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The AFC West Madden cover dream is over for another year.

In the round of 16, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton whipped San Diego tight end Antonio Gates. Newton moves to the Elite 8 of the Madden cover competition, which is based on an ESPN SportsNation vote. Gates was the final AFC West representative remaining in the competition.

Until next year.

In other AFC West news:

ESPN’s uniform expert reviews all of the team’s uniform changes. There were very little changes for the four AFC West teams. Kansas City owner Clark Hunt talked about the importance of keeping the team’s tradition with the new uniform deal with Nike.

The Chiefs have re-signed defensive back Travis Daniels. He is a backup.

Here’s more talk that the Raiders are working on a long-term deal with franchised safety Tyvon Branch. The Raiders have long indicated that is a goal this offseason. It would give the team some cap relief.

In a procedural deal, the Broncos re-signed exclusive rights free agent punter Britton Colquitt. He wasn’t going anywhere, anyway.

UPDATE: I just talked to someone in the know in the Dave Tollefson talks. He has yet to make his decision and he is expected to visit the Titans on Thursday as planned. But the Raiders are considered strong contenders for the Bay Area native and former Oakland practice squader. He would provide strong defensive-line depth.

The round of 32 in the SportsNation vote to for the next "Madden" cover was not kind to the AFC West.

There are only 16 candidates remaining. San Diego tight end Antonio Gates is the division’s last representative.

Gates, a No. 8 seed, barely beat the Colts’ Dwight Freeney, a No. 9 seed. The AFC West’s last chance, though, will be a heavy underdog in the Sweet 16. Gates faces Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, a No. 1 seed. Voting goes through next Wednesday.

Every other AFC West candidate was sent packing. Even though he was traded to the Jets last week, Tim Tebow still represented the Broncos. The No. 14 seed was barely defeated by Houston running back Arian Foster, a No. 3 seed.

Kansas City receiver Dwayne Bowe, a No. 11 seed, was trounced by Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, a No. 6 seed. Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew, a No. 3 seed, beat Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski, a No. 14 seed.

Weekend mail call:

Dan from Virginia Beach, Va. wants to know if Oakland guard Stefen Wisniewski will get any love for offensive rookie of the year.

Bill Williamson: No chance. It will be Carolina quarterback Cam Newton or Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton. That, though, doesn’t mean Wisniewski hasn’t had a good year. He’s been terrific and he had the look of a 10-12 year stalwart on Oakland’s line. He is smart beyond his years and he looks incredibly comfortable on the field. He was a great pick at No. 48.

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Patrick from Phoenix wants to know if Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is in danger of losing his job because the Broncos gave up 81 points in the past two games.

BW: No chance at all. It would be a fallacy to pin Denver’s two-game losing streak on the defense. Against New England, the Denver offense fumbled three times in its territory in one quarter. The Denver defense held the Patriots to two field goals and a touchdown after the offensive miscues. At Buffalo, Denver allowed two interception returns for scores and a punt return for a score. The defense gave up one touchdown and four field goals. The defense is not the problem and Allen has a bright future.

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James from La. wants to know if the Chargers will go after a high-dollar coach.

BW: The big-money coaches who will be available are Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden. Each coach has been connected to the San Diego job. They would be very pricey and I’m not sure San Diego ownership wants to go that route. But if the Chargers think they are a coach away from getting their Super Bowl and new stadium dreams answered, it could be worth it.

The Oakland Raiders received some great injury news Wednesday as they begin the work week of the franchise’s biggest game since the Super Bowl in January, 2003.

The Oakland Tribune reports spark plug receiver/returner Jacoby Ford is practicing Wednesday. It is Ford’s first practice since he was injured at San Diego on Nov. 10. Barring a setback, Ford should be ready to play in a must-win game for the Raiders on Sunday at home against the Chargers. The Raiders are alive in both the AFC West and in the wild-card race.

The newspaper reported Ford, who was out with a foot sprain, was participating in all the drills. His return should spark a passing game, especially since quarterback Carson Palmer will be working with a healthy receiving crew for the first time in several weeks.

