As expected, Joey Clinkscales is joining his childhood friend in Oakland.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Clinkscales, former Jets director of college scouting, is taking a prominent scouting job with the Raiders; there is a strong chance it will be on the pro-personnel side. The Raiders have reportedly already hired Green Bay’s Shaun Herock as their college scouting director.
ESPN New York reported prior to the draft that the Jets and Clinkscales were headed for a mutual parting of the ways, and that Clinkscales would likely end up in Oakland. Clinkscales played at the University of Tennessee and was childhood friends with Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie.
McKenzie has been making wholesale changes since he took over in Oakland in January.
In other AFC West news:
Two Kansas City rookies will miss a day of minicamp so they can graduate from college. Class move, Romeo Crennel. Jeff Allen and Tim Biere will have a million more NFL practice days. No more graduation days.
Kansas City signed defensive end Ropati Pitoitua. Pitoitua, 27, played in 22 games with the New York Jets over the 2009 and 2011 seasons; he will be a bottom-of-the-roster type if he makes the team.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Clinkscales, former Jets director of college scouting, is taking a prominent scouting job with the Raiders; there is a strong chance it will be on the pro-personnel side. The Raiders have reportedly already hired Green Bay’s Shaun Herock as their college scouting director.
ESPN New York reported prior to the draft that the Jets and Clinkscales were headed for a mutual parting of the ways, and that Clinkscales would likely end up in Oakland. Clinkscales played at the University of Tennessee and was childhood friends with Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie.
McKenzie has been making wholesale changes since he took over in Oakland in January.
In other AFC West news:
Two Kansas City rookies will miss a day of minicamp so they can graduate from college. Class move, Romeo Crennel. Jeff Allen and Tim Biere will have a million more NFL practice days. No more graduation days.
Kansas City signed defensive end Ropati Pitoitua. Pitoitua, 27, played in 22 games with the New York Jets over the 2009 and 2011 seasons; he will be a bottom-of-the-roster type if he makes the team.
I won’t make it a habit to disagree with Jerry Rice about the wide receiver position. I think it makes good sense to defer to the greatest receiver of all-time on the subject.
However, on NFL Live on Tuesday, the ESPN analyst said something I can’t be on board with -- Terrell Owens would fit in with the Oakland Raiders.
Asked if he thought Owens would fit in with an NFL team, Rice said he thought the Raiders would be a fit because they could use a veteran to go along with their several young receivers.
Adding fuel to the possibility, of course, is Owens is friends and former teammates with Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer. Owens worked out with Palmer and some Oakland receivers this offseason.
Still, I don’t like the fit.
The Raiders are going in a new direction in leadership and I think a player like Owens would not be a good addition to the locker room to start the Reggie McKenzie-Dennis Allen era. Owens can be a distraction. The Raiders don’t need any distractions.
Plus, Owens is 38 and he did not play in the NFL in 2011. Where’s the appeal here?
Rice is right that Oakland’s receiving crew is young. But these players need to play and develop. Having Owens taking away repetitions from the likes of Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy and rookie Juron Criner just doesn’t make sense to me.
Again, it’s not wise to argue the reviver position with Jerry Rice. But I think it would be less wise for Oakland to pursue Owens.
However, on NFL Live on Tuesday, the ESPN analyst said something I can’t be on board with -- Terrell Owens would fit in with the Oakland Raiders.
Asked if he thought Owens would fit in with an NFL team, Rice said he thought the Raiders would be a fit because they could use a veteran to go along with their several young receivers.
Adding fuel to the possibility, of course, is Owens is friends and former teammates with Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer. Owens worked out with Palmer and some Oakland receivers this offseason.
Still, I don’t like the fit.
The Raiders are going in a new direction in leadership and I think a player like Owens would not be a good addition to the locker room to start the Reggie McKenzie-Dennis Allen era. Owens can be a distraction. The Raiders don’t need any distractions.
Plus, Owens is 38 and he did not play in the NFL in 2011. Where’s the appeal here?
Rice is right that Oakland’s receiving crew is young. But these players need to play and develop. Having Owens taking away repetitions from the likes of Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy and rookie Juron Criner just doesn’t make sense to me.
Again, it’s not wise to argue the reviver position with Jerry Rice. But I think it would be less wise for Oakland to pursue Owens.
The San Diego Chargers couldn’t believe Melvin Ingram fell to them in last month’s draft, and they didn’t waste much time in officially making him a member of the team.
