Denver Broncos
2016 Record: 9-7 (3rd in AFC West)
Head Coach: Vance Joseph (1st season)
Notable Additions: G Ronald Leary, RB Jammal Charles, T Menelik Watson
Notable Departures: DE DeMarcus Ware (retired), T Russell Okung, NT Sylvester Williams
-Fans in the Mile High City have the distinct pleasure of sitting through a riveting QB battle between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch for the 2nd consecutive year. As disheartening as it is for a fanbase that is just 4 years removed from watching Peyton Manning throw an NFL-record 55 TD's in a season to hear, Siemian appears to be the clear favorite to line up center for the Broncos in 2017. Denver's offense was at least semi-functional with Siemian at the helm last season and his chemistry with the team's top wideouts (Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders) was solid throughout the year. Despite Siemian's respectable 1st season as a starter (3,401 YDS, 18 TD, 10 INT in 14 games), I can't help but think that Lynch has a realistic chance of stealing the job. The Broncos made a huge investment in the former University of Memphis standout by selecting him with the 26th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and it's only a matter of time before the team wants to see if their faith in his ability to evolve into a franchise quarterback was justified. The common sense move would be to let Lynch, who looked like a lost puppy in his 2 starts last season, sit for another year while he gets acclimated with new offensive coordinator's Mike McCoy's system, but I wouldn't be shocked if the coaching staff forced him onto the field this season. Regardless of how this situation shakes out, Broncos nation are all but guaranteed to be dealing with another season of so-so play at the quarterback position.
-General manager John Elway has become known as a model front office leader during his 6 seasons on the job. His latest innovative piece of roster-building was changing the approach to his annual offensive line overhaul from trotting out inept clowns he selected in the early-to-mid rounds of the draft (Max Garcia, Michael Schofield, Ty Sambrailo) to signing every a-hole castoff from excellent offensive lines around the league. Ex-Cowboys guard Ronald Leary, you get a contract! Former Raiders tackle Menelik Watson, you get a contract! Journeyman guard Allen Barbre, who just got acquired from the Eagles, you get a contract! EVERYONE WHO PLAYED SPARINGLY ON AN ELITE OFFENSIVE LINE GETS A CONTRACT!!!!!!!! This ragtag group of rotational lineman will be rounded out by 25-year old rookie left tackle Garret Bolles, who is sure to emerge into the next Jonathan Ogden and definitely isn't the offensive lineman version of Brandon Weeden and center Matt Paradis, who is coming off an excellent 2016 season and could once again end up being the only success story in the group. O-line has been the only area Elway has consistently screwed up on during his tenure with the Broncos and it's going to be a Rudy-esque underdog story if this haphazardly-assembled group ends up stopping this extended streak of futility.
-Watching the Broncos defense play last season was a high-wire act full of awe-inspring highs and sprit-breaking lows. Their pass defense was pretty much impenetrable thanks to the continued dominance of their league-best corner duo of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. and their pass-rush led by sack artists Von Miller and Derek Wolfe was once again excellent (their 42 total sacks was tied for 3rd most in the NFL). However unlike their 2015 Super Bowl Champion team, the 2016 squad was helpless at stopping the run, ranking 28th in the league with an average of 130.3 yards allowed per game. 2017 looks like it's going to be more of the same. For some inexplicable reason, the Broncos didn't make any serious changes to the front 7 of their defense this offseason. The only new starter (the recently-retired DeMarcus Ware is being replaced in the starting lineup by Shane Ray, who started 8 games in 2016 while Ware missed time with elbow and back injuries) they brought in is geriatric defensive tackle Domata Peko, who honestly isn't much of an improvement over last year's horrific starter Sylvester Williams. Without any notable new blood on the roster, it's going to be up to the group's returning deadbeat starters (inside linebacker Todd Davis and defensive end Jared Crick) to improve this run-defense and ideally, help this group return to its elite all-around form of 2015.