As expected, Darren McFadden is not practicing. The running back has been out since Oct. 23 with a foot injury. He has not been ruled out of the San Diego game, but there are indications he is unlikely to play Sunday.

Safety Michael Huff is back at practice. However, defensive tackle John Henderson was not practicing nor was defensive lineman Richard Seymour.

In other AFC West news:

Denver linebacker Von Miller fell to No. 2 in ESPN.com’s rookie watch. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton rose to No. 1. Fittingly, Newton was the No. 1 pick in the draft and Miller was the No. 2 pick in the draft.

As expected, Denver safety Brian Dawkins was held out of the Broncos’ practice Wednesday. He has been dealing with it for several weeks and he had to leave Saturday’s game at Buffalo with the injury.

The Denver Broncos received good injury news Thursday. Starting defensive backs Brian Dawkins (neck) and Andre Goodman (concussion) practiced on a limited basis Thursday after not practicing Wednesday. Both players were hurt Sunday.

Thus, barring a setback, they both might have a chance to play Sunday against pass-happy New England. Also, receiver Eddie Royal -- who missed the Chicago game with a concussion -- practiced fully Thursday.

In other AFC West news:

As expected, Oakland running back Darren McFadden (foot), running back Taiwan Jones (hamstring), receiver Jacoby Ford (foot), defensive tackle John Henderson (knee) and safety Michael Huff (hamstring) all missed their second day of practice this week. Barring a fast recovery, it seems like these players will be out Sunday against Detroit.

Carolina receiver Steve Smith doesn’t think Tim Tebow compares to Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton. Newton has been much more polished than Tebow, but Tebow’s team has been much more successful than Newton’s.

ESPN columnist Rick Reilly asks readers to take their pick, Tom Brady or Tebow.

The Raiders’ have announced Sunday’s game against Detroit is a sellout. It is the seventh time in seven home games this season that there won’t be a local television blackout. The Oakland Tribune reports this is the first time since the Raiders came to Oakland 16 years ago that they sold out more than six home games in a season.

Chargers’ linebackers Donald Butler (foot) and Takeo Spikes (back) and defensive end Jacques Cesaire (ankle) missed their second straight day of practice Thursday.

DENVER -- It is not John Elway’s fault the Tim Tebow experiment is failing, but it will be on his hands if he doesn’t find a solution.

It is clear the Denver Broncos' quarterback of the future is not on the current roster. It must be Elway's primary job to start making plans to fix the problem in Denver. The first step is to realize Tebow probably is not going to be the answer.

Whether it’s figuring out a way to land Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck via a trade (Denver looks like it is on its way to a top-five pick, but it might have difficultly stinking enough to get the No. 1 pick), zoning in on USC’s Matt Barkley or Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, or even considering pursuing injured Raiders veteran Jason Campbell as a short-term answer in free agency, Elway must start his post-Tebow game plan.

I hate to jump to early conclusions, but it is safe to say Tebow currently is far from being a competent NFL quarterback and that the Broncos have arguably the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.

It was all there to see in blue and orange for the home folks Sunday during the Broncos’ 45-10 loss to the Detroit Lions. Tebow was terribly ineffective all game, and the Broncos were overmatched. The patented Tim Tebow spark? Nowhere to be found. Denver was lethargic on both sides of the ball all game.

There was no wild comeback for Tebow after a mostly bad performance like last week's against the inept Dolphins. Instead of playing poorly for 55 minutes before turning on the jets, Tebow was consistently bad for an entire game Sunday.

There was no playmaking. All we saw were badly overthrown passes, late decision-making and wild scrambles that netted little. Need statistical proof? Tebow was 18-of-39 passing for 172 yards. The Broncos had seven straight three-and-out drives, and Tebow had an interception and a fumble that were brought back for Detroit touchdowns.

“We are embarrassed,” Denver tight end Daniel Fells said.

