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Denver Broncos

Though players see a variety of benefits in Denver's ongoing organized team activities, better chemistry is atop the list, Mike Adams and Von Miller tell the Broncos' official site.

The Broncos are better off without quarterback Tim Tebow and the distractions that followed him, writes Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. "Through no real fault of his own, Tebow turned Broncos County against itself, the endless bickering as inescapable as being trapped between Rachel Maddow and Rush Limbaugh at a cocktail party."

Kansas City Chiefs

First-round draft pick Dontari Poe saw lots of time during pass-rush drills during Thursday's practice session; in earlier run-focused drills, Adam Teicher reports, Poe had been backing up Amon Gordon at nose tackle.

Rookie guard Jeff Allen, the Chiefs' second-round pick, was wearing a walking boot and did not participate in OTAs after suffering an ankle injury.

Oakland Raiders

The rookies found their heads spinning a bit as the team wrapped up its second week of OTAs, the Raiders' official site reports.

After missing all of last season with a knee injury, Travis Goethel is healthy and ready to move from weakside to middle linebacker should legal issues take Rolando McClain off the field, he tells Paul Gutierrez.

San Diego Chargers

After nine seasons in Baltimore, "I kind of feel like a rookie again," linebacker Jarret Johnson tells the Chargers' official site as he settles into a new defense.

The Chargers have relied heavily on Shaun Phillips as a pass-rusher for the past several seasons, but the veteran linebacker is excited about the reinforcements brought in this offseason, writes Scott Bair of the North County Times. "We had depth at linebacker my first few years, and it was a main reason why we were successful," Phillips said. "Over the last few seasons, it's been tough to weather the injuries we've had. But the additions we've made have been great. Each guy has a set of skills we can utilize. Together, we can be a strong unit."

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Broncos in 2012.

Dream scenario (11-5): Peyton Manning takes a 2011 playoff team to the Super Bowl, which the Broncos win, of course. I find this scenario to be unlikely, but it is possible -- because I won’t doubt the greatness of Manning. For this to occur, Manning’s new teammates will have to quickly adapt to an offense that is extremely different than what they ran with Tim Tebow behind center. But of course, Manning will be orchestrating it and can get an awful lot of out his teammates. The Broncos’ run defense improved dramatically from 2010 to 2011. They did lose their best run defender in Brodrick Bunkley, but if they can overcome that loss and remain strong in this department it will go a long way toward getting opposing offenses into third-and-long situations. Denver’s pass-rushing duo of Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller, along with what looks like a vastly improved set of cornerbacks, could make things very difficult on opposing passing games. All of this plays well into the hands of the offense and Manning. Also, unlike the Manning years in Indianapolis, the Broncos were exceptional overall on special teams last season. There is no reason that shouldn’t keep up. Denver has quickly built this team around Manning, and to win now.

Nightmare scenario (4-12): Of course, the huge nightmare scenario for Denver is if Manning takes a big hit early in the season and is sidelined. As great as Manning has supposedly looked during his recovery process, taking big hits is the true test of this elder statesman’s health. As I alluded to above, I have some doubts as to how well the holdover Denver offensive players will adapt to the Manning way of playing offense. It will be like going from "The Flintstones" to "The Jetsons." The offensive line is the spot that worries me most in this drastic transition. The offense now requires the linemen to be athletic, move in unison, excel with the mental aspects of the position and be on the same page as Manning with all of his pre-snap adjustments. As is also the case with the receiver routes and adjustments, all of these drastic adjustments will take a lot of time and a ton of practice and game repetitions. Defensively, the loss of Bunkley does loom large, and the middle of this defense could be vulnerable. Also, the Broncos could really use one more pass-rush threat to step up. Denver will play a first-place schedule, with half of its games against the AFC North and NFC South, which seems very daunting. The rest of the division really fought injury problems in 2011; the Broncos remained quite fortunate on that front. If it goes bad in Denver this season, it might go really bad … like 4-12 bad.

