ESPN NFL

The Oakland Raiders received three badly needed compensatory draft picks.

While these picks are far from ensuring the team they are going to get contributors, it does help salvage a weak class. Oakland received picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds in next month’s draft. Oakland has the first comp pick in the third (No. 95) and fifth (No. 168) and the second comp pick of the fourth round (129). The comp picks will be added at the end of the third-through-seventh rounds. Comp picks cannot be traded.

The picks more than doubled Oakland’s draft class. Oakland has its own picks in the fifth and sixth rounds. It’s certainly not ideal that Oakland has to wait until the 95th pick to join the draft and having two picks in the first 129 picks is a tough road, but the Raiders’ draft is in better shape than it was going into Monday.

Under the rules for compensatory draft selections, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year are eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.

In 2011, Oakland lost free agents Nnamdi Asomugha, Robert Gallery, Bruce Gradkowski, Zach Miller and Thomas Howard and signed Kevin Boss and Stephon Heyer. Teams do not get credit for comp pick consideration for cutting players.

San Diego will receive a comp pick in the seventh round (No. 248) even though it did suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents last year. Under the league’s formula, the compensatory free agents lost by San Diego were ranked lower than the ones they signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance). San Diego lost Darren Sproles and Kevin Burnett, while it signed Takeo Spikes and Travis LaBoy.

In total, 15 teams received a total of 32 picks.

Combine meetings really don’t mean much. Every team meets with several players. It’s just an example of teams doing their due diligence. That’s why the Chiefs talked to quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. They are expected to be the first two players off the board. The Chiefs have little chance of getting either player, but they are still doing their homework.

Yet, it is fairly interesting that Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said two of the five teams that interviewed him at the NFL combine were San Diego and Oakland. He is expected to go in the 15-20 range. The Chargers, who pick at No. 18, have other needs and the Raiders don’t have a pick until the fifth round, although they are expected to get a compensatory pick at the end of the third round.

Cornerback is the Raiders’ greatest need. However, it is unlikely the Raiders will be able to find away to get a first-round pick. Still, Oakland’s new brass is doing its due diligence and talking to first-round talent, anyway. It’s a smart move because you never know what can happen.

Actually, I think Denver is the team in the division that is most likely to draft Kirkpatrick. Cornerback is a big need and if he slips to No. 25, I can see Denver taking him.

In other AFC West news:

San Diego general manager A.J. Smith ended any speculation that the Chargers will part ways with linebacker Takeo Spikes. Smith said the 2011 free-agent acquisition will be a Charger in 2012. Spikes is a leader and he has value to this team.

Though the San Diego Chargers are typically conservative in free agency, expect them to be more aggressive this year as the team knows it has to win now or the A.J. Smith-Norv Turner era is very likely entering its final act.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Chargers are expected to have a ton of room to maneuver under the salary cap, and will likely get more by cutting tackle Marcus McNeill next month. For his salary to be guaranteed for 2012, McNeill must be cleared to play after a neck injury prematurely ended his 2011 season — and he is unlikely to get that medical clearance from team doctors, the paper reports. The Chargers could opt to stay in-house and sign Jared Gaither, whom the Chargers signed after he was cut by Kansas City and played well in McNeill’s absence.

The paper also reports that defensive end Luis Castillo and linebacker Takeo Spikes could be cut or asked to take pay cuts to remain with the team. Guard Kris Dielman, meanwhile, might be leaning toward playing this season. He was considering retirement because of a concussion that ended his 2011 season.

The Chargers are targeting several in-house free agents, including receiver Vincent Jackson, center Nick Hardwick (if he decides to play) and running back Mike Tolbert. San Diego could turn to the open market for a strong safety, a pass-rusher and an offensive lineman, among other positions.

Meanwhile, here is a look at the Raiders’ contact situation; you can see some clear candidates for contract restructuring as the team works to get under the salary cap. The league’s exact salary-cap figures have not been determined.

Mid-week mail call:

Sam K. in Philadelphia wants to know if I think the Chargers will get a compensatory pick for the free-agency losses of Darren Sproles and Kevin Burnett.

