2013 Offseason Update, Week 7

A member of the Cleveland Browns since 1999, Phil Dawson went to
his second Pro Bowl in 2012 and is currently rated as the NFL's
7th most accurate kicker. Photo credit to SB Nation.

The NFL got very quiet over the weekend, just in time for everyone to turn their attention to March Madness. There was plenty of news in the first half of Week 7 though, so let’s get to it.

Major Additions

Most of the big additions this week came in the AFC. The lone exception was Phil Dawson signing with the 49ers. David Akers struggled mightily in 2012, just a year removed from a historic season in which he set the NFL record for field goals converted in a season. It just goes to show how short a kicker’s career is once he starts missing.

Tennessee nabbed a former Ravens in Bernard Pollard, but the bigger addition in my mind is Ryan Fitzpatrick. He will not be taking Jake Locker’s job, but he will provide competition. Locker progressed rather nicely in his second season but with Matt Hasselbeck out, the Titans would like to speed up the process.

Former Raven Ed Reed is headed to Houston. He visited the Texans last week but when he left without a deal we weren’t sure where he was headed next. Turns out they just needed to talk money and contract length.

With all these Ravens players leaving, it is nice that Baltimore finally got some good news Sunday afternoon when Elvis Dumervil signed with them. This comes a week after he signed a contract with the Denver Broncos that was voided because the document arrived via fax after the league’s deadline.

Rule Changes

The Tuck Rule is gone. Praise the Lord, right? It only came about a decade late. One rule was put into place, however, that most people are not too happy about.

The League’s new Crown-of-the-Helmet rule states that any player three or more yards downfield may not deliver a blow with the crown of his helmet. It isn’t a popular new rule, and I myself am not looking forward to a new slew of fines to come this season because of the change. However, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made an excellent point when he said, “Anybody that has played the game knows that when you’re going in on a higher hit you tackle with your eyes up. You see what you hit.”

We Have Football!

Well, not quite. But at least we know when we will have football again. The Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins will meet in Canton on August 4 for the NFL’s annual Hall of Fame Game, which kicks off the preseason.

The game will be played the day after the 2013 Hall of Fame Induction is held. This year’s class includes former greats such as Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden. Bill Parcells will be inducted in his second year on the ballot and Cris Carter will also be inducted after being slighted for several years.

Opening On the Road

The Super Bowl victor traditional hosts the NFL’s Kickoff Game on the Thursday (or Wednesday) following preseason to officially begin the regular season. A scheduling conflict with the Baltimore Orioles, who share a parking lot with the Ravens, will force the city’s NFL franchise to open their season on the road. There is no word yet on which team they will visit. The New England Patriots believed they will play the Ravens in Baltimore but perhaps the NFL will look kindly on Baltimore and not force them to visit such a difficult opponent in their first game of the season.

If I’m missing anything important, or if you just want to hear my thoughts on any other offseason news from the past week, feel free to contact me via my blog’s Facebook page or my Twitter account, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Update, Week 6

Wes Welker was introduced as a member of the Denver Broncos this week.
Photo credit to ESPN.

As I promised last week, I will continue my weekly updates even as I continue to be counted on to cover Maryland basketball for ACC Battles. Speaking of which, if you are an ACC fan, be sure to check out the site.

The biggest news of this past week was of course free agency, so that’s my focus today.

Major Additions

The biggest names among free agent signings this past week were the wide receivers. Peyton Manning already has two young receivers who are beginning to make their mark on the league, but now he has a seasoned veteran already used to playing with one of the all-time greats as the Broncos signed Wes Welker.

Greg Jennings felt “wanted” in Minnesota, so the Vikings signed their former division rival and the Patriots, to replace Welker, signed former Ram Danny Amendola.

Steven Jackson considered retirement, but found a home in Atlanta. The Falcons still have Jacquizz Rodgers, so they will share the load which should definitely help Jackson last a few more years in the league.

Former Lion Cliff Avril landed in Seattle as they want to bolster their defensive front and the Vikings found some potential competition for Christian Ponder by signing Matt Cassel, who was released by the Chiefs after Kansas City got Alex Smith.

