been trying to find creative ways to use first-round pick Khalil Mack in the team’s defense this season, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “What’s nice about Khalil is he has size and athletic ability, so that he can do some things on the edges of your defense, both in the run game and in the pass game, with his power, his length and his ability to bend and move.” said Tarver. “Those are traits that you want as many players as you can have on your defense, as many of those as we can get, the happier a coordinator is.”
- The Broncos have solidified their roster to position themselves for a return to the Super Bowl this year, but the right tackle position is still up in the air, writes Sayre Bedinger of PredominatelyOrange.com. The team has Chris Clark, who filled in admirably for Ryan Clady on the left side last season, as the frontrunner for the role. They also drafted offensive tackle Michael Schofield out of Michigan, and re-signed Winston Justice. Bedinger also notes that 2013 sixth-round pick Vinston Painter is still valued and could be a dark horse for a starting job on the offensive line.
AFC Notes: Jets, Flowers, Chiefs, Ravens
The Jets didn’t sign an impact cornerback in free agency to help replace Antonio Cromartie, but defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman is confident that they are set in the secondary with what they have. “The lack of experience shows up at time, but the talent is there,” Thurman said, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. “We know that we have guys that can play. We just make sure we communicate, do the things that we’re supposed to do. If we do that, I think we’ll be fine.” The Jets hope that first-round strong safety Calvin Pryor will be able to hit the ground running and they’ll also keep their fingers crossed on third-round cornerback Dexter McDougle. Here’s more from the AFC..
- Brandon Flowers‘ visit with the Chargers appears to have gone well, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter). The Bolts appear to have the inside track on Flowers as San Diego was his first trip after being cut by Kansas City and he has not formally scheduled visits with other clubs yet.
- Look for former Patriots wide receiver Mark Harrison to resurface with the Chiefs, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. The Rutgers product has visited Kansas City and a signing is likely.
- The Ravens auditioned former Florida State tight end Shayne Broxsie, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The 6’2″, 255 pound athlete was working with Baltimore’s running backs and fullbacks, so a position change could be in his future if he winds up with the Ravens.
Minor Moves: Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants
Plenty of teams around the league are making transactions today as minicamps wrap up and clubs look to finalize their rosters in advance of next month’s training camp. Let’s dive right in and check out the latest minor roster moves, with any additional transactions added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….
- Undrafted rookie tight end Terrence Miller has been cut by the Jets, creating a second available roster spot after yesterday’s release of Mike Goodson. As the team reveals in a press release, kicker Andrew Furney and punter Jacob Schum will fill those openings.
- The Dolphins have replaced one defensive back with another, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed Kevin Fogg and parted ways with Anthony Gaitor.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons have waived quarterback Dominique Davis, the team announced today (via Twitter). Davis saw a little playing time last season in relief of starter Matt Ryan, but his grip on a roster spot was tenuous after Atlanta acquired T.J. Yates in a trade with the Texans yesterday. Davis will have to clear waivers before officially becoming a free agent.
- In a series of three tweets, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News passes along word of a series of signings and cuts for the Giants, who have added offensive tackle Demarcus Love and defensive lineman Everett Dawkins, parting ways with defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna and offensive lineman Steven Baker to make room on the 90-man roster.
- Long snapper Charley Hughlett, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter, who auditioned for the Jaguars earlier this week, have been signed by the club, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. In addition to Jason Babin, wide receivers Kevin Smith and Brandon Wimberly were cut by Jacksonville to create roster space.
- The Chiefs have waived defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, according to the club (Twitter link).
- For the third straight summer, defensive lineman Brandon McKinney will try to earn a roster spot with the Colts, who inked him to a deal today, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.
- The Bears have informed tight end Fendi Onobun of his release, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Patriots have cut wide receiver Reggie Dunn, the team confirmed in a press release.
AFC Notes: Titans, Vick, Ravens, Chiefs, Bills
According to recent reports, the Broncos may or may not have offered Demaryius Thomas a five-year contract extension, but there’s no doubt that discussions are open between the two sides, prompting Joel Corry of the National Football Post to examine what a new deal for the star wideout might look like. Corry points out that matching the massive contracts signed by Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald probably isn’t likely for Thomas and other standout receivers approaching free agency. But as I suggested last week, the five-year, $60MM+ deals signed by Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin in recent years could be used as benchmarks in negotiations between Thomas and the Broncos.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Titans worked out a pair of linebackers, Quentin Groves and Marvin Mitchell, on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Neither player received a contract from the club right away, however. Per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter), the Titans are also auditioning WR/FB Dorin Dickerson this week at their minicamp.