-This narrative oddly hasn't come up much this offseason, but the hiring of Vance Joseph as head coach to replace Gary Kubiak, who was forced to retire from coaching due to medical issues, strikes me as a potentially damaging move for this franchise. Joseph, who was Kubiak's defensive backs coach for 3 seasons when he was with the Texans, has never had a head coaching before this and his middling work with the Dolphins last season in his only year as an NFL defensive coordinator doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in his ability to lead a team. Not even the return of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who was with the team from 2010-2012, has me sold on the Joseph regime in Denver. None of the key personnel outside of wideout Demaryius Thomas was here during McCoy's previous tenure as OC, so the "familiarity" with his system that some of the beat writers/national reporters have been droning on about for the past 6 months doesn't really apply. Going from a staff full of wily veterans that have solid, if not excellent track records at their respective jobs (Kubiak, Rick Dennison, Wade Philips) to a group that largely lacks experience at their current positions (new defensive coordinator Joe Woods, who was promoted from defensive backs coach, is also a 1st-time shot caller) could be a hard pill to swallow for a team that is trying to bounce back from a disappointing season.
Bottom Line:
While the Broncos have too many elite players to be written off completely, their shaky QB situation horrific run D and 1st-time head coach make it hard to get overly excited about their team this season.
-Fans in the Mile High City have the distinct pleasure of sitting through a riveting QB battle between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch for the 2nd consecutive year. As disheartening as it is for a fanbase that is just 4 years removed from watching Peyton Manning throw an NFL-record 55 TD's in a season to hear, Siemian appears to be the clear favorite to line up center for the Broncos in 2017. Denver's offense was at least semi-functional with Siemian at the helm last season and his chemistry with the team's top wideouts (Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders) was solid throughout the year. Despite Siemian's respectable 1st season as a starter (3,401 YDS, 18 TD, 10 INT in 14 games), I can't help but think that Lynch has a realistic chance of stealing the job. The Broncos made a huge investment in the former University of Memphis standout by selecting him with the 26th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and it's only a matter of time before the team wants to see if their faith in his ability to evolve into a franchise quarterback was justified. The common sense move would be to let Lynch, who looked like a lost puppy in his 2 starts last season, sit for another year while he gets acclimated with new offensive coordinator's Mike McCoy's system, but I wouldn't be shocked if the coaching staff forced him onto the field this season. Regardless of how this situation shakes out, Broncos nation are all but guaranteed to be dealing with another season of so-so play at the quarterback position.
-General manager John Elway has become known as a model front office leader during his 6 seasons on the job. His latest innovative piece of roster-building was changing the approach to his annual offensive line overhaul from trotting out inept clowns he selected in the early-to-mid rounds of the draft (Max Garcia, Michael Schofield, Ty Sambrailo) to signing every a-hole castoff from excellent offensive lines around the league. Ex-Cowboys guard Ronald Leary, you get a contract! Former Raiders tackle Menelik Watson, you get a contract! Journeyman guard Allen Barbre, who just got acquired from the Eagles, you get a contract! EVERYONE WHO PLAYED SPARINGLY ON AN ELITE OFFENSIVE LINE GETS A CONTRACT!!!!!!!! This ragtag group of rotational lineman will be rounded out by 25-year old rookie left tackle Garret Bolles, who is sure to emerge into the next Jonathan Ogden and definitely isn't the offensive lineman version of Brandon Weeden and center Matt Paradis, who is coming off an excellent 2016 season and could once again end up being the only success story in the group. O-line has been the only area Elway has consistently screwed up on during his tenure with the Broncos and it's going to be a Rudy-esque underdog story if this haphazardly-assembled group ends up stopping this extended streak of futility.
-Watching the Broncos defense play last season was a high-wire act full of awe-inspring highs and sprit-breaking lows. Their pass defense was pretty much impenetrable thanks to the continued dominance of their league-best corner duo of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. and their pass-rush led by sack artists Von Miller and Derek Wolfe was once again excellent (their 42 total sacks was tied for 3rd most in the NFL). However unlike their 2015 Super Bowl Champion team, the 2016 squad was helpless at stopping the run, ranking 28th in the league with an average of 130.3 yards allowed per game. 2017 looks like it's going to be more of the same. For some inexplicable reason, the Broncos didn't make any serious changes to the front 7 of their defense this offseason. The only new starter (the recently-retired DeMarcus Ware is being replaced in the starting lineup by Shane Ray, who started 8 games in 2016 while Ware missed time with elbow and back injuries) they brought in is geriatric defensive tackle Domata Peko, who honestly isn't much of an improvement over last year's horrific starter Sylvester Williams. Without any notable new blood on the roster, it's going to be up to the group's returning deadbeat starters (inside linebacker Todd Davis and defensive end Jared Crick) to improve this run-defense and ideally, help this group return to its elite all-around form of 2015.
