This time of year can be full of slow NFL news days. With the draft in the rear view and the big fish of free agency long since reeled in, we’re often regaled with repetitive headlines about the campaign to come. And when you’re as busy as the AFC West was as a division, there’s been no shortage of hype trains being boarded and bandwagons being hitched.
Some of these storylines are totally warranted, while some just come off as, let’s say, uninspired. And every team has at least one you can point to.
The most overblown AFC West narratives are…
Denver Broncos – Russ will finally get to cook!
Excuse my audible laugh that will only get louder as these continue on. The Broncos went from cellar dwellers in the West to legitimate Super Bowl contenders this year. Obviously, that was due to the acquisition of former Seattle Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson.
If you allow the media pundits to tell the tale, head coach Nathaniel Hackett is going to give Russell Wilson a level of freedom he was never allowed under Pete Carroll. It’s a freedom that will see Russ lead a dynamic offense loaded with weapons on the outside. A strong offense that will go well with the strong defense that will be back even without Vic Fangio at the helm.
This feels like the old “Great QB Cures All” syndrome that strikes most football fans. Wilson does not guarantee that Hackett will be a capable head coach, nor does he guarantee that the aforementioned weapons (Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick) will all remain healthy at the same time. And it’s not as if the ‘Hawks didn’t supply Russell with quality receivers during his stint there. There should be far more hesitance when it comes to anointing the Broncos so quickly.
Next: Kansas City Chiefs – Who needs Tyreek Hill?
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