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A day after New York Jets general manager John Idzik said he didn’t think Josh Cribbs was healthy, the aging but dynamic return man has signed with the Oakland Raiders.

The longtime Cleveland receiver/returner nearly signed with Arizona earlier in free agency, but he was recovering from a knee injury. He started visiting teams last week with the Raiders being the first team he visited. He visited three other teams, including the Jets. The fact that Cribbs may not be completely healthy right now is not a huge deal. He will get there.

Oakland will look at Cribbs primarily as a return man. He is tied for the most career kick returns for a touchdown in NFL history with eight. Cribbs, who will turn 30 next month, is primarily a returner. He has had more than 23 catches in a season just once when he had 41 in 2011.

I don’t see this as being a bad signing for Oakland. It’s a low-risk move. If Cribbs still has something in the tank, he can help the team.

It is also insurance in case Jacoby Ford can’t return from a foot injury that kept him out for the 2012 season and for six games in the previous season. Ford and Cribbs are similar players, with Ford giving more in the passing game. But it could come down to keeping either player, especially if some rookie receiver like Brice Butler or Conner Vernon makes a huge push to make the 53-man roster. The team can only keep so many receivers.

So, it could come down to health between Ford and Cribbs.

In other AFC West notes:

Former Kansas quarterback Dayne Crist signed with Baltimore. He tried out for the Chiefs last week.

Wednesday was the last day for Amy Trask in Oakland. She resigned as Raiders CEO four days ago. The team took out a full-page ad in a local paper to thank Trask for her quarter century of service.

Mid-week mail call:

Rick Johnson from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., wants to know why quarterback Ricky Stanzi may be on the outs in Kansas City.

Bill Williamson: He was a low-round pick of the previous regime. He hasn’t shown much in two years in the program and the new regime is looking for its own young quarterback to develop. The Chiefs signed the intriguing Tyler Bray out of Tennessee as an undrafted free agent. I expect Andy Reid and his staff to try to develop Bray. If Stanzi impresses, he has a chance, but I think Bray has the edge to stick around over Stanzi.

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Rick Cole from Kansas City wants to know how long I think Peyton Manning will play in Denver.

BW: I think we should start with two more years and see how it goes. Manning is 37. He has four more years remaining on his contract.I expect him to play at a high level for another two years. I bet the situation is re-evaluated after the 2014 season. If Manning is still playing at a high level and he feels good, I could see him returning in 2015.

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Ibetonart from Oakland wants to know if the Raiders could ever trade Terrelle Pryor to Philadelphia.

BW: Well, I think that wouldn’t happen until 2014. Pryor seems to fit Chip Kelly’s offense and Kelly did try to recruit him to Oregon several years ago. But Kelly is loaded at quarterback. I would think if Kelly doesn’t have his answer at the position next year and Pryor is not in Oakland’s plans, perhaps the idea could be broached.

The San Diego Chargers received terrible news Tuesday in their second day of organized non-contact drills.

The team announced 2012 first-round pick Melvin Ingram has a torn ACL.

The Chargers were counting on Ingram to provide a strong pass rush. He had a slow start to his rookie season, but he showed promise late. The team saw veteran edge rushers Shaun Phillips and Antwan Barnes leave in free agency.

Ingram was expected to be the primary pass-rusher from the edge. Defensive linemen Kendall Reyes and Corey Liuget provide good pass-rush burst from the line, but the Chargers need an outside presence. Former first-round pick Larry English in on the roster, but he has shown he can’t be counted on. The Chargers drafted Tourek Williams in the late rounds last month. His route to the field may be expedited with Ingram’s injuries.

I’d think the Chargers would seriously consider pursuing veteran Dwight Freeney. He was in Indianapolis with new San Diego general manager Tom Telesco. Veteran John Abraham is also out there.

With Ingram out for the year, the Chargers will have to find help somewhere.

This will be a tough setback for a young player. His career will certainly be salvageable, but it will be such a waste to lose his second NFL season in May.

In other AFC West news:

• The Chiefs claimed offensive lineman Matt Reynolds from the Eagles and cornerback Buddy Jackson from the Giants. Reynolds was coached by new Kansas City coach Andy Reid last season.
• The Bills claimed tight end Mickey Shuler. He was cut by the Raiders.

An AFC West battle for Charles Woodson is brewing.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported on Tuesday that the future hall of famer is flying to Denver for a visit this week. Later, Anderson reported the Raiders sent Woodson an initial offer. Woodson spent his first eight years in the NFL in Oakland. He knows Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie from their Green Bay days.

