http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/03..._rest_of_west/
RAND: Free agency weakens rest of West
Mar 16, 2006, 3:36:49 AM by Jonathan Rand - FAQ
The Chiefs are off to a fine start in free agency, and, as of this writing, they haven’t even made one significant addition. Call this addition by subtraction. Each of the Chiefs’ AFC West rivals already has lost at least one impact player.
The Broncos, Chargers and Raiders are weaker than they were before the 11th-hour salary cap cuts and start of free agency. The Chiefs are the same old, same old, minus cornerback Eric Warfield and backup quarterback Todd Collins.
No reasonable person would suggest that standing pat is the key to success for the Chiefs. Yet three key rivals have major holes to fill.
The Broncos, defending division champions, dumped Mike Anderson, their top running back, and Trevor Pryce, their top defensive lineman. Both now are Ravens and Pryce’s market value must have skyrocketed after he made the Chiefs’ lives miserable in the Broncos’ 30-10 Monday night victory last September.
The Broncos seem set to go with Ron Dayne as their starting running back. Denver coach Mike Shanahan has an amazing history of replacing one 1,000-yard rusher with another, thanks in part to standout blocking and a well-established scheme. Some of those 1,000-yard rushers were ordinary producers before Shanahan gave them a chance.
Now, Dayne will be asked to step up to a new level while being paired with a quarterback, Jake Plummer, whose mistake-prone reputation was rekindled in the playoffs. The Broncos probably would be favored to repeat as division champs if the season started today, but it’s hard to believe they’re as strong as last season’s 13-3 team.
The Chargers, plagued by tough losses and a brutal season-ending schedule, may have been one of the best nine-win teams in NFL history last year. That wouldn’t have been the case without quarterback Drew Brees, who’s blossomed over the last two seasons.
Now, Brees is a Saint and Marty Schottenheimer will bank on Philip Rivers, the second-rated quarterback in the 2004 draft. But he’s spent two seasons gathering rust and it’s anybody’s guess if he can make anybody in San Diego forget Brees.
At least the Chargers have a viable alternative at quarterback. The Raiders have none since they released Kerry Collins, who failed to duplicate his success in New York, where he led the Giants to the NFC title in 2000. Daunte Culpepper, the out-of-favor Viking who seemed a logical replacement for Collins, instead was traded to the Dolphins.
Maybe the Raiders will seek a starting quarterback in the draft. The Saints, after signing Brees, will be shopping the second overall pick, where USC’s Matt Leinart should be sitting. There’s also the chance that Vince Young could fall to the Raiders, who have the seventh overall pick, thanks to a 4-12 finish.
This speculation started because Young, since leading Texas to a national championship, has been trashed worse than Kemper Arena was during the campaign for a new downtown arena. Even if Young did drop that far, would he be ready to start as a rookie? As an NFL passer, he’s considered a project.
Obviously, it’s premature to rate the free-agency winners and losers. The Chiefs’ division rivals may all make brilliant personnel moves before training camp. The Chiefs may fill their key needs, notably cornerback, defensive tackle and backup quarterback. Bringing in cornerback Will Allen and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard for interviews are steps in the right direction.
Who knows how all this is going to play out? Yet this much is certain – the key players lost by the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders aren’t going back any time soon.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.
A former sportswriter and columnist in Kansas City and Miami, Rand has covered the NFL for three decades and seen 23 Super Bowl games. His column appears twice weekly in-season
KC better by doing nothing
KC better by doing nothing
I'm not just a homer I know about other teams as well. 
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