OrangeShadow
06-21-2006, 03:58 PM
first the power rankings
2006 Power Rankings: Offseason
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (2) Seahawks 13-3-0 Super Bowl losers have struggled in recent years, but the Hawks appear equipped for another run.
2 (6) Steelers 11-5-0 Obviously the injuries to Ben Roethlisberger weren't as serious as they could have been. But as much work as it sounded like he needed on his face, it's not going to be an easy road back.
3 (1) Colts 14-2-0 With the versatile Edgerrin James now in the desert, Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai have big shoes to fill.
4 (3) Broncos 13-3-0 Between Jay Cutler and Javon Walker, they've brought in their QB-WR tandem of the future.
5 (9) Panthers 11-5-0 There's some question about how Keyshawn Johnson and Steve Smith will get along. As much as both guys want the ball, they also want to win and the Panthers should do enough of that in '06 to keep both WRs happy.
the rest http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking?season=2006&week=0
AFC West Outlook
The AFC West should be highly competitive in 2006. This division is deep with talent and has three teams that should be in the hunt for the playoffs.
The Denver Broncos are clearly the favorite to repeat as the AFC West champions. However, the San Diego Chargers are an explosive team on offense, while the Kansas City Chiefs return a solid core of veteran players. The Raiders still are not playoff ready, but the offseason hiring of head coach Art Shell has put the organization back on track to future respectability.
The Broncos capped off their impressive offseason when they acquired Pro Bowl WR Javon Walker in a trade from the Green Bay Packers. The Broncos also did a nice job of re-signing key players Matt Lepsis and Gerard Warren who contributed to their success last season.
Let's take a team-by-team look at all of the competitors in the NFC West and analyze their offseason. Have the teams improved or taken a step back?
Denver Broncos
The Broncos won the West last year, with an impressive 13-3 record, before losing in the AFC Conference Championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They will once again be the team to beat in this division. They return almost every key contributor from last year's team.
However, the key for the Broncos' season will again fall on the shoulders of QB Jake Plummer. Plummer had a career year last season when he finished the regular season with an impressive 90.2 quarterback rating. Head coach Mike Shanahan might have done the best coaching job of his career in 2006 by designing gameplans that allowed Plummer to trust his supporting cast more and learn to play within himself. However, it all came crashing down with Plummer's performance in the AFC Championship game.
The biggest question facing the Broncos: Can Plummer take this team back to the AFC Championship and win? The Broncos again will have to rely heavily on their running game to take pressure off their gunslinger QB. The Broncos have an experience offensive line and RB Tatum Bell replaces Mike Anderson as the feature back in the Broncos' system. Bell is an explosive player with the ability to find a crease and take it to the house.
The Broncos also can rely on three explosive playmakers at wide receiver. Rod Smith is clearly the No.1 receiver, until Javon Walker can prove to everyone he has recovered from his knee injury from a year ago. If the Broncos decide to keep disgruntled receiver Ashley Lelie around, they will cause serious matchup problems for opponents in passing situations. However, the tight end position is a concern with the loss of Jeb Putzier. A young player to keep an eye on, who could flourish in this offense, is second-round pick Tony Schleffler out of Western Michigan.
Defensively, the Broncos must improve in two major areas. They must find a way to create pressure and improve their third-down defense, which slipped significantly last season. If these improvements aren't made by defensive coordinator Larry Coyer, this could result in another missed opportunity of reaching the ultimate goal. The two players they added in the offseason to improve their pass rush were Kenard Lang and sixth-round pick Elvis Dumervil.
The Broncos finished last season ranked 15th in the AFC in sacks with 28. With the loss of DE Trevor Pryce, the Broncos must find a way to generate pressure with their four-man rush, which will improve their coverage in third-down situations.
The linebackers are the strength of this defense. They are every down players who contribute in both regular and sub-personnel groupings. SLB DJ Williams, MLB Al Wilson and WLB Ian Gold make up this core group of productive linebackers. Last season, all three combined for over 264 total tackles. This unit also features a legit shutdown corner in Champ Bailey.
The Broncos are still the team to beat in the AFC West, but it will come down to the performance and production of Plummer.
San Diego Chargers
Even with the loss of QB Drew Brees, the Chargers are still a very talented football team. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer is a proven winner, but will have his work cut of for him with an inexperienced QB in Philip Rivers. Schottenhemier and his staff will have to work overtime in motivating the players and creating game plans that position the Chargers to win games.
The Chargers were quiet in the offseason. They acquired underachieving WR Rashaun Woods from the 49ers and starting TE Brandon Manumaleuna from the Rams via trades. They also added Aaron Shea from the Browns to replace Justin Peelle.
The Chargers feature one of the premier offensive weapons in football in RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson and FB Lorenzo Neal will be counted on heavily to take pressure off Rivers. The Chargers finished ninth in the NFL in rushing last year, averaging 129.5 yards per game, and will need to pound the ball again this season.