Reports came out last night that Jake Long, who was considering returning to Miami, decided to accept a deal from St. Louis, which Sam Bradford must be ecstatic about.

Trying to Get it Right

The Dolphins and Browns have not been particularly competitive in my lifetime. I became aware of sports as Dan Marino’s career wound down and they have only had a couple of decent seasons since. The Browns just haven’t been good since Baltimore took their original team.

Both teams are trying to get it right and have been big players in free agency so far.

The Dolphins added Mike Wallace to complement Brian Hartline and give Ryan Tannehill a much needed second option. A bigger emphasis has been placed on defense so far. Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler were added to their linebacker corps and they brought back safety Chris Clemons. Expect them to continue to play their hand.

The Browns made several nice additions, but none better than on their defensive front. End Paul Kruger and Tackle Desmond Bryant were signed on the first day of free agency as Cleveland appears to be building around the defensive line. I’d like to see them emphasize the offense, but maybe they’re going about this as a multi-year project, which isn’t a bad idea when you’re as bad as the Browns.

High Profile Trades

Last week it was Chiefs acquisition of Alex Smith via trade with San Francisco. The NFC West again worked some deals this week. Anquan Boldin was likely going to be released by Baltimore. Instead, San Francisco managed to convince the Ravens to give him up for a sixth round pick as the 49ers did some nice thrift shopping.

Seattle preceded that move by trading for Percy Harvin. The Seahawks are going to be dangerous this year and these two teams are making it even harder for St. Louis and Arizona to have any chances of digging their way out of the abyss.

Fax Fiasco

The Broncos were seething, Elvis Dumervil was seething, and Dumervil’s agent was looking for anywhere to pass blame until he was fired just hours after huge mistake caused Dumervil to land in free agency.

Elvis Dumervil has just signed a contract to stay with Denver when suddenly it all came undone. Apparently the fax with his signed contract did not reach the Denver offices until minutes after the 4 p.m. deadline, causing Dumervil to become a free agent. This is a huge loss from a Denver defense already in need of some patchwork. This is a big step back that will be difficult to fully recover from this offseason.

If I’m missing anything important, or if you just want to hear my thoughts on any other offseason news from the past week, feel free to contact me via my blog’s Facebook page or my Twitter account, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Update, Week 5

Photo credit to NFL News Desk.

Every Monday during the offseason, I will be recapping some of the biggest stories of the previous week that I did not cover individually.

Before I get to last week’s news, I have a quick announcement. Contrary to previous offseason plans, I will not be posting every day of the week. I will continue with my weekly updates and will blog for big events that catch my attention. But, at least for the next month, I need to shift my focus to another project I am working on. I am a staff writer at ACC Battles, covering men’s and women’s basketball, as well as track & field, at the University of Maryland. It’s a great gig and I’m stoked to be a part of a brand new sports journalism medium.

However, it’s become even more involved than I previously expected, and it’s too important to me for me to half-ass it. So to keep my priorities in order, Puff on the NFL will have to go to the wayside for a little while as I pursue a fantastic opportunity to break into the field of sports journalism.

To Jet or Not To Jet

Darrelle Revis has been the center of trade rumors for a couple weeks now and it doesn’t look like it will end any time soon. Based on the limited information about a possible trade, teams’ dwindling interest, and there still being questions about Revis’ health, I’m thinking that the Jets don’t have any intention of trading Revis.

New York will not be allowed to place a franchise tag on Revis after this season when his contract expires and they don’t have the money to sign him long term. They need to trade him now if they want something back for him. But we have no idea how healthy Revis is or will be because the Jets won’t talk to his agents. Certainly a bizarre situation.

Free Agency

You’re free to check out SBNation.com’s list of the top 50 free agents, but here are some of my thoughts on their list.

Mike Wallace occasionally has issues with drops. He’s very athletic and an excellent receiver, but if I needed a WR, I’d go with someone a little more reliable. The one thing Wallace has going for him over Greg Jennings and Wes Welker is his youth.