Bill Williamson: Well, the compensatory picks system is pretty complicated. Remember, the Chargers will get dinged for adding Takeo Spikes. But I would expect San Diego to probably get, at least, one comp pick. This is just a guess, but maybe in the fourth round or fifth round.

Shawn Ducey from Barre, VT wants to know why I think the Chiefs could address safety this year in the draft.

BW: I don’t necessarily think safety will be a huge draft priority, but I could see Kansas City adding a safety in the middle rounds if they like a certain player. Jon McGraw is aging and Kendrick Lewis is decent, but not great. The Chiefs will be in great shape at one safety spot when Eric Berry returns from a knee injury, but adding talent to the position wouldn't be a bad idea.

Jim from Louisville wants to know if I think the Chargers will give receiver Vincent Jackson a contract extension.

BW: I think they should give him an extension. San Diego ownership has to show some goodwill to the fan base and it has to show the Chargers are serious about winning. Keeping coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith didn’t play well with many fans. Signing the star receiver to a long-term deal would be welcomed by the fans. Plus, giving him the franchise tag could limit the Chargers from making other moves. And letting Jackson walk as a free agent, well, that is just not something a team that needs to make the playoffs next year can afford to do.

One of the reasons why Norv Turner and A.J. Smith are being brought back to head the San Diego Chargers for the 2012 season is the support they had from the players and the way the team finished the season.

Thanks to the Chargers' PR department, here is a sampling of quotes from a happy bunch of players:

Philip Rivers

On knowing Norv is his coach next season:

“It’s exciting. I think there’s still a great level of disappointment in the season with the way it ended and us not playing into January. It’s exciting to know from a continuity standpoint that our head coach is coming back. It wasn’t the season we wanted but I think there’s no doubt keeping that continuity gives us the best chance to win. Take a little time off and gear up again.”

On fans not knowing what goes on behind closed doors:

“It would be just like in any other place. It would be impossible to know unless you’re in here. Unless you’re doing it daily, with the game plans and the practices, training camps, to really know and appreciate. It’s a lot easier -- believe me, even me -- watching a Monday Night game at the house, where I would throw it than when I’m out there. That’s just the way it is. I think the fans here are passionate, they want to win and they want to win a championship. We do too. We’ve won a lot of games at home the last five years. We’ve won 29 games at home and they (the fans) have had a lot to do with that. Their support is huge. The one thing I know is you win and they’ll be supporting you. So we got to go win and that’s our plan is to go win a bunch of games and ultimately win a championship.”

On team continuity despite the team’s regression the past few seasons record-wise:

“Every year is different. You can’t always progress, so that’d be saying the Green Bay Packers regressed this year unless they win it all. Your record doesn’t always tell the whole story. It’s a constant change, moving pieces, injuries, bad play and good play, and trying to find a way to win games. The longer you keep that continuity and that consistency together, I think it’s proven to win out over time. You look at years’ past in Pittsburgh when they held that together with [Bill] Cowher for all those years. Over time it got done. You got to stick with it and that’s why I’m excited: to stick with it. Because there’s been plenty of 8-8 teams that have bounced back the next year and won it all. That’s obviously the ultimate goal and I think your normal offseason changes -- obviously we’ll have new players and we’ll lose some, hopefully retain a lot of them -- and find ways to improve from last year and go.”

On being outspoken in support of Norv and taking blame if it doesn’t work:

“No. What I take on my shoulders is the fact that we finished 8-8 this year. That was more about play than coaching by far. When you believe in something that doesn’t mean you’re always right. But if you believe in it you got to express it. I believe it is going to work and we are going to win and ultimately win a championship here. Obviously no one knows what’s going to happen. That’s obviously what I believe in and I’m going to do all I can to make that happen.”

Nick Hardwick

“It’s exciting for the continuity. We’ve got a great locker room here and the guys are I’m sure really excited. I’m super excited. Norv’s a heck of a coach. We have a great staff here, a really great staff. I’m just excited to continue to build on what we’ve learned, what we’re going to keep learning, keep moving forward and make a good push.”