However, the focus in 2006 will be on Rivers, who has played in just two NFL games. He has attempted only 30 passes, completing 17. The good news for Chargers' fans is that Rivers has outstanding leadership skills. He is smart and has a quick release. The receiving corps is experienced, with an outstanding playmaker in TE Antonio Gates and very productive player in WR Keenan McCardell.
Defensively, the Chargers finished the 2005 season ranked first in the NFL against the run, but were 28th against the pass. The Chargers tried to address this problem in the first round of the draft by selecting Florida State's Antonio Cromartie. Cromartie is a talented corner who only started one game in his college career. The strength of this defense is up the middle with NT Jamal Williams, and a linebacking corps which consist of LOLB Shawne Merriman, LILB Donnie Edwards, RILB Randall Godfrey and ROLB Steve Foley.
This is a talented football team whose whole season will depend on the development of Rivers. Expectations are high in San Diego after a disappointing season in 2005. The schedule is a lot softer from a year ago and this team should get back on track in 2006.
Kansas City Chiefs
Herm Edwards inherits a team that should make a strong run at a wild-card berth. The major difference in Kansas City's philosophy this year compared to last year will be Edwards's willingness to play younger players. The Chiefs finished last season with a 10-6 record, but missed the playoffs largely due to disappointing late season losses to the Cowboys and Giants.
GM Carl Peterson took a different approach this offseason compared to last, when he spent a lot of money addressing the weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball. The Chiefs addressed defensive needs once again, but this time they did it through lower tier free agents and draft picks. Kansas City signed DT Ron Edwards, NT James Reed, DC Lenny Walls and still are involved in the Ty Law sweepstakes. However, it doesn't look like a deal will be reached based on their spending philosophy this offseason.
The Chiefs finished the 2005 season ranked 25th in the NFL in total defense, allowing 328.1 yards per game. They only allowed 98.1 yards per game on the ground, but the secondary ranked 30th in the NFL, allowing 229.9 yards per game.
Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham returns to coach a unit that should play with more discipline and technique as a result of its new head coach. However, there are still problems in the secondary with RC Lenny Walls, SS Sammy Knight and FS Greg Wesley in coverage. First-round pick DE Tamba Hali will be counted on heavily to generate pressure opposite RDE Jared Allen.
Offensively, the Chiefs have been a machine under former offensive coordinator Al Saunders. However, can new coordinator Mike Solari replace Saunders?
Larry Johnson is an explosive young RB who has a chance to be the MVP in the NFL this year. QB Trent Green is still highly productive, even without a No.1 receiver. TE Tony Gonzalez is the best player in the league at his position and the offensive line remains the premier unit in the league. The Chiefs should score a lot points in 2006.
Edwards knows how to implement a new system and win in his first year. The Chiefs have a small window to have success before they start tearing it down and rebuilding for the future. This is an experienced team with a lot of talent that must improve on the defensive side of the ball to have a shot at the division crown this season.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are looking to build for the future, but they are in for a tough battle in the AFC West. New head coach Art Shell returns to the Raiders for the 2006 season. The Raiders have gone through five head coaches since 1994, Shell's last season with the team.
This offseason featured some key departues. The three biggest departures from a year ago that could impact the Raiders are QB Kerry Collins, NT Ted Washington and DC Charles Woodson. However, all three players are on the downside of their careers and Collins is still unemployed.
The addition to the Raiders on the field that has received the most attention is QB Aaron Brooks. Brooks has been the most overrated player at his position over the last few years and finished last season with the lowest QB rating in his career (70.0). But Brooks does have a supporting cast in place, with wide receivers Randy Moss and Jerry Porter, and RB Lamont Jordan, to turn his career around in Oakland.
The offensive line continues to make changes under Shell. Former RT Robert Gallery moves over to LT, while former LT Barry Sims will shift to LG. LG Langston Walker will move to the RT position, replacing Gallery. This unit has underachieved and must show improvement if the Raiders are going to make a run at the AFC West.
Defensively, the Raiders focused on improving their unit in the offseason by using their first two picks in the draft on defense. The Raiders selected FS Michael Huff and WLB Thomas Howard to improve a defense that ranked 27th last season. Both Huff and Howard immediately should upgrade a Raiders defense that allowed 128.1 yards rushing per game.
The secondary is young and inexperienced at certain positions, which will make for tough sledding in the early part of the regular season. They have some intriguing young corners in Nnamdi Asomugha, Fabian Washington and Stanford Routt who need to step up and make plays. The Raiders also continued their trend of adding former first-round picks on the downside of their careers by acquiring Tyrone Poole and Duane Starks.
The Raiders still are not a playoff-caliber team, but they should show steady improvement as they continue to build for the future.