Tony Gonzalez shouldn’t be on this list. He has already said if he comes back it won’t be for anyone but the Falcons. Sure Tony went back on his retirement plans, but I think he’s serious about this one.

Reggie Bush broke out in several games for the Dolphins this year. If he’s cheap enough, he’s worth the risk.

If I’m missing anything important, or if you just want to hear my thoughts on any other offseason news from the past week, feel free to contact me via my blog’s Facebook page or my Twitter account, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Needs: NFC West

I began going through the NFL division-by-division last week, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases seven divisions, so today I move on to the last one, the NFC South.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Arizona Cardinals

Players are already excited that they will get to play for Bruce Arians, who became the first interim head coach in NFL history to win Coach of the Year.

Arizona was my favorite spot for Alex Smith to land, but the 49ers didn’t want to keep him in the division, understandably. The Cardinals could go to the draft to find a new quarterback, but this year doesn’t have to offer at quarterback. They could make a play for Matt Flynn, but I haven’t seen so much as a thought about that from ESPN or NFL.com, so it probably won’t happen, which means Arizona will again struggle in 2013.

On the bright side, at least it might not be only the fault of the offense if this team struggles. Todd Bowles will take over as defensive coordinator after doing the impossible – making Philadelphia’s defense even worse than it was under Juan Castillo. Arizona has some playmakers on both sides of the ball, but they might not have the tools around them to enable them to perform as well as they could on a different team.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams have been on the up-and-up for a few years now, so when will their time be? With Steven Jackson officially out and both Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson set to become free agents, a lot of focus needs to be on offense for the time being.

St. Louis lost just one game against a division opponent this season, a 7-point loss in Week 17 visiting Seattle. So this is undoubtedly a good team, but they couldn’t get it done against other opponents. Granted they had a tough schedule, but you have to beat the teams you play, no excuses.

What I would like to see from the Rams is some speed. Ever since the “Greatest Show on Turf” came to an end, St. Louis has taken on a ‘bruiser’ mentality. I want to see them get some players who can stretch the field on offense and get to the quarterback quickly on defense. If they can get that, I’ll give this team a shot at a wild card. Until then, I still can’t see the light at the end of their tunnel.

San Francisco 49ers

Secondary, secondary, secondary. That must be the 49ers’ main focus this offseason because they’re just about set everywhere else. They have one of the best front sevens in the NFL, a young quarterback with quick feet and an incredibly accurate cannon for an arm, a solid running game, and a great receiving corps. Their offensive line isn’t bad either.

So the focus needs to be on the secondary. Dashon Goldson might be out, and 49ers fans probably won’t mind based on the pre-Super Bowl feedback I got from many of them. If they get rid of him I’m not sure who they’ll go after to replace him, but they’ll need to do that in addition to improving depth throughout the rest of their secondary.

In no way am I saying San Francisco’s secondary is bad. It is a very good unit. But when every other aspect of your team is among the best in the league and you’re ‘only’ middle-of-the-pack, you get noticed.

Seattle Seahawks

Richard Sherman needs to focus on working out this offseason rather than telling everyone that he’s a better corner than Darrelle Revis. In my opinion, neither of them is the best active corner, but that’s another story for another day.

Aside from that, Seattle is in a good spot. Their front seven could use some depth, but they made some significant strides in the final weeks of the 2012 season.

On offense the plan is simple; build around Russell Wilson. Add wide receivers, tight ends and depth at offensive line. Seattle has the simplest remedy of any team in the NFL, and that’s why I’m expecting a deep playoff run from them in 2013.

Next week I will go back to what I did the first couple weeks of the offseason. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Needs: NFC South

I began going through the NFL division-by-division last week, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases in all four AFC divisions and half of the NFC, so today I move on to the NFC South.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Atlanta Falcons

Tony Gonzalez has been wavering in his resolution to retire this offseason. We know that if he returns, it won’t be any city other than Atlanta. The Falcons are being very patient with Gonzalez, but they can only do so much this offseason without knowing if they can count on him to return in 2013.

