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According to a survey compiled by ESPN The Magazine, the Oakland Raiders are the second-highest paying NFL team behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Raiders are the 80th highest-paying team in the world and the Steelers are the 75th highest paying team in the world based on the 2011 season.

The survey encompassed 278 teams,14 major pro leagues, covering seven sports, spanning 10 countries. The salary numbers are calculated from an average of base salaries among players.

All the Raiders got for being the second highest-paid NFL team in the league was an 8-8 record. It is another reminder why new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie had to cut several players and restructure several other deals. The late Al Davis spent wildly as he unsuccessful tried to buy a championship in his final years.

Expect the Raiders to be significantly lower on the list next year. This survey also struck me to what a bargain the NFL is. The league is a cash cow, but the highest paying team in the NFL is only No. 75 in the world?

In other AFC West news:

In an Insider piece, Mel Kiper thinks Denver will get an immediate impact from defensive tackle Derek Wolfe and running back Ronnie Hillman.

ESPN NFL financial guru Andrew Brandt offers an intriguing look at how NFL restricted free agency is dying.

The basis of restricted free agency is a team can sign a player to an offer sheet and his existing team has a week to match the offer. If the team does not match the contract, it is awarded a draft pick from a corresponding round that the existing team assigns the player via a contract tender.

The deadline for teams to give restricted free agents an offer sheet is Friday. Thus far, there have been no offer sheets executed this offseason.

The Chiefs actually visited with Cincinnati restricted free agent linebacker/special teamer Dan Skuta several weeks ago, but thus far nothing has developed. He wasn’t given a draft-round tender so if the Chiefs were to give him an offer sheet and the Bengals didn’t match, the Chiefs would not have to send the Bengals any draft compensation.

There has been a lot of speculation (and we have discussed the possibility) that Denver could make a play at Pittsburgh receiver Mike Wallace, a restricted free agent prize. The Broncos still have some cap room and the speedy Wallace would be a terrific value at No. 25. He’d also be a dandy of a welcome gift for Peyton Manning.

A Denver pursuit of Wallace still makes sense. But as Brandt’s column points out, restricted free agency simply doesn’t appear to be a focal point of teams.

I took last week off. It was not an overly busy week, but some things did occur, so let’s review the game film of some of the events of the week:

Denver

The Broncos signed defensive tackle Justin Bannan.

My take: Bannan, who also was a Bronco in 2010, is a solid player who will help in the rotation. Denver still needs a young defensive tackle, but this is a good addition.

The Broncos cut cornerback Andre Goodman.

My take: This has been coming since the Broncos signed Tracy Porter to replace Goodman. This is not a shock at all. I wonder if Oakland coach and former Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will look at Goodman. He will turn 34 this year and he is in decline, but Goodman has strong experience, which could interest Oakland.

Receiver Demaryius Thomas made some critical comments about former quarterback Tim Tebow and expressed happiness with the Peyton Manning signing.

My take: Is anyone surprised by this? Thomas is a receiver. Playing with an erratic passer had to get frustrating for all Denver receivers. A Manning-Tebow swap is a receiver’s dream.

Kansas City

Tight end Leonard Pope signed with Pittsburgh.

My take: He wasn’t in the Chiefs' plans. Pope is a favorite of former Kansas City coach Todd Haley, who will now coach Pope for a third NFL organization. They were in Arizona together before Kansas City.

Oakland

The Raiders signed college basketball player Andre Hardy in hopes of making him a tight end.

My take: Why not? Former college hoopsters turned tight ends have hit it big. So it’s a low-risk endeavor. Don’t expect much from Hardy soon, though. He is probably a practice-squad prospect. This signing does not affect Oakland’s need for another tight end in 2012.

San Diego

The Chargers re-signed fullback Jacob Hester.

My take: He will back up Le'Ron McClain and will play special teams. Hester is a solid role player.

The Chargers signed former Oakland starting offensive lineman Mario Henderson.

My take: This is a depth move. Having a former starter as a backup is never a bad thing.

As expected, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports the Chargers have not talked to the retired Ricky Williams. He told a radio station this week he’d consider coming out of retirement for the chance to play for his hometown Chargers. He recently retired from the Ravens. Even if the Chargers wanted Williams, it wouldn’t be that easy. The Ravens still own his rights.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay explains why he thinks the Chargers will look at an offensive lineman with the No. 18 pick.

The Chiefs are continuing to look at quarterbacks when they visit with Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler. They are looking at other top-rated quarterbacks as well.

Pittsburgh receiver Jerricho Cotchery will reportedly visit the Rams. He also has visited the Chiefs.

The Broncos are visiting with Pittsburgh reserve quarterback Dennis Dixon. His visit started before Denver signed QB Caleb Hanie. Hanie has the inside track to back up Peyton Manning in Denver, but the Broncos are still interested in signing Dixon to compete with Hanie during training camp.

