| Ah, the AFC West! Now there’s an intriguing
division. The Chargers, a team that started surprisingly fast last season but quickly
faded into the AFC West cellar, had arguably the best draft a few weeks back, landing
instant quality contributors in the first two rounds in CB Quentin Jammer, OG Toniu Fonoti
and WR Reche Caldwell, in addition to snatching productive free-agent LB Donnie Edwards
from the Rams’ grasp.
The Chiefs appear to be a lot better team than their 6-10 record in 2001 would suggest,
considering their strong showing down the stretch last season. It would hardly be
surprising if they carried that momentum into the 2002 season — the same way the
Packers, Steelers and Niners did the previous year.
The Broncos are feeling a lot healthier, and the word out of Denver is that WRs Ed
McCaffrey and Rod Smith and RB Terrell Davis are chomping at the bit to make amends for
their injury-plagued performances last season.
After all is said and done, though, the suspicion here is that all these teams will
once again finish the season looking up at those golden oldies in Oakland, where wily
owner Al Davis has assembled a roster tailor-made for one last hurrah of potentially Super
proportions.
I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest coot in Pro Football
Weekly’s friendly editorial confines — save for the equally grizzled Neil
Warner, who, like me, seems to have been working on and off for PFW since birth.
Whatever the reason, I’m really starting to take a fancy to Davis’ Silver
& Gray Raiders, a team that features more productive old guys — QB Rich
Gannon (36), WRs Jerry Rice (39) and Tim Brown (35), S Rod Woodson (37), DE Trace
Armstrong (36), DT John Parrella (32), LB Bill Romanowski (36) and CB Eric Allen (36)
— than any team in the league.
But are they too old?
Bite your tongue, says Woodson, the Raiders’ latest thirtysomething addition.
"This is wine country," Woodson said. "And it’s like fine wine
… you get better with age. I think the experts, whoever they are, get caught up in
age too much. If you can still prepare and perform at a high level, then your experience
is a positive that young guys don’t have."
Right on, Rod. Gray power rules, baby.
Of course, Davis is smart enough to realize that you have to blend all that gray power
with exciting blue-chip whippersnappers like CB Phillip Buchanon, a near-unanimous top-10
draft projection who fell into Davis’ lap a little more than halfway through the
first round, and LB Napoleon Harris, considered the top linebacker available in the draft.
While Woodson is expected to call the Raiders’ defensive signals this season as
the starting free safety, he faces another equally important responsibility —
mentoring Buchanon and fellow S Derrick Gibson, the Raiders’ top pick in the 2001
draft.
"The entire package is still there, from soup to nuts," said new Raiders head
coach Bill Callahan of Woodson. "This is a great player, and we will always embrace
the great player here with the Raiders. Rod is a player who can come in and give us Hall
of Fame leadership and be the blueprint for our younger players."
Granted, the fact Gannon, whose blue-collar work ethic is one of his most endearing
qualities, decided to bypass the Raiders’ latest minicamp over an apparent salary
dispute is cause for concern.
But while there isn’t an owner in the league more stubborn than Davis, I suspect
he’ll get his quarterback’s financial ship in order in plenty of time for the
Raiders to do some serious damage in the AFC.
And, as always, while I reserve the right to change my mind before the start of next
season, the Raiders are my pick right now to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XXXVII in San
Diego.
Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my afternoon nap. |
