The hype of free agency has come and gone and now it’s time to look at what teams have gained and lost since March 17th and where they stand as they prepare for the upcoming draft. Let’s continue with the AFC West.
Denver Broncos
Key acquisitions: CB Kyle Fuller, CB Ronald Darby, RB Mike Boone, DL Shamar Stephen
Re-signed: S Justin Simmons (franchise), DE Shelby Harris
Departures: CB A.J. Bouye, DT Jurrell Casey, RB Phillip Lindsay (Texans), OLB Jeremiah Attaochu (Bears), OT Elijah Wilkinson (Bears), DE DeMarcus Walker (Texans)
Remaining free agents: TE Jake Butt, OLB Anthony Chickillo, OT Demar Dotson
Analysis: Ya know for a team that has been as bad as the Broncos have been, they’re making little effort to improve their team. For some reason they’re only focusing on their secondary, but there are plenty of other positions on your roster. You can’t really say they’re set anywhere else. Your young quarterback has not been good, the wide receivers are good but young and inexperienced, your running back is injury-prone, and your offensive line is sub-par. You signed a third-string running back, that was your offensive solution in free agency? You let your literal homegrown running back Philip Lindsay, a guy who was born in Denver, went to high school in Denver, and went to college at Colorado, go for nothing and you think this was a successful free agency? Pathetic. You did Lindsay dirty and I’m furious about that. You gave him an original-round restricted free agent tender, to a Pro Bowl running back who was undrafted, meaning if a team signed him to an offer sheet, which a team definitely would have, they wouldn’t have had to give up any draft compensation. Instead you rescinded the tender, and let him walk to Houston. What are you doing John Elway, figure it out.
I’ll at least address the other moves they made. Like I said they really only addressed the secondary, giving their star safety Justin Simmons a multi-year extension and signed Kyle Fuller, who was cut by the Bears, and Ronald Darby. You got two brand new starting corners, both players I really like so I’ll give you that. You also gave an extension to an underrated defensive lineman Shelby Harris, so I’ll give you that too. But that’s it, you did nothing else. This team stunk before free agency and it still stinks, but you have guys who can cover wide receivers on the outside, cool.
Conclusion: I see no direction with this team. What the heck are they doing? I can’t tell you, and I don’t think the front office can either. They’re non-committal to Drew Lock at quarterback, yet they failed to be involved in the multiple quarterback trades that happened this offseason, they didn’t sign a guy, and they’ve not been linked to making a move in the draft. I don’t know what they’re doing, they don’t know what they’re doing and I don’t care for it.
UPDATE: The Broncos just acquired QB Teddy Bridgewater from the Panthers. They give up a sixth-round pick and don’t take on the majority of their salary. It took a long time but the Broncos actually did what I just complained about them not doing. Kudos, and I think this does in fact take them out of the QB running in the first round this year.
Kansas City Chiefs
Key acquisitions: OT Orlando Brown Jr., G Joe Thuney, G Kyle Long, DT Jarran Reed, TE Blake Bell, C Austin Blythe, FB Michael Burton
Re-signed: OT Mike Remmers, WR Demarcus Robinson, S Daniel Sorensen, DE Taco Charlton
Departures: OT Eric Fisher, OT Mitchell Schwartz, RB Damien Williams (Bears), FB Anthony Sherman (retired), WR Sammy Watkins (Ravens), DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Saints), LB Damien Wilson (Jaguars)
Remaining free agents: CB Bashaud Breeland, G Kelechi Osemele, C Austin Reiter, DT Mike Pennel, G Stefen Wisniewski, DE Alex Okafor, RB Le’Veon Bell
Analysis: What a weird offseason for the Chiefs. After losing the Super Bowl, they cut their two star offensive tackles, who are both injured. They then make massive signings in free agency, including getting a former Pro Bowler out of retirement, and then pull off a huge trade just days ago. I’ve never seen anything like this. You’ve completely rebuilt your entire offensive line with new starters basically at all five positions in a single offseason. Insane, let’s get into it shall we.
After releasing Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, many wondered what the heck were they doing. Well they weren’t in the best cap situation, and they were paying both those guys a pretty penny, so they had to make room. They used that room to give former Patriots guard Joe Thuney a massive five-year deal. Thuney has been a rock for the Patriots the past five seasons, rarely missing a snap, and has played at an elite level every year. He slides in at left guard, a position with three different starters in 2020 is now set with Thuney. On the opposite side of him at right guard will likely be a guy who hadn’t played since October 2019 in former Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long. At center they brought in former Ram Austin Blythe, who has started every game each of the last three seasons. These three additions in the interior move guards Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie to backup roles, FA Austin Reiter unlikely to re-sign, and Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif without a starting job after battling COVID-19 on the frontlines last year. At tackle they brought back Mike Remmers, who replaced Schwartz at right tackle midseason, and later moved over to left tackle after Fisher’s injury. Remmers will be the likely right tackle, so who’s gonna man the left side?