-This narrative oddly hasn't come up much this offseason, but the hiring of Vance Joseph as head coach to replace Gary Kubiak, who was forced to retire from coaching due to medical issues, strikes me as a potentially damaging move for this franchise. Joseph, who was Kubiak's defensive backs coach for 3 seasons when he was with the Texans, has never had a head coaching before this and his middling work with the Dolphins last season in his only year as an NFL defensive coordinator doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in his ability to lead a team. Not even the return of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who was with the team from 2010-2012, has me sold on the Joseph regime in Denver. None of the key personnel outside of wideout Demaryius Thomas was here during McCoy's previous tenure as OC, so the "familiarity" with his system that some of the beat writers/national reporters have been droning on about for the past 6 months doesn't really apply. Going from a staff full of wily veterans that have solid, if not excellent track records at their respective jobs (Kubiak, Rick Dennison, Wade Philips) to a group that largely lacks experience at their current positions (new defensive coordinator Joe Woods, who was promoted from defensive backs coach, is also a 1st-time shot caller) could be a hard pill to swallow for a team that is trying to bounce back from a disappointing season.
Bottom Line:
While the Broncos have too many elite players to be written off completely, their shaky QB situation horrific run D and 1st-time head coach make it hard to get overly excited about their team this season.
Kansas City Chiefs
2016 Record: 12-4 (1st in AFC West)
Head Coach: Andy Reid (5th season)
Notable Additions: DT Bennie Logan, DE Jarvis Jenkins, ILB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Notable Departures: WR Jeremy Maclin, RB Jammal Charles, DT Dontari Poe
-With their surprising decision to cut ties with top WR Jeremy Maclin in early June, the Chiefs have fully committed to All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce as their top receiving option. Kelce's reliable hands, strong short-to-intermediate route-running and status as a YAC (yards after catch) god make him a perfect fit for this offense. Unless the Chiefs can magically complete their seemingly eternal quest to find a true top wideout this season, I believe that Kelce has a great opportunity to top his career-best numbers (85 REC, 1,125 YDS, 4 TD) from a year ago.
-While Kelce is an elite tight end that arguably hasn't peaked yet, the lack of options behind him are alarming, even for a team is as reliant on the running game as the Chiefs are. Chris Conley's impressive athleticism is overshadowed by his terrible hands/route-running, notorious fantasy point stealer Albert Wilson is fortunate to still be on the roster and unlike every football fan in the Greater Kansas City area, I'm not convinced that Tyreek Hill can be anything more than a splash play-dependent gadget player in this league. Kelce is dynamic enough to make an impact almost every week, but without a reliable 2nd option to complement him, this team will more than likely be even less scary through the air than usual.
-Don't be stunned if rookie Kareem Hunt becomes the 2017 version of David Johnson or Jordan Howard by unseating veteran Spencer Ware as the team's starting running back at some point this season. Ware battled streaks of poor play (he failed to run for more 69 yards in the last 8 games of the season) and some fumbling issues (4 total, 3 lost in 14 games) during his 1st year as a starter in 2016, and Hunt strikes me as the type of under-the-radar, powerhouse back that could step in as an injury replacement and end up stealing the job on a permanent basis. While this clearly is by no means a guarantee, it'll be an intriguing situation to monitor as the season progresses.