Takeo Spikes

“I’m glad Norv is back. Anytime in life when you have stability, whether it’s family or dealing with business, that’s when you see progression start happening. That’s why I love the fact that Norv is back. Like I said earlier, what we have here is not broke. We may need to add a few pieces. But I’ve been places where we were broken and this is not even close to broke.”

Eric Weddle

“It’s great. We keep the guy we want here. We wanted him to lead us. Us as players, we got to go win it for him and make Dean right that he made the right decision. We’re excited to keep our head guys here and keep the continuity and energy up.”

“We know what we have, but we also know that it’s on us. So we have to improve not only for the coaches but for us as players. We’re here and we want to win. That’s what the bottom line is.”

Nate Kaeding

“Really excited. Having been here eight years now it’s a great working relationship with all of us players, Norv and AJ. Anytime you can have continuity and consistency within the organization, from a football player’s standpoint, that’s huge. Familiarity breeds confidence and consistency and those are huge parts of going out and playing and playing well. We’re obviously all really excited.”

Mike Scifres

“It’s exciting, it’s great news. When I got the text that it was happening I was actually on the golf course. There’s a lot of excitement just to know the continuity we’ve had in the locker room around here with him and the group of players we have; it’s big. I think people saw at the end of the season how much he meant to us as players, not just as a coach, but as a man and as a person. We love him, we love playing for him and couldn’t ask for a better person to be here still.”

Takeo Spikes was bracing for this.

In August, in his first days as a San Diego Charger, I asked Spikes if he was counting on finally ending his playoff drought.

This is what he said: “I’ve learned not to take anything for granted. I am going to wait and see. I’ve seen it all. I’ve been 4-0 in the preseason. I’ve been 0-4 in the preseason and every split in between. I’m just going to wait and see what happens.”

Well, the same old thing happened. The Chargers were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday — so for the 14th time in his 14-year career, Spikes will not play in the postseason.

Spikes has played 202 games without making the playoffs. It is an NFL record.

It looked like Spikes’ drought would end this year. San Diego was a popular Super Bowl choice before the season. It is now 7-8. Making the situation even worse for Spikes is that the team he left, San Francisco, is 12-3 and is playoff-bound.

A look at key injury situations in the division heading into Week 15:

Denver starting safety Brian Dawkins (neck) and starting cornerback Andre Goodman (concussion) were both limited Friday. Both players are listed as questionable to play against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Barring setbacks, expect both players to try to play. The Broncos will need the two players as they face the pass-proficient Patriots. Receiver Eddie Royal (concussion) is listed as probable. He missed last week’s game.

In Oakland, Raiders’ coach Hue Jackson said running back Darren McFadden (foot) and receiver Jacoby Ford (foot) are out as expected. McFadden has been hurt for seven weeks and Ford has been out for a month. Jackson said defensive tackle John Henderson (knee), safety Michael Huff (ankle) and running back Taiwan Jones (hamstring) are questionable. Cornerback Chris Johnson, who has been dealing with the death of his sister in Texas, is also out.

For Kansas City, safety Jon McGraw is doubtful with an ankle injury. Receiver Jon Baldwin and cornerback Javier Arenas both practiced fully after they sat out Thursday’s practice because they were ill. They are both probable to play.

In San Diego, linebackers Takeo Spikes and Donald Butler were limited in practice for the first time this week and they are listed as questionable to face Baltimore on Sunday.

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.

SAN DIEGO -- A look at an entertaining, standings-changing Thursday night game:

What it means: The Raiders are in first place in the AFC West. They are 5-4 and snapped a two-game losing streak. San Diego has lost four consecutive games and now is 4-5. Kansas City is 4-4, and Denver is 3-5. The Chiefs host the Broncos on Sunday.

The QBs: Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer was mostly terrific as he threw for 299 yards. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers had his moments but threw a key interception in the end zone late in the game. He has made a key mistake in every game during the Chargers’ losing streak.