William Moore is another free agent the Falcons need back. Their secondary needs some work, but if they can hold on to Moore, that’s one less piece they have to add from outside the organization. There are also rumors that Atlanta is one of the teams looking at Darrelle Revis. If they can get him for the right price, and if he is healthy, Revis would be a huge addition to their secondary.

John Braham is gone, which means the secondary is not the only area of concern for Atlanta. The Falcons played much better against the run during the postseason than during the regular season in 2012, but Abraham was a big part of that improvement. Without him, they need a new pass rusher, someone strong enough to stop running backs, including the bruisers who seem to be making a comeback, and versatile enough to contain the increased number of mobile quarterbacks, including Cam Newton.

On offense, the only real concern to address is in the run game.

Carolina Panthers

A lot of analysts keep talking about how much less confident they are in the Panthers heading into 2013 than they were heading into this past season. Cam Newton went through some sophomore growing pains, but played pretty well down the stretch. If he puts in good work this offseason, I can see the Panthers really making an improvement on offense. They question will be whether they can compete with three other good teams in their division.

Carolina found itself a fantastic young middle linebacker to build their defense around in Luke Kuechly. The defensive line and secondary need some work though and it may be a multi-offseason job to get this team into playoff contention in such a competitive division.

Depth at receiver is also an area that needs major attention. Steve Smith has enjoyed a couple of breakout seasons with Newton in town, but he isn’t getting any younger. Even while Smith is still around, the Panthers don’t have a decent second option for Newton to look to.

New Orleans Saints

Sean Payton is back, and that’s the most important thing New Orleans needed for this offseason. Even if they were to do nothing else this offseason, that would be enough for a major improvement on purely a mental level.

Rob Ryan is in town, so the defense will hopefully see an improvement. It would be hard for it to get any worse, but I’ll try not to jinx it.

The defense needs an almost compete overhaul, especially if Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma don’t take the pay cuts they’ve been asked to take. On offense, New Orleans may want to add some depth to their line and have to make decisions about what to do with their running backs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After seeing him pull what I consider to be cheap shots against the Giants and Cowboys this season, to say I am not a fan of Greg Schiano would be the understatement of the year. Still, he is a hell of a coach and showed this year that he can handle the task of leading a professional team. The Buccaneers finished the season 1-5, but that is still better than the 0-10 finish they had in 2011. They also won three more games, and I see more improvement to come in 2013.

Josh Freeman returned to form and is likely going to be considered Tampa Bay’s franchise quarterback from here on. They also found themselves an incredibly talented running back in Doug Martin. Offensively, I can’t think of a time when Tampa Bay has looked better, even going back to the Tony Dungy/Jon Gruden era.

Defensively, Tampa Bay was the best in the NFL against the run in 2012, but their pass defense was atrocious and the Bucs will have to put a lot of work into their secondary to avoid a duplicate performance in 2013.

Tomorrow I will cover the NFC West’s offseason needs, team-by-team. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Needs: NFC North

I began going through the NFL division-by-division last week, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases in all four AFC divisions, and yesterday I covered the NFC East, so today I move on to the NFC North.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Chicago Bears

Marc Trestman is a CFL coach in the NFL. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to a completely different game. It will also be interesting to see what twists he brings to the game plan that will catch other teams off guard.

As usual, the Bears biggest problem on offense is the line. The Redskins had the same problem for years but finally seemed to have it fixed in 2012. The Bears need to fix theirs for 2013, or Marc Trestman’s team will look rather similar to Lovie Smith’s.

It’s hard to find what they really need on defense, because their defense is so good. But they don’t have very much depth to an aging secondary, specifically at corner.

Detroit Lions

The Lions broke out in 2011 as one of the NFL’s most dangerous teams. Matt Stafford was healthy for the whole season, Calvin Johnson tore it up in the end zone, and nobody wanted to play them. Then the offseason came, and with it off-the-field issues. They’ll need to really clean up their act this season to keep the focus on football and getting back to their 2011 form in 2013.