-With the decision to replace rapidly-fading Dontari Poe with ex-Eagles standout Bennie Logan in free agency and outside linebacker Justin Houston returning to the fold at 100% health after missing 11 games last season, you can make a pretty strong case that the Chiefs are going to be the most improved defense in the NFL this season. While they still managed to be resilient enough to hold their opponents to under 20 points a game (19.4, 9th best in the league), their defense wasn't too great on the whole. All-Pro seasons from cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry kept the pass defense afloat, but their rush D (8th in 2015 to 26th in 2016) and sack total (47 to 28) suffered immensely without Houston in the lineup. 2 players joining an otherwise unchanged group might seem like too insignificant of an overhaul to make a notable difference, but both of these guys can make the type of impact that elevates this group back into the upper-echelon of defenses in the league. Logan is a run-stuffing specialist that should help immediately stabilize the interior defensive line that Poe let turn to hell over the past 2 seasons and if Houston can return to be the human wrecking ball he was prior to suffering an injury, him and Dee Ford, whose 10 sacks accounted for most of the team's pass-rushing in 2017, have a pretty good shot of turning into the one of the most feared edge-rushing duos in the league. Defense has defined the Chiefs for most of the past decade and after a pretty sizable regression last season, it should once again in 2017.
-While it's unlikely to have any ramifications on the 2017 season, the Chiefs decision to trade up to #10 overall to select Patrick Mahomes makes no sense. Putting a mobile gunslinger with a cannon arm in the most conservative passing offense in the NFL is like putting Speed Racer behind the wheel of a fucking Prius. Andy Reid's love affair with quick screens and shovel passes goes completely against the Texas Tech's products strengths as a quarterback (which as of right now, are exclusively throwing long bombs with astonishing accuracy and evading pressure with his solid mobility). The polarizing rookie has the luxury of sitting behind Alex Smith for at least the next 2 seasons, but unless Reid opens up the offense to tailor to his young quarterback's strengths or he can develop into a more versatile pocket passer before he gets handed the reigns, I don't see Mahomes thriving on this team.
Bottom Line:
The Chiefs continuity gives them a solid shot of returning to the playoffs, but their offense is too vanilla and weak at the skill positions to take them seriously as contenders in the AFC.
-With their surprising decision to cut ties with top WR Jeremy Maclin in early June, the Chiefs have fully committed to All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce as their top receiving option. Kelce's reliable hands, strong short-to-intermediate route-running and status as a YAC (yards after catch) god make him a perfect fit for this offense. Unless the Chiefs can magically complete their seemingly eternal quest to find a true top wideout this season, I believe that Kelce has a great opportunity to top his career-best numbers (85 REC, 1,125 YDS, 4 TD) from a year ago.
-While Kelce is an elite tight end that arguably hasn't peaked yet, the lack of options behind him are alarming, even for a team is as reliant on the running game as the Chiefs are. Chris Conley's impressive athleticism is overshadowed by his terrible hands/route-running, notorious fantasy point stealer Albert Wilson is fortunate to still be on the roster and unlike every football fan in the Greater Kansas City area, I'm not convinced that Tyreek Hill can be anything more than a splash play-dependent gadget player in this league. Kelce is dynamic enough to make an impact almost every week, but without a reliable 2nd option to complement him, this team will more than likely be even less scary through the air than usual.
-Don't be stunned if rookie Kareem Hunt becomes the 2017 version of David Johnson or Jordan Howard by unseating veteran Spencer Ware as the team's starting running back at some point this season. Ware battled streaks of poor play (he failed to run for more 69 yards in the last 8 games of the season) and some fumbling issues (4 total, 3 lost in 14 games) during his 1st year as a starter in 2016, and Hunt strikes me as the type of under-the-radar, powerhouse back that could step in as an injury replacement and end up stealing the job on a permanent basis. While this clearly is by no means a guarantee, it'll be an intriguing situation to monitor as the season progresses.
-With the decision to replace rapidly-fading Dontari Poe with ex-Eagles standout Bennie Logan in free agency and outside linebacker Justin Houston returning to the fold at 100% health after missing 11 games last season, you can make a pretty strong case that the Chiefs are going to be the most improved defense in the NFL this season. While they still managed to be resilient enough to hold their opponents to under 20 points a game (19.4, 9th best in the league), their defense wasn't too great on the whole. All-Pro seasons from cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry kept the pass defense afloat, but their rush D (8th in 2015 to 26th in 2016) and sack total (47 to 28) suffered immensely without Houston in the lineup. 2 players joining an otherwise unchanged group might seem like too insignificant of an overhaul to make a notable difference, but both of these guys can make the type of impact that elevates this group back into the upper-echelon of defenses in the league. Logan is a run-stuffing specialist that should help immediately stabilize the interior defensive line that Poe let turn to hell over the past 2 seasons and if Houston can return to be the human wrecking ball he was prior to suffering an injury, him and Dee Ford, whose 10 sacks accounted for most of the team's pass-rushing in 2017, have a pretty good shot of turning into the one of the most feared edge-rushing duos in the league. Defense has defined the Chiefs for most of the past decade and after a pretty sizable regression last season, it should once again in 2017.