That man is Orlando Brown Jr., the former Ravens tackle who was named a Pro Bowl right tackle in 2019, then got a taste of left tackle in 2020 after an injury to Ronnie Stanley, earned another Pro Bowl, and didn’t want to give that up. Shortly after the 2020 season, Brown was very open about wanting to play left tackle, and that wasn’t going to happen in Baltimore because Stanley was coming back and he’s an All-Pro being paid a ton of money, he’s not going anywhere. There were several possible destinations for Brown, but the Chiefs swooped in and acquired Brown to be their new left tackle. Chiefs finalize their offensive line for 2021, in an insane series of moves capped by a big trade, offseason chaos at it’s finest.
You’ve probably heard enough offensive line talk, let’s talk about the other offensive moves. Well they finally got rid of Sammy Watkins, who severely underperformed relative to his contract, posting only 1,613 yards over his three seasons that earned him $48 million, not a good return. But the headache is gone, which means more targets for Demarcus Robinson, who’s back on a one-year deal. They also had to say goodbye to longtime fullback Anthony Sherman who retired and Super Bowl hero Damien Williams, who lost his job after opting out of the season.
On defense they brought in defensive lineman Jarran Reed, who was surprisingly released by the Seahawks as he wasn’t being paid a ton and is a very good player. Reed alongside Chris Jones on the interior is a deadly combo. They also re-signed starting safety Daniel Sorensen and edge rusher Taco Charlton to make up for the loss of Tanoh Kpassagnon. They also lost starting linebacker Damien Wilson, but no clear replacement, other than maybe second-year man Willie Gay.
Conclusion: The Chiefs made a ton of moves to strengthen what their top weakness that lost them the Super Bowl, the offensive line. They replaced everyone, which was crazy to see, but I think the results are solid. We’ll see how it works in the season, but they’ve reallocated funds to rebuild this offensive line, and they hope it pays off. As for the rest of the team, I don’t see why they wouldn’t run it back. Everything else is pretty set, just stay healthy and continue to dominate, simple as that.
Las Vegas Raiders
Key acquisitions: DE Yannick Ngakoue, WR John Brown, RB Kenyan Drake, DT Solomon Thomas, DT Quinton Jefferson, C Nick Martin, S Karl Joseph, CB Rasul Douglas, WR Willie Snead, DE Matt Dickerson, DE Darius Philon
Re-signed: DT Johnathan Hankins, CB Nevin Lawson, TE Derek Carrier, RB Theo Riddick, LB Nicholas Morrow, WR Zay Jones, G Denzelle Good
Departures: C Rodney Hudson (Cardinals), OT Trent Brown (Patriots), G Gabe Jackson (Seahawks), S Lamarcus Joyner (Jets), WR Nelson Agholor (Patriots), S Erik Harris (Falcons), RB Devontae Booker (Giants), WR Tyrell Williams (Lions), DT Maliek Collins (Texans), LB Raekwon McMillan (Patriots), DT Maurice Hurst (49ers), DE Arden Key (49ers)
Remaining free agents: CB Daryl Worley
Analysis: It shocks be every free agency the amount of turnover the Raiders have, letting so many free agents walk, releasing and trading guys, and signing a ton more veterans. It’s an endless cycle that’s not working. They haven’t had the success that they need, and Mike Mayock’s general manager abilities are coming into question. They’ve signed 30 free agents over the previous two offseasons, and only eight are still on the roster, too much turnover. Not sure what their reasoning is, I’m sure there is a strategy behind it, but I don’t get it and it’s definitely not working. Anyways enough of that, I guess I’ll talk about the moves, it’s not like they’re gonna be here for long, but let’s talk anyway.
Starting with the offensive line, they made some real weird moves, initially releasing longtime starters center Rodney Hudson and RG Gabe Jackson, they ended up trading them for decent draft picks. They also traded right tackle Trent Brown, so they dumped a lot of contracts as all three of them were on hefty deals. To replace them they re-signed primary backup Denzelle Good and former Texans starting center Nick Martin. Definitely downgrades play-wise, but they’re cheaper. I wouldn’t consider these great moves as this was one of the best offensive lines in 2020 and was a huge part of the success that they had, but now it’s at the bottom half of the league.
For the offensive weapons, they signed the speedy John Brown and slot specialist Willie Snead. These are both solid additions, as Brown takes the place of Nelson Agholor as the vertical threat and Snead is another slot option alongside Hunter Renfrow. He also makes up for the loss of Tyrell Williams, another recent free agent failure who only gave you one healthy season in his four-year contract. They also signed former Cardinals and Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake. Josh Jacobs missed some time last year, and Devontae Booker, who’s no longer there, played well in his place, but Drake is a massive upgrade and is a great No. 2 to Jacobs so they don’t need to overwork the young back.
The defense is where there is a ton of change, tons of starters gone and a bunch more added in their place. The biggest deal is probably for pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who signs a two-year, $26 million deal. Ngakoue has been very consistent throughout his career, posting at least 8.0 sacks every year, and adds to a defensive line that also added former 49ers No. 3 overall pick Solomon Thomas. They also brought back Johnathan Hankins and brought in Quinton Jefferson to shore up that interior defensive line. These make up for the loss of Maliek Collins and the surprising releases of Maurice Hurst and Arden Key, both 2018 draft picks.
