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Alex Smith takes a shot at Cam Newton, Vince Vaughn gives his take on the NFC North, and the 32 crew debates what the Chargers' record will be this season.

Yeremiah Bell will not be the one who provides depth to the Kansas City Chiefs’ secondary.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the safety has signed with the New York Jets. Bell visited the Chiefs on Wednesday, and they were one of four teams he was considering.

The Chiefs were interested in Bell as a third safety. The Chiefs also looked at veteran O.J. Atogwe.

In other AFC West news:

Here is a call for the Raiders to cut troubled middle linebacker Rolando McClain. He was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He has been a disappointment on the field and a distraction off it.

Once again, in a radio interview, LaDainian Tomlinson, said he’d consider playing for the Chargers again. And, once again, I just can’t see that happening.

New Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, in radio interview, said he expects his unit to be a top-10 defense. For that to be possible, the defensive tackles would have to mesh quickly.

The Denver Broncos have won their first AFC West battle of 2012.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Denver has signed cornerback Drayton Florence to a two-year deal. Florence, who has started 45 games in the past three seasons, was cut by Buffalo last week.

Florence was highly coveted after being released by the Bills. He visited Tennessee on Wednesday. San Diego, where he spent his first five NFL seasons, was also trying to sign Florence. Schefter reports Denver will pay Florence fairly well.

San Diego wanted Florence, 31, as a nickel cornerback, and that is likely the role he will have in Denver. He adds depth to a talented cornerback crew that includes starters Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter.

I could see some situations where Bailey plays nickel in some instances. He played some nickel last season. The Broncos also have Chris Harris, an undrafted player in 2011 who played well, and 2012 fourth-round pick Omar Bolden. He missed last season with a torn ACL, but the Arizona State product was considered a second-round talent before his injury.

Thus, Denver has a deep and talented cornerback group, and the Florence addition strengthens it. Last month, Denver tried to trade for Asante Samuel, but it couldn’t come to an accord with Samuel.

Chris Mortensen and Wendi Nix remember the life and career of Junior Seau. Lorenzo Neal also reflects on Seau, his former teammate in San Diego.

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.

The Oakland Raiders are one of the most intriguing franchises in the NFL these days. How will the post-Al Davis Raiders evolve?

After Al Davis' death in October, the much-less-involved Mark Davis turned his father’s beloved franchise over to Reggie McKenzie, a respected personnel man from Green Bay, who is embarking on his first journey as a general manager. McKenzie has entrusted former Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who at 39 is the youngest coach in the league, to be the next coach of a team that finished 8-8 last season and barely out of the playoffs.

The first focus for McKenzie has been clearing the Raiders’ roster of bloated contracts given to players as the Raiders desperately, and unsuccessfully, chased championships in Davis’ final years.

It has been a necessary exercise as Oakland begins the process of getting out of salary-cap jail. But Oakland has lost more talent than it has brought in the past month.

The question begs to be asked: Has Oakland fallen behind the rest of the AFC West for the 2012 season? It depends on whom you ask, of course. Asked this week if his team will be stronger or weaker in 2012, McKenzie, without explanation, said this: “Honestly, I envision it being stronger.”

However, many folks around the league wonder how.

“I think they have fallen behind,” Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. said. “They are in a tough salary-cap position and they are paying for it now. I just don’t see the improvement.”

Added Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc.: “I do think they have slipped.” Williamson, in an Insider piece, gave the Raiders one of the worst free-agent grades in the AFC.

It’s difficult to look at the list of players Oakland has added and lost and not come to the same conclusion. Even given the need for salary-cap repair, a loss of talent mustn’t be brushed aside.

Some of the key players who were either cut or departed Oakland as free agents: linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, running back Michael Bush, quarterback Jason Campbell, cornerback Stanford Routt, tight end Kevin Boss, defensive tackle John Henderson, running back Rock Cartwright, receiver Chaz Schilens, defensive end Trevor Scott and cornerback Chris Johnson.

The projected starters who have been brought in: guard Mike Brisiel and cornerbacks Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer.