2006 Power Rankings: Offseason
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (2) Seahawks 13-3-0 Super Bowl losers have struggled in recent years, but the Hawks appear equipped for another run.
2 (6) Steelers 11-5-0 Obviously the injuries to Ben Roethlisberger weren't as serious as they could have been. But as much work as it sounded like he needed on his face, it's not going to be an easy road back.
3 (1) Colts 14-2-0 With the versatile Edgerrin James now in the desert, Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai have big shoes to fill.
4 (3) Broncos 13-3-0 Between Jay Cutler and Javon Walker, they've brought in their QB-WR tandem of the future.
5 (9) Panthers 11-5-0 There's some question about how Keyshawn Johnson and Steve Smith will get along. As much as both guys want the ball, they also want to win and the Panthers should do enough of that in '06 to keep both WRs happy.
the rest http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking?season=2006&week=0
AFC West Outlook
The AFC West should be highly competitive in 2006. This division is deep with talent and has three teams that should be in the hunt for the playoffs.
The Denver Broncos are clearly the favorite to repeat as the AFC West champions. However, the San Diego Chargers are an explosive team on offense, while the Kansas City Chiefs return a solid core of veteran players. The Raiders still are not playoff ready, but the offseason hiring of head coach Art Shell has put the organization back on track to future respectability.
The Broncos capped off their impressive offseason when they acquired Pro Bowl WR Javon Walker in a trade from the Green Bay Packers. The Broncos also did a nice job of re-signing key players Matt Lepsis and Gerard Warren who contributed to their success last season.
Let's take a team-by-team look at all of the competitors in the NFC West and analyze their offseason. Have the teams improved or taken a step back?
Denver Broncos
The Broncos won the West last year, with an impressive 13-3 record, before losing in the AFC Conference Championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They will once again be the team to beat in this division. They return almost every key contributor from last year's team.
However, the key for the Broncos' season will again fall on the shoulders of QB Jake Plummer. Plummer had a career year last season when he finished the regular season with an impressive 90.2 quarterback rating. Head coach Mike Shanahan might have done the best coaching job of his career in 2006 by designing gameplans that allowed Plummer to trust his supporting cast more and learn to play within himself. However, it all came crashing down with Plummer's performance in the AFC Championship game.
The biggest question facing the Broncos: Can Plummer take this team back to the AFC Championship and win? The Broncos again will have to rely heavily on their running game to take pressure off their gunslinger QB. The Broncos have an experience offensive line and RB Tatum Bell replaces Mike Anderson as the feature back in the Broncos' system. Bell is an explosive player with the ability to find a crease and take it to the house.
The Broncos also can rely on three explosive playmakers at wide receiver. Rod Smith is clearly the No.1 receiver, until Javon Walker can prove to everyone he has recovered from his knee injury from a year ago. If the Broncos decide to keep disgruntled receiver Ashley Lelie around, they will cause serious matchup problems for opponents in passing situations. However, the tight end position is a concern with the loss of Jeb Putzier. A young player to keep an eye on, who could flourish in this offense, is second-round pick Tony Schleffler out of Western Michigan.
Defensively, the Broncos must improve in two major areas. They must find a way to create pressure and improve their third-down defense, which slipped significantly last season. If these improvements aren't made by defensive coordinator Larry Coyer, this could result in another missed opportunity of reaching the ultimate goal. The two players they added in the offseason to improve their pass rush were Kenard Lang and sixth-round pick Elvis Dumervil.
The Broncos finished last season ranked 15th in the AFC in sacks with 28. With the loss of DE Trevor Pryce, the Broncos must find a way to generate pressure with their four-man rush, which will improve their coverage in third-down situations.
The linebackers are the strength of this defense. They are every down players who contribute in both regular and sub-personnel groupings. SLB DJ Williams, MLB Al Wilson and WLB Ian Gold make up this core group of productive linebackers. Last season, all three combined for over 264 total tackles. This unit also features a legit shutdown corner in Champ Bailey.
The Broncos are still the team to beat in the AFC West, but it will come down to the performance and production of Plummer.
San Diego Chargers
Even with the loss of QB Drew Brees, the Chargers are still a very talented football team. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer is a proven winner, but will have his work cut of for him with an inexperienced QB in Philip Rivers. Schottenhemier and his staff will have to work overtime in motivating the players and creating game plans that position the Chargers to win games.
The Chargers were quiet in the offseason. They acquired underachieving WR Rashaun Woods from the 49ers and starting TE Brandon Manumaleuna from the Rams via trades. They also added Aaron Shea from the Browns to replace Justin Peelle.
The Chargers feature one of the premier offensive weapons in football in RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson and FB Lorenzo Neal will be counted on heavily to take pressure off Rivers. The Chargers finished ninth in the NFL in rushing last year, averaging 129.5 yards per game, and will need to pound the ball again this season.