The strong safety was cut by Green Bay in March and has received little interest. But it is heating up. Anderson reports Carolina is also involved.

If it comes down to Denver and Oakland, it will be interesting to see what happens. I think the playing time in both places would be about similar. Finances could be an issue, but I don’t see either team offering him too much. Oakland has been very cost-conscious, has been mostly giving out one-year deals, and most of those have been to younger players. I don’t see Oakland breaking the bank to get Woodson.

An advantage Denver might have is it is expected to be a Super Bowl contender, while Oakland isn’t. Oakland could have an advantage because of Woodson's familiarity with McKenzie and the franchise.

If Denver decides it wants to sign Woodson, it could try to finalize a deal during his visit to keep him from considering other offers.

In other AFC West notes:

The Chiefs cut 2012 fifth-round pick, safety DeQuan Menzie. He didn’t play last season. It’s not surprising. Late-round picks from a previous regime usually aren’t safe when the new regime comes in. The Chiefs concentrated on adding to the secondary this offseason.

This ESPN video looks at a possible free-agent fit for the division.

The Jets don’t believe Josh Cribbs is recovered from a knee injury. He has visited with four teams in the past week, including Oakland. It will be interesting to see of the Raiders feel the same way.

Earlier Tuesday, we examined whether Charles Woodson would fit in the AFC West. We might be talking about the subject more.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson is reporting that the Denver Broncos will visit with the safety this week.

The interest makes sense. The Broncos could use help at safety, and Woodson would provide strong leadership. The future hall of famer is 36. Denver coach John Fox has long valued veterans. I wouldn’t be shocked if an accord is reached between Denver and Woodson.

Meanwhile, a Denver source said the Broncos are not interested in former Chicago middle linebacker Brian Urlacher at this time. There was a report out of Chicago on Tuesday that said the Broncos were talking to Urlacher.

In other AFC West notes:

The Cardinals are visiting with left tackle Max Starks. He visited with the Chargers last week and is considered the best left tackle on the market. The Chargers badly need a left tackle.

The Chiefs are visiting with defensive lineman Ryan McBean. He is a rotational player.

As expected, left tackle Branden Albert is working with the Chiefs for the first time this offseason. Th sides are trying to get a long-term deal done.

The Eagles will honor former quarterback Donovan McNabb on Sept. 19 when they host the Chiefs and former Eagles’ coach Andy Reid. Reid drafted McNabb in his first year in Philadelphia.

Free-agent safety Charles Woodson said he is open to playing under any circumstances at this point.

“When this process first started out, that was my thing, I needed to go to a contender,” Woodson told the NFL Network. “I know I am towards the end of my career. At this point, I want to play football. So if it is a rebuilding stage, at this point if that is the circumstances I have to play under, then that is what I am going to do.”

That could be of interest in Oakland, where Woodson started his career. The Raiders could use help at safety and the 36-year-old Woodson knows general manager Reggie McKenzie when he played for him in Green Bay.

While the Raiders have been filling their roster with younger players they did re-sign 33-year-old Andre Carter, so the team is open to acquiring veterans in the right spot.

In other AFC West notes:

U-T San Diego reports that the San Diego Chargers are expected to sign third-round pick, receiver Keenan Allen and seventh-round pick, quarterback Brad Sorensen, as soon as Thursday.

All four teams in the AFC West will have a rookie minicamp this weekend. Rookie contracts now take little time to negotiate under the guidelines of the new collective bargaining agreement. While none of the draft picks in the division have signed, I think we’ll see several rookies under contract soon.

Here’s a hint that the Raiders have no interest in bringing back Richard Seymour: his No. 92 jersey was given to a rookie.

CBS Sports reports Cleveland free agent receiver/returner Josh Cribbs will visit Detroit next. He visited Oakland, the Jets and Giants this week.

In an Insider piece, Chris Sprow explains why he thinks quarterback Alex Smith will help the Kansas City Chiefs make big strides this season.

Blog note: I will be away from the blog Friday. But please check back. I will have an Eight in the Box feature and blog editors will post headlines.

The Oakland Raiders are kicking the tires on a now-healthy Josh Cribbs, according to several reports.

The Cleveland free agent nearly signed a deal with Arizona early in free agency. But he wasn’t fully recovered from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.