-While it's unlikely to have any ramifications on the 2017 season, the Chiefs decision to trade up to #10 overall to select Patrick Mahomes makes no sense. Putting a mobile gunslinger with a cannon arm in the most conservative passing offense in the NFL is like putting Speed Racer behind the wheel of a fucking Prius. Andy Reid's love affair with quick screens and shovel passes goes completely against the Texas Tech's products strengths as a quarterback (which as of right now, are exclusively throwing long bombs with astonishing accuracy and evading pressure with his solid mobility). The polarizing rookie has the luxury of sitting behind Alex Smith for at least the next 2 seasons, but unless Reid opens up the offense to tailor to his young quarterback's strengths or he can develop into a more versatile pocket passer before he gets handed the reigns, I don't see Mahomes thriving on this team.
Bottom Line:
The Chiefs continuity gives them a solid shot of returning to the playoffs, but their offense is too vanilla and weak at the skill positions to take them seriously as contenders in the AFC.
Los Angeles Chargers
2016 Record: 5-11 (4th in AFC West)
Head Coach: Anthony Lynn (1st season)
Notable Additions: T Russell Okung, S Tre Boston, RB Kenjon Barner
Notable Departures: RB Danny Woodhead, CB Brandon Flowers (retired), G D.J. Fluker
-It's mid-August, which means the Chargers are already getting a nice head start on filling up their injured reserve. Through 2 weeks of training camp and 1 preseason game, the team has already lost projected starting guard Forrest Lamp (torn ACL), rookie wide receiver and top-10 overall pick Mike Williams (phantom back injury) and starting inside linebacker Denzel Perryman (torn ankle ligament) for a significant amount of time. Tune in Week 3 when 60% of this eternally snake-bitten team's key players are rocking basketball shorts and earbuds on the sideline.
-No 2017 head coach hiring made less sense to me than Anthony Lynn. Dumping Mike McCoy for another offensive-minded guy with a resume that's nowhere near as impressive is such a textbook Dean Spanos move that it almost seems like a cruel joke. The crowning achievement of Lynn's 14-game stint as the Bills offensive coordinator was presiding over the top rushing offense in football, which is immediately undercut once you find out that Greg Roman (aka the man he replaced in Week 3 last season) managed to accomplish the exact same feat the year before. The odds of Lynn's ground-and-pound philosophy having the same level of effectiveness with Melvin Gordon running behind guys like Matt Slauson, Joe Barksdale and Russell Okung that it did with LeSean McCoy running behind a line with 3 Pro Bowlers on it (Richie Incognito, Cordy Glenn, Eric Wood) is highly unlikely. To top it all off, Lynn has already managed to disrespect the team's 2 most respected leaders (quarterback Phillip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates) by reportedly refusing to let them attend the Hall-of-Fame induction of their former teammate LaDanian Tomlinson. If I were to bet on any new coach losing their job after 1 season, I would every penny I had on Lynn.
-Since arriving in the grand city of Los Angeles, the Chargers PR team has been pushing the fact they're "temporarily" playing in a 20,000-capacity soccer stadium to try and bring in fans. Not to be hyperbolic, but this is an absolutely brilliant move on their part. The intimate setting of the StubHub Center will be cool for the opposing team's fans to experience 8 times a year and force the Chargers to run even more silent-counts on their home field than they did in San Diego, which is a moving tribute to the 12 people (which is approximately 40% of their old fanbase) that begrudgingly stuck with the team after they relocated. Whoever came up with this ingenious marketing campaign deserves a raise stat.