In the secondary they brought back former first-rounder Karl Joseph, who spent 2020 as a starter with the Browns, and he takes the place of Erik Harris and Lamarcus Joyner. They also signed CB Rasul Douglas, who struggled as a second-round pick of the Eagles, but played better with the Panthers last year.
Conclusion: I feel like the Raiders are just doing the same thing over and over again, and hoping for different results and it’s just not working. You gave Jon Gruden a 10-year contract, and you’ve got nothing to show for it. You’ve been just outside the playoff picture every season and nothing is working, you can’t tell each of the last three seasons apart because it’s the same. They’re attempting to shake it up this year by getting rid of their best asset, their offensive line, so let’s see if worsening that group will help. It won’t, and it’s going to be the same old Raiders.
Los Angeles Chargers
Key acquisitions: C Corey Linsley, G Matt Feiler, TE Jared Cook, LB Kyler Fackrell, G Oday Aboushi, QB Chase Daniel, CB Ryan Smith
Re-signed: CB Michael Davis
Departures: TE Hunter Henry (Patriots), CB Casey Hayward, FS Rayshawn Jenkins (Jaguars), LB Denzel Perryman (Panthers), G Dan Feeney (Jets), G Trai Turner, G Forrest Lamp (Bills), DE Isaac Rochell (Colts), QB Tyrod Taylor (Texans), LB Nick Vigil (Vikings), OT Sam Tevi (Colts), RB Kalen Ballage (Steelers)
Remaining free agents: DE Melvin Ingram
Analysis: I’ve been a closet Chargers fan for a while now, and I’m very excited for the future. Justin Herbert looked so good last year and this was such a fun team to watch last year. Stinks they’re a small market team, despite being in Los Angeles, because if they were a hot market, this would be one of the most attractive landing spots for any free agent. They did make some big moves, maybe not as much as they could’ve, but I like their approach so far.
One of the biggest weaknesses for the Chargers the last several years as been offensive line. They’ve invested in draft capital, trade assets, and money in that line and haven’t gotten the results they need. They lost 2017 draft picks Dan Feeney, Forrest Lamp, and Sam Tevi, all starters last year, but that shouldn’t be considered a loss. These were their PFF rankings: Tevi – 73/79, Lamp – 72/80, Feeney – 35/36; not losing much. They also released Trai Turner after he missed half the season, so that’s 4/5 starters not returning. To replace (upgrade) these guys, the Chargers made former Packers Pro Bowler Corey Linsley the highest paid center in the league. He’s been a trustworthy asset to Aaron Rodgers his entire career, and now gets a chance to snap the ball to the next young star in this league. They also signed former Steelers starter Matt Feiler, who can play guard or tackle, as well as Oday Aboushi, who has plenty of starts under his belt. So they’re working to rebuild this line, and if they can get a tackle in the first round, they’ll be set. They pick 13th, so if they want Herbert’s former teammate Penei Sewell, they’re gonna have to move up, so they could sit tight and get the second or third guy.
To also help on offense they brought in veteran tight end Jared Cook. They lost their star tight end Hunter Henry to the Patriots, the Chargers really needed a reliable target at the position, and Cook can still play at age 34. I worry a lot about the Chargers offensive depth as they don’t have much after Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and you can’t count on Williams to stay healthy. They desperately need a third receiver and another tight end, and I hope it’s addressed early in the draft. They could use help throughout the roster, but offensive line and more weapons are the top priority, gotta help Herbert.
The Chargers didn’t do much on defense, signing linebacker Kyler Fackrell who had one good season a few years ago with the Packers, and cornerback Ryan Smith, who had been reverted to a special teamer with the Bucs after being a starter at one point. The worst part is they lost some key starters, star CB Casey Hayward was released, starting FS Rayshawn Jenkins signed with the Jaguars, and middle linebacker Denzel Perryman signed with the Panthers. They re-signed starting CB Michael Davis and they still have Chris Harris under contract, but they don’t have much beyond them. They’re better at safety with Derwin James coming back and former second-rounder Nasir Adderley stepping in. At linebacker they’ll be expecting more from Drue Tranquill, who was supposed to take over the middle linebacker role last year before suffering a broken ankle Week 1. They are very thin throughout the defense too, so they have to use their nine picks wisely to address all their needs, and there’s a ton of them.
Conclusion: The Chargers have their quarterback situation solved, but every other position on the roster needs work. They’d be smart to focus on every position except for quarterback, running back, and defensive line, those are the only areas I think they’re set at. They need more weapons for Herbert, a left tackle, linebackers, and cornerbacks. They have four picks in the first three rounds, address all four positions with those four picks and I’ll be ecstatic. They’re not far off, but they have a lot of work to do, and if they nail this draft, I wouldn’t see why they wouldn’t contend.
This is a tough division led by the Chiefs. The Raiders and Chargers are always gonna be right behind them, and it’ll take a lot to overtake them. The Broncos don’t have much direction, so who knows what’s going on there. Either way, this is the Chiefs division to lose.
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