“You look who has come and who has gone, and it’s scary,” Horton said. “I like Mike Brisiel. He will help. But the two cornerbacks are just guys. They are not starters for a good team. The defense needs improvement and I don’t see it. All I see is the loss of talent. Where is the coverage coming from? Where is the pass-rush coming from?”

In addition to not having much cap room, the Raiders have a small draft class. They have five picks and their first pick is No. 95, at the end of the third round. McKenzie has said the Raiders need a starting outside linebacker. He might not know who that player is for some time.

Compounding the concern in Oakland is the fact that the rest of the AFC West has been aggressive this offseason.

Denver added the big prize of the NFL offseason --quarterback Peyton Manning. Kansas City added several players, including Routt and Boss after they were jettisoned in Oakland. The Chargers lost star receiver Vincent Jackson and key backup running back Mike Tolbert, but added several pieces and have been lauded by scouts around the league for using their resources properly and adding to their overall talent level. Speaking this week solely about his own team, Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli said he felt the need to improve his roster because of the improvement around him in the division.

Meanwhile, McKenzie and Allen are seemingly beginning their tenure in Oakland by taking a step back. Asked about the loss of talent while at the NFL owners meetings this week, Allen took a realistic approach.

“You know what, we knew what the situation was when we were going into it,” Allen said. “We knew it was going to be a tough situation. I think Reggie’s done a great job of managing everything as we’ve gone through this. You go through it every year. Every year, you have good players that you lose. And you’ve got to find a way to regroup and replace those guys and that’s what we’re trying to get done.”

The problem is that Oakland has more holes than it did at the end of last season. In the past couple of seasons, the Raiders were intriguing because they were both young and didn’t have many glaring needs. All they needed was their young talent to continue to improve. Now, though, Oakland has holes at tight end and at linebacker and depth issues at all layers of the defense, running back, the offensive line and at quarterback.

“What if this team gets hurt a lot?” Horton asked. “There is no depth in this team.”

Still, not all is lost in Oakland. Running back Darren McFadden is an elite runner when healthy, the defensive line is an upper-echelon unit, the interior offensive line is strong, the special teams are top-notch, the receiver crew is potentially dynamic and the team believes quarterback Carson Palmer will benefit from a full offseason in the program.

The Raiders are hopeful that their talent can withstand this necessary offseason of cap repair. In a couple of years, if McKenzie continues to be financially prudent, the Raiders should be out of cap jail.

“This team wasn’t far away when I got here,” Allen said at the owners meetings. “We’re excited about trying to build on that and develop this team into a playoff-caliber team. Obviously, we took a couple hits because of the cap situation, but we’re looking forward to trying to develop the team, and the players.”

The only question: Has the rest of the AFC West left the Raiders behind in the immediate future?

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.

Although the Miami Dolphins' regime wouldn't admit it, they will nervously keep one eye on how things progress with the offense of the Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle is where quarterback Matt Flynn will resume his NFL career after a four-year stint as a backup with the Green Bay Packers. The same Matt Flynn the Dolphins didn't think highly enough to come up with a three-year, $26 million contract he received in Seattle.

The Dolphins had every opportunity to land Flynn. Miami had the strong connection of Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, who helped develop Flynn in Green Bay. Miami also had the perfect offensive system for Flynn and even had him in for a visit last weekend. The Dolphins could've made sure Flynn didn't leave their facilities without becoming Miami's next starting quarterback. Instead, the Dolphins let Flynn slip away.

Miami's regime, led by owner Stephen Ross, general manager Jeff Ireland and Philbin, didn't think Flynn was worth the investment. That's fine, but they better be right.

Miami supposedly knows Flynn better than any team outside the Packers. If Flynn turns out to be the next great starting quarterback, that stain will stick with the Dolphins. Miami should have been the last team fooled by this. The Dolphins have intimate knowledge of what Flynn can and cannot do.

With just two career starts, Flynn may become the next Matt Schaub (a top-12 quarterback) or the next Kevin Kolb (a bust). The Dolphins can only hope it's the latter.