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Carson Palmer gave himself a refresher course this offseason in what watching football without the modern convenience of high definition is like.

It brought him back to the late 1980s, when he watched football just because he liked what he saw without knowing the complications of the game.

This time around, it was for the benefit of his NFL career.

As part of his indoctrination into the West Coast offense, Palmer, 32, watched as much of the scheme as he could. He went all the way back to the Bill Walsh-coached San Francisco 49ers.

“It was pretty cool going back to those days,” said Palmer this week during a break in the Raiders’ organized team activities. “There were no HD films back then, so it was kind of gritty. It brought me back to when I was 8 years old and I just wanted to see (49ers running back) Roger Craig score a touchdown. You look at the game so differently now, but it was a good learning experience.”

Palmer’s West Coast cram sessions included several incarnations of the scheme. However, a primary focus was the 2010 and 2011 Houston Texans. Palmer watched every game the team played the past two seasons.

New Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was Houston’s quarterbacks coach in those seasons, and Knapp is bringing a version of the West Coast offense to Oakland. He is a disciple of the 49ers’ West Coast offense and has used versions of it as a coordinator in San Francisco, Atlanta, Oakland (in 2007-08) and Seattle.

Palmer was in a West Coast offense in his first year at USC, at age 18. In a season during which he will turn 33, Palmer must adjust to the offense in what will be a crucial year for him personally. The previous Oakland regime traded two premium draft picks for Palmer last season in a desperate attempt to stay in the playoff hunt when starter Jason Campbell went down for the season with a broken collarbone.

Oakland was 4-2 when Campbell went down. It was 4-6 after acquiring Palmer from the Bengals. Thrown into the Oakland system after holding out in Cincinnati, Palmer’s rust showed as he threw 16 interceptions and 13 touchdown passes for the Raiders.

Palmer is now comfortable in Oakland, and though he is still adjusting to Knapp’s system, he says he is thrilled with the playbook because Knapp’s offense has so many variations. There are some classic West Coast schemes, but there is also zone-blocking running and other modifications. Palmer said he believes it is the most varied offense he has been in.

He thinks it will blend nicely with Oakland’s speed at receiver. Mostly, Palmer is confident his transition to the offense will be easy because of Knapp himself.

“He’s been fantastic with me,” Palmer said. “He’s amazing. He is a teacher in addition to a coach. It will really help me get this offense down.”

New Oakland coach Dennis Allen said Palmer was a major reason why he chose to hire Knapp as his offensive coordinator. He said Palmer’s ability to adjust to Knapp’s offense made the Palmer-Knapp pairing a “great fit” in Allen’s mind.

Allen scoffs at concern that Palmer might not be athletic enough to run Knapp’s offense. He has repeatedly said he thinks that Palmer is athletic as Matt Schaub, who flourished under Knapp in Houston. Palmer often ran around the field freely on Tuesday in addition to participating in a multitude of plays, including several deep passes, which mesh with his big arm.

“He moved around today,” Allen said Tuesday. “He’s plenty athletic.”

Allen also said the key is to be flexible -- not only on offense, but on defense, where the 4-3-based Raiders will use multiple front-seven sets. Allen -- who was Denver’s defensive coordinator last season -- saw the benefit of in-season coaching when the Broncos went to an option offense for Tim Tebow midway through the season. He said Tuesday he learned from that experience.

“We are running the West Coast offense, but we’re going to do a lot of things,” Allen said. “We are going to take advantage of what Carson does best.”

While hopes are high in Oakland that Palmer will show he was worth the high price, some worry about the fit. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. is in that camp.

“I have a lot of concerns with Palmer adjusting to the Raiders’ new offense,” Williamson said. “First off, it was the former staff/philosophy that wanted Palmer. He doesn’t anticipate routes well. When the receiver becomes open, Palmer throws it. Therefore, defensive backs get a better break on the ball and run-after-the-catch potential is more limited. Also, he has heavy feet and not a movement-based quarterback, which is ideally what they now want in Oakland. I do think Knapp will adapt his system to fit Palmer -- he will have to.”

