Adapting to the AFC West

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, March 03, 2009  |  Comments( 23 )

Oakland Raiders
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Apparently, we’re not the only ones puzzled about Javon Walker’s release/non-release. Despite reportage from the NFL Network itself to the effect that Walker was gone from the Oakland Raiders as early as last Monday, the wide receiver’s sticking around for now. (Hilariously, the “Silver & Black” page at SFGate.com on the story was headlined with “Javon Walker still up in the air”; you can tell it’s the preseason, because that’s the last time you’ll see Walker going vertical until 2010.)

The mystery has surely sent more than a few fans to wondering again what's going on in Oakland. Over the weekend, this writer had been reduced to reckoning that Walker has incriminating information on Al Davis or the entire story is a smokescreen so that no one notices the still-inexplicable Gibril Wilson release. Luckily, Raider Nation citizen Mike N. thought outside the box a little on this one. He wrote:

"Do you feel the Raiders are taking there time with free agents because Al Davis sees the entire AFC West basically in a rebuild mode, and that he is waiting to see what the other teams do before he decides who to sign so he can get the best players to match up better with the players Denver, Kansas City and San Diego bring onboard? I mean, we all know you must win your division before you can accomplish anything else."

An intriguing hypothesis indeed, but there may be such a thing as waiting too long – T.J. Houshmandzadeh is off the market! – and oh, boy, does that feel weird to write in relation to the free-spending Raiders of the 2000s.

So let’s run with the possibility of an affirmative to Mike’s question, combined with colleague Brad Wilbricht’s (correct) supposition that the Raiders are gaining quality through subtraction. How is the AFC West evolving in 2009 and can Oakland keep pace?

The Kansas City Chiefs, formerly (and likely to again be so) the youngest team in the NFL, have grabbed most of the free-agency period headlines thus far thanks to the big-deal move with the New England Patriots. Though Matt Cassel may be a step up from, say, Tyler Thigpen at QB, the guy’s breakout year was surely supplemented by a bit a Patriot Syndrome, wasn’t it? And while Mike Vrabel can’t help but improve Kansas City’s abysmal, record-setting “pass rush” of last season, don’t most observers figure that Bill Belichick & Co. are just jettisoning another guy who is suspected to be past his prime, a la so many others in the past?

The Patriots trade may have boosted the Chiefs’ prospects at these two areas in the short term, but this franchise was supposed to be in a rebuilding mode. Thanks to the salaries of Cassel (huge) and Vrabel (respectable), Kansas City seems unlikely to sign any other name players in 2009 and has pinned its hopes on what is essentially a sophomore quarterback for the next few years.

As for the Raider response here, again we turn to the secondary. In two meetings last season, Kansas City went for 135 and 156 yards passing in probably the best pair of performances by the Oakland pass ‘D’ outside of the Carolina game in Week 10. The red-hot Cassel, meanwhile, threw at will against the Raiders in Week 15, exposing even Nnamdi Asomugha to the unstoppable force known as Randy Moss.

After the designer secondary of Asomugha, Wilson, DeAngelo Hall et al all but blew up in Davis’ face in 2008, the entire Raider Nation must be on pins and needles to see the construction that hits the field in 2009. And the change in quality – whether for good or ill – will perhaps most be apparent in the Kansas City games next season.

Things are crazy in Denver, eh? Now that Mike Shanahan’s out, the guys he brought in are apparently up for grabs, one and all. The front office has been quite productive in Colorado, bringing aboard notables such as defenders Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, Andra Davis and Andre Goodman; offensive skill players Jabar Gaffney and Correll Buckhalter; and special teamers Lonie Paxton and Darrell Reid.

The Broncos may in fact see improvement across the board as immediately as the 2009 season – not too difficult to achieve, as evidenced by the team’s highly disappointing 2008 – and could prove a viable contender to take the division. But then there's the Jay Cutler mess.

In the nicest bit of schadenfreude that could be gifted upon Raider fandom, the story of Broncos management miffing Cutler certainly cheered many an Oakland fan’s heart. As a Raider backer, you’ve got to love the Broncos shooting themselves in the foot just as they were getting a good run together in free agency. And how excellent that Cutler’s broken heart was triggered by the Chiefs-Patriots deal! Nice.

While most figure the Chiefs will mostly be running with their younger players plus the occasional veteran in Vrabel and Tony Gonzalez, the final look of the new-look Broncos has yet to be determined. Potential attitude problem aside, Cutler will already be deadlier armed than he has in his NFL career heretofore. How the Raiders can adapt to the sort of barrage the Broncs threw at them during Week 1 of 2008 remains to be seen; here’s to thinking JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden (who accounted for 194 yards and three TDs in Denver in Week 12) will still do some damage against the Broncos in '09.

And who in Raider fandom who can recall the Norv Turner Era doesn’t love the slow graveyard spiral of the San Diego Chargers right about now? From 14-2 to 11-5 to 8-8 they go, prepared to enter 2009 with holes all over the offense. San Diego's activity in this free-agency period has mostly been limited to ... re-signing Kynan Forney? Oh, and they’re also reportedly talking to LaDainian Tomlinson, last seen sinking 1 million fantasy teams while rushing for 1,110 yards on one foot.

It may be way too early for concrete predictions, but here’s one anyway: The Chargers will pose little threat in 2009. If the Raiders’ game is one of adaptation, they’d be best off concentrating on a response to the Broncos for next season.
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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