Adamo Marinelli
March 26, 2022
The AFC West is loaded, and that is an understatement. In less than two weeks of free agency, many huge names like Russell Wilson, Randy Gregory, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack, J.C Jackson, and many others have made this division the best in the entire NFL.
Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos for a large package including two firsts, two seconds, and a fifth-round pick in addition to three players in QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, and DT Shelby Harris. Denver also got a fourth-round pick in return.
The Broncos already have a dominant defense. It was ranked the third-best overall unit in 2021 and is top 10 in the NFL in the majority of categories. They have several skill players at wide receiver like Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, and K.J. Hamler. They have talented running backs in Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, a young tight end, and a solid offensive line. Their offensive line is good, but they will need to either draft or bring in another offensive lineman with all the quality pass rushers in the division. They are also well-coached with Nathaniel Hackett and his staff. They were arguably just a QB away from being Super Bowl contenders. Now they have a Super Bowl-winning QB who “wants to play another 10-12 years.”
They also brought in Randy Gregory to bolster their very strong linebacker core alongside Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed. In 12 games for the Cowboys last year, he recorded six sacks, 17 QB hits, one interception, and three forced fumbles. He is fast, agile, can shed blocks, and will stop the run in addition to rushing the passer. This should help generate even more pressure and sacks than last season and help to contain and reduce the production of the elite quarterbacks in the division like Mahomes, Herbert, and Carr.
The Raiders brought in only the best wide receiver in the entire NFL, Davante Adams after only giving up only a 2022 first and second-round pick. Adams has been consistent his entire career and had a fantastic season in 2021 with 123 catches (2nd), 1553 receiving yards (3rd), and 11 TDs (5th). Derek Carr is a downgrade from Aaron Rodgers but Carr is still a great QB and Adams can make him even better. The Raiders offense was already good with wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who had a career year in 2021, tight end Darren Waller, who when healthy is a top 10 tight end, and running back Josh Jacobs; now it adds arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL.
That is a steal for the Raiders and Adams became the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history with a five-year, $141.25 million deal, which averages out to $28 million a year. This was true until another huge move that involved an AFC West team occurred. More on that later. The Packers were willing to match the salary offer from Vegas, but Adams wanted to play elsewhere. Rodgers knew this and was okay with it and the organization was also okay with it. Expect the Packers to draft a wide receiver in the first round, something they haven’t done since 2002. However, the Packers after also losing Marquez Valdes Scantling are very thin at wide receiver. Aaron Jones can’t do everything so expect the Packers to experience a regression this season.
The Chargers also managed to bring in an electric pass rusher and a six-time pro-bowler Khalil Mack from the Bears for a second-round and a sixth-round pick. That is a very cheap price for a player of his caliber.
Mack was injured for most of the 2021 season, but in seven games, he recorded six sacks, seven QB hits, and a fumble recovery. He was also doubled-teamed the majority of the snaps. His last full season came in 2020 where he recorded nine sacks, 13 QB hits, one interception, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He is a very good player when healthy and with Mack on one side, teams won’t be able to double or triple team Joey Bosa every play. This move makes the Chargers’ defense, one of the NFL’s worse units, significantly better.
In addition, the Chargers also brought in one of the best cornerbacks in the league in J.C. Jackson. He had a fantastic season in 2021 with the Patriots, recording eight interceptions, one defensive touchdown, and one forced fumble. He is one of the best lockdown man corners in the league with his speed, agility, and ball tracking skills. He is physical, hard to run by, and is excellent at batting down 50-50 balls with his large frame. The Chargers’ defense improves even more. They have a deadly pass rush to make help secondary and a good secondary to help the pass rush get home. Finally, they were able to keep all their main offensive weapons together like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler for Justin Herbert.
Finally, when the rest of the AFC is loading up, the Chiefs are going the other way. Tyrann Mathieu is one of the best players on an otherwise middle-of-the-pack Chiefs defense is currently a free agent and is not likely to return to Kansas City. At the safety spot, he was a crucial part of the Chiefs’ defensive improvement with three interceptions, one defensive TD, three fumble recoveries, and one sack.
The biggest move the Chiefs made though, is not bringing someone in, but instead sending one of their key offensive weapons out. They traded all-star and six-time pro-bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for a package of five draft picks including their first, second and fourth-round pick this year and their fourth-round and sixth-round pick next year. That is a massive haul to give up for Hill, especially when you consider Davante Adams, the best receiver in football was traded to Las Vegas for only a first and second-round pick. In addition, Hill’s four-year, $120 million contract makes him the highest-paid receiver with a $30 million yearly salary. Adams’ reign as the highest-paid receiver was very short-lived.
In the short term, the Dolphins won this trade. They now have two of the fastest receivers in the league with Tyreek Hill and sophomore sensation Jaylen Waddle, who had a fantastic rookie season in 2021. They also beefed up their offensive line and their running back core and tight end room is filled with talent too. There are no excuses for QB Tua Tagovailoa now if things don’t go right for Miami. In the short run, the Chiefs lost the trade. One of the reasons why they were so scary is because of Hill’s deadly speed. He forced cornerbacks and safeties to drop back 12-15 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Yet he would still win his matchup and beat the defensive back for a long TD. Or he would catch the ball short and run past everyone. Or with Hill forcing defensive backs to drop back and with Hill often being double covered, Travis Kelce would always be open. Now, they’ve lost that downfield threat. Their offense will still be good, but not nearly as lethal as it once was. They signed Juju Smith Schuster and Marquez Valdes Scantling as free agents, which helps them a bit, but they are both not on Hill’s level.
However, in the long term, the Chiefs won the deal. They have five draft picks to work with to address needs on their roster, wide receiver included. They may not hit on all the picks, but surely they will nail one or two of them.
All four teams in the AFC West made several outstanding moves this offseason. The Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers were all super active in free agency to compete with the reigning AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. With the Chiefs departing with Tyreek Hill and likely losing Tyran Mathieu, the Chiefs are still a very talented team but not as good as they were before free agency started. The AFC West has four very talented teams in it and the division is wide open. Any of the four teams have a realistic chance to win the AFC West. All things considered, it is possible that all four teams in the AFC West will make the playoffs next year, and it is even more possible that three of the four teams make it. Regardless of who wins the division and what teams make the playoffs, the AFC West is going to be a bloodbath with many fantastic matchups to watch.
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