The Lions will put a lot of attention on keeping Cliff Avril. They’ve already lost one good defensive end and really can’t get away with losing another if they want to be competitive next season.

Titus Young is gone, and it’s for the best. However, that loss does mean the Lions don’t have a real second receiver behind Megatron. They need depth at that position.

Defense is also an area that must be addressed. The Lions have a decent line if they can keep Avril, but their linebacker corps and secondary are not very good.

Green Bay Packers

Greg Jennings is a free agent. As we’ve said for years, though, the Packers have unrealistic depth at receiver, so I’m not expecting Jennings to return in 2013.

Defense is the area of concern for the Packers, as it has been since their Super Bowl year. Despite having a lot of playmakers and big names on defense, they give up a lot of yards. It might be time to trade one or two of their big names for some draft picks, because I’m less and less convinced every season that these guys know how to play together.

Minnesota Vikings

The only ray of sunshine I see for the Vikings right now is Adrian Peterson.

Christian Ponder is an okay quarterback, but he will have to do a lot of improving this offseason if he is going to help take this team back to the playoffs, especially if the Vikings don’t keep Percy Harvin. They don’t have much other talent at receiver. As good as Adrian Peterson is, if the Vikings have no passing game, he won’t carry them far.

Minnesota also needs to put a lot of work into their defense. Their secondary is okay but rarely impressed me as anything more than mediocre. Linebacker is a clear area of concern and they need to pick up a good interior lineman.

Tomorrow I will cover the NFC South’s offseason needs, team-by-team. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Needs: NFC East

I began going through the NFL division-by-division last week, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases in all four AFC divisions, so this week I move on to the NFC.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Dallas Cowboys

I will say it one more time, Tony Romo is a very good quarterback and the Cowboys are right to stick by him. He has struggled at times in more important games, but he is not the only one on the team who has done so. He may not have the ‘clutch gene,’ but if they put the right team around him, he won’t have to.

Rob Ryan is gone at defensive coordinator. Monte Kiffin is in and will switch Dallas back to the 4-3 scheme that was largely developed by former Cowboys coach, Tom Landry. What this means, is that the Cowboys are putting less weight on the linebacker corps and more on the defensive line, so they will have to add some depth there.

The offensive line has also been a problem for several seasons, and there is no way that Tony Romo will ever be able to execute in the clutch if his linemen can’t protect him. They need to pick up a solid prospect in the draft and maybe a good, but affordable, free agent for immediate results.

We also saw how injuries impacted their defense in 2012, especially in the secondary. Depth at safety is a must, and it wouldn’t hurt to add another talented corner.

New York Giants

The Giants were very disappointing in 2012, missing the playoffs the year after winning the Super Bowl for the second time under Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning. The silver lining in that, though, is that they don’t have to lose too many pieces from a team chockfull of talent.

Ahmad Bradshaw is gone, but David Wilson is ready to step up. Even with Andre Brown on the roster, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wilson getting 75% (or more) of the carries by Week 9.

The biggest loss New York stands to lose is Victor Cruz, who is a restricted free agent. I can think of several teams who would be willing to give up a second-rounder for Cruz, one of which is in the division. The Giants will need to step up and get Cruz the money he deserves.

The biggest issue for the Giants in 2012, as NFL.com described it, was consistency. The Giants rarely looked like the same team in consecutive weeks on either side of the ball and Eli Manning looked to be in a funk for much of the season, especially during one particular three-week stretch. The Giants will be one of the most talented teams in the NFL in 2013. They just have to show it.

Philadelphia Eagles

I’m excited to see what the Eagles do this year, not because I want them to do well, not because I think they can do well, but because I have no clue what to expect from them.

Nick Foles is a talented young quarterback, but he is still very raw. Of course, Michael Vick is back, but if he struggles to protect the ball, don’t expect their new coach to wait as long as Andy Reid did to make a change. Speaking of their new coach, Chip Kelly is an excellent college coach, but we’ve seen great college coaches crash and burn on the NFL level (see Steve Spurrier and Pete Carroll’s first tenure).