To help Palmer adjust to playing for Knapp, Oakland signed Matt Leinart to be his backup. Leinart backed up Palmer at USC and the two Heisman Trophy winners have a close bond. Leinart was in Houston the past two seasons.

Leinart said this week he is happy to help Palmer with any nuances of Knapp’s offense. He said keys for Palmer will be to use bootlegs and rely on what should be a strong running game.

"I'm here for Carson, to help him with reads, to let him know that certain things are very good, just to stay on it," Leinart said. "Because when you're taught a new offense, there's things that you're not used to; you're used to doing it a certain way. Sometimes the reads are a little different. I told him today, 'Just stick with this route because it's a great route for us. It's going to be a great route for us.'"

And if he needs any reassurance, all Palmer has to do is flip on that gritty, grainy game film from yesteryear.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Broncos and why.

John Elway’s second tenure with the Denver Broncos has gone well so far.

The legendary Denver quarterback has earned rave reviews around the league for his work as Denver’s primary football decision-maker since he took over in January 2011. On the surface, things are looking good in Denver, and there really isn’t a lot of pressure on anyone as the Peyton Manning era begins.

However, if Manning doesn't bounce back from the neck injury that sidelined him for the 2011 season, the heat will be on Elway. By all indications, Manning, 36, should be fine and plenty of teams would have taken the same risk as Elway did.

But if the 2012 season somehow starts without Manning behind center in Denver, Elway is going to hear it from fans. He will be asked every day how he could trade away Tim Tebow and sign damaged goods like Manning.

It will not be a pretty scene if that happens. The odds are Manning will be fine, but Elway needs to hope the odds play out as expected because he is all-in with Manning.

If the wild, but short, Tim Tebow experiment in Denver showed anything it was that Mike McCoy is a flexible coach.

McCoy impressed folks from around the league by scrapping a traditional pro-style offensive scheme in four of several variations of the position to best utilize Tebow’s ability. It resulted in Denver’s first playoff win in six years.

Now that McCoy is in charge of the offense run by Peyton Manning -- perhaps the most scheme-involved quarterback in the history of the NFL -- McCoy, once again, is willing to adjust to whatever best fits his quarterback.

“There are going to be several things,” McCoy told reporters during the Broncos’ rookie minicamp during the weekend. “This is going to be a work in progress for everybody. Coaches, players, everybody within the organization, with how we’re going to do things, the types of things we’re going to change, but there are plenty of things that we’ve done in the past here that we want to give Peyton the opportunity to see. He is very flexible. He wants some new ideas and to run some new things. We’ve spent some time in the last couple of weeks explaining the things as an offensive staff we really like and things we can help him with. And that is our job. It’s going to come down to the next couple of months, by the time we come out of training camp to say, ‘OK, what do our players do best? What are the things that Peyton likes best as the quarterback?’ Because it all starts with the quarterback in our system. There are a lot of things that he hasn’t done that he is excited to look at — getting some two-back situations and things he hasn’t done a whole lot of, and we have had a lot of success with that here in the last couple of years so we are going to continue to build that. There are going to be some things that we’re going to try whether he has done then or we have done them here or other coaches have run them somewhere else and we’ll pick and choose what we’re going to do when it comes to the opening game.”

When September rolls around, be sure McCoy will have his adjustments made and ready for yet another offense in Denver.

The Kansas City Chiefs are obviously happy with Matt Cassel as their quarterback. They inspected several of the top quarterbacks, but in the end, Kansas City did not add one in the draft.

Instead, like they did in free agency, the Chiefs built around Cassel. Thus, Cassel has at least one more year in Kansas City to prove he can be a difference-maker.

With the 250th pick, the Chargers stole Michigan State running back Edwin Baker. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper thought Baker was the eighth best running back in the draft. He has some fumbling issues, but he has real ability and he can grow into a good player.