If Dixon is signed, Denver may still draft a quarterback to develop.

Center Jeff Saturday explained why he signed with Green Bay as opposed to Denver to reunite with Manning. Saturday told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he thought the Packers wanted him more than the Broncos did. Denver has third-year center J.D. Walton, who they are happy with. Denver looked at Saturday because of his comfort level with Manning.

In other AFC West news:

The Kansas City Star has a cool look at the Chiefs’ visit to Iowa’s pro day.

As I digested and began to react to the news that Peyton Manning is about to become a Denver Bronco, I wondered to myself whether the Broncos could be poised to make another huge move.

I wasn’t the only one in our ESPN blog network. Yes, Jamison Hensley, I also believe the Denver Broncos should perhaps consider making a play for Pittsburgh restricted free agent Mike Wallace.

Any team that wants to sign Wallace to an offer sheet must hope the Steelers don’t match. If the Steelers don’t match, the team that signs Wallace must surrender its first-round pick to Pittsburgh. Denver has the No. 25 pick in the draft. The game-breaking Wallace is well worth the No. 25 pick.

Wallace (whom Pittsburgh drafted with a pick acquired from Denver) would likely be interested in playing with Manning, and the feeling would likely be mutual. In Denver, Wallace would be the No. 1 receiver and team with promising receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. That would be a tremendous group for Manning.

Even after signing Manning, the Broncos might be able to construct a winning deal for Wallace. The speedster is only 25, so this would be a long-term commitment, perhaps well beyond Manning’s years.

The only bad part of it is it would take money and a draft pick away from helping the defense. I think Denver needs to continue to work on the defense. But adding Wallace is a plausible move the Broncos should consider.

Peyton Manning has reportedly told the Broncos, 49ers and the Titans he will sign early next week. We will see. He is reportedly throwing for the Titans on Saturday. He threw for the Broncos on Friday and he threw for the 49ers earlier in the week.

UT San Diego reports Chargers’ running back Mike Tolbert is talking to the Steelers and the Panthers. He is on an undisclosed visit on Saturday and there is a chance he will sign a new deal Saturday. It appears Tolbert will not return to San Diego. If he is, indeed, gone from San Diego, the Chargers will miss him.

CBS Sports is reporting Denver defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley will visit the Saints. The Broncos want Bunkley bad. Losing him would hurt Denver because it needs another defensive tackle as well. I would be surprised if Denver doesn’t make a competitive offer to retain Bunkley.

There has been some speculation Oakland could pursue Houston center Chris Myers, but he signed back with the Texans.

As soon as free agency began Tuesday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills had a plane waiting for New Orleans free agent receiver Robert Meachem.

The Bills flew him north and dined with him Tuesday night. The Bills had a full itinerary waiting for him Wednesday. Then, Vincent Jackson left the Chargers. All Buffalo bets were off.


With Jackson and several other receivers off the market quickly Tuesday, the San Diego Chargers -- who NFL.com reports showed late interest in Pierre Garcon before he signed with the Redskins -- went from showing no interest in Meachem early in free agency to becoming his most ardent pursuer. In addition to Buffalo, the Chargers blew away two other teams with a huge offer for Meachem.

And now the speedster is going to be Philip Rivers’ newest toy.

Meachem agreed to a four-year, $25.9 million deal with $14 million guaranteed in the first two years of the deal. The agreement came hours after Jackson signed with the Buccaneers for five years and $55.5 million.

There is no doubt Meachem is not as accomplished as Jackson and the Chargers would be best served to add another receiver in free agency. The best options are Brandon Lloyd, Laurent Robinson and Mario Manningham. They also could use their first-round pick on someone such as Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd. I think Lloyd could be an interesting option.

Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace would cost a first-round pick as a restricted free agent if the Steelers didn’t match a deal. I think the Meachem agreement ends that possibility. Perhaps San Diego could look at Oakland’s Chaz Schilens, who played at San Diego State. He’d fit the Chargers’ mold of big receivers.

Meachem does give the Chargers a terrific vertical threat. He has 4.3-second speed in the 40-yard dash. He will be a good fit with Rivers and No. 2 starter Malcom Floyd, who also is a field stretcher. Like Floyd, Meachem has had some durability issues. Vincent Brown likely will be the No. 3 receiver in his second season.

Meachem had 40 catches for 620 yards last season for the Saints, where he often was lost in a strong receiving crew. Meachem, the Saints’ first-round pick in 2007, had 129 catches and 20 touchdowns in the past three seasons, and has averaged 16.1 yards per catch in his career. There is no doubt Meachem has big-play flair and he will fit in Norv Turner’s system, but I still believe the Chargers need to add to their receiving crew.