Bush excels: Oakland needs to re-sign running back Michael Bush. He has been fantastic in two starts in place of star Darren McFadden, who is out with a foot injury. Bush finished with 157 yards on 30 carries after starting fast with 78 yards on 13 carries in the first quarter. He is a free agent at the end of the season.

Rookie receivers shine: Oakland rookie receiver Denarius Moore looks like a top target for Palmer. He had five catches for a game-high 123 yards, including two touchdowns. San Diego rookie receiver Vincent Brown had a touchdown pass on a spectacular catch and had another nice touchdown catch reversed. They both look like keepers.

Injuries pile up: Both teams came into this game banged up. The injuries mounted. Oakland lost receiver Jacoby Ford to a foot injury. San Diego saw left tackle Marcus McNeill (stinger), guard Louis Vasquez (ankle) and linebacker Takeo Spikes (concussion) leave the game. The Chargers were playing without three offensive linemen much of the game, and San Diego pass-rusher Antwan Barnes was injured late in the contest.

What’s next: The Raiders play at Minnesota on Nov. 20, and San Diego plays at Chicago in a game that matches up former AFC West adversaries Rivers and Jay Cutler.

SAN DIEGO – The Raiders are running all over the Chargers, 17-3 at the half:

Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer looks very good. He has connected on several big pass plays and completed eight of 10 passes for 169 yards. He has been very accurate — an improvement after throwing six interceptions in his first 56 passes as a Raider.

Palmer looks to have built a nice relationship building with Oakland rookie receiver Denarius Moore, who has three catches for 86 yards.

Oakland – as it has in the past couple of meetings with San Diego – is control the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers has been ineffective, but he isn’t getting much of a chance — he has been sacked three times.

UPDATE: The Chargers announced linebacker Takeo Spikes is out with a concussion.

Here is a look at the division leaders in some key statistical categories after Week 1:

Passing yards

Player: Philip Rivers, San Diego.

Yards: 335

What does it mean: Rivers wasn’t sharp for the entire game, but he was when the Chargers most needed him to be.

Rushing yards

Player: Darren McFadden, Oakland

Yards: 150

What does it mean: The brilliant McFadden leads the NFL in rushing.

Receptions

Player: Brandon Lloyd, Denver

Yards: 89

What does it mean: Lloyd wants to show 2010 wasn’t a fluke.

Tackles

Player: Takeo Spikes, San Diego

Total: 11

What does it mean: The fiery inside linebacker had a tremendous debut for the Chargers.

Sacks

Player: Richard Seymour, Oakland

Sacks: 2

What does it mean: He is the leader of a dynamic front four.

Interceptions

Player: Matt Giordano, Oakland; Shaun Phillips, San Diego; Brandon Flowers, Kansas City

Interceptions: 1

What does it mean: It’s way too early to tell.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1.Kansas City Chiefs: The whole darn team. The Chiefs were awful in the preseason, and they were terrible in the regular-season opener. This team has lost its last three games that count (including the playoffs). All three of the games were at home. The Chiefs lost the three games by a combined score of 102-24. Throw in Sunday’s season-ending loss of safety Eric Berry, and Week 1 was a disaster for Kansas City.

2. Jamaal Charles’ hands: The Chiefs running back had trouble holding onto the ball in the preseason, and he lost a fumble Sunday. Charles is a fabulous talent, but he is going to undermine his game with sloppy play.

3. John Fox’s plan: Fox came to Denver with the plan of running the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense. Neither plan worked in his Denver debut, a 23-20 loss to Oakland on Monday night. Denver had 38 yards rushing and allowed Oakland 190 yards on the ground. So much for Fox’s plan.

RISING

1. Chargers’ running backs: Second-year running back Ryan Mathews had 73 yards receiving and 45 yards rushing. He ran hard and looked like a solid pro. Mike Tolbert scored all three of San Diego’s touchdowns. This could become one of the better running back combinations in the league.

2. Takeo Spikes: After one game, he looks like a great free-agent signing. Spikes had a game-high 11 tackles against Minnesota, and he led the way as the Chargers’ defense held the Vikings to 26 yards in the second half. He may be 34, but this vocal leader still has something left in the tank.