San Diego got a potential future starter in Michigan center David Molk. He is very strong and he is battler. He could be Nick Hardwick’s eventual successor. The Chiefs got nice value in Michigan receiver Junior Hemingway. He was the Sugar Bowl MVP and he is a strong possession receiver. He was way under-valued.

Chiefs’ fourth-round pick, Fresno State receiver Devon Wylie, has often drawn comparisons to New England’s Wes Welker. The man who picked Wylie, Scott Pioli, of course, was in New England with Welker.

Wylie and Oakland fourth-round pick, San Diego State linebacker Miles Burris went to high school together in Granite Bay, California, near Sacramento.

Denver could use their fourth-round pick, center Philip Blake, at guard as well.

I wonder if the Chargers will still look for a veteran running back with Baker on board. The Chargers, and perhaps Oakland, are looking for a veteran free agent running back since they didn’t add one in the draft. There are some solid veterans available who can fill a backup role. Among the veterans available are Ryan Grant, Cedric Benson, Joseph Addai and Tim Hightower.

The Raiders did not draft any cornerbacks despite studying several extensively. The Raiders’ two starting cornerbacks are Ronald Barrtell and Shawntae Spencer. They are both 30 and are both signed to one-year deals.

Denver sixth-round pick, Kentucky linebacker, Danny Trevathan, compiled 287 tackles in the past two seasons. Watch him make an impact on special teams as a rookie.

New Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler worked out with Tim Tebow earlier this offseason when Tebow was still a Bronco.

Denver third-round pick, running back Ronnie Hillman, won’t turn 21 until September.

Oakland seventh-round pick, linebacker Nathan Stupar, is the nephew of former Oakland quarterback Jeff Hostetler.

The Broncos’ compensation in the Tim Tebow trade is a gift for Tebow’s replacement, Peyton Manning.

Denver took Baylor center Philip Blake with the No. 108 pick, in the fourth round. That was the primary pick the Jets gave up in the Tebow trade.

Interestingly, Blake will backup/compete with J.D. Walton, a former Baylor teammate. Denver took Walton two years ago and he has been the team’s starter. Manning has been working closely with Walton since Manning signed in Denver last month. Blake likely won’t compete with Walton right away.

The Broncos made an interesting pick early in the fourth round in the in the form of Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden. He missed all of last season with an ACL injury. He has excellent cover skills and, if healthy, he likely would have been a second-round pick last year.

Bolden is now healthy. It’s a worthwhile pick for Denver since they are looking for young cornerbacks who don’t have to start right away. This pick has a chance to be a steal.

The Chiefs love small, return types. They drafted Devon Wylie of Fresno State in the fourth round. Wylie is dynamic player. He is fast and NFL-ready, yet he is just 5-foot-9, 188 pounds. He can also kelp in the return game, where the Chiefs have several options. Wylie is similar to 2010 second-round pick Dexter McCluster.

He and McCluster can be on the field together with McCluster being in the backfield. With big receiver Dwayne Bowe and Jon Baldwin, the Chiefs continue to give themselves matchup options.

The Chargers began to start thinking about a post-Antonio Gates world by taking Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green in the fourth round. Like the Chargers’ first three picks, Green was expected to go earlier in the draft. He is an interesting prospect for down the road.

Any questions about how much Broncos executive VP John Elway values classic strong-armed quarterbacks?

In a yet another statement of his anti-Tim Tebow approach to the position, Elway made his second big quarterback splash in a month by taking intriguing Arizona State prospect Brock Osweiler with the No. 57 overall pick.

Bypassing more pressing needs, Elway made this pick with the most important position on the field in mind -- beginning roughly in the 2015 season. It’s clear Elway wants to go to bed at night without having to worry about who his quarterback is going to be for the next dozen years and he clearly wants to distance himself from the option days of Tebow, which Elway tolerated only until he found a special solution.

Of course, the immediate future at quarterback is Peyton Manning. After electing to continue his career with the Broncos, Manning signed a five-year deal with Denver four days before his 36th birthday last month. By all indications, Manning is healthy and he should be able to give Denver at least three good years.

The 6-foot-7 Osweiler is now in line to be Manning’s successor. The Broncos see something special in Osweiler. They didn’t need to take a quarterback this year or next year. But they see a raw specimen in Osweiler.

The knock on him is he is a bit green. So what better team for him to end up with than the Broncos? ESPN analyst Todd McShay has said on multiple occasions that Denver is the perfect spot for Osweiler.

He can watch and learn from Manning without any pressure. Osweiler -- who said one of his closest friends is Elway’s son, Jack, a former Arizona State player -- realizes the great opportunity he is getting.

“I could not be any more excited to be going to Denver to learn from Peyton Manning,” Osweiler told reporters Friday night. “A lot of quarterbacks might be upset about having to sit behind somebody, whereas I look at it as a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of the best, if not the best, quarterback to ever play the game.”

If Osweiler can’t parlay his time with two of the greatest all-time quarterbacks into NFL success, then that’s his fault. And if Osweiler is a flop, the Broncos will know it before he needs to take over for Manning from extensive practice and preseason play. Thus, the Broncos will have the opportunity to find another replacement for Manning if necessary.

Sure, this is a luxury pick and Denver could have benefited from a receiver or a running back at the No. 57 spot. (They traded up to take San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman in the third round.) But if this is a guy the Broncos think can be special, why not take him?

Like all 2012 quarterback prospects not named Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, Osweiler was deeply dissected and opinions varied on him. Some scouts thought he deserved to be a first-round pick, while others thought he should be taken in the fourth round.

The Broncos long have followed Osweiler. Their pursuit of him heightened after Manning signed. I think he moved up Denver’s draft board based on the combination of Osweiler being a similar type of quarterback as Manning and the fact that he can be groomed for years.

Had Manning not signed, I don’t think Osweiler would have been the pick. Had Manning gone elsewhere, I am convinced Denver would have traded up from No. 25 to take Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden and make him an instant starter. Weeden went to Cleveland at No. 22 and he is expected to start.

Osweiler, like Weeden, can drop jaws with the long pass. In fact, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen wrote that many scouts think Osweiler can make every throw. While McShay and others are high on the former basketball player, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. worries about Osweiler’s accuracy and Kiper doesn’t think Osweiler plays with the command of a player his size. However, fellow ESPN analyst Jon Gruden likes Osweiler and likes the fit in Denver.

“He can cut it loose … he is a pocket passer and he moves around better than people think,” Gruden said. “It’s a good pick by Elway.”

There is no doubt that this was an Elway pick. After enduring a forced relationship with Tebow, Elway has made sure he is now equipped with his type of passers for the present and the future.

Here’s a list of some of the most compelling 2012 NFL games involving AFC West teams:

Sept. 9

Atlanta at Kansas City

Tony Gonzalez comes back to Kansas City.

Pittsburgh at Denver

The Steelers lost to Tim Tebow in their last game; they return to Denver to help the Broncos usher in the Peyton Manning era.

Sept. 10

San Diego at Oakland

I just love these season-opening Monday nighters.

Oct. 7

Denver at New England

Manning-Tom Brady has a new look. Still a classic.

San Diego at New Orleans

Philip Rivers-Drew Brees isn’t too shabby, either.

Oct. 15

Denver at San Diego

Early-season statement game on a Monday night.

Oct. 28

New Orleans at Denver

Manning faces the team that kept a Super Bowl ring from him.

Nov. 1

Kansas City at San Diego

Second half of the season starts on a Thursday night.

Nov. 12

Kansas City at Pittsburgh

Chiefs face Todd Haley, their former coach turned Steelers offensive coordinator, on a Monday Night. Should be fun.

Nov. 25

Oakland at Cincinnati

Carson Palmer goes back to Cincy to see Hue Jackson, the man who brought him to Oakland.

Dec. 6

Denver at Oakland

Rivalry gets a Thursday-night taste.

Dec. 23

San Diego at New York Jets

The AFC West’s lone crack at Tebow gets prime-time slot.

Dec. 30

Kansas City at Denver, Oakland at San Diego

If this division is as tight in 2012 as it was in 2011, this day will be crucial.

Breakdown: The Chargers will be on "Monday Night Football" twice. They open the season at Oakland in the second game of a Monday night doubleheader. The Chargers must get used to playing in prime time. They have five night games and they come early in the schedule.

The Chargers play in prime time in Week 5 -- at home on Sunday night against Drew Brees and the Saints. San Diego then plays at Denver against Peyton Manning on Monday night in Week 6. The Chargers host Kansas City in a Thursday night game on Nov. 1 and visit Tim Tebow and the Jets on Dec. 23.

Complaint department: The Chargers have challenges throughout the season, especially in the second half with some difficult road games. Playing at Pittsburgh in Week 14 and the Jets in Week 16 is not ideal for a team that will likely be playing meaningful late-season games.

Start fast:Starting fast is always paramount in San Diego. This season is no different with coach Norv Turner on the hot seat. After opening at Oakland, the Chargers have tough home games against the Titans and Falcons in Week 2 and 3, respectively. Starting strong was a problem until last year, when the Chargers fell apart with a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season. But if the Chargers don’t start quickly in 2012, the pressure will be on Turner.

Chargers Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)
Week 1: Monday, Sept. 10, at Oakland, 10:15 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, Tennessee, 4:15 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, Atlanta, 4:05 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, at Kansas City, 1:00 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at New Orleans, 8:20 PM
Week 6: Monday, Oct. 15, Denver, 8:30 PM
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 9: Thursday, Nov. 1, Kansas City, 8:20 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at Denver, 4:15 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, Baltimore, 4:05 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, Cincinnati, 4:15 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, Carolina, 4:05 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at N.Y. Jets, 8:20 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, Oakland, 4:15 PM

Breakdown: Peyton Manning’s first game as the Broncos’ quarterback will be against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the same team that former Denver quarterback Tim Tebow beat in the playoffs in his second-to-last game with the team. The NFL will put Manning in the immediate spotlight -- his Broncos debut and first game since the 2010 season will be on Sunday night in Week 1.

The Broncos have two Monday night games, starting in Week 2 at Atlanta. They play in Week 6 at San Diego as well. The prime-time power of Manning is strong. Denver hosts New Orleans in Week 8 on "Sunday Night Football" and plays at Oakland in Week 14 on Thursday night.

The Broncos have the second-toughest schedule in the NFL, but they play three of their first four games at home and they play their final two games of the season at home.

Complaint department: It’s simply a byproduct of the tough schedule. There are no breaks. The season looks like one tough stretch. Denver must take advantage of starting and finishing the season at home.

The Ryan Clark factor: The Steelers’ standout safety missed the final game of his 2011 season and he will miss the first game of his 2012 season. He has a physical condition that makes it highly dangerous for him to play in the high altitude of Denver. He lost his spleen and gallbladder after playing a game there in 2007. Just a another reason the Steelers are probably not thrilled to go back to Denver so soon after the painful playoff loss.

Broncos Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, Pittsburgh, 8:20 PM
Week 2: Monday, Sept. 17, at Atlanta, 8:30 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, Houston, 4:15 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, Oakland, 4:05 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at New England, 4:15 PM
Week 6: Monday, Oct. 15, at San Diego, 8:30 PM
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, New Orleans, 8:20 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, San Diego, 4:15 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, at Kansas City, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, Tampa Bay, 4:05 PM
Week 14: Thursday, Dec. 6, at Oakland, 8:20 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, at Baltimore, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, Cleveland, 4:05 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, Kansas City, 4:15 PM

The Oakland Raiders are bringing back safety Matt Giordano.

He is a solid backup and started nine games last season with five interceptions. He is a decent playmaker who will have a place in the team’s plans.