UPDATE: I caught up with Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. on Wednesday morning. Here are his thoughts on the Chargers’ day at receiver:

“Meachem isn’t Vincent Jackson. He is very talented, though, and I do think his most productive football might be in front of him. He also is a deep threat, which is absolutely key in San Diego’s deep passing attack. But, to me, there was only one No. 1 receiver on the market, and he just signed with Tampa Bay.”

This is not a good day in San Diego.

Vincent Jackson has walked away.

While there were indications in recent days that the Chargers were not prepared to match an enormous deal for Jackson, there has long been the thought that the Chargers -- who are heavily pursuing New Orleans’ Robert Meachem on Tuesday night -- couldn’t afford to let Jackson leave.

This is a critical offseason in San Diego and it has not started well. In addition to Jackson leaving, the Chargers saw longtime standout guard Kris Dielman retire because of a severe concussion he suffered last season, the team cut left tackle Marcus McNeill because of a neck injury and valuable running back Mike Tolbert is poised to visit AFC West rival Kansas City on Wednesday. The Chargers also have priority free agents in left tackle Jared Gaither and defensive tackle Antonio Garay. San Diego’s lone bright spot, thus far, was the re-signing of standout center Nick Hardwick on Tuesday to a three-year deal.

The Chargers must get better. They must do some things in free agency.

Owner Dean Spanos upset the fan base when he brought back coach Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith in January.

Fans expected Spanos to show a commitment to them by getting better in free agency, and the Chargers still could get better.

But seeing Jackson leave is not going to convince the San Diego fan base the Chargers are truly committed to getting back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season.

Jackson is a premier receiver and he was a great fit for quarterback Philip Rivers, who has to be wondering what is going on with his offensive line and receiving crew.

The Chargers gambled by not giving Jackson the franchise tag for a second year because it jumped to more than $13 million this season. He is averaging just more than $11 million per season with Tampa Bay. The Chargers took a shot at Jackson, but they likely never got close to what Tampa Bay offered.

Now, the Chargers have to go find a top receiver. The only receivers on the roster are No. 2 starter Malcom Floyd (who is injury prone) and second-year player Vincent Brown.

The free-agent class is drying up. The best options may be Brandon Lloyd, Meachem, Mario Manningham and Laurent Robinson. Meachem may soon sign with the Bills even though the Chargers are pushing for him. Robinson flourished in Dallas last season after not making the Chargers’ roster last September. I’m not sure any of those players will make anyone forget about Jackson. The Chargers, who badly need a top pass-rusher, may have to consider taking someone such as Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd with the No. 18 overall pick in the draft.

Here is one way I think the Chargers can regain the trust of fans, but it’s a long shot. They could step in front of Buffalo and sign monster pass-rusher Mario Williams and then sign Pittsburgh receiver Mike Wallace to an offer sheet the Steelers couldn’t match. The restricted free agent would cost the Chargers their first-round pick if he signed. But adding Williams (the best free agent on the market) and having Wallace replace Jackson would show San Diego’s fans the team is serious about getting better.

Again, don’t expect it to happen, but the Chargers must improve and getting creative may be necessary.

The NFL regular season is but a day old. Yet, it is never too early to think about the 2012 slate.

The 2012 regular-season opponents have been determined. Some of the games of interest (I’m sure some more will develop based on off-season developments) include a Broncos-Steelers playoff rematch in Denver, a John Fox return to Carolina, the Broncos’ nasty road slate and San Diego's visit to New Orleans.

Every AFC West team plays seven games against 2011 playoff teams. Below are the opponents for each AFC West team. A hat tip to the Chargers’ PR department for sending out the list:

1. Denver Broncos Home: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Away: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers

2. San Diego Chargers Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers

Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3. Oakland Raiders Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers

4. Kansas City Chiefs Home: Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers

Away: Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kyle Orton did not make it to Kansas City in time to take his physical and get on the practice field, according to the Kansas City Star.

The paper cited family issues delayed Orton’s travel from Denver. The Chiefs practiced early on Thursday, a day after Kansas City claimed him off waivers. I wouldn’t take this as a sign Orton is unhappy he's a Chief. I think it is merely a logistical situation. Orton has already indicated he is excited to be a Chief.

I didn’t think there was any way Orton was going to play Sunday night against visiting Pittsburgh and this development all but makes a certainty. Expect Tyler Palko to make his second straight start for the Chiefs as they adjust to playing without Matt Cassel, who broke his hand and is out for the season.

Expect Orton to make his Kansas City debut at Chicago (yes, the same team that put a claim in on him and the same team he started his career with) on Dec. 4.

Sports Illusrated’s Peter King said Nnamdi Asomugha took less money from the Eagles than he would have gotten elsewhere because that’s where he wanted to land. Meanwhile, New York didn’t take kindly to Asomugha spurning the Jets for the Eagles.