Secondary is an area that must be addressed. Philadelphia had very poor safety play in 2012 and word is that Nnamdi Asomugha may not be back in 2013 after two very underwhelming seasons.

Washington Redskins

7-0. That was the Redskins’ record over the final seven weeks of the 2012 regular season. It was a remarkable turnaround and they did it without Fred Davis who injured his Achilles early in the season and never returned. If he comes back and stays healthy both on and off the field, it will be a huge lift to an offense that will be tasked with picking up in Week 1 where they left off in Week 17.

Obviously, the biggest concern is getting Robert Griffin III to 100%. At this point, there is little doubt that it will happen. It is just a matter of when. But if he isn’t ready to go in Week 1, Redskins fans should feel confident that Kirk Cousins, who will spend this entire season as Washington’s #1 quarterback, can take care of the team during Griffin’s absence.

The only other real concern I have with this team is the defense. They ranked very high in stopping the run, and will be even better in 2013 with Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker set to return. But their pass defense was atrocious. They don’t need to be a top-5 or even a top-10 team against the pass. But if they can be middle-of-the-pack, rather than nearly dead last, the rest of the team will be talented enough to pick up the slack.

Tomorrow I will cover the NFC North’s offseason needs, team-by-team. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Update, Week 4

Andy Reid got Kansas City a quarterback. Now he has to decide what to
do with the team's top overall draft pick. Photo credit to CBS Sports.

Every Monday during the offseason, I will be recapping some of the biggest stories of the previous week that I did not cover individually. So let’s get to last week’s news.

QB Contracts

The biggest news out of the offseason’s fourth week was definitely quarterback contracts. Joe Flacco got a huge deal in Baltimore that local fans can only hope doesn’t rock the boat. Meanwhile, up north, Tom Brady reworked his contract to help clear cap space for the Patriots and ensure he will be in Foxboro through 2017.

I don’t have the full, year-by-year breakdown of Flacco’s contract, but I can tell you that in at least two of the next six seasons, Joe Flacco will make more than Tom Brady will in any single year of his five year contract, with his highest-paying year to come in 2017 when he is scheduled to make $15 million.

Now, if Baltimore does crash and burn because of Flacco’s new contract, Ravens fans can rest assured that it won’t happen in the first year of his contract. He will count for less than $7 million against the cap in 2013. Unfortunately, this means that he will be getting big numbers in the last three or four years of his contract and that could be crushing.

New England got the better deal as far as I’m concerned. Yes, Tom Brady’s whole contract is guaranteed money, which is unheard of. But to have a quarterback of his caliber and never have a year in which he is due more than $15 million is extremely rare, too.

Alex Smith Trade

Thought Joe Flacco and Tom Brady stole the spotlight, another huge story is the Alex Smith trade to Kansas City. The 49ers got a 15^th pick for the upcoming draft and a conditional pick in the 2014 draft. Andy Reid got Kansas City a quarterback for the first time since Trent Green.

Over five and a half seasons with Trent Green as their starting quarterback, the Chiefs compiled an average 48-40 record, including three winning seasons and two playoff appearances, of which they have had only one of each since.

The difference is that in Green’s first couple seasons in Kansas City, the Chiefs had little talent surrounding him. This year, they had several Pro Bowlers and way too much talent to be winning only two games. This ultimately was the reason Romeo Crennel was fired.

With Alex Smith, the Chiefs instantly become a wild-card contender, especially with a first overall draft pick and options for how to use it.

Darrelle Revis Trade Talk Picks Up Steam

About a week ago, reports came out of New York that the Jets might try to trade cornerback Darrelle Revis, who is coming off an ACL injury. So far, nothing I have read is anything more than speculation.

Still, it’s an interesting idea that the Jets could possibly trade away their most recognized current player, especially when nobody knows just how healthy he is, or even will be in 2013. But then, it is the Jets so anything is not only possibly, but likely.

Jeff Saturday a Colt Once More

No, Saturday will not suit up for Indianapolis, at least not on the field. Just before the Pro Bowl, he announced his intention to retire after this season, and he will do so. But he will go through the process many other great NFL players have done by signing a one-day contract and donning the Colts’ uniform one last time, retiring as a member of the team he spent almost all of his career with. The date for the official announcement has not yet been set.