3. Oakland running back Darren McFadden: We have a legitimate star on our hands, folks. After a breakout year in 2010, McFadden busted out for 150 yards on 22 carries Monday night. What is so scary about McFadden is that he is going to get his big play eventually. He is too explosive not to. His 47-yard run to the Denver 1 sealed the win in the fourth quarter.

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers lumbered off the field after a first half that couldn’t have gone any worse.

The Chargers -- who trailed the Minnesota Vikings 17-7 -- were sent the locker room by a hearty round of boos. The message from the San Diego crowd, which has understandably grown impatient after seeing this talented team stumble early year after year, was clearly: Please, not again.

The Chargers, though, didn’t let the fans’ restlessness or the seriousness of the situation get them down. In fact, safety Eric Weddle had his own message for anyone who might be concerned.

“We are not the 2010 San Diego Chargers,” Weddle said of the team that led the NFL in total offense and total defense but failed to make the playoffs. “It may not have looked too good, but we are not going to lose the game in one play or in one half. It is not going to happen. We did not waver. It came along. We knew it would.”

Showing the resiliency and timeliness of a championship team, the Chargers overcame their first-half troubles and took over in the second half, beating the Vikings 24-17.

While some may not be impressed that it took a furious rally to beat the Vikings at home, this win is significant because of how the Chargers responded to a dire situation. After spending a large chunk of training camp dedicated to fixing the NFL’s worst special teams, San Diego watched Percy Harvin take the opening kickoff 103 yards for a score. To add further anguish, Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding was lost for the game on the play, making punter Mike Scifres the team’s place-kicker. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Kaeding may have a torn ACL.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers looked uncomfortable and rusty in the first half as he couldn’t quite make the play that counted most. The Chargers went deep into Minnesota territory twice in the first half and netted no points.

And there was the case of the San Diego defense, which was eaten up by Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson in the first half.

It all added up to a tension-filled halftime by the sea. Was it really going to happen again? Were special teams, key injuries and poor run defense going to undo the Chargers again? Were they going to fall on their face early under Norv Turner again?

“I understand everyone wondering it,” Weddle said. “Here we were in the moment and the same things were happening again … But we were just not ready to go down.”

So perhaps this year will be different. The Chargers are always a tough date late in the season. But there’s no denying it takes Turner’s players a while to ramp it up. Since Turner took over in 2007, the Chargers are 6-8 in September and 7-8 in October. But they are 28-7 in the final two months of the season.

Having to go to New England in Week 2 after a loss to Minnesota would have seriously hampered this team’s demeanor. Now, the Chargers can head east, not worrying about the late-summer blues.

There’s so much to celebrate about this win in San Diego.

There’s the brilliance of Rivers. There’s the timely play by the defense. There’s the heroics of Scifres. There’s the emergence of running back Ryan Mathews.

But it all starts with Rivers.

For anyone who wants to know why Rivers is considered an elite quarterback despite the fact he doesn’t own a Super Bowl ring, please check the final score of the game. On second down and 10 from the Minnesota 19 late in the fourth quarter, Rivers hit running back Mike Tolbert for a touchdown.

It was much more than a medium-yardage scoring play. Rivers, not famous for his mobility, evaded a Vikings’ rush and showed great patience, waiting for Tolbert to get open. He did, Rivers instantly hit him and Tolbert, who scored all three of the Chargers’ touchdowns, rolled into the end zone.

“That was classic Philip,” Weddle said. ‘He’ll wait all day for a play to happen. That’s why our goal is to get the ball back in his hands so he can make plays like that.”

Rivers (who threw for 335 yards on 33-of-48 passing) and his offensive mates received plenty of help. The Vikings had 161 yards of offense in the first half. They finished the game with 187 yards. Peterson had 74 yards on the ground in the first half. He finished with 98 yards on 16 carries.

Many San Diego defenders said they were fired up during the week when Peterson -- who ran for an NFL record 296 yards against the Chargers in 2007 -- said on a radio show that he planned to run for 200 yards and get a win in Week 1. New Chargers inside linebacker Takeo Spikes was fuming after the game about it. Several Chargers said the coaching staff played a clip of Peterson saying it.

