By: Tyler Ward and Stephen Patterson
1. San Diego Chargers (Head Coach: Norv Turner)
Key arrivals: CB Nathan Vasher, TE Randy McMichael, OT Tra Thomas, WR Josh Reed, RB Ryan Mathews (draft)
Key departures: RB LaDainian Tomlinson, CB Antonio Cromartie, QB Charlie Whitehurst, DT Jamal Williams
TW: The Chargers are certainly on the decline. They let go of LaDainian Tomlinson, perhaps one of their best players in franchise history. With unproven rookie Ryan Mathews handling most of the run duties, their run game could be in the bottom half of the league. Rivers is one of the top 5 QB's in the league, statistically, but with the uncertainty of Vincent Jackson coming back, the Chargers' aerial assault will not be what it was last season. Their #1 receiver is now Malcom Floyd, excluding tight end Antonio Gates. Their offensive line could also be a problem since it is not known when Marcus McNeill, a premier tackle, will get his contract dispute handled. They also released nose tackle Jamal Williams, the staple of the Chargers' defense for the past few seasons. Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman will have to play stupendous if the Chargers want to succeed in the regular season, along with the playoffs. The one thing that saves the Chargers is the weak division they play in and that is probably why the Chargers will win the AFC West.
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| Philip Rivers |
SP: The Chargers are always one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl, yet they somehow always find a way to fall short of their goals and fizzle out early in the postseason. With the Tomlinson Era officially over, expect things to be a little rough for the defending AFC West champs. Ryan Matthews was drafted to take over and replace LT, and while fantasy experts think he will have an amazing season, I'm not so convinced. He will probably have a decent season being the main back for San Diego, but I don't think he will break the 1,000 yard mark. Philip Rivers will likely be without his best receiver, as Jackson has been firm on his contract holdout. Even with Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd, I don't think Philips will have the type of MVP season many people are projecting. The only reason he has a chance to achieve decent numbers this year is because he plays in a weak division. I'm not sure if he got the memo, however, as some of those division rivals have improved on defense since last season. The defense has also declined, and the losses of Antonio Cromartie and Jamal Williams will likely hurt them this season. Expect them to still finish above .500 due to being in a fairly weak division, but they won't have double digit wins in my opinion.
- SP's Prediction: 9-7
2. Denver Broncos (Head Coach: Josh McDaniel)
Key arrivals: QB Brady Quinn, RB LenDale White, OT Maurice Williams, RB Justin Fargas, DT Jamal Williams, DE Jarvis Green, DE Justin Bannan, WR Deymarius Thomas (draft), QB Tim Tebow (draft)
Key departures: WR Brandon Marshall, TE Tony Scheffler, OL Ben Hamilton, DE Vonnie Holliday, OL Casey Weigmann
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| Knowshon Moreno |
- TW's Prediction: 7-9
SP: The Denver Broncos are in for a rough year and their fans may be getting used to if Tim Tebow is indeed the franchise's future. While he might have the "leadership and intangibles" that got him drafted, he doesn't have the arm and the skill set to excel in the NFL. He may surprise me, but I don't think he will every be a Pro Bowl caliber player (he may get voted by the fans, but it won't be for his numbers). Also, trading away Brandon Marshall, arguably the teams' best player last season, may turn out to be a really bad idea for the team. While Marshall was definitely a distraction at times, he is one of the best receivers in the NFL and has been consistently for the past three seasons. Find a top-level wide receiver that doesn't have a little bit of an attitude and occasionally draws attention to himself over the team. There are some players that good and that well behaved, just not on Denver's roster. Their receiving core took a steep hit, even with the selection of Deymarius Thomas in the Draft. Denver still has a pretty decent defensive unit, but losing Elvis Dumervil for the season won't do the team any favors. If Quinn or Orton plays at QB this season, the Broncos will win a few games. If they give the job to Tebow, the story might be a little different, especially at this point in his career. He already had to revamp his entire throwing style, and in his first preseason action, reverted back to his previous elongated motion. If he starts a majority of Denver's games this season, expect them to have an even lower record than I'm projecting.
