Say Hello to Dwight Freeney

The San Diego Chargers have officially signed free agent Dwight Freeney to a two year contract. Freeney will join the team at a very critical time. Shaