NFL: Broncos, Chargers dominating US football offseason

Who has been the biggest winner of the NFL offseason so far?

The legal tampering period is the official beginning of free agency in the NFL. It is the day that teams and players are permitted to discuss contracts with one another. Technically, teams and players start discussing terms prior to the legal tampering period but can be subject to fines when doing so as the player may still be under contract with another team.

Nonetheless, since Monday’s tampering period began there have been a number of surprises and some teams have gotten much better than they were at the end of the 2021 season.

The decision is really down to two teams: the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers. These two teams have been perhaps the most active both in the trade market and since free agency began on Monday.

Let’s take a look at some of the key additions both teams have made thus far:

Denver Broncos

• Trade for Russell Wilson
• Signed Randy Gregory (5 years, $70m)
• Signed DJ Jones (3 years, $30m)

Los Angeles Chargers

• Trade for Khalil Mack
• Re-signed Mike Williams (3 years, $60m)
• Signed J.C. Jackson (5 years, $82.5m)
• Signed Sebastian Joseph-Day (3 years, $24m)

Both of these teams appear to be going for it all in 2022. Los Angeles is a perfect market for yet another Super Bowl contender, and it looks like the Rams won’t be overshadowing the Chargers for much longer. After a 9-8 finish last season and missing the playoffs due to a loss in the final game of the season to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chargers look like they have unfinished business. For most of the year, the Chargers looked to be a shoo-in for the playoffs under Brandon Staley, who impressed in his first year at the helm. The Chargers pairing Khalil Mack with Joey Bosa is going to be a scary sight for opposing quarterbacks this year. They seem to have found their guy in Justin Herbert, who has already solidified himself as a top-10 quarterback in the league. Entering his third year, Herbert is still on his rookie deal, making it the perfect time for the Chargers to go all-in before they have to pay Herbert big money next offseason.

The Broncos, on the other hand, seem to have done a great job drafting. With the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Jevonte Williams, and Patrick Surtain all on rookie deals, they have the ability to spend big on a quarterback while the young talent of the team is making relatively little money. Russell Wilson has proved he can win and the Broncos look primed to do so. Despite a 7-10 record a season ago, it was made apparent around the league that the Broncos were going to be aggressive this offseason, and that has certainly been the case. Adding a player like Wilson has catapulted the Broncos from an up-and-coming team to immediate Super Bowl contenders. They gave up quite the package for Wilson, but there is no doubt that this is a win-now team poised to make a championship run in the 2022 season.

The Chargers and Broncos odds have both shot up to +1500 with Bovada to win the big game in Arizona next year. Both teams missed the playoffs in 2021 but have had such substantial additions over the last month that they now have better odds than teams like the Dallas Cowboys, San Fransisco 49ers, and the defending AFC-champion Cincinnati Bengals.

The best part of this upcoming season will surely be seeing the AFC West beat up on each other. Besides the two offseason winners thus far, the division also includes the Raiders, who are coming off a playoff appearance; and the Kansas City Chiefs, who will always be a Super Bowl threat for as long as Patrick Mahomes is there.

The real joy will be the quarterback matchups that the division will provide. Herbert, Mahomes, Wilson, and Derek Carr all call the AFC West home and will face each other twice a year for the foreseeable future.

The AFC West is going to be must-watch football for years to come. With the talent that the division has, it would be shocking not to see at least two playoff teams come out of this division, and there is a strong possibility that number could be three. The offseason is not done yet, but it certainly seems like the Chargers and Broncos are going to give the Chiefs and the rest of the AFC a run for their money this year with their recent additions.

We have seen organizations with these types of offseasons completely crumble in their first year together, so there is no guarantee that all of these additions will pan out the way these teams are hoping for, but it is sure fun to watch.