- Michael Vick is on a one-year contract with the Jets, but the signal-caller feels like he has about three years left at his “current level,” as he tells Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter link). Although the “current level” qualifier makes it unclear whether Vick plans to continue his playing career beyond that point, it sounds like he hopes to play for at least a couple more seasons after his current deal expires.
- Asked today about a potential contract extension with Baltimore, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata told reporters that he’d “love to be a Raven for life” (Twitter link).
- We heard yesterday that several veteran cornerbacks would be trying out for the Ravens at their minicamp this week, and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds one more name to the list of participants today: Kevin Thomas, a Colts third-round pick in 2010 who hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2011. Wilson adds in a pair of tweets that cornerback Bobby Felder, linebacker Austin Spitler and wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe are also trying out for the Ravens.
- Former Missouri defensive back Kip Edwards was one of four non-roster players to audition for the Chiefs at the club’s minicamp today, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link) provides the other three names: Cornerback Quinton Byrd, and wide receivers Mark Harrison and Cole Stanford.
- In a series of three tweets, Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 AM and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com report that wide receiver Tori Gurley, cornerback Kamaal McIlwain, and cornerback Sam Miller are auditioning for the Bills at their minicamp.
Minicamp Updates: Jets, Jags, Dolphins, Orton
The minicamps being held around the NFL this week are mandatory for players on rosters, but those aren’t the only guys in attendance. Many clubs are also auditioning non-roster players who are hoping to earn contracts and the opportunity to compete in training camp for a regular-season roster spot. Here are the latest updates from minicamps around the league:
- As Brian Costello of the New York Post notes in a pair of tweets, running back Mike Goodson isn’t in attendance at the Jets‘ minicamp, but the team does have six players in for tryouts, including ex-Steelers punter Drew Butler. Punter Jacob Schum, kickers Andrew Furney and Carson Wiggs, and offensive linemen Bruce Campbell and Ray Dominguez are also auditioning for the club.
- Long snapper Charley Hughlett, cornerback Junior Mertile, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter are trying out for the Jaguars, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- Former Ravens offensive lineman Ramon Harewood is among five tryout players at camp with the Dolphins, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link) provides the other four names: Andy Wilder (P), Kevin Fogg (DB), Mike Farrell (OL), and Kevin Matthews (OL).
- As anticipated, Kyle Orton isn’t present at the Cowboys‘ facility today for minicamp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Justin Houston, who is seeking a new contract, isn’t expected to attend the Chiefs‘ minicamp this week, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune breaks down what to watch at the Vikings‘ minicamp, while Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com do the same for the Raiders and Eagles, respectively.
Extra Points: Colts, Houston, Chiefs, Ryans
In his latest mailbag, John Clayton of ESPN.com writes that sub defensive packages are now the new normal in the NFL, as teams continue to add more versatile defenders on passing downs in an effort to stop high-powered offenses. Clayton labels the Seahawks as the “gold standard” in the sub department, pointing out that defensive linemen Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, paid $6.5MM and $4.8MM respectively in 2013, only “started” a combined five games, yet were key cogs on the league’s most dominant defense. He lists the Buccaneers, who added Michael Johnson in free agency, and the Texans, who drafted Jadeveon Clowney, as teams who could vastly improve in nickel and dime situations in 2014.
- Safety Jordan Pugh tried out for the Colts today, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 26-year-old was a 2010 sixth-round pick by the Panthers, and spent the past two seasons with the Redskins.
- Justin Houston is looking for a contract extension with the Chiefs, and as such, head coach Andy Reid isn’t sure if the pass rusher will be attending minicamp, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t know that,” said Reid. “I expect them all to be here and then whoever is here, we’re going to coach them. If they don’t show up, I understand the profession. I’ve been around it a long time and I just move on. That’s how it works. You coach who you have, and you coach them like crazy.”
- Speaking of the Chiefs, Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com examines the team’s defense in the wake of Brandon Flowers‘ release, and writes that defensive coordinator Bob Sutton might be part of the reason for Kansas City defensive woes. Sutton, whose scheme might have expedited Flowers’ departure, seemed unwilling to make adjustments in 2013 even when it was apparent his defense was flailing.
- Eagles middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans played 96% of the team’s defensive snaps last season, and defensive coordinator Billy Davis intends to reduce that number, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “We want DeMeco for the long haul this season, and so many times when you overwork a veteran — and he takes great care of his body — but it’s a lot of games,” said Davis. “I think we have more depth than we had and more experience and more people who can play versatile roles in the defense. I think it’ll help.”
- We learned earlier today that the Cowboys don’t expect Kyle Orton to show up for the team’s minicamp this week, and ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins says a team source has confirmed that view (via Twitter).