Wednesday’s blockbuster Tyreek Hill trade to Miami threw off the balance of the AFC West.
The Kansas City Chiefs have won six straight division titles in Hill’s six seasons with the team.
Patrick Mahomes is one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, which is why the Chiefs have reached another level from 2018 on.
But Hill is unguardable, and his departure could shift the power in the AFC West to an unlikely location: Las Vegas.
That’s right: The Raiders could challenge for their first division title since 2002, which is also the last time that organization went to a Super Bowl.
Derek Carr’s team has finished in second place in the AFC West behind the Chiefs in each of the Raiders’ first two years in Sin City, following their move from Oakland.
That included a 10-7 second-place finish and a Wild Card playoff berth in 2021 despite Jon Gruden’s firing, Henry Ruggs III’s fatal car accident, owner Mark Davis’ public spat with the league office for the Gruden email leaks, and the strong competition they faced in division.
Since, they’ve hired GM Dave Ziegler, head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi from the New England Patriots. They’ve added former Giants defensive coordinator Pat Graham, another former Patriots assistant.
They’ve extended star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, signed star pass rusher Chandler Jones, traded for Packers star receiver Davante Adams, added corners Rock Ya-Sin (trade) and Anthony Averett (signing), and inked special teamers Brandon Bolden and Jakob Johnson from New England, among other depth moves.
Russell Wilson’s trade to the Broncos no doubt thrusts Denver into the mix with first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett running the show. The Chargers’ signing of corner J.C. Jackson and trade for pass rusher Khalil Mack improves Brandon Staley’s defense to complement all-world quarterback talent Justin Herbert.
And the Chiefs still have plenty of talent on their roster, including tight end Travis Kelce and recently-signed receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Without Hill, however, Andy Reid’s offense is a bit closer to mortal. And that may be all the rest of the division needs to catch up, and for the retooled Raiders to finally find their way over that AFC West hump.
RAVENS REUNITED
The Giants have signed two former Baltimore Ravens in free agency the last few days to reunite them with defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and add bulk to their front.
They inked defensive end/outside linebacker Jihad Ward, 27, on Monday, and landed nose tackle Justin Ellis, 31, on Wednesday. Ward last played for Martindale in 2020 before spending last season in Jacksonville. Ellis played the last three seasons for Martindale and the Ravens.
Ellis is a 6-2, 350 pound run-stuffer. The Giants lost DT Austin Johnson to the Chargers in free agency and aren’t expected to re-sign Danny Shelton. Ward is 6-5, 287 pounds and plays mostly outside but did rotate inside at times in sub packages with Baltimore.
GOODBYE TO GETTLEMAN’S GUYS
The Giants defense also watched edge Lorenzo Carter leave on Monday for a one-year free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Carter, 26, got a one-year, $3.5 million contract that includes a $2 million signing bonus.
Carter’s departure leaves Saquon Barkley as the only player still under contract with the Giants from Dave Gettleman’s first 2018 draft class. And it means if Barkley is traded this offseason, the Giants could be rid of the former GM’s entire first draft class just four calendar years later.
Guard Will Hernandez is a free agent. DT B.J. Hill was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals because Gettleman was desperate last fall for offensive linemen, and Hill has flourished since. Quarterback Kyle Lauletta is out of the league, and DT R.J. McIntosh is a Colt.
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Evan Engram and Carter both posted classy goodbye messages on social media to the fans of New York. Engram, who handled fans’ vitriol with class, posted: “Man I got so much love for New York. It will always be a huge part of my life! Thank you to the loyal ones that always had my back through all the ups and downs. I appreciate y’all more than you’ll ever know. #EazyOut”
Carter penned a long message in which he said “it’s hard for me to even put in words how blessed I am to have been a part of the New York Football Giants family these past four years … Thanks to everyone that’s invested in me as not just an athlete, but as a person as well.”
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Although GM Joe Schoen said he’d prefer to avoid kicking the can down the road on more contracts, the Giants converted $2.63 million of kicker Graham Gano’s salary to a signing bonus and added a void year to his contract, according to ESPN. That created $1.753 million in cap space to address the organization’s cap crunch, created by the Giants’ own mistakes.
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