Added the always-earnest Tebow: “I’m just going to get up early [Monday] and go to work and try to get better tomorrow and consistently improve and be the best person and quarterback for this organization and continue to improve.”

Broncos coach John Fox was asked after the game who his quarterback will be next week in Oakland. He said he needs to look at the film. Clearly, some of the shine on Tebow has been lost.

I don’t necessarily think Tebow should be pulled now. Is Brady Quinn really the answer? We know Kyle Orton isn’t. Tebow deserves more time, but there is no way the 2-5 Broncos can sit through nine more of these types of games with no offensive rhythm. Fox will lose his veteran players if he continues to start Tebow and if Tebow can’t quickly become a capable player.

“It’s only been two games,” Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. “But we only got 16 games.”

The problem with Tebow is he isn’t showing any signs of improvement as a traditional quarterback, and that’s what the Denver brass wants to see. There is something technically wrong with every snap he takes. The Broncos want Tebow to show them he can be an effective pocket passer in the NFL. Rookie quarterbacks such as Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder already have shown they have the makings of being quality NFL passers. Tebow, the No. 25 pick of the 2010 draft (a pick made by the previous Denver regime), is light years behind those players.

I know the Broncos aren't interested in just rolling out the ball every week, and letting Tebow wing it and try to make something happen.

They worked during the week on his delivery; they altered their game plan to spread out the offense and speed up the tempo to help Tebow. But strides were not made. In Tebow’s past three starts (including Week 17 last season), the Broncos are 0-14 on third-down conversions in the first half of games.

Tebow looks a lot more like a quarterback who is close to losing his job than a quarterback who is ascending.

In the end, I believe, working for Elway will shorten Tebow’s window of opportunity. Elway -- in his first year as the Broncos’ top football decision-maker -- was a Hall of Fame player. Watching that amateurish display on his home field had to worry him. He won’t let this go on forever.

One veteran Broncos player I spoke with Sunday said he understands why Denver’s brass turned to Tebow and why he must be given a chance. But he also wondered when Elway and Fox will lose patience. And there is a feeling in Denver that once fans -- who clamored for Tebow to be made the starter -- see that he is so far from being an NFL-ready quarterback, perhaps the Broncos will be able to move on.

Remember, the Broncos didn’t turn to Tebow because they suddenly felt he was ready to be a star. They turned to him because they were ready to give him a chance. Performances such as Sunday’s must show Elway & Co. that now is the time to start thinking about the future at quarterback in Denver -- and it’s difficult to believe Tebow will be part of it in 2012.

Trent Dilfer and Jon Ritchie give their biggest takeaways from Week 7; The “Caveman” Gary Horton tells us what he learned from Tim Tebow's win against the Miami Dolphins; and Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray breaks Emmitt Smith’s single-game franchise rushing record, then tweets back and forth with the Hall-of-Famer.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 7:

Chargers could go after Cromartie: Much has been made of the Chargers facing former star running back LaDainian Tomlinson for the first time since his 2010 release. Sunday’s game at the New York Jets represents another reunion for San Diego. It traded cornerback Antonio Cromartie to the Jets for a couple of draft picks in 2010. Many in the Chargers’ organization felt Cromartie was overrated and he didn’t always play with toughness. Expect San Diego to challenge him often Sunday.

Tebow has hand in Luck sweepstakes: If Tim Tebow wants to be the Broncos’ starting quarterback in 2012, he might want to win his first start of 2011. The Broncos are 1-4 and the Dolphins are 0-5. If the Broncos win at Miami, their chances of ending up with the No. 1 pick and the right to unite John Elway and Andrew Luck -- Stanford star quarterbacks past and present -- would lessen considerably. Thus, Tebow can seriously help his future cause with a win.

Watch for the Chiefs to be prepared to face Kelly: Don’t be surprised if a few Kansas City Chiefs have something to say to Oakland defensive tackle Tommy Kelly. Prior to Oakland’s Week 2 loss at Buffalo, Kelly’s message to the Bills was “we ain't the Chiefs.” It was in response to the Bills’ 41-7 win at Kansas City in Week 1. I’m sure his words were documented in Kansas City’s locker room.