I was told that Cribbs had a “great visit” with Oakland, and the Raiders are one of four teams interested in Cribbs. The Raiders’ interest in Cribbs is not a surprise. The Raiders looked at Domenik Hixon earlier in free agency. Like Hixon, Cribbs is a return man and a receiver. Cribbs, who will turn 30 next month, has been a dynamic return man in his career, but he is aging. His highest season reception total came in 2011 when he had 41 catches.

If he signs with Oakland, Cribbs would be insurance for receiver/returner Jacoby Ford, who has been hampered by foot injuries.

In other AFC West notes:

USA Today is reporting the Kansas City Chiefs are considering Jeff Morrow of Carolina and Marvin Allen of the Falcons for their director of college scouting opening. The new regime is adding pieces to the scouting department.

Denver free-agent receiver Matthew Willis recently worked out for New England.

UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Cribbs is also going to visit the New York Jets.

Earlier, we looked at Mel Kiper’s first big board for the 2014 draft.

Here is a look at Kiper’s first offering for the 2013 draft.

What stands out is the San Diego Chargers’ first three picks are in ranked in the top 18 on Kiper’s board. That’s pretty stunning. San Diego first round pick, tackle D.J. Fluker was ranked No. 6, second-round pick, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o was ranked 10th and third-round pick, California receiver Keenan Allen was ranked 18th.

The Chargers were universally lauded for these picks. This list is more evidence of the talent San Diego just picked up.

Oakland fans will be interested as well. Its fourth-round pick, quarterback Tyler Wilson, was ranked 13th on Kiper’s first big board. Wilson’s stock did drop during the 2012 season. But this ranking shows the ability and potential Wilson has.

Also noteworthy, the No.1 pick in the draft – new Kansas City Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher – was unranked on Kiper’s first big board. Fisher soared up boards with a strong 2012 season at Central Michigan and with his performances at the Senior Bowl and at the NFL combine.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper looked ahead to the 2014 draft class and presented his first Big Board, with the top 25 players he has currently ranked .

What stuck out to me is all of the tackles on the board. Five of the top 19 players on the board are tackles. That has to be exciting news in San Diego. The Chargers will almost certainly try to fix their long-term issue at left tackle next year after not being able to do so this year.

Kiper also offers his next 25 .

Meanwhile, Kiper wondered what would have happened in the 2013 draft if some of the top 2014 prospects were available. He thinks the AFC West would have been affected.

Kiper thinks the Kansas City Chiefs, who took Central Michigan tackle Eric Fisher, would not have been able to resist South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick. He is No. 1 on Kiper’s 2014 Big Board. I could have easily seen the Chiefs taking Clowney last month. He is considered a special talent. No one in the 2013 class was in his category.

Kiper also thinks Oakland, which traded down to No. 12 to take Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden, could have taken USC receiver Marqise Lee. Lee is No. 3 on Kiper’s 2014 Big Board. It will be interesting to see if either of these two players will find their way to the AFC West when they actually are available in the draft.

New Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey is excited about matchup problems 2011 first-round pick Jon Baldwin can present. This is a big season for Baldwin, who hasn’t made much of an impact in his first two NFL seasons.

The Sideline View reports that the Chiefs are hiring Chicago Bears front-office employee Chris Ballard to oversee the pro and college scouting departments. It’s no surprise Ballard is coming in since new regimes often bring in their own crews.

The Detroit Lions claimed linebacker Cory Greenwood. He was cut by the Chiefs on Thursday.

In this Insider piece, Mel Kiper thinks four undrafted free agents in the AFC West could be great finds.

U-T San Diego reports the Chargers have made minor tweaks to their uniforms.

U-T San Diego also looks at the options for the Chargers at left tackle. Don’t get too excited. There’s nothing too intriguing on the list. It’s meager, to say the least. Still, of the group, I’d take Max Starks and worry about it again next year.

 

Mid-week mail call:

Eric from San Jose wants to know if I think Oakland linebacker Miles Burris has a strong future.

Bill Williamson: Sure, Burris did a nice job as a rookie last year. A lot of scouts I talk to think he will be an average linebacker, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Oakland brought in some veteran linebackers on short-term deals and drafted Sio Moore, but I think Burris will have a role in Oakland for the foreseeable future.

Josh Edwards from Manhattan, Kan., wants to know if I think the Chiefs can sign Brian Urlacher.

BW: Anything can happen and the Chiefs could use a veteran at inside linebacker, but I just don’t see it at this point and time. But, I guess things can always change.