- SP's Prediction: 6-10
3. Oakland Raiders (Head Coach: Tom Cable)
Key arrivals: DT John Henderson, QB Jason Campbell, LB Kamerion Wimbley, QB Kyle Boller, LB Quentin Groves, LB Rolando McClain (draft), OT Bruce Campbell (draft), DT Lamarr Houston (draft)
Key departures: LB Kirk Morrison, QB JaMarcus Russell, DT Gerard Warren, WR Javon Walker, LB Greg Ellis, RB Justin Fargas
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| Michael Bush |
- TW's Prediction: 7-9
SP: For the first time in years, there isn't much I can say negatively about the Raiders. Well, I guess I could mention the fact that the corpse of Al Davis is still the worst owner in the entire NFL, but at least he or whoever is controlling his body made some decent moves for once this offseason. They finally cut ties with JaMarcus Russell, the QB that Davis thought was one of the best things to ever happen to his franchise. We all know how that ended. The team made a move on the second day of the 2010 Draft to acquire Jason Campbell of the Washington Redskins, who became expendable after they landed Donovan McNabb. While he never quite lived up to expectations with the Redskins, Campbell has the potential to be the best QB the franchise has had since Rich Gannon, who led the Raiders to the Super Bowl in 200_, which coincidentally was the last season Oakland actually mattered in the NFL. While his receiving core isn't the best, he does have Derrius Heyward-Bey and Zach Miller, which are pretty decent players. If their running backs can be productive, they have a fairly decent offense this season. Also, their defense has greatly improved. Drafting Rolando McClain, signing John Henderson, and trading for Kamerion Wimbley definitely will upgrade a fairly weak defense. Nnamdi Asomugha is also one of the best corners in the league, although he is vastly overpaid and one of the reasons Darrelle Revis of the Jets wants such a massive deal, in my opinion. I expect the Raiders to finish somewhere around .500 if they can stay healthy and Campbell can finally begin living up to his potential.
- SP's Prediction: 8-8
4. Kansas City Chiefs (Head Coach: Todd Haley)
Key arrivals: RB Thomas Jones, OG Ryan Lilja, CB Javier Arenas (draft), S Eric Berry (draft), RB/WR Dexter McCluster (draft)
Key departures: WR Bobby Engram, WR Bobby Wade, LB Zach Thomas, RB Kolby Smith
TW: I just think that the Chiefs will be bad yet again. I just don't believe in Matt Cassel..at all. He's not a top-tier quarterback, and I think he could honestly be the worst starting quarterback in the NFL. They do have an efficient running game since they added Thomas Jones in the offseason. Jones is penciled in as the starter, even though Jamaal Charles ran for over 1,000 yards last season. Outside of Dwayne Bowe, they really have no aerial game. What really brings them down is their defense. They have drafted defensively the last two seasons, using first-round selections on Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson. They have to play well if the Chiefs want to have any chance of doing decent on defense. I do like the selections of Eric Berry and Javier Arenas, but the Chiefs will have to put pressure on them since they're going to be heavily depended on. I think it's going to be very hard for the Chiefs to win games this season. They square off against teams such as San Diego (2x), Indianapolis, Houston and play decent teams like Arizona, Tennessee, San Francisco, and Denver (2x), and Jacksonville. I think the Chiefs have to do a lot more if they want to regain the form of the Priest Holmes/Trent Green era.
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| Matt Cassel |
SP: I like the direction the Chiefs are moving in, but I am still unsure if Matt Cassel is good enough to lead a team. He had a horrendous season for the most part last year, and while he played moderately well in the place of Tom Brady the season he got injured, I've never thought he was a great QB capable of taking a team deep into the postseason. The Chiefs have potentially one of the best run games in the NFL, with Jamaal Charles, Thomas Jones, and Dexter McCluster all being extremely explosive backs. The receiving core is a big question mark in my opinion, as I've never been high on Bowe and McCluster likely won't get too many receptions. I loved the teams selections of Eric Berry and Javier Arenas in the Draft and think both will excel at the NFL level. Arenas is a great player in the return game also, and had a 100+ yard kickoff return in his first preseason game called back on a penalty. Berry has the potential to be an Ed Reed type safety with his field vision and speed. While I like their direction, I think they are going to have another disappointing season without a solid passing game. If Cassel throw the ball, bad things are likely to happen. If he doesn't throw the ball, those three explosive backs are going to get crushed at the line every play. So until they get some quality receivers and Cassel improves some parts of his game, this team isn't going anywhere fast for at least another season or two.
- SP's Prediction: 4-12