As a testament to the new rookie NFL world, the Chargers have announced they have signed Ingram. The South Carolina pass-rusher was the No. 18 overall pick in the draft. He was expected to be a top-10 pick.
With Ingram signed, the Chargers now can rest easy, knowing their top pick will be at training camp on time. The team also announced the signings of second-round pick Kendall Reyes (it was previously reported Tuesday) and seventh-round pick, center David Molk.
All three players signed for four years. Ingram’s deal has a fifth-year team option, which is standard for first-round picks. Ingram is the second first-round pick to sign this year, joining the Seahawks’ Bruce Irvin.
Because of the new CBA and rookie pay structure, draft-pick signings have become much easier to negotiate than in the past. Thus, draft picks are signing quicker than in the past.
As a testament to the new rookie NFL world, the Chargers have announced they have signed Ingram. The South Carolina pass-rusher was the No. 18 overall pick in the draft. He was expected to be a top-10 pick.
With Ingram signed, the Chargers now can rest easy, knowing their top pick will be at training camp on time. The team also announced the signings of second-round pick Kendall Reyes (it was previously reported Tuesday) and seventh-round pick, center David Molk.
All three players signed for four years. Ingram’s deal has a fifth-year team option, which is standard for first-round picks. Ingram is the second first-round pick to sign this year, joining the Seahawks’ Bruce Irvin.
Because of the new CBA and rookie pay structure, draft-pick signings have become much easier to negotiate than in the past. Thus, draft picks are signing quicker than in the past.
The Oakland Raiders announced Tuesday that four long-time members of the Al Davis front office -- George Karras, Bruce Kebric, Jon Kingdon and Kent McCloughan -- will leave the team.
The departures of Kindgon and Kebric had been reported, and wholesale changes have been expected since Reggie McKenzie became the team’s general manager in January. Davis died in October at the age of 82.
The team said Kebric and Kingdon were relieved of their duties, while Karras and McCloughan will retire.
“This was a very difficult decision, because these individuals have been part of this organization for all or parts of four decades,” McKenzie said in the statement. “We’re grateful for their dedicated service to the Raiders.”
Former Green Bay front office member Shawn Herock reportedly will become Oakland’s director of college scouting. In its release Tuesday, the team said McKenzie plans to announce a restructuring of the team’s player-personnel department this month. Expect major changes in the scouting personnel.
McCloughan, who first joined the team as a cornerback in the 1960s, had this to say about his time with the Raiders in the team’s release:
“I had talked to Al Davis when I turned 65 and he said, ‘Listen, young man: You’re not quitting before I do.’ I owe him a lot. He was so nice to my family and me. We had some great years, including when Ron Wolf was with us. We won a lot of games. I had the opportunity to work 47 years with one team. I enjoyed it so much. I thought Al Davis was an outstanding person and boss. I enjoyed the scouting department, the coaches and players I had the opportunity to work with, and I’ll always be a Raider. I’m going out about as good as a person can go out. You couldn’t have written a better story for me. I have the NFL Sunday Ticket, and I’ll still be watching all the games. I might even come out to training camp. I wish Reggie and the entire organization the best.”
The departures of Kindgon and Kebric had been reported, and wholesale changes have been expected since Reggie McKenzie became the team’s general manager in January. Davis died in October at the age of 82.
The team said Kebric and Kingdon were relieved of their duties, while Karras and McCloughan will retire.
“This was a very difficult decision, because these individuals have been part of this organization for all or parts of four decades,” McKenzie said in the statement. “We’re grateful for their dedicated service to the Raiders.”
Former Green Bay front office member Shawn Herock reportedly will become Oakland’s director of college scouting. In its release Tuesday, the team said McKenzie plans to announce a restructuring of the team’s player-personnel department this month. Expect major changes in the scouting personnel.
McCloughan, who first joined the team as a cornerback in the 1960s, had this to say about his time with the Raiders in the team’s release:
“I had talked to Al Davis when I turned 65 and he said, ‘Listen, young man: You’re not quitting before I do.’ I owe him a lot. He was so nice to my family and me. We had some great years, including when Ron Wolf was with us. We won a lot of games. I had the opportunity to work 47 years with one team. I enjoyed it so much. I thought Al Davis was an outstanding person and boss. I enjoyed the scouting department, the coaches and players I had the opportunity to work with, and I’ll always be a Raider. I’m going out about as good as a person can go out. You couldn’t have written a better story for me. I have the NFL Sunday Ticket, and I’ll still be watching all the games. I might even come out to training camp. I wish Reggie and the entire organization the best.”