Rich Mahler from New York wants to know if the Broncos have plans for Ben Garland.

BW: The former Air Force player is a team favorite. They like him so much they are giving him another chance. He is being moved from defensive tackle to offensive tackle. He has been developed on the practice squad. Coaches and players really like him. He has some skills and he works hard. But he will have to show he has a future on offense or his NFL dream may end.

Monday, we wondered if San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy would be interested in a reunion with Tim Tebow.

It turns out our instincts were right. Neither the Chargers nor any other team in the NFL put a waiver claim on Tebow, who was cut by the New York Jets. I am not surprised AFC West teams passed on the former Denver quarterback.

Of course, that could change. Tebow is now a free agent. Could the Chargers and McCoy, who was Tebow’s offensive coordinator in Denver, or another AFC West team make a play for Tebow? I wouldn’t count on it.

In other AFC West notes:

Meet No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher -- Everyman.

The Broncos signed Brigham Young defensive tackle Romney Fuga. Denver previously added 15 undrafted free agents.

The Raiders signed kicker Eddy Carmona. He was with the team last summer. Teams have a backup kicker in the preseason.

Jacksonville receiver Justin Blackmon has been suspended for the first four games of the season. The Jaguars play against the Chiefs and Raiders in the first two weeks of the season.

The San Diego Chargers did not address their top need in the NFL draft, so it makes sense that they ramp up their pursuit of free agent left tackle Bryant McKinnie.

CBS Sports reports that the Chargers have a visit with McKinnie, a starter on Super Bowl champion Baltimore. He is also visiting Miami.

As of now, King Dunlap would be the Chargers' left tackle, but he is not considered a solid NFL starter. But if the Chargers don’t sign McKinnie, they may have to use Dunlap as Philip Rivers’ blindside protector.

Miami’s interest in McKinnie doesn’t only impact San Diego. If the Dolphins sign McKinnie, it would officially end any chance of Miami trading for Kansas City left tackle Branden Albert.

Update: Perhaps the Chargers will show interest in Adam Synder, who was cut by the Cardinals. Synder is a solid backup at all five positions. He played for new San Diego offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt last year.

Perhaps the Oakland Raiders will have the entire defensive side of the ball at their disposal when the No. 3 over pick rolls around in Thursday night's NFL draft.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the word around the league is left tackles Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher are expected to go in the first two picks. Jacksonville had been heavily connected to Oregon pass-rusher Dion Jordan with the No. 2 pick.

If the Jaguars go for a left tackle, it would benefit the Raiders. Oakland has needs all over the field, but I think it needs to look at defense first. Having a chance to pick any defensive player on the board would be beneficial for Oakland.

Both Jordan and Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd would be interesting picks for Oakland. In that case, the Raiders may want to root for the Jaguars to take a left tackle so this scenario unfolds.

In other AFC West notes:

In an Insider piece, former NFL general manager and current ESPN analyst Bill Polian thinks the Raiders have the first “pivot point" of the draft trade market with the No. 3 pick. Raiders want to deal it.

In a procedural move, Denver punter Britton Colquitt signed his restricted free-agent tender.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Kansas City left tackle Branden Albert wants a contract in the range that former Miami left tackle Jake Long recently signed with St. Louis. Long signed with the Rams for $34 million over four years. Yahoo! reports the Dolphins will not continue to pursue a deal unless Albert lowers his demands.

While it could be a holdout, I think the situation is fluid and the demands are just part of the process. I could see Albert lowering his price to get a deal done before or during this week’s draft. A potential trade would very likely involve one of Miami’s two second-round picks, so the deal will be made by Friday night if it happens.

In other AFC West news:

• According to Todd McShay and Mel Kiper , the first round of the draft doesn’t change much for the AFC West because of the Darrelle Revis trade from the Jets to the Buccaneers.
• Washington is visiting with San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer. The Chargers have mild interest in bringing Jammer back.
• Former Oakland linebacker Rolando McClain was arrested for the third time in the past year and a half in his Alabama hometown. McClain was recently cut by the Raiders and signed by Baltimore. He was the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2010.
• Here is an ESPN video with former Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell. He is trying to come back after being cut by the Raiders three years ago.
• It seems Denver pass-rusher Von Miller is looking forward to the Chiefs drafting his former Texas A&M teammate Luke Joeckel.
• Denver safety Rahim Moore seems to have a good handle on things as he prepares bounce back from a colossal playoff gaffe.