However, the focus in 2006 will be on Rivers, who has played in just two NFL games. He has attempted only 30 passes, completing 17. The good news for Chargers' fans is that Rivers has outstanding leadership skills. He is smart and has a quick release. The receiving corps is experienced, with an outstanding playmaker in TE Antonio Gates and very productive player in WR Keenan McCardell.
Defensively, the Chargers finished the 2005 season ranked first in the NFL against the run, but were 28th against the pass. The Chargers tried to address this problem in the first round of the draft by selecting Florida State's Antonio Cromartie. Cromartie is a talented corner who only started one game in his college career. The strength of this defense is up the middle with NT Jamal Williams, and a linebacking corps which consist of LOLB Shawne Merriman, LILB Donnie Edwards, RILB Randall Godfrey and ROLB Steve Foley.
This is a talented football team whose whole season will depend on the development of Rivers. Expectations are high in San Diego after a disappointing season in 2005. The schedule is a lot softer from a year ago and this team should get back on track in 2006.
Kansas City Chiefs
Herm Edwards inherits a team that should make a strong run at a wild-card berth. The major difference in Kansas City's philosophy this year compared to last year will be Edwards's willingness to play younger players. The Chiefs finished last season with a 10-6 record, but missed the playoffs largely due to disappointing late season losses to the Cowboys and Giants.
GM Carl Peterson took a different approach this offseason compared to last, when he spent a lot of money addressing the weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball. The Chiefs addressed defensive needs once again, but this time they did it through lower tier free agents and draft picks. Kansas City signed DT Ron Edwards, NT James Reed, DC Lenny Walls and still are involved in the Ty Law sweepstakes. However, it doesn't look like a deal will be reached based on their spending philosophy this offseason.
The Chiefs finished the 2005 season ranked 25th in the NFL in total defense, allowing 328.1 yards per game. They only allowed 98.1 yards per game on the ground, but the secondary ranked 30th in the NFL, allowing 229.9 yards per game.
Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham returns to coach a unit that should play with more discipline and technique as a result of its new head coach. However, there are still problems in the secondary with RC Lenny Walls, SS Sammy Knight and FS Greg Wesley in coverage. First-round pick DE Tamba Hali will be counted on heavily to generate pressure opposite RDE Jared Allen.
Offensively, the Chiefs have been a machine under former offensive coordinator Al Saunders. However, can new coordinator Mike Solari replace Saunders?
Larry Johnson is an explosive young RB who has a chance to be the MVP in the NFL this year. QB Trent Green is still highly productive, even without a No.1 receiver. TE Tony Gonzalez is the best player in the league at his position and the offensive line remains the premier unit in the league. The Chiefs should score a lot points in 2006.
Edwards knows how to implement a new system and win in his first year. The Chiefs have a small window to have success before they start tearing it down and rebuilding for the future. This is an experienced team with a lot of talent that must improve on the defensive side of the ball to have a shot at the division crown this season.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are looking to build for the future, but they are in for a tough battle in the AFC West. New head coach Art Shell returns to the Raiders for the 2006 season. The Raiders have gone through five head coaches since 1994, Shell's last season with the team.
This offseason featured some key departues. The three biggest departures from a year ago that could impact the Raiders are QB Kerry Collins, NT Ted Washington and DC Charles Woodson. However, all three players are on the downside of their careers and Collins is still unemployed.
The addition to the Raiders on the field that has received the most attention is QB Aaron Brooks. Brooks has been the most overrated player at his position over the last few years and finished last season with the lowest QB rating in his career (70.0). But Brooks does have a supporting cast in place, with wide receivers Randy Moss and Jerry Porter, and RB Lamont Jordan, to turn his career around in Oakland.
The offensive line continues to make changes under Shell. Former RT Robert Gallery moves over to LT, while former LT Barry Sims will shift to LG. LG Langston Walker will move to the RT position, replacing Gallery. This unit has underachieved and must show improvement if the Raiders are going to make a run at the AFC West.
Defensively, the Raiders focused on improving their unit in the offseason by using their first two picks in the draft on defense. The Raiders selected FS Michael Huff and WLB Thomas Howard to improve a defense that ranked 27th last season. Both Huff and Howard immediately should upgrade a Raiders defense that allowed 128.1 yards rushing per game.
The secondary is young and inexperienced at certain positions, which will make for tough sledding in the early part of the regular season. They have some intriguing young corners in Nnamdi Asomugha, Fabian Washington and Stanford Routt who need to step up and make plays. The Raiders also continued their trend of adding former first-round picks on the downside of their careers by acquiring Tyrone Poole and Duane Starks.
The Raiders still are not a playoff-caliber team, but they should show steady improvement as they continue to build for the future.