Remember Drew Brees? He became a free agent in 2006 and was looking for a team after injuring his shoulder late in the season with the San Diego Chargers.

The Dolphins were considered the favorites to get Brees and were very close to making it a reality. But after sending Brees through a round of physicals, Miami was scared away. The Dolphins instead traded a draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings for quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Brees later signed with the New Orleans Saints, his second choice behind Miami.

We all know how that turned out.

This offseason could be a case of history repeating itself in Miami, albeit probably to a lesser degree. After missing out on Flynn, who also came with risks, the Dolphins signed David Garrard. The 34-year old quarterback has been out of football since 2010 and will compete with Matt Moore for the starting job. This is a quarterback situation that is going nowhere fast.

Miami also has a good shot to add former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the mix. Miami holds the No. 8 overall pick and Tannehill played for Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman. Although Tannehill was once considered a late first-round pick, his stock is on the rise and seems like a logical fit for Miami. But Tannehill would most likely hold a clipboard next year if he goes to Miami.

The Dolphins have gone from a team of promise to a team of despair in a matter of weeks. The offseason began with the chance of landing the top coach on the market (Jeff Fisher) and one of the top free-agent quarterbacks (Peyton Manning or Flynn). It ended with Miami coming up empty-handed at both. The Dolphins also gutted the roster by trading Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall for pennies on the dollar and cutting leading tackler and safety Yeremiah Bell.

Miami looks like a team that is not only rebuilding, but tearing down the walls from within thanks to head-scratching decisions. The draft remains, but the Dolphins appear hard-pressed to better last year's record of 6-10. An 8-8 season would be considered a big upset with the way this roster currently stands.

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes Dolphins ownership made this offseason was selling their fans on false hopes and empty promises. Ross has very deep pockets and wanted to make a splash. But all we've seen is belly flops.

Who knows if Flynn could have solved Miami's quarterback dilemma and prevented this tailspin. The Dolphins obviously pegged Flynn as a big question mark, and their evaluation better be more accurate than the injury concerns six years ago with Brees.

Maybe this time the Dolphins dodged a bullet. Or maybe they shot themselves in the foot once again.

If Flynn proves to be a good quarterback in 2012 -- while Miami is still toiling with the David Garrards and Matt Moores of the world -- the Dolphins have no one to blame but themselves.

A usually quiet Steelers team in free agency might be poised to make a key addition.

Pittsburgh is considered the favorite to land Chargers free-agent running back Mike Tolbert, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Carolina Panthers are also believed to be interested in Tolbert.

While there is no reported visit set up, this move would make perfect sense for the Steelers. Pittsburgh needs to add an experienced runner because Rashard Mendenhall is expected to start the season on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing ACL surgery in January and backup Isaac Redman has never been a featured back for an entire season.

Tolbert, 26, is a battering-ram runner who fits the Steelers' old rugged persona on offense and he's a valuable receiver who boosts the Steelers' recent pass-first philosophy. As a runner, he'll give you four yards per carry and a strong presence in the red zone (19 touchdowns in two seasons). As a receiver, he caught 54 passes, turning 23 of them into first downs.

Pittsburgh probably isn't looking to Tolbert to carry the running game. He's a complementary back who only had four games with double-digit carries last season.

The Steelers should get a good price on Tolbert, who hasn't received much interest in free agency. He had a visit with the Chiefs, who signed Peyton Hillis. It doesn't look like he'll be going back to the Chargers, who went with Le'Ron McClain. Those two former AFC North runners could now push Tolbert to the Steelers, who would get much stronger because of it.

There are numerous reports that the Raiders will cut linebacker Kamerion Wimbley on Friday. The move has been expected for several weeks.

Wimbley was not interested in a pay-cut. Keeping him on the roster through Saturday would have triggered $17.5 million in bonuses. Wimbley will be paid $6.5 million by the Raiders anyway for this year, but it will save Oakland $4.5 million. He will draw interest on the open market. While the Chargers have already spent a lot in free agency (they have re-signed two players, and added four outside contracts), they need a pass-rusher and might be interested. Chicago is another team to keep an eye on.

