AFC West 2014 Free Agency Signings

The AFC West hosted 3 Playoff teams last season in Broncos, Chiefs, and Chargers. The Oakland Raiders came up short in talent and salary cap space to compete against Peyton Manning, Jamaal Charles, and Philip Rivers and to their respective teams. Now that the Oakland Raiders had their own signings and bringing Matt Schaub as their starting quarterback, this will be tightest competition AFC West in years to come.

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DENVER BRONCOS

John Elway and the Denver Broncos constant pursuit of superstar players was evident in their latest signings. DeMarcus Ware, a household name from Dallas Cowboys, has been the face of the franchise for the 'Boys in his prime years of his career. Coming back from an elbow injury he suffered last season, the Cowboys chose to cut ties with Ware and been in search for his replacement through Free Agency and Draft this offseason. These are Denver Broncos' recent acquisitions this offseason:

DeMarcus Ware

Aqib Talib

T.J. Ward

Emmanuel Sanders

Andre Caldwell

Winston Justice

Chris Harris Jr.

Aqib Talib was a surprise signing by the Broncos by pulling him from the Patriots but the Patriots have their Plan B and sign Darrelle Revis to man their starting cornerback spot. T.J. Ward, the hard-hitting free agent safety from the Cleveland Browns, has been in the recent Pro Bowl in Hawaii. A second-team All-Pro last season, Denver Broncos' secondary is on the rise to rival Seahawks' Legion of Boom.

Even though they lose some of their starters in Eric Decker and Champ Bailey (released), they managed to sign their sidekicks in Andre Caldwell and Chris Harris Jr. Bringing Emmanuel Sanders is a plus, not depriving Peyton Manning a single weapon to his arsenal will make this Denver Broncos a legitimate contender once again for the Super Bowl. Winston Justice signing provides Offensive Line depth now that their long time starter Chris Kuper has gone for retirement.

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The Kansas City Chiefs have overachieved last regular season under the reign of Andy Reid and his coaching staff. This roster was always been in good shape and the right kind of coaching is what they need for this talent to show up and compete for post-season and be a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl. These are Kansas City Chiefs' recent acquisitions this offseason:

Richard Gordon

Weston Dressler

Husain Abdullah

Joe Mays

Jeff Linkenbach

Frank Zombo

Vance Walker

Cory Grissom

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't sign any big names in Free Agency but they didn't have to do so because of talent they have in both sides of the ball. Letting go of Dexter McCluster is a surprise move for the Chiefs as McCluster has been in this year's Pro Bowl and should have been the priority to keep their Special Teams atop in AFC West division. 

Bringing low-tier guys like Vance Walker, Husain Abdullah, and Joe Mays could help their defense to give some of their defensive starters some breathing room and be an effective role players playing rotational roles for the Chiefs' defense.

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

The San Diego Chargers unleashed their offensive prowess under Head Coach Mike McCoy. Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers' Offense rival Peyton Manning's Broncos Offense as the top offensive power in AFC West. Keenan Allen exceeded expectations and prove his doubters wrong for not picking him up in first round of last year's draft. Ryan Mathews excels also to McCoy's offensive scheme and benefited also to Philip Rivers' passing attack as Mathews' running attack became more efficient and effective in his core runs. These are San Diego Chargers' recent acquisitions this offseason:

Darrell Stuckey

Chad Rinehart

Donald Brown

David Johnson

Kavell Conner

Reggie Walker

Brandon Ghee

Seyi Ajirotutu

Rich Ohrnberger

Resigning Donald Butler before he hits the Free Agent Market was their best move this offseason as he became an effective starting linebacker to Chargers' Defense. Signing Donald Brown backs up Ryan Mathews and his injury history and be an insurance for a consistent ground game for Mike McCoy and Philip Rivers.

Defensive Coordinator John Pagano needs some more play makers out of his defensive nucleus. Eric Weddle, their star defensive player, needs a sidekick for his play making abilities. Manti Teo and Donald Butler builds a nice tandem for their linebacking corps while Kwame Geathers and Corey Liuget builds a stone wall defense for this Chargers defensive line.

General Tom Telesco signed several players for their depth and competition they will give for their starters. Having a young offensive nucleus and an eye for a quarterback of the future in this year's draft, good things can only happen in this Chargers Franchise this coming season.

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SUMMARY

I have a different blog post for the Oakland Raiders Acquisitions, and based on all of AFC West signing so far, Oakland Raiders have been the most improved in terms of previous talent and current talent they have before 2014 NFL Draft begins. Signing superstars like the Broncos did, is not they way the Chiefs and Chargers want to build their rosters. As of Oakland Raiders signing, proven veterans that was dumped by their franchises became an opportunity for both Oakland and the veteran players to prove their worth in this league and be a contender in this coming regular season.