The Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders have gone “all-in” in Free Agency to make the big time in the next few years. Add to that the Kansas City Chiefs, who are going a different way. The AFC West should be as competitive as it has ever been.

Munich – To call Free Agency spectacular this year would be a grandiose understatement. One blockbuster trade follows the next. And some of these deals certainly have the potential to change the balance of power in the entire NFL.

In fact, it seems to be the AFC West in particular that is benefiting from this shift in the balance of power. The Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and yes, even the Kansas City Chiefs should benefit from the recent mega-deals and make the AFC West the strongest division in the NFL.

We took a look at the situation with all four teams.

Las Vegas Raiders:

Las Vegas, it has always been a place of promise. The glamorous gambler’s metropolis in the Nevada desert promises happiness, entertainment and debauchery of all kinds. The Raiders haven’t quite lived up to those expectations after moving from Los Angeles two years ago. Last season ended with a loss in the Wildcard Round against the Cincinnati Bengals. So by Las Vegas standards, it’s pretty unspectacular.

The goal is nothing less than to bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the “Sin City”. The trade of superstar receiver Davante Adams underpins this claim. For a few days, the Raiders even made the ball catcher from Green Bay the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, before Tyreek Hill overtook him again.

Another superstar came in for the pass rush in Chandler Jones. Whether that’s enough to actually make quarterback Derek Carr’s team a Super Bowl contender remains to be seen. But to play any role at all in the revamped AFC West, high-profile reinforcements were definitely needed. Both Adams and Jones signed three-year contracts, and the Raiders have to be successful in that time frame. Otherwise, a severe hangover looms. Which is kind of fitting for Las Vegas.

Denver Broncos:

The Broncos are also going all-in, to stay in gambler-speak. The roster of the Colorado franchise is strong, but since the career end of Peyton Manning, the franchise quarterback is missing. That’s why Denver now brought in Russell Wilson from Seattle. The signal caller will already be 34 in the autumn, but should give the Broncos a window of three or four seasons in which winning the Super Bowl seems possible.

The Broncos are effectively repeating the Manning project. Then-general manager John Elway signed the 34-year-old quarterback in 2012 after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts. Although there were concerns due to cervical spine surgery, Manning was the missing piece of the puzzle that led the Broncos to the Super Bowl in 2013 and ultimately to the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2016.

Incidentally, the Broncos lost the 2013 Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks and a young Russell Wilson. Now, like Manning, the signal caller is looking to get his second ring in Denver’s high-altitude air.

Los Angeles Chargers:

While the quarterback position has been the problem for the Broncos, Justin Herbert has excelled in his first two seasons with the Chargers. The 24-year-old could define an era with the Californians. Now it’s a matter of putting a team alongside him that guarantees success.

The Chargers have stepped up their game, especially on defence, after missing the playoffs last season. Cornerback J.C. Jackson will close a construction site, the signing of Khalil Mack was a real blockbuster trade. The pass rusher who came from Chicago will put the fear of God into opposing teams’ quarterbacks with Joey Bosa.

So Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Derek Carr should dress warmly in the division duels. While the Chargers’ offence recorded the fourth most yards of all NFL teams last season, the defence was among the weakest third in the league. Now, look for that to change and make the Chargers a Super Bowl contender.

Kansas City Chiefs:

Where the other three teams are headed, the Kansas City Chiefs are coming from. The Missouri franchise won the 2019 Super Bowl with Patrick Mahomes and made another NFL final in 2020. Yet Mahomes is only 26 years old and has a high-paying contract until 2032.

At first glance, the Chiefs may seem like a loser in Free Agency, after all, Tyreek Hill, an absolute superstar, moved to Miami. However, a less expensive replacement has already been signed in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the Chiefs received plenty of draft picks for Hill. The Chiefs get to select a total of twelve players in next month’s draft, two in the first round, two in the second.

So there are a lot of holes to be filled and the team to be strengthened. The Chiefs will almost certainly remain a top team. After all, Mahomes is still at the beginning of his career. And Travis Kelce is still around too.

Conclusion:

Although the word is difficult in these times, it’s hard to describe it any other way: There is an unprecedented arms race going on in the AFC West right now. With the Raiders, the Broncos and the Chargers, three teams have signed costly free agents in order to hit the big time in the next few years. The Chiefs, who have given up Hill but hold a lot of trump cards in the draft, are taking a different approach.

The pumped-up AFC West with its superstars and top quarterbacks will be the best and most hotly contested division in the NFL next season. You don’t have to go too far out on a limb to make that prediction. Which, of course, can also ensure that high hopes are disappointed.