Around the AFC West: Crowded backfields abound in the division

NFL teams are into the “virtual offseason” as they prepare for the 2020 season. The schedule was released on Thursday with the hope that games will be played on time and with fans in the stands. Teams have made adjustments due to the coronavirus pandemic, but their buildings are set to re-open in the near future with strict guidelines.

The AFC West is going to be one of the most competitive divisions in all of football. In fact, do not be surprised if two or more teams make the playoffs from the Broncos division.

Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.

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Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are going to have to pay their superstar quarterback soon, and the price tag will be the largest we’ve ever seen in the history of the league. As reported by NFL.com, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said that he is confident the team will get him a new long-term contract before his current contract expires at the end of the 2021 season.

“Obviously, I want to be a Chiefs for a long time. I want to have a contract that says that I can go out there and know I have that security. I understand and trust the Chiefs organization and everybody in it that they’re gonna handle it the right way,” Mahomes continued. “I trust my representation that they’re going to ease my mind and let me go out there and just love the game I love playing. So for me, whenever that happens, it happens. But I’m gonna focus on being the best football player I can be every single day.”

The team has had a superstar playing on a rookie contract – and they still are up against the salary cap. As of this writing, the Chiefs only have around $5 million in salary cap space. That’s not even enough to sign their rookie class. They have some work to do in order to clear enough space to afford Mahomes when he gets this new monster contract. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mahomes make around $40 million per year when this new deal gets done.

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Las Vegas Raiders

This week, the Raiders signed former Broncos running back Devontae Booker as a free agent. A fourth-round pick of the Broncos in the 2016 NFL Draft, Booker was supposed to take over as the team’s starter, but that never came to fruition. He couldn’t beat out C.J. Anderson in 2016 and 2017 then was eventually buried on the depth chart behind Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman in 2018 and 2019.

Booker is a hard-charging running back, but he lacks vision and will not create on his own. However, he has natural hands and can be used effectively as a receiver out of the backfield. If he makes the 53-man roster with the Raiders, then perhaps that’s how the team will use him behind starter Josh Jacobs.

The Raiders depth chart features Jacobs at the top, but behind him, it’s fairly wide open. The team lost DeAndre Washington (Chiefs) in free agency, but they still have Jalen Richard as the current primary backup to Jacobs. In the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected wide receiver/quarterback Lynn Bowden out of Kentucky. The team has declared that he will play running back for the team and obviously has a versatile skill set.

Add in veteran journeyman power back Rod Smith and you can see how cramped that backfield is now. Booker is now with the Raiders, but there is no guarantee he makes the final roster.

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Los Angeles Chargers

Speaking of cramped backfields, the Chargers may be using a three-headed running back by committee in 2020. They let Melvin Gordon move on in free agency to the Broncos, so this backfield is going to have a different look without their former first-round pick (2015) on the roster.

Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and rookie Joshua Kelley are all expected to remain involved in the offense this season, according to comments made by office coordinator Shane Steichen.

“All three of those guys are going to share the load. They all bring something unique,” Steichen said.

Former Western State running back Austin Ekeler will be the lead back for the Chargers. The team signed him to a new contract this offseason, paying the Eaton, Colo., product a four-year, $24.5 million deal with $15 million in guarantees. He’s fantastic as a receiver out of the backfield and in 2019 Ekeler led all running backs with an average of 6.9 yards per touch.

Justin Jackson may get the most carries this year. A seventh-round pick out of Northwestern in 2018, Jackson averaged a whopping 6.9 yards per carry last year as a part-time player behind Gordon and Ekeler. He’s got a balanced skill set and can be used on all three downs.

Rookie Joshua Kelley is an intriguing player. There is no nuance to his game and he loves to challenge defenders with contact. Kelley thrives when running after contact and can grind down opposing defenses as the game goes on. He might work into the mix as a short-yardage and goal-line back as a rookie.

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