Around the AFC West: The Raiders eye their own version of Mahomes
Jan 31, 2020, 6:42 AM
The Senior Bowl wrapped up last week, and the NFL world is focused this week on the Super Bowl. I have traveled from Mobile to Miami and will be attending Super Bowl LIV as the Chiefs take on the 49ers.
These two teams are a blueprint for the Broncos (and other teams) to follow. The AFC West is going to be all about keeping up with the Chiefs so long as quarterback Patrick Mahomes is leading the way. Meanwhile, the rest of the division still has plenty of work to do in order to compete at that level.
Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.
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Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid seems comfortable in Miami. Reid is never super excitable when talking at a press conference or on a conference call. As the veteran coach said on Thursday during media availability, “You guys don’t need a clown up here.”
That being said, Reid was as forthcoming as he could be during the press conference and seemed to be settled in. This sort of approach has to have a calming effect on the players under his guidance.
There was one quote from Reid that stood out more than others for me on Thursday.
My favorite quote from #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid today. "In our case (Patrick Mahomes) can make everyone around him better. The great ones do that with your whole organization." @1043TheFan #SBLIV #FANinMiami pic.twitter.com/jnGgnYcHAy
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) January 30, 2020
Mahomes is supremely confident in his ability, but he is not overly arrogant. Being around the Chiefs this week, I can see how the team is feeding off the leadership from Mahomes. They don’t seem too amped up during the week leading up to the big game. We’ll see if they can maintain that calmness coming from Reid and Mahomes when the game gets under way. The team that scores first in the Super Bowl is 36-17.
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Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are reportedly interested in Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. I heard that from multiple sources in Mobile at the Senior Bowl and people I talk to at the Super Bowl are backing that up. Love had a great week of practice at the Senior Bowl last week, and his performance backs up what you see on film – mainly from his 2018 season at Utah State.
Love did draw some comparisons to Mahomes at the Senior Bowl, but I won’t go there. I love Love’s game, and have been talking about him as a first-round pick for months, but I won’t compare him to a superstar like Mahomes. Love has athleticism, nearly flawless mechanics and does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield while extending the play with his legs.
One thing seems to be clear this offseason, the Raiders are almost done with Derek Carr as their starter. Whether it’s selecting Love in the first round or adding Tom Brady in free agency, it seems like the Carr’s time as the team’s starter is close to coming to a close. Love is very likely to be a first-round pick, and there was buzz around the Senior Bowl that he could be a top-10 pick. The Raiders are sitting at the No. 12 overall pick but may have to move up in the first round if Love is in fact their target.
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Los Angeles Chargers
Conflicting reports have come out this week about whether or not the Chargers are moving on from quarterback Philip Rivers. During the Super Bowl week, a ton of reports have surfaced about the veteran quarterback. Some say the team has moved on, while others report that the Chargers are still undecided.
Rivers is unlikely to return to the team in 2020, in the opinion of FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer. However, Glazer clarified comments he made earlier in the week about Rivers’ future on Tuesday, stating he did not report that such a decision has already been made.
As I discussed in last week’s “Around the AFC West,” Rivers has moved his family from San Diego to Florida as he awaits his future home in the NFL. That doesn’t mean Rivers is automatically not going to play for the Chargers, but there’s no sense in keeping him as the quarterback. It’s just best for both sides to move on.
Now that he’s in Florida, there is a ton of speculation that the Buccaneers are going to be interested in Rivers. Tampa Bay has to make their own decision about their 2019 starter, former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. Last year, Winston threw for more than 5,000 yards with 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
Rivers might be a better fit for the Buccaneers and his playing style could mesh quite well with Bucs head coach Bruce Arians. It won’t be long before the Chargers have to make a decision on Rivers with free agency just a little over a month away.