ESPN’s Ashley Fox thinks Asomugha could help the Eagles to the Super Bowl this season. Sounds about right.

In other AFC West nuggets on an early Saturday afternoon:

The Denver Post thinks a Kyle Orton trade to Miami is dead because Orton can’t come to a contract accord with the Dolphins. Here’s an opinion that says the deal will still get done.

There is competition at right guard in San Diego.

Second-year guard Jon Asamoah has a chance to start after the Chiefs cut long-time stalwart Brian Waters.

Drew Brees loves having Darren Sproles in New Orleans.

The Chiefs don’t think tight end Tony Moeaki will be out of practice for long.

The Raiders are getting a good look at whether tackle Jared Gaither is healthy or not. If so, he could soon be signed.

After a rocky year, San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson says he feels at “home” with the Chargers. The question is, will it be his home after this season?

The Raiders reached out to their fans in a video to say thanks for hanging in during the lockout.

NFL.com is reporting former Denver tight end Daniel Graham is visiting the Steelers.

The Chiefs signed former Northwestern receiver Zeke Markshausen. He was in the Bears’ camp last year. He will have a difficult time making the roster.

I didn’t create any waves in our quarterback Power Rankings that were released Tuesday.

All 10 of the quarterbacks I voted for made the top 10. The only variation from my poll and the final ranking was the flip-flop of Baltimore’s Joe Flacco and the New York Giants’ Eli Manning. I had Flacco ninth and Manning 10th. In the Power Rankings, Manning was ninth and Flacco was 10th in a tie with Dallas' Tony Romo.

The only time I struggled during my ranking was at 10th place. I chose Manning because of his Super Bowl ring over the likes of Romo, Chicago’s Jay Cutler, Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman and St. Louis Sam Bradford. In all, I considered 18 quarterbacks. It’s a pretty strong quarterback league these days.

I think there are seven elite quarterbacks -- New England’s Tom Brady, Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning, New Orleans’ Drew Brees, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, San Diego’s Philip Rivers and Philadelphia’s Michael Vick. I think Rivers is in a good spot at No. 6. He’s clearly the best quarterback in the NFL without a Super Bowl ring and it was good to see other voters agree. Rivers was fifth on three ballots and sixth on the other five.

Kansas City’s Matt Cassel received one 10th-place vote. I considered Cassel, but I want to see more development before I place him on this impressive list.

Here’s a list of some of the most compelling games involving AFC West games:

Sept. 12, Oakland at Denver

The Raiders will be looking to embarrass the Broncos in Denver again, while the Broncos will be looking to start the John Fox era the right way.

Sept. 18, San Diego at New England

This is an early-season test for the Chargers, who must be in late-season form to win this game.

Sept. 25, Kansas City at San Diego

This is the first 2011 meeting of the teams that finished in first and second-place in the division in 2010.

Oct. 2, New England at Oakland

Do you think Richard Seymour has this game circled on his calendar?

Oct. 23 Denver at Miami

Same goes for Brandon Marshall

Oct. 23 San Diego at New York Jets

Same goes for LaDainian Tomlinson.

Oct. 23 Kansas City at Oakland

The first 2011 meetings of two teams that made big strides in 2010.

Oct. 31 San Diego at Kansas City

A Monday night game on Halloween. How fun is this going to be?

Nov. 6 Green Bay at San Diego

If the Chargers want to be a contender, they must make a statement against the defending champs.

Nov. 10 Oakland at San Diego

A Thursday night game that could have big division ramifications.

Nov. 20 San Diego at Chicago

Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler renew their heated rivalry.

Nov. 21 Kansas City at New England

Scott Pioli and Matt Cassel go back to New England on a Monday night.

Nov. 27 Pittsburgh at Kansas City

The Chiefs are again in the prime-time spotlight on a Sunday night.

Dec. 11 Chicago at Denver

It’d be juicer if Josh McDaniels was still in Denver, but Cutler’s first regular-season return to Denver should be full of drama.

Dec. 18 Baltimore at San Diego

A Sunday night game that could have big playoff implications.

Jan. 1 San Diego at Oakland

A division title at a stake?

The man who beat the Green Bay Packers in their previous Super Bowl appearance believes a better outcome awaits the Packers on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

New Denver Broncos leader John Elway tweeted that he thinks Green Bay will be victors on Sunday. Elway must be new on the job. How many team leaders tweet or make public predictions ? It’s refreshing. Keep it up.

Thirteen years ago, Elway won the first of his two Super Bowl rings by upsetting Green Bay. Elway again led the Broncos to the championship game the following season and won another title in his final NFL game. The Packers haven’t been back since they lost to Denver.

Elway, who took over football operations for the Broncos last month, also talked about John Fox, Knowshon Moreno, Champ Bailey and his new role with the team in this radio interview.