-Whether he likes it or not, wide receiver Keenan Allen has become the poster boy for the Chargers status as the most snake-bitten team in the NFL. Allen has arguably been the brightest offensive talent to enter the Chargers organization since Antonio Gates and the rapport he's developed with quarterback Phillip Rivers in such a short period of time is astonishing, but a slew of injuries including back-to-back season-ending ailments (kidney laceration and torn ACL respectively) have prevented him from blossoming into a top-tier WR. Fortunately for Allen, time is on his side. He only turned 25 in April and the Chargers expressed their confidence in his ability to be a long-term factor on this team when they signed him to a 4-year extension prior to last season. If Allen can remain healthy and retain the level of dominance he flashed in the past, the Chargers could end up surpassing expectations in 2017.
-If anything is going to help the Chargers break out of their cycle of perpetual misery, it's their defense. This group has a nice combination of players entering their prime (cornerback Casey Hayward, defensive end Melvin Ingram) and promising young talent (reigning Defensive ROY Joey Bosa, cornerback Jason Verrett, outside linebacker Jatavis Brown) spread throughout their ranks and new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is the type of coach that could push them to a whole other stratosphere of production. As a fellow fan of a team that's stuck in the league's basement, I know that it's nice to have little rays of sunshine to give you (often false) hope for the future, and this group offers up PLENTY of the necessary mental comfort food that helps you get through a double-digit loss season.
Bottom Line:
New city, same fanless, injury-riddled Chargers.
-It's mid-August, which means the Chargers are already getting a nice head start on filling up their injured reserve. Through 2 weeks of training camp and 1 preseason game, the team has already lost projected starting guard Forrest Lamp (torn ACL), rookie wide receiver and top-10 overall pick Mike Williams (phantom back injury) and starting inside linebacker Denzel Perryman (torn ankle ligament) for a significant amount of time. Tune in Week 3 when 60% of this eternally snake-bitten team's key players are rocking basketball shorts and earbuds on the sideline.
-No 2017 head coach hiring made less sense to me than Anthony Lynn. Dumping Mike McCoy for another offensive-minded guy with a resume that's nowhere near as impressive is such a textbook Dean Spanos move that it almost seems like a cruel joke. The crowning achievement of Lynn's 14-game stint as the Bills offensive coordinator was presiding over the top rushing offense in football, which is immediately undercut once you find out that Greg Roman (aka the man he replaced in Week 3 last season) managed to accomplish the exact same feat the year before. The odds of Lynn's ground-and-pound philosophy having the same level of effectiveness with Melvin Gordon running behind guys like Matt Slauson, Joe Barksdale and Russell Okung that it did with LeSean McCoy running behind a line with 3 Pro Bowlers on it (Richie Incognito, Cordy Glenn, Eric Wood) is highly unlikely. To top it all off, Lynn has already managed to disrespect the team's 2 most respected leaders (quarterback Phillip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates) by reportedly refusing to let them attend the Hall-of-Fame induction of their former teammate LaDanian Tomlinson. If I were to bet on any new coach losing their job after 1 season, I would every penny I had on Lynn.
-Since arriving in the grand city of Los Angeles, the Chargers PR team has been pushing the fact they're "temporarily" playing in a 20,000-capacity soccer stadium to try and bring in fans. Not to be hyperbolic, but this is an absolutely brilliant move on their part. The intimate setting of the StubHub Center will be cool for the opposing team's fans to experience 8 times a year and force the Chargers to run even more silent-counts on their home field than they did in San Diego, which is a moving tribute to the 12 people (which is approximately 40% of their old fanbase) that begrudgingly stuck with the team after they relocated. Whoever came up with this ingenious marketing campaign deserves a raise stat.
-Whether he likes it or not, wide receiver Keenan Allen has become the poster boy for the Chargers status as the most snake-bitten team in the NFL. Allen has arguably been the brightest offensive talent to enter the Chargers organization since Antonio Gates and the rapport he's developed with quarterback Phillip Rivers in such a short period of time is astonishing, but a slew of injuries including back-to-back season-ending ailments (kidney laceration and torn ACL respectively) have prevented him from blossoming into a top-tier WR. Fortunately for Allen, time is on his side. He only turned 25 in April and the Chargers expressed their confidence in his ability to be a long-term factor on this team when they signed him to a 4-year extension prior to last season. If Allen can remain healthy and retain the level of dominance he flashed in the past, the Chargers could end up surpassing expectations in 2017.