Oakland now has more money to spend. It is looking at cornerbacks, including Ronald Bartell and Tracy Porter, and guard Mike Brisiel. Wimbley is poised to be Oakland’s seventh salary-cap dump. So, the Raiders have more roster holes than expected with limited cap room and a small draft class.

In other AFC West news:

Here are the Chiefs’ reactions -- via a team statement -- about the signing of tight end Kevin Boss:

Coach Romeo Crennel: “We are excited about the opportunity to make Kevin a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Kevin has been a part of successful teams in the past, and knows what it takes to win. I am eager to add him to our offense.”

General manager Scott Pioli: “We felt that signing Kevin continued our free agent plan of adding good players to our roster. Kevin has a track record of personal and team success in this league, and he is a good fit for us.”

The Chiefs are visiting with right tackle Eric Winston, and are trying to sign him. He has a visit set with St. Louis after the Chiefs.

NFL Network is reporting the Broncos will visit with Tampa Bay linebacker Geno Hayes. Denver is looking at several defensive players.

In an Insider piece , Mel Kiper looks at how free agency has affected the Chargers’ draft plans.

Brady Quinn has a decent chance to stick around as a backup quarterback if Denver signs Peyton Manning. Both he and Manning have the same agent and it could make sense for Quinn to stick around if Manning signs with the Broncos.

If Tim Tebow remains the starter, Quinn will likely walk.

Quinn may have a hint that Manning isn't coming to Denver or perhaps he's not waiting for him to make a decision.

The Denver Post is reporting Quinn will visit the Jets on Friday. New York has a backup job available.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s John Clayton has reported Tennessee agreed to terms with guard Steve Hutchinson. The Broncos and Titans are among the teams fighting to sign Peyton Manning. The Broncos haven’t done anything in free agency because they are waiting to see what Manning does.

Denver has $38 million in cap room. Tennessee has less cap room. It’s time for Denver to start signing some players while waiting for Manning. Not all of its cap space will go to Manning.

In other AFC West news:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Denver receiver/returner Eddie Royal is taking a physical in San Diego. That could mean a contract is next. I like Royal's fit in San Diego.

Oakland pass-rusher Trevor Scott is visiting the Patriots. Scott was once a promising Oakland prospect, but he's been slowed by injuries. I think he is still a decent prospect. I wonder what Bill Belichick could do with him?

Keep an eye on Chiefs running back Jackie Battle as an option in San Diego if Mike Tolbert signs elsewhere. Tolbert is visiting the Chiefs.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Washington Redskins have landed safety Brandon Meriweather.

Denver is looking for a veteran safety with Brian Dawkins considering retirement. Meriweather did visit with Denver. The Broncos also visited with Cleveland’s Mike Adams.

Schefter reports former Seattle cornerback Marcus Trufant will visit the Broncos on Friday.

The Broncos have otherwise been quiet in free agency -- despite having $38 million in cap room -- as they wait for Peyton Manning to make a decision.

Meanwhile, San Diego's four-year deal with left tackle Jared Gaither includes an $8 million signing bonus. His 2012 contract is fully guaranteed.

The Kansas City Chiefs are giving Peyton Hillis one season to prove he is more like the 2010 version, who excelled under Brian Daboll, and not the 2011 version who struggled with several issues.

In an attempt to bolster their potentially dangerous offense, Kansas City brought the powerful running back -- who spent his first two NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos -- back to his AFC West roots. Hillis, who was traded from Denver to the Cleveland Browns in a deal for quarterback Brady Quinn two years ago, signed a one-year deal worth $3 million with Kansas City.

Under new offensive coordinator Dabol in 2010 Hillis ran for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hillis will be a complementary back to Jamaal Charles, who is expected to be back after tearing an ACL in Week 2, and provides insurance if Charles is not 100 percent by the start of the season. The Chiefs are also still visiting with San Diego Chargers free agent Mike Tolbert and there is a chance Tolbert could be added to the backfield as well.

The Chiefs are a ground-based team and Hillis is a good fit. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. loves the addition in Kansas City.