Giordano also has a history with the two most important men in the organization. He was in Green Bay in 2009 with new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie and he was in New Orleans in 2010, where his position coach was new Oakland coach Dennis Allen. This is a nice depth move by the Raiders.

In other AFC West news:

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller was one of Tim Tebow’s biggest supporters last season and he remains in his former teammate’s corner. Miller predicted Tebow will become the Jets’ starting quarterback in 2012. Denver swapped Tebow to New York a day after signing Peyton Manning.

As expected, Dwayne Bowe was not at the Chiefs’ first day of the offseason program Monday. He is one of several unsigned franchised players staying away. It is pretty normal and is not a worrisome development.

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.

Denver Broncos

The Tim Tebow-Demaryius Thomas connection from last season's playoff win against Pittsburgh might be one of the team's most memorable touchdowns in history, but Thomas wasn't overly nostalgic when Tebow was shipped out to make room for Peyton Manning. Thomas said Thursday that he prefers playing with a prototypical passing quarterback such as Manning. "It's a business decision," Thomas said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "I ain't going to say I was sad, because the only thing they remember is that pass. You gotta go back and look at the rest of the games."

Guard Chris Kuper hopes to return to the field by June from the gruesome ankle injury he suffered in the regular-season finale, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Kansas City Chiefs

CBSSports.com’s Clark Judge breaks down where the Chiefs stand by position group heading toward the draft.

Memphis defensive tackle and combine darling Dontari Poe visited with the Chiefs recently.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders on Thursday signed Andre Hardy, a former basketball player at Cal State Fullerton and Oral Roberts, to play tight end. Hardy never played college football.

GM Reggie McKenzie would take a pass on the Raiders appearing on HBO's "Hard Knocks," reports CSNBayArea.com's Paul Guttierez. "I like Raider business to stay Raider business, that's all," McKenzie said Wednesday.

San Diego Chargers

GM A.J. Smith has a history of making draft-day trades. Smith has traded at least once in six of nine drafts since becoming general manager in 2003, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken. “We’re wide open,” Smith said Thursday. “We have been always since I’ve been here, and we’ve done everything. We’ve gone up in the attack. We’ve bailed out in the past, and we’ve stayed where we are. It depends on circumstance.”

The team's website takes a look at Alabama cornerback DeQuan Menzie, who says he's open to switching to safety in the pros.

Denver Broncos

Linebacker Von Miller stopped by "NFL Total Access" to talk about the team's schedule, Peyton Manning and former teammate Tim Tebow.

Manning talked about the importance of falling back into his April routine and how working out now will pay off this fall.

Defensive tackle Justin Bannan returns to Denver after signing a one-year deal on Wednesday.

Would the Broncos consider trading out of the first round? The Denver Post's Jeff Legwold explores the possibility.


Kansas City Chiefs

Seventeen college prospects took part in the Chiefs' five-hour-long local pro day Tuesday. “I think that you will find that exposure in this business is one of the things that will help you,” Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel told the prospects. “The more exposure you get, the better opportunity you may have as you go down the road."

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones will work out for the Chiefs this week.

Oakland Raiders

GM Reggie McKenzie is looking forward to the draft -- the first for the Raiders since longtime owner Al Davis passed away. "Coach Davis, this has been his deal since the Raiders were the Raiders," McKenzie told reporters Wednesday. "I am the new guy. This is my first time drafting after a legend has been drafting for the Raiders for so long. So it's huge."

Former 49er Shawntae Spencer is excited to be with the Raiders. "It's a fresh start," Spencer said. "I don't have a chip on my shoulder. I just love football."

San Diego Chargers

GM A.J. Smith has started to get his mojo back this offseason by making a number of low-risk, high-reward signings, writes NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal.

Jacob Hester and Mario Henderson face looming deadlines to decide whether they want to be in San Diego, reports the Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee and Michael Gehlken.

Guard Tyronne Green got serious about conditioning this winter, enrolling at the O-Line Academy, run by former NFL center LeCharles Bentley.