A McClain family reunion: For the first time, the McClain family will be NFL adversaries. Kansas City veteran fullback Le'Ron McClain and Oakland middle linebacker Rolando McClain are cousins. When McClain signed with the Chiefs as a free agent this summer, the two became twice-a-year divisional foes.

Rivers has an unusual problem: San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers has thrown seven interceptions in five games, which is unlike him. What is particularly unusual for Rivers is he is seeing short tosses get picked off. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rivers has thrown five interceptions this season on passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. It is tied for most in the NFL with Carolina rookie Cam Newton. In the past two seasons combined, Rivers threw three interceptions on such throws. Let’s see if his issues continue against the Jets.

Middle linebacker Rolando McClain is among the players not practicing in Oakland on Wednesday. He suffered an ankle injury at Houston on Sunday.

In an Insider piece, KC Joyner believes the Denver Broncos could learn from the Carolina Panthers’ use of Cam Newton as they begin to start Tim Tebow at quarterback. As always, Joyner delivers a well-thought out premise.

The Broncos are hopeful second-year receiver DeMaryius Thomas can play in Week 7 when the Raiders return from their bye. He ruptured his Achilles in February and suffered a finger injury this season. The No. 1 pick in 2010 is a talented player, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy.

Speculation regarding the Raiders’ future without Al Davis continues.

NFL.com reports the Raiders are starting to look for a general manager. Monday, coach Hue Jackson -- who is expected to play a major personal role right now -- said he is not sure if the Raiders need immediate help. We will hear a lot about Oakland’s plans in the coming months.

John Madden thinks it’s too early to think about the future in Oakland.

Bill Parcells tells a humorous story of what he once told his old friend Davis when the Raiders’ owner asked if he’d be interested in coaching his team.

Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski was named the AFC special teams player of the week. He tied an NFL record with three field goals of 50 yards or more Sunday in the Raiders’ 25-20 win over the Texans.

Second-year running back Ryan Mathews impresses his teammates in San Diego because of his willingness to play through pain.

In an Insider piece, Adam Schefter discusses the chances of Denver trading quarterback Kyle Orton, who has been replaced by Tebow as the starting quarterback.

Denver linebacker Von Miller remains atop of ESPN.com’s Rookie Watch.

Oakland running back Darren McFadden is eighth on ESPN.com’s MVP Watch.

Could Denver trade or cut second-year quarterback Tim Tebow?

Mike Freeman of CBS Sports.com considers the possibilities. Freeman reports that he spoke to some NFL personnel executives and he gathered that Tebow -- who has fallen to No. 3 on Denver’s depth chart behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn -- could be traded. But Denver will likely either keep Tebow or cut him because there isn’t much trade interest in him.

On “SportsCenter” Monday, NFL analyst Merril Hoge (who has been highly critical of Tebow’s ability this summer) said Denver should cut Tebow if it can’t work out a trade with St. Louis. Former Denver head coach Josh McDaniels, who drafted Tebow with the No. 25 overall pick last year, is now the Rams’ offensive coordinator. With budding star Sam Bradford quarterbacking St. Louis, Tebow wouldn’t be more than a backup and special-package player in St. Louis.

Freeman writes that Denver is not “openly” trying to deal Tebow, but they aren’t saying he isn’t off the trading block. I couldn’t see Denver getting much for Tebow at this point. The fact that Denver has dropped him to the third string is a message to the rest of the team he is not developing. How many teams are in the market for a third stringer at any position?

Still, I’d be surprised if Tebow wasn’t in Denver this season. I don’t think he’ll be traded or cut. I think Denver’s ownership likes him and it wants to stay patient with him. Still, it’s clear his stock is not rising at this point.

Meanwhile, here is a debate about whether Tebow or Carolina rookie Cam Newton will be the better player in the long run. With Newton having a strong chance of being the opening-day starter for the Panthers, the early money could be on him.