We reportedly have our first 2012 draft pick signing in the AFC West.
U-T San Diego is reporting that the Chargers have signed second-round pick Kendall Reyes. The defensive lineman from Connecticut was taken with the No. 49 pick. He is expected to be an instant contributor.
There have been some draft-pick signings around the league. This is the first reported draft-pick signing in the AFC West. Because of the new CBA and rookie pay structure, draft-pick signings have become much easier to negotiate than in the past, and the days of rookie holdouts are, for the most part, likely over.
In other AFC West news:
Please check out Elizabeth Merrill’s surprising piece on the terrible tragedies that have haunted the 1994 San Diego Chargers, the only team in franchise history to go to the Super Bowl. Superstar linebacker Junior Seau -- the face of that team -- was the eighth player on that team to die. He died last Wednesday at the age of 43. His death has been ruled a suicide.
In an Insider post
, the number diggers at Football Outsiders look at the biggest remaining holes/needs for each AFC West team. There are a couple of expected areas examined, but there are also some surprise selections.
U-T San Diego is reporting that the Chargers have signed second-round pick Kendall Reyes. The defensive lineman from Connecticut was taken with the No. 49 pick. He is expected to be an instant contributor.
There have been some draft-pick signings around the league. This is the first reported draft-pick signing in the AFC West. Because of the new CBA and rookie pay structure, draft-pick signings have become much easier to negotiate than in the past, and the days of rookie holdouts are, for the most part, likely over.
In other AFC West news:
Please check out Elizabeth Merrill’s surprising piece on the terrible tragedies that have haunted the 1994 San Diego Chargers, the only team in franchise history to go to the Super Bowl. Superstar linebacker Junior Seau -- the face of that team -- was the eighth player on that team to die. He died last Wednesday at the age of 43. His death has been ruled a suicide.
In an Insider post
, the number diggers at Football Outsiders look at the biggest remaining holes/needs for each AFC West team. There are a couple of expected areas examined, but there are also some surprise selections.
I’ve received a lot of questions from readers about the impact of the Broncos parting ways with general manager Brian Xanders on Monday.
I know the move appeared to come out of the blue, and the fact that a general manager has left the team can result in major change. But allow me to reiterate my thoughts from Monday when the news broke: Nothing will change in Denver.
There will not be any structural or philosophical change. Xanders was not in command of the team, nor did he make major decisions. He was third in charge.
President John Elway is essentially the general manager in Denver. He is the decision-maker, and he works in accord with coach John Fox.
Xanders is a smart football man, but his role was reduced because of Elway’s appointment as executive vice president last year. Elway is comfortable in his role.
Xanders simply wasn’t in the team’s plans. But his departure does not mean the Broncos will be run differently than they have since Elway took over.
I know the move appeared to come out of the blue, and the fact that a general manager has left the team can result in major change. But allow me to reiterate my thoughts from Monday when the news broke: Nothing will change in Denver.
There will not be any structural or philosophical change. Xanders was not in command of the team, nor did he make major decisions. He was third in charge.
President John Elway is essentially the general manager in Denver. He is the decision-maker, and he works in accord with coach John Fox.
Xanders is a smart football man, but his role was reduced because of Elway’s appointment as executive vice president last year. Elway is comfortable in his role.
Xanders simply wasn’t in the team’s plans. But his departure does not mean the Broncos will be run differently than they have since Elway took over.
There is an AFC West battle for Drayton Florence.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the popular recently released cornerback will visit the Broncos this week. San Diego is also highly interested in Florence. He spent his first five NFL season in San Diego.
Florence was cut by Buffalo last week. Schefter also reports that Florence will visit Tennessee this week. Florence would likely be the nickel cornerback in both San Diego and in Denver.
The Broncos have been looking for a veteran cornerback to pair with starters Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter. Denver pursued trading for Asante Samuel before he was sent from Philadelphia to Atlanta last month.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the popular recently released cornerback will visit the Broncos this week. San Diego is also highly interested in Florence. He spent his first five NFL season in San Diego.
Florence was cut by Buffalo last week. Schefter also reports that Florence will visit Tennessee this week. Florence would likely be the nickel cornerback in both San Diego and in Denver.