-If anything is going to help the Chargers break out of their cycle of perpetual misery, it's their defense. This group has a nice combination of players entering their prime (cornerback Casey Hayward, defensive end Melvin Ingram) and promising young talent (reigning Defensive ROY Joey Bosa, cornerback Jason Verrett, outside linebacker Jatavis Brown) spread throughout their ranks and new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is the type of coach that could push them to a whole other stratosphere of production. As a fellow fan of a team that's stuck in the league's basement, I know that it's nice to have little rays of sunshine to give you (often false) hope for the future, and this group offers up PLENTY of the necessary mental comfort food that helps you get through a double-digit loss season.
Bottom Line:
New city, same fanless, injury-riddled Chargers.
Oakland Raiders
2016 Record: 12-4 (2nd in AFC West)
Head Coach: Jack Del Rio (3rd season)
Notable Additions: RB Marshawn Lynch, TE Jared Cook, WR Cordarrelle Patterson
Notable Departures: RB Latavius Murray, ILB Malcolm Smith, T Menelik Watson
-After a phenomenal 3rd season in the pro's that saw him parlay the immense potential he showed during his first 2 years in the league into something truly special, the Raiders unsurprisingly decided to give Derek Carr a historic payday (5 year/$125 mil/$70.5 mil guaranteed). Now that Reggie McKenzie and Mark Davis have given him his lucrative contract extension, Carr needs to go out and prove that he's an undisputed franchise quarterback. He was playing like a legit MVP candidate before he went down with a broken fibula against the Colts in Week 16, so there's absolutely no reason that he should suddenly regress now that he's back at 100% with the same group of guys that he won 12 games with a season ago. This Raiders squad is in a terrific position for the foreseeable future and if they want to become the team that ends the Patriots decade-and-a-half reign of terror on the piss-weak AFC, Carr is going to have to play his off every single year.
-Nothing else that occurred this offseason brought me more joy than when the news broke that running back Marshawn Lynch was going to come out of retirement to play for his hometown Oakland Raiders. As delighted as I am to have Beast Mode back in the NFL, I'm skeptical that his comeback is going to be a rousing success. His last season with the Seahawks in 2015 was defined by injuries and mediocre play (he only ran for 417 yards and 3 TD's in 7 games) and even with a year away from the game, the harsh reality is that he's a 31-year old back whose trademark punishing running style puts him at an even higher risk of tapering off than most backs at his advanced age (31 is pretty much 70 in RB years). That being said, the Raiders give Lynch the best possible chance of ending his career on a more positive note. Their offensive line is among the best in football and they have dense cache of weapons in the passing game (Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Seth Roberts, new-acquisition Jared Cook) that should give Lynch more open tackle boxes in the first few games than he faced during his entire 6-year stint in Seattle. I'm crossing my fingers that he can return to his crushing form and end up being the missing piece that pushes this Raiders squad from surprise playoff team in 2016 to legit contenders in 2017.
-Unlike a lot of defenses that finished in the bottom-3rd of the league in 2016 (23rd against the run, 24th against the pass, 20th in points allowed per game), there's reason to believe that the Raiders can make a huge swing in the other direction this season. They've accomplished the hardest parts of building a good defense by bringing in a talented top corner that can shutdown pretty much any wideout in the league (Sean Smith), some skilled edge-defenders (Bruce Irvin, Mario Edwards Jr.) that can prevent huge outside runs from happening and get after the quarterback, hard-nosed young defensive backs with sky-high ceilings (David Amerson, Karl Joseph) and of course, the elusive transcendent talent that can take over games (and occasionally dictate outcomes) by himself (reigning Defensive Player of the Player Khalil Mack). Now the Raiders just need to nail down the smaller, more unsung roles in order to make their desired leap up the league's defensive power rankings. Their attempt to fill the void at these not-so-glamorous positions (inside linebacker, slot corner) in 2017 appears to be rookies Marquel Lee and Gareon Conley. While trusting rookies with (potential) starting roles right away is always a nerve-racking dice roll, it's hard to believe that these young guys will be much of a downgrade from previous starters Malcolm Smith and D.J Hayden-who were among the biggest coverage liabilities in the league over the past couple of seasons. Lee isn't super athletic or fast, but his discipline and instincts are excellent for a young linebacker while Conley displayed excellent ball skills and sure-tackling during his tenure at Ohio State. This young duo paired with the continued strong play of their established, big-name starters could prove to be the X-factor for the 2017 Raiders.