"It was a direct slap in the face,” said Spikes, who had a terrific debut in San Diego with a game-high 11 tackles. “You don't come in our house saying that hey I'm going to get over 200 yards and guarantee a W. That is a disrespect to us. We put in a lot of time in this game; respect every guy in this locker room as a player. I find it hard to believe and you are going to say all that and your success is predicated off the guys up front and with us knowing that. I know our guys up front -- those dogs hunt. … It was personal, absolutely personal.”

Despite the motivation provided by Peterson, the Chargers wouldn’t have won the game if it weren’t for Scifres. The punter, who signed a contract extension during the week, took over for Kaeding and he was perfect, including tying the score with a 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. It was the first field goal of his NFL career.

An added bonus in all this fun for San Diego was the hard running displayed by 2010 No. 1 pick Ryan Mathews. He had 45 yards rushing and 73 yards receiving. He seems like a much improved player from last year.

It’s all another reminder, as Weddle said, that these are not the 2010 San Diego Chargers.

San Diego receiver Patrick Crayton (ankle) and Vincent Brown (hamstring) did not practice all week and both players are questionable to play against Minnesota on Sunday.

• ESPN’s Adam Schefter thinks the Chargers are primed to return to the playoffs after missing the cut last season.
• With Kevin Boss still not practicing, it is looking more and more like Brandon Myers is primed to be Oakland’s starting tight end at Denver on Monday night.
• The Chiefs hope to have an explosive crew of returners. Meanwhile, Kansas City spent the week adjusting to playing without tight end Tony Moeaki. He is out for the season after injuring his knee at Green Bay last week.
• Watching film of the Raiders running over the 2010 Broncos inspired the new Denver coaching staff.
• NFL.com looks into how San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers will attack the Vikings’ secondary Sunday.
• Some light has been shed on lingering Oakland injuries.
• The Chargers announced their players voted on 2011 captains. Here they are: Rivers and Nick Hardwick as offensive captains; Takeo Spikes and Eric Weddle as defensive captains, and Jacob Hester as special teams captain. Spikes joined the team this summer. Clearly, he has made a big impact on his new teammates in a short time.
• Denver second-year receiver Demaryius Thomas didn’t practice Friday. He came back this week after rupturing his Achilles in February. He is on the right track, but there is no timetable for his return.

Carolina has reportedly waived defensive end Everette Brown, according to Sirius NFL radio. The Panthers traded a future No. 1 pick in 2009 (yes,the same thing Denver did with flameout cornerback Alphonso Smith that year) to take Brown in the second round. It will be interesting to see if the Denver Broncos (coached by former Carolina coach John Fox) claim Brown. Denver has the No. 2 claiming priority in the league behind Carolina. Thus, the Broncos will get first crack at Brown. For a team looking for the right mix on defense, I could see the Broncos making this move if Fox believes Brown can play.

In other AFC West related-news Sunday:

Well, we can forget the notion that Brandon Meriweather could reunite with Scott Pioli in Kansas City. The safety has signed with the Bears. He was cut by New England on Saturday.

As a result of the 53-man roster Saturday, the Chargers are the third oldest team in the NFL. Signing veteran defenders Takeo Spikes, Bob Sanders and Na'il Diggs (who was added Saturday) certainly helped add to the Chargers’ age tally. Rebuilding Denver is the youngest team in the division.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that former Chiefs guard Brian Waters has agreed to terms with New England. Waters, a face of the organization for the past 11 years, was cut in Kansas City this summer. Best of luck to Waters, who was always generous with his time with me in the Chiefs’ locker room.

There were some interesting numbers-related nuggets gleaned from the 53-man rosters. The Raiders have among the fewest linebackers (six) in the league. Kansas City is tied for the fewest amount of offensive lineman (seven) while San Diego is tied for the most linebackers (10) in the league. Perhaps these numbers are indications of where teams could look to add or look to cut from in the next few days.