The Broncos have been looking for a veteran cornerback to pair with starters Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter. Denver pursued trading for Asante Samuel before he was sent from Philadelphia to Atlanta last month.
Video: Blogger blitz -- Kansas City Patriots
May, 8, 2012
May 8
2:30
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
AFC West blogger Bill Williamson talks about the continuing influence of the New England Patriots on the Kansas City Chiefs.
While Ryan McBean's fight with the NFL is over, D.J. Williams is continuing his battle.
The Denver Post reported that McBean has agreed to drop his lawsuit against the league and his NFL suspension has been dropped from six games to three. Denver released McBean last month. He signed with the Ravens on Monday.
Both McBean and Williams were suspended for six games for using a banned substance earlier this offseason. Both players immediately decided to sue the league to get their suspensions overruled. The paper reports Williams is continuing on with his lawsuit.
It is not clear if Williams was offered to have his suspension reduced in exchange for dropping the lawsuit as McBean did.
Williams is one of Denver’s better defensive players.
In other AFC West news:
The Denver Post reported that McBean has agreed to drop his lawsuit against the league and his NFL suspension has been dropped from six games to three. Denver released McBean last month. He signed with the Ravens on Monday.
Both McBean and Williams were suspended for six games for using a banned substance earlier this offseason. Both players immediately decided to sue the league to get their suspensions overruled. The paper reports Williams is continuing on with his lawsuit.
It is not clear if Williams was offered to have his suspension reduced in exchange for dropping the lawsuit as McBean did.
Williams is one of Denver’s better defensive players.
In other AFC West news:
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting Tennessee is visiting with cornerback Drayton Florence on Wednesday. The Chargers are highly interested in Florence. He spent his first five NFL seasons in San Diego. The Chargers want him to be their nickel cornerback. He was cut by Buffalo last week.
- Atlanta cut fullback Ovie Mughelli. Denver may be among the teams interested in adding a fullback.
- The Raiders signed center Colin Miller. He was in Pittsburgh’s camp last season. He faces an uphill battle to make the Raiders’ roster.
Last week, in our AFC West poll, readers voted that the San Diego Chargers had the best draft in the AFC West.
I agree. The Chargers had a great draft as they snared great value throughout, and added potential instant impact defenders Melvin Ingram, Kendall Reyes, and Brandon Taylor in the first three rounds.
The Chargers, in a pivotal year for general manager A.J. Smith and coach Norv Turner, also had a solid free agency, adding several key pieces.
The Chargers were 8-8 last season and did not make the playoffs for the second straight season. Do you think their productivity in free agency and in the draft was enough to make the Chargers a true playoff contender again?
Please take our poll. We will review the results Wednesday.
The Chargers, in a pivotal year for general manager A.J. Smith and coach Norv Turner, also had a solid free agency, adding several key pieces.
The Chargers were 8-8 last season and did not make the playoffs for the second straight season. Do you think their productivity in free agency and in the draft was enough to make the Chargers a true playoff contender again?
Please take our poll. We will review the results Wednesday.
It’s no surprise the San Diego Chargers released linebacker Travis LaBoy.
The Chargers selected South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram with the No. 18 pick in the draft last month and he will start at an outside linebacker spot. There just wasn’t room for LaBoy.
LaBoy was a favorite of former San Diego defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and was signed last year. Both were in San Francisco in 2010 but Manuskly was fired after the end of last season.
LaBoy started 14 games and had 38 tackles. He didn’t provide a consistent pass rush burst and finished with just one sack. Adding a pass-rusher was one of the Chargers’ biggest needs this offseason.
Meanwhile, the Chargers remain highly interested in cornerback Drayton Florence. He was cut by Buffalo last week. Florence spent his first five NFL seasons in San Diego and could be a nickel cornerback. A decision could be made this week.
The Chargers selected South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram with the No. 18 pick in the draft last month and he will start at an outside linebacker spot. There just wasn’t room for LaBoy.
LaBoy was a favorite of former San Diego defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and was signed last year. Both were in San Francisco in 2010 but Manuskly was fired after the end of last season.
LaBoy started 14 games and had 38 tackles. He didn’t provide a consistent pass rush burst and finished with just one sack. Adding a pass-rusher was one of the Chargers’ biggest needs this offseason.
Meanwhile, the Chargers remain highly interested in cornerback Drayton Florence. He was cut by Buffalo last week. Florence spent his first five NFL seasons in San Diego and could be a nickel cornerback. A decision could be made this week.