Bottom Line:
With a deep, talented-loaded offense and defense with some exciting young players, the Raiders are the only AFC team that even has a shot of spoiling the Patriots Super Bowl run in 2017.
-After a phenomenal 3rd season in the pro's that saw him parlay the immense potential he showed during his first 2 years in the league into something truly special, the Raiders unsurprisingly decided to give Derek Carr a historic payday (5 year/$125 mil/$70.5 mil guaranteed). Now that Reggie McKenzie and Mark Davis have given him his lucrative contract extension, Carr needs to go out and prove that he's an undisputed franchise quarterback. He was playing like a legit MVP candidate before he went down with a broken fibula against the Colts in Week 16, so there's absolutely no reason that he should suddenly regress now that he's back at 100% with the same group of guys that he won 12 games with a season ago. This Raiders squad is in a terrific position for the foreseeable future and if they want to become the team that ends the Patriots decade-and-a-half reign of terror on the piss-weak AFC, Carr is going to have to play his off every single year.
-Nothing else that occurred this offseason brought me more joy than when the news broke that running back Marshawn Lynch was going to come out of retirement to play for his hometown Oakland Raiders. As delighted as I am to have Beast Mode back in the NFL, I'm skeptical that his comeback is going to be a rousing success. His last season with the Seahawks in 2015 was defined by injuries and mediocre play (he only ran for 417 yards and 3 TD's in 7 games) and even with a year away from the game, the harsh reality is that he's a 31-year old back whose trademark punishing running style puts him at an even higher risk of tapering off than most backs at his advanced age (31 is pretty much 70 in RB years). That being said, the Raiders give Lynch the best possible chance of ending his career on a more positive note. Their offensive line is among the best in football and they have dense cache of weapons in the passing game (Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Seth Roberts, new-acquisition Jared Cook) that should give Lynch more open tackle boxes in the first few games than he faced during his entire 6-year stint in Seattle. I'm crossing my fingers that he can return to his crushing form and end up being the missing piece that pushes this Raiders squad from surprise playoff team in 2016 to legit contenders in 2017.
-Unlike a lot of defenses that finished in the bottom-3rd of the league in 2016 (23rd against the run, 24th against the pass, 20th in points allowed per game), there's reason to believe that the Raiders can make a huge swing in the other direction this season. They've accomplished the hardest parts of building a good defense by bringing in a talented top corner that can shutdown pretty much any wideout in the league (Sean Smith), some skilled edge-defenders (Bruce Irvin, Mario Edwards Jr.) that can prevent huge outside runs from happening and get after the quarterback, hard-nosed young defensive backs with sky-high ceilings (David Amerson, Karl Joseph) and of course, the elusive transcendent talent that can take over games (and occasionally dictate outcomes) by himself (reigning Defensive Player of the Player Khalil Mack). Now the Raiders just need to nail down the smaller, more unsung roles in order to make their desired leap up the league's defensive power rankings. Their attempt to fill the void at these not-so-glamorous positions (inside linebacker, slot corner) in 2017 appears to be rookies Marquel Lee and Gareon Conley. While trusting rookies with (potential) starting roles right away is always a nerve-racking dice roll, it's hard to believe that these young guys will be much of a downgrade from previous starters Malcolm Smith and D.J Hayden-who were among the biggest coverage liabilities in the league over the past couple of seasons. Lee isn't super athletic or fast, but his discipline and instincts are excellent for a young linebacker while Conley displayed excellent ball skills and sure-tackling during his tenure at Ohio State. This young duo paired with the continued strong play of their established, big-name starters could prove to be the X-factor for the 2017 Raiders.
Bottom Line:
With a deep, talented-loaded offense and defense with some exciting young players, the Raiders are the only AFC team that even has a shot of spoiling the Patriots Super Bowl run in 2017.
Projected Standings
1.Oakland Raiders (12-4)
2.Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
3.Denver Broncos (7-9)
4.Los Angeles Chargers (4-12)
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