If the Oakland Raiders or Denver Broncos want one of the top-rated quarterbacks, they may want to move quickly.

Auburn’s Cam Newton (No. 1, Carolina), Washington’s Jake Locker (No. 8, Tennessee), Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert (No. 10, Jacksonville) and Florida State’s Christian Ponder (No. 12, Minnesota) all went in the first round.

Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett, TCU’s Andy Dalton and Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick should all go in the second round. The Raiders and Broncos (although I don’t expect it), could take one of these players. The Broncos have visited with all three. Denver has the No. 36 and No. 46 picks in the second round. Oakland has the No. 48 pick.

Buffalo (No. 34), Cincinnati (No. 35), Arizona (No. 38), Washington (No. 41) and San Francisco (No. 45) could all take a quarterback.

Here’s a name to consider in the third-through-fifth rounds: Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi. Denver and Kansas City are among the teams that like him.

In a conference call with Denver Broncos' season-ticket holders, team executive John Elway was asked which quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft reminds him most of himself.

Good question, season-ticket holder.

The legendary quarterback’s answer? Washington quarterback Jake Locker.

“Jake Locker, if you talk about height, weight and speed, he’s probably the closest to me,” Elway said. “We’re the same height, he’s faster, probably, and heavier than I was, but when you think about play style, Jake Locker is probably the closest even though [Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick] are all very mobile themselves, too.”

Elway and the Broncos have looked at all of the top quarterback prospects. There is a school of thought Denver could draft a quarterback in the second round. Locker will likely be taken late in the first round or early in the second.

While Elway gave Locker a huge compliment, Denver coach John Fox compared LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson to a Hall of Famer he coached: Rod Woodson, who is now an assistant in Oakland.

"I'll be honest with you, I had Rod Woodson, Gil Byrd, I've had some pretty good guys. I've never seen anything like [Peterson], with that size, that speed,” Fox told the Denver Post. “I don't think there's been a 219-pound guy run a 4.3. He's a special talent. That's the way the game (has) changed, he's about the same height as Rod, but 219 pounds and ran 4.3.”

Peterson could be a top-five pick; Denver could take him, especially if the team slides down a few spots from No. 2.

In other AFC West-related nuggets on Friday afternoon:

The San Diego Union-Tribune looks at the defensive ends the Chargers could consider with the No. 18 pick.

A Bay Area columnist thinks new Oakland coach Hue Jackson is consumed by kissing up to Oakland owner Al Davis. Tom Cable publicly did the same thing. It didn’t work for him. My advice to Jackson: Just Win, Baby.

The Kansas City Star looks at the Chiefs’ need for a No. 2 receiver.

ESPN analyst Jon Gruden conducted a lively conference call with media members Tuesday to address the upcoming draft.

Several of the topics Gruden broached involve the AFC West and this draft. Among the topics he addressed were the quarterbacks in the draft (each team in the division could take a quarterback), the top pass-rushers available and the defensive tackles Denver may choose from at No. 2.

Let’s take a look:

Was there one guy you sat down going into the QB camp that you came away really impressed by or you may not have thought as much of until you sat down with him and broke down the film with him?

GRUDEN: You know these five guys that we had in, three of them are juniors: (Cam) Newton, (Blaine) Gabbert and (Ryan) Mallett. They're all underclassmen. Cam Newton with 14 career starts, the thing that impressed me, not only his physical attributes and his size, but his charisma. I think his eagerness to learn and prove that he can adapt to a pro style on offense. He showed very good retention to me in the meetings and the material that we covered. I just like the look in his eyes, the eagerness and feeling that he has a lot to prove to everybody including himself. I think Newton impressed me the most in that regard.

When you look at Andy Dalton, you see him evolving into what long term? Is he best for a West Coast offense, or could you see him becoming a starter in any style of offense?