The three-man leadership structure is Denver is down to two.
General manager Brian Xanders is no longer with the team.
Denver leader John Elway and Xanders told the Denver Post that the team and Xanders have mutually parted ways. Elway told the paper the Broncos are streamlining their leadership structure and Xanders will not be replaced.
I think the move was made because Elway is comfortable in his role. The legendary quarterback became Denver’s primary football decision maker in Jan. 2011.
Elway released this statement:
“Brian deserves a tremendous amount of credit and recognition for the contributions he made to the Broncos during his four years with the organization. His hard work and dedication played a major role in the recent success of our team, most notably last season’s division title and playoff win.
“Brian and I had a very productive conversation earlier today. Although it was an extremely difficult decision, it became clear that it was best for both the Broncos and Brian to part ways. I believe a change to the structure of our football operations will be mutually beneficial, allowing the department to improve its efficiency while affording Brian the opportunity to continue his promising career with another NFL team.
“My responsibility to the Broncos and our fans is to build a championship football team. The setup we have throughout every phase of our football operations will better position us for success going forward.
“Making a change with someone of Brian’s caliber is not easy. I thank him for everything he did for the Broncos and wish him all the best as he continues his career.”
In the past year it became clear the Broncos were top heavy. Elway and coach John Fox have a terrific working relationship and there is a great comfort level between the two.
Simply put, there just wasn’t enough for Xanders to do. Elway is essentially the general manager and Xanders’ role was decreasing. After a little more than a year into the Elway-Fox relationship, the Broncos felt comfortable moving on with a smaller leadership core.
Mike Shanahan brought in Xanders in 2008 and was promoted to general manager early in the Josh McDaniels’ era in 2009. When Elway became the leader in Denver, Xanders’ future was clear.
This decision is another sign that the Broncos are Elway's team.
One of the reasons why pass-rusher Melvin Ingram fell to the San Diego Chargers at the No. 18 pick in the recent NFL draft was his relatively short arms.
The South Carolina product was expected to be a top-10 pick yet one of the few red flags on Ingram is he doesn’t have the long arms that classic pass-rushers have. Ingram’s arm length is 31.5 inches, according to Steve Muench of Scouts Inc.
The Chargers aren’t worried about Ingram’s arms and were thrilled that Ingram fell to them. San Diego general manager A.J. Smith quipped to U-T San Diego about Ingram’s supposed issue:"I think Melvin will have the same problem Tyrannosaurus rex had millions of years ago."
Still, teams prefer pass-rushers with longer arms because it allows them to separate quickly from offensive linemen. Still short-arm pass-rushers can have success. Two of the better pass-rushers in the NFL, Kansas City’s Tamba Hali and Minnesota’s Jared Allen, have arms in the same length range as Ingram.
Muench is not worried about Ingram’s shorter arms being an issue.
“The thing I love about Ingram is he makes plays on film and against the highest level of collegiate competition,” Muench said. “I think he has the motor, active hands and motor to overcome an concerns about his length.”
The South Carolina product was expected to be a top-10 pick yet one of the few red flags on Ingram is he doesn’t have the long arms that classic pass-rushers have. Ingram’s arm length is 31.5 inches, according to Steve Muench of Scouts Inc.
The Chargers aren’t worried about Ingram’s arms and were thrilled that Ingram fell to them. San Diego general manager A.J. Smith quipped to U-T San Diego about Ingram’s supposed issue:"I think Melvin will have the same problem Tyrannosaurus rex had millions of years ago."
Still, teams prefer pass-rushers with longer arms because it allows them to separate quickly from offensive linemen. Still short-arm pass-rushers can have success. Two of the better pass-rushers in the NFL, Kansas City’s Tamba Hali and Minnesota’s Jared Allen, have arms in the same length range as Ingram.
Muench is not worried about Ingram’s shorter arms being an issue.
“The thing I love about Ingram is he makes plays on film and against the highest level of collegiate competition,” Muench said. “I think he has the motor, active hands and motor to overcome an concerns about his length.”
Oakland strong safety Tyvon Branch reportedly will sign his franchise tender Monday and he is expected join the team in its offseason workouts.
NFL Network reported that Branch will sign the tender guaranteeing him a salary of $6.2 million in 2012. The Raiders placed the franchise tag on Branch in March.
Branch and the team are trying to come to terms with a long-term deal. They have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal. If the deadline passes without Branch signing an extension, he will play for the franchise tender amount. He is due to be a free agent in 2013.
