2008 Free Agent & Trade Round Up - AFC WEST

AFC WEST

For those who don't already know I am a Raider fan (please don't mix that up with the TRUE GURU who is a Cowboy Fan) and I have saved the best for last, that being we finished last in the west last year. I will try to be nice to the teams who I have to watch all too many times. LOL. What used to be a tough division has been making people laugh, and to be honest it doesn't look to be changing any time soon.


The Chargers are a unique team, in that they have the best in many positions, but yet just can't win the one that matters. They have LT, & Gates, but then the jury is still out on Rivers who needs to get come counseling to help with his hostile anger towards the fans. I will go out on a limb here and say they will win the division for yet another year. Their off-season moves include losing their security blanket named Michael Turner (RB). But that isn't the biggest problem. Losing FB Lorenzo Neal, who is the best fullback in the game will change things a lot for their running game. They have also lost CB Drayton Florence and DB Marlon McCree and haven't made any signings except to bring back QB Billy Volek and WR Malcom Floyd.


The Denver Broncos signed DB Marlon McCree and WR's Keary Colbert and Darrell Jackson and re-signed FS John Lynch and RB Cecil Sapp who they might try to use a little more and preserve the injury prone Travis Henry. A recent trade has them picking up DT Dewayne Robertson to help stop this run first division. On the lose column with will have a new kicker as they have released Jason Elam as well as letting go of WR Javon Walker. This should be the year Jay Cutler comes of age.


Now the Kansas City Cheifs. What can you say here other than they will be taking over the spot that the Raiders have owned for the last 4 years. Last in the AFC West. They have signed TE J.P. Foschi who I like and two kickers along with franchising Jared Allen, only to deal him off to Minnesota, using those picks in the draft. They also lost a few others including WR Eddie Kennison, CB Ty Law, LB Kendrell Bell and TE Jason Dunn.


The Raiders. Wow, Oakland has new life, and it has cost them a lot of money to do so. Then again, I even think they have thrown money into the wrong pockets, but only time will tell and if they get half their moneys worth I predict they finish 2nd in the division with no less than 8 wins thanks to the easiest schedule the division has had in years. They have lost a number of players including QB Josh McCown, DT Warren Sapp, CB/ST Chris Carr, DE Tyler Brayton, RB Dominic Rhodes and WR Jerry Porter. They gave CB Nnamdi Asomugha the franchise tag to play on the other side of newly signed CB DeAngelo Hall making them what many are saying the best CB duo in the league. They also signed RB Justin Fargas, WR's Drew Carter and Javon Walker as well as super bowl Safety Gibril Wilson and many others.

Next week we will discuss last weekends draft and the fantasy impact it will have.