“Hillis runs with extreme aggression and also catches the ball much better than many realize since he is a big power," Williamson said. "I worry about his durability, but with Charles, he should be the complementary piece.”

Last season without Daboll, Hillis struggled in several areas. He had just 587 yards and averaged 3.6 yards a carry during a year where he graced the cover of the Madden video game.

It was a strange season for Hillis. He was questioned for missing a game when he was ill, there was a reported player’s intervention for him because of his unhappiness over his contract, he went through several agents, and he has denied a report that he thought about quitting football last season to join the CIA.

Because the Chiefs are not committing to Hills for the long term, the team is protected if Hillis does not revert to his 2010 days. I expect Hillis to play very hard as he tries to prove to the Chiefs and to the rest of the league he deserves the long-term deal he has long desired.

Hillis is another interesting component to Kansas City’s offense. An offense featuring Charles, Hills, receivers Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston, Jon Baldwin and tight end Tony Moeaki is powerful. It has the potential to both wear down opponents and to score quickly. The Chiefs are trying to make it even better. They are trying to sign Tolbert and former Houston standout right tackle Eric Winston. Plus, the team is bringing in former Oakland tight end Kevin Boss to pair with Moeaki.

Instead of trying to replace quarterback Matt Cassel, it seems that the Chiefs are bent on giving him as much help as possible. Potential Cassel competitors Jason Campbell, Kyle Orton and Chad Henne have all signed elsewhere.

With a defensive-minded head coach in Romeo Crennel, it is clear the Chiefs believe pumping up the offense is the team’s biggest priority and securing Hillis to a team-friendly deal is a solid start.

Former Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams began his free-agent tour in Buffalo. But that will not be his last stop.

ESPN's John Clayton reports Williams will continue to visit other teams before making his decision. The Buffalo Bills put the full-court press on Williams during the first day of free agency Tuesday. They reportedly picked up Williams via a private plane in North Carolina and spent the entire day with him in Buffalo. The Bills also plan to spend some time with Williams today.

The Bills are hoping to make Williams one of the NFL's highest-paid defensive players. Williams, a former No. 1 overall pick, is a game-changer who will add an immediate pass rush to Buffalo's defense.

Bills general manager Buddy Nix said the team will be aggressive in free agency, and he proved it by starting top shelf with Williams. It would've been in Buffalo's best interest to sign Williams before he visits other teams.

The Bills already lost out on free-agent receiver Robert Meachem, who agreed to terms with the San Diego Chargers while visiting Buffalo. The Bills have to hope they don't suffer the same fate with Williams.

The Oakland Raiders have been quiet in free agency so far Tuesday, other than seeing former starting quarterback Jason Campbell leave for Chicago.

This may be a reason: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports when free agency opened Tuesday the Raiders had a league low $639,966 of cap space.

Now, that will improve when the release of tight end Kevin Boss kicks in. Oakland could also cut linebacker Kamerion Wimbley and defensive tackle John Henderson. So, Oakland (which already cut three other players and restructured the contracts of several players) will get some enough cap room to sign a few players and sign their small draft class.

But the question for rookie general manager Reggie McKenzie is this? Why didn’t he do all of his salary-cap shaving prior to free agency starting. Players are signing at a fast rate. I know Oakland is going to bargain shop, but there is no reason why it should give other teams a head start for any player. The Raiders’ don’t have a starting quality cornerback on the roster and top cornerbacks like Cortland Finnegan and Carlos Rogers are already off the market.

In other AFC West news:

• UT-San Diego reported that the Chargers want former practice squader Frank Summers to be the repair fullback. Jacob Hester, if he is re-signed, would spell Summers and play special teams.
• Add the 49ers to the list of the teams that want Oakland receiver Chaz Schilens. The Phoenix native is visiting the Cardinals on Tuesday and the Jets reportedly like him, too.
• NFL.com is reporting Seattle tight end John Carlson will visit the Colts in addition to the Chiefs.
• The Raiders reportedly gave defensive lineman Desmond Bryant a second-round tender in restricted free agency. It would be a shock if another team tried to sign him to an offer sheet.