GRUDEN: I think Andy Dalton can play in any offense. I think when you become a pro quarterback and play in the National Football League, as the hash marks change, the field becomes more available. When you're on a college hash mark and you're throwing the ball to the wide side of the field, that's almost an impossible task for anyone. So I think putting the ball in the middle of the field favors Andy Dalton. I've seen him be an accurate passer down the field. I've seen him manage a high volume offense with great success at TCU. He's got four years of production. And if you look at Texas Christian football, who would have thought they'd be 13-0 and Rose Bowl champions? I really think Andy Dalton can fit any offense. But the more you put on him above the neck mentally to make decisions and play the game with his heady nature, I think the better Andy Dalton's going to be. He's an outstanding, well versed quarterback that I think will fit a lot of schemes.

Wanted your take on Colin Kaepernick of Nevada, and whether it's harder to project him because he's playing in the pistol and against WAC competition?

GRUDEN: Well, the pistol does make it tough, but you can't deny production. No one's thrown for 10,000 yards and rushed for over 4,000. I wanted to see Randall Cunningham when I picked up the film. This guy's got a fastball and he can really throw it. He's a Chicago Cub draft selection. I mean, he threw the football 60 miles an hour in Indianapolis. But the pistol offense is hard to really define what kind of pure passer he is. I watched him in the Senior Bowl, the workouts. I think he showed some improvement going underneath the center. But I do think you're getting a double threat. You're getting a guy that has a contagious, charismatic personality -- a guy that really wants to compete. You're getting an exciting prospect. Might take him some time, but you're getting a guy that can run and pass, just needs some development and needs to make the transition to the next level.

Talk a little bit about premium placed on pass-rushers and cornerbacks. Every year it seems more and more, and how does that match up with the strength of this particular draft?

GRUDEN: There is a premium on pass rush. You don't want to have to blitz five, six, seven guys to get there. You want to be able to get there with four, if you can for sure, and use seven men in coverage. Play two deep, five under, three deep, four under. Mix your coverages up. Don't telegraph to these quarterbacks what you're playing, but you have to put pressure on these quarterbacks. Defensive ends are a premium in this draft. I think this is an outstanding class of defensive end. There are some good defensive tackles. But Bowers, providing his knee is healthy, and Robert Quinn at North Carolina, Aldon Smith is special at Missouri. I think J.J. Watt is a physical guy coming off the edge, like Ryan Kerrigan at Purdue. Adrian Clayborn has some excellent tape. There are a number of good pass rushers in this draft. I think if you look at Nick Fairley, you're seeing one of the best inside pass rushers from a tackle position. So this is the strength of the draft. You throw in guys like Von Miller, who is a Derrick Thomas size speed guy coming off the corner. There are some guys that can provide pressure quickly, and I think that is the strength of this draft.

Cam Newton is visiting the Broncos today, and of course they have Tim Tebow. You had them both in your camp in the last two years. Is it true that Cam is superior with the throwing mechanics and a better athlete because he's faster, but Tebow is far better in the intangibles? That's what I'm getting as everyone talks about these guys.

GRUDEN: Well, Tebow's body of work was much more extensive than Cam's. Cam Newton has come from nowhere. I was watching film with Cam Newton. I showed Cam Newton throwing a pass for the Florida Gators against the Hawaii Rainbows two years ago. Cam Newton has exploded on to the scene out of nowhere and threw in 14 games. Whereas, Tebow was a Heisman Trophy winner [as a sophomore], came back for his senior year, and part of two national championship teams. They're different guys. One's a left handed guy with different mechanics. And Newton is a work in progress in his own right. But they are similar from the standpoint that they both physically dominated college football. I think there are some interesting intangibles with Newton also. You're getting a guy that you can build a very unique offense around. I hear the elevator music. I don't know what is reality. I just got to spend a day and a half with Cam. I was impressed with him. I know people that have had him in for individual meetings. They like his retention. They like his attention to detail. There are some similarities in that they're physical status type guys. I'd like to have either one of them.

On D tackle, Marcell Dareus seems to be rated higher than Nick Fairley coming into this draft, and Fairley's getting this criticism on work ethic and technique. But production wise, Fairley about doubled Dareus this past year. Your thoughts on those two guys?

