Around the AFC West: Taco time in KC, a Prince in Vegas and LA has a QB
May 15, 2020, 6:33 AM
The NFL offseason is rolling along, albeit teams are having “virtual offseasons” due to the coronavirus pandemic. Teams are holding Zoom meetings with players multiple times per week while players are left to work out on their own.
While players are left to their own devices this offseason, teams are still making moves. Even though the draft and free agency are well in the past, teams are looking over their rosters to decide whether or not more talent is needed.
Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.
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Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman led all receivers with a 146.6 passer rating when targeted in 2019, finishing with six touchdowns and 20.7 yards per reception on 41 targets. Hardman didn’t get many targets (41) as a rookie, but he made the most of any pass thrown his way. The Chiefs wide receiving corps looks the same as last year, with Sammy Watkins agreeing to a restructured deal, so Hardman may not be many more looks in 2020. However, he is a speedy talent with tremendous upside if he gets a larger opportunity.
Veteran defensive end Taco Charlton was released by the Dolphins at the end of April and signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs worth $825,000. A first-round pick of the Cowboys in the 2017 NFL Draft, Charlton has been released by two teams during the last 12 months. The Chiefs decided to take a chance on him just to see if they could release his untapped potential.
He was a good player coming out of Michigan, but he has made little impact as a pro. Injuries and inconsistencies have plagued his game in the NFL, and this might be his last chance in the league. Charlton is no guarantee to make the 53-man roster.
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Las Vegas Raiders
Raiders tight end Darren Waller last season joined new teammate Jason Witten (2009, 2012) as the only tight ends in NFL history to catch at least 90 passes in a season and score three or fewer touchdowns. Waller finished second in the NFL for receiving yards (1,145) by a tight end last year, but he did not find the end zone that much.
With Witten added in free agency, we may not see Waller finish with more touchdowns in 2020. He’s talented, but it seems like the Raiders just have other red zone targets they prefer.
Raiders rookie, first-round cornerback Damon Arnette will still compete for one of the starting jobs during training camp even though the team added veteran corner Prince Amukamara. With their second pick in the first round, the Raiders selected Arnette out of Ohio State. He was a late second- or early third-round talent in my eyes, but they obviously felt differently. Arnette lacks speed (4.56 40-yard dash), but he is smart and always around the ball. If he’s on the field as a starter for the Raiders, I believe the Broncos should pick on him early and often with all that team speed they added in the draft.
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Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor will hold onto the starting job for the entirety of the 2020 season, according to Michael Silver of NFL Network. Silver has plenty of sources around the league, but I feel it’s just a bit premature to say that Taylor is going to start the entire season.
Taylor is a capable starter who can win a lot of games for the Chargers, and that would certainly keep him in the starting lineup. However, this team will one day want to see what first-round pick Justin Herbert has as a quarterback. Herbert is clearly the future and could take over for Taylor anytime this season, especially late in the year, if the veteran struggles.
Chargers running back Austin Ekeler averaged a broken tackle on 25.8 percent of his 132 rush attempts in 2019, according to Sports Info Solutions. The mark was the highest among all backs with at 100 carries. Ekeler isn’t a big back, but he is compact and has great contact balance.
The Chargers let Melvin Gordon leave in free agency, and the Broncos were quick to scoop him up. Ekeler will be the lead back for the Chargers this year and while most think of him as a receiving back, the Colorado native can do more as a runner that some expect.