Last week I wrote about the offseason needs of all 16 AFC teams, on division per day. Tomorrow I will start doing the same for the NFC, so be sure to check back daily.

If you would like to hear my thoughts on any other offseason news from the past week, feel free to contact me via my blog’s Facebook page or my Twitter account, @cpuffnfl.

2013 Offseason Needs: AFC West

This week and next, between Tuesday and Friday, I am going through the NFL division-by-division, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases in the AFC East, AFC North and AFC South, so today I move on to the AFC West.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Denver Broncos

Denver’s offense doesn’t worry me. Manning will be healthier with an offseason to work at full strength. Knowshon Moreno also has an offseason to continue recovering from an injury that caused him to miss a lot of the middle part of the 2012 season. They have good depth at running back and receiver, their offensive line did a good job keeping Peyton on his feet, and unlike a lot of analysts, I’m a fan from what little I’ve seen of Brock Osweiler, their backup signal caller.

What Denver needs this offseason is defensive pieces, specifically in the secondary. A very weak schedule down the stretch hid some of their holes, but they were put on full display by a bizarre but effective offensive game plan by the Ravens in the divisional round. They need to add a good safety to help over the top. Denver has a few of the better corners in the league, but they’ll have off days like Champ Bailey did against Baltimore. Their safeties were unable to give help over top in that game, and that can’t be the case next year if Denver wants to be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Kansas City Chiefs

As soon as Kansas City picked up Andy Reid, I liked their chances for next season. Reid is still an excellent coach; it was just time for a change of scenery. Now they’ve picked up Alex Smith in what I consider a very fair trade with San Francisco. This team had the talent of a playoff team on a 2-14 team last season. Now they have a quarterback, and that could get them to the playoffs next season.

With the addition of Smith, I think there’s a better chance of keeping Dwayne Bowe, at the right price. Another thing that the trade gives them the ability to do is trade their #1 draft pick for more picks in this year’s draft, or to just take the best player available, which I guarantee you is not a quarterback.

Other than that, just add depth to the defensive unit and a wide receiver or two and this is a playoff caliber team.

Oakland Raiders

Oakland is a tough cookie to crack. Carson Palmer hasn’t panned out to this point, but it’s hard to say they should just get rid of him and go with Terrelle Pryor, who we haven’t seen much of since his days at Ohio State.

There is no doubt that this is a time of rebuilding in Oakland, and this project is going to take a few years. McFadden will likely be gone, if not this offseason then next; whenever the Raiders realize that they need more talent across the board rather than all their talent in one position.

After that, it will just be a matter of taken the best player available with each of their draft picks, because they don’t have much cap room to play with in free agency. Oakland is a mess and I think their 10-season run without a playoff appearance is going to increase by a few more years, especially with Denver a perennial contender for at least another three years and both Kansas City and San Diego likely on their way back up.

San Diego Chargers

I’m sure Denver would have liked to hold on to Mike McCoy as their offensive coordinator, but the way he’s carried himself over the past two seasons, getting the Broncos to the playoffs with Tim Tebow and then meeting Peyton Manning halfway in a brand new offense, he’s earned his job as head coach in San Diego. Believe it or not, Norv Turner has not put this team beyond repair. Philip Rivers is still a good quarterback and there’s a good shot that with McCoy’s help, we’ll see a little of the old Rivers in 2013.

I also liked McCoy’s hire at offensive coordinator, nabbing Ken Whisenhunt, who did good work in Arizona when he had decent quarterbacks leading his offenses.

The biggest areas of concern are the line on offense and the secondary on defense. Rivers was rarely given time in the pocket to go through more than a couple of his progressions, and their defense struggled mightily in the passing game. Depth in the backfield is also a concern with Ryan Mathews struggling to stay healthy.

On Monday I will recap the biggest news stories from the NFL of this week, then I will do what I’ve done for the past four days, but for the NFC divisions. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.