GRUDEN: Well, Dareus, if you watch Darius play two years ago, his film is even better than it was this year. He got hurt in the Arkansas game. That ankle lingered throughout the season. He missed the opening game because of a rules violation. But I think Dareus is a different player than Fairley. Dareus is a three position player in a 3-4 front. He can play nose, either defensive end. He is legitimate, sheer power. This is a power player. He is rare. You've seen the physical nature this guy's put together with a rare combination of explosive physical play, and a guy that's well versed under Nick Saban. Fairley is an under tackle. He's the guy that reminds me of Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings. He's a one gap penetrator and a premier pass rusher in his draft, if you ask me. A lot of the sacks and hits he put on quarterback were not by accident. He, again, has one year of production, really. I think he's on the rise. I think he's getting better. I think Coach Rocker at Auburn did an excellent job with Fairley developing him.

Christian Ponder at Florida State, have you gotten to spend much time with him? Have you broken down his film? What do you think of him as a quarterback and as a person?

GRUDEN: I have not had a chance to individually work Christian Ponder out. I have had a chance to study his tape. Here's a guy that is a three-year starter. He's won 22 games at Florida State, Senior Bowl MVP. He's already graduated. There are a lot of upsides here. He's had some injuries, which are the big concern. He's a great leader. Two-time team captain of the Seminoles. Two years ago he threw for almost 70 percent. I think the injuries got to him a little bit this year. But you see a couple tremendous throws in the Florida game. One, a red zone post where you see the anticipation, the accuracy, the toughness in the pocket. There are a lot of guys I know that that like this guy because he's got the aptitude to learn. He's got the leadership traits that you want, and he's got a lot of playing experience. And Jimbo Fisher does some good things on offense. But I think he's an accurate, intermediate passer. People want to see him push the ball maybe a little more down the field. Like to see a little more arm strength. But I think those things will develop and come to Ponder when he gets healthy and continues to physically get stronger. He's a very good collegian. He's got good enough size, good enough mobility, and he's won a lot of games and shown tremendous toughness for the Seminoles.

The New York Times is reporting that the city of Oakland could save money if the lockout cancels the NFL season. This is a unique situation because of a one-sided lease the Raiders have with the city.

“Because it costs us so much to put on the games, this is not going to be much of a loss for us,” said Deena McClain, interim director of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, which owns the Raiders’ home stadium. “It’s probably a net gain.”

The Raiders reportedly pay $525,000 a year in rent, which is extremely low. The Raiders are reportedly not in charge of all stadium maintenance and game-day operating costs, either. The team has a great deal. But it does put a strain on the city, which like many California cities, is not in great financial shape.

Still, as this article points out, a lost season could help with stadium costs, but the city would lose money generated from fans who travel to the city for home games.

In other AFC West nuggets Tuesday afternoon:

The Kansas City Star rewinds the Chiefs’ 2009 draft.

Denver owner Pat Bowlen and Kansas City linebacker Mike Vrabel are attending Tuesday’s mediation session in Minnesota.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is scheduled to visit Denver Tuesday and Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert is expected to visit Denver on Wednesday. These visits have long been planned. Still, it would be an upset if Denver uses the No. 2 pick on a quarterback.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper looks at the overrated and underrated players in the draft.

With the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders all working out quarterbacks prior to the draft, there is a strong possibility a quarterback could be drafted into the AFC West.

San Diego could also draft a quarterback at some point as insurance if No. 2 quarterback Billy Volek leaves during free agency.

Please pick a quarterback prospect that you would most like to see end up in the division. Your choices are TCU’s Andy Dalton, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, Washington’s Jake Locker, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and Florida State’s Christian Ponder.

All of those prospects could be gone by the end of the second round. We didn’t include the two top quarterback prospects – Auburn’s Cam Newton and Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert – because we don’t see an AFC West team making the commitment it would take to land either player.

Fill up the comment section below with the reason why you’re voting the way you did.