With the season around the corner and training camp just two weeks away, it is time to dive into what every team in the AFC West needs to be concerned about. No squad is completely flawless; the defending champion Denver Broncos even have some question marks as they enter the 2016 campaign.
The AFC West should be a very competitive race with three potential winners and a underdog in San Diego. Before anyone can take on the aspirations of being crowned division champs, all four teams have to be assured their greatest issue is all taken care of. Let us start in Oakland.
Oakland Raiders: Is this finally the year?
Although pundits the last few years have predicted Oakland would make it back to the playoffs, the Raiders have not done so since 2002. With putrid quarterback play and draft selections like Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Silver and Black have had a hard time rekindling the prestige the franchise once held. However, 2016 could mark the end of the drought with all the talent the Raiders have on the bay.
Derek Carr is a prospective franchise QB at the helm, and his pairing with a stud receiver in Amari Cooper who runs fantastic routes is a dangerous combination. The offensive line looks solid with the new addition of Kelechi Osemele, and Khalil Mack is practically the equivalent to a Mack Truck off the edge. Free agency rewarded Oakland Bruce Irvin, Reggie Nelson, and Sean Smith, a great steal from rival Kansas City.
The Raiders have all the pieces, they just have to figure out how to put them together.
Next: San Diego...