UPDATE: The Raiders announced Monday afternoon that Branch has signed his tender.
In other AFC West news:
Former Denver defensive tackle Ryan McBean has signed with Baltimore. He is facing a six-game NFL suspension for using a banned substance.
NFL Network reported that Branch will sign the tender guaranteeing him a salary of $6.2 million in 2012. The Raiders placed the franchise tag on Branch in March.
Branch and the team are trying to come to terms with a long-term deal. They have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal. If the deadline passes without Branch signing an extension, he will play for the franchise tender amount. He is due to be a free agent in 2013.
UPDATE: The Raiders announced Monday afternoon that Branch has signed his tender.
In other AFC West news:
Former Denver defensive tackle Ryan McBean has signed with Baltimore. He is facing a six-game NFL suspension for using a banned substance.
In March, we ranked the AFC West quarterbacks after the arrival of Peyton Manning in the division. We are continuing our post-draft tradition of ranking the positions every Monday. Today, we’re look at the tailbacks.
Here are the guidelines: My rankings are based on past play and projected 2012 performances and roles. Rookies are eligible. I only rank players who I am sure will have a role. If I think a third stringer is worthy, I’ll list him. If I don’t think a second stringer is worthy, I won’t list him.
1. Darren McFadden, Oakland: This was a tough choice between McFadden and Jamaal Charles. I went with McFadden because he played more last season and his foot injury was less serious than Charles' knee injury. When healthy, McFadden is a game changer but he has to show durability.
2. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City: I think Charles will come back from his torn ACL. If he still has the same game-breaking speed, the Chiefs will be in great shape.
3. Willis McGahee, Denver: McGahee was my division MVP last season. He will turn 31 this season and he was dinged up last season. I think McGahee can still be very effective if he gets some help. He is a tough player.
4. Ryan Mathews, San Diego: Mathews is a good player and I expect him to be higher on this list next year. Entering his third year, Mathews could be a breakout player if he stays healthy and focused.
5. Peyton Hillis, Kansas City: He was an intriguing pickup in free agency. Hillis is a tough runner who will help the Chiefs.
6. Taiwan Jones, Oakland: I would like to see Oakland get a veteran running back and make Jones a change-of-pace option and not McFadden’s primary backup. I think Jones will be most effective that way.
7. Ronnie Hillman, Denver: He is a home-run hitter who could excel in Manning’s offense. I expect exciting things from this third-round pick.
8. Knowshon Moreno, Denver: I’m only putting Moreno here because he was a first-round pick three years ago. He is coming off a torn ACL and an arrest for drunk driving. He could surprise me, but I’m not expecting much.
Here are the guidelines: My rankings are based on past play and projected 2012 performances and roles. Rookies are eligible. I only rank players who I am sure will have a role. If I think a third stringer is worthy, I’ll list him. If I don’t think a second stringer is worthy, I won’t list him.
1. Darren McFadden, Oakland: This was a tough choice between McFadden and Jamaal Charles. I went with McFadden because he played more last season and his foot injury was less serious than Charles' knee injury. When healthy, McFadden is a game changer but he has to show durability.
2. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City: I think Charles will come back from his torn ACL. If he still has the same game-breaking speed, the Chiefs will be in great shape.
3. Willis McGahee, Denver: McGahee was my division MVP last season. He will turn 31 this season and he was dinged up last season. I think McGahee can still be very effective if he gets some help. He is a tough player.
4. Ryan Mathews, San Diego: Mathews is a good player and I expect him to be higher on this list next year. Entering his third year, Mathews could be a breakout player if he stays healthy and focused.
5. Peyton Hillis, Kansas City: He was an intriguing pickup in free agency. Hillis is a tough runner who will help the Chiefs.
6. Taiwan Jones, Oakland: I would like to see Oakland get a veteran running back and make Jones a change-of-pace option and not McFadden’s primary backup. I think Jones will be most effective that way.
7. Ronnie Hillman, Denver: He is a home-run hitter who could excel in Manning’s offense. I expect exciting things from this third-round pick.
8. Knowshon Moreno, Denver: I’m only putting Moreno here because he was a first-round pick three years ago. He is coming off a torn ACL and an arrest for drunk driving. He could surprise me, but I’m not expecting much.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Bill Williamson
Williamson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Denver Broncos for the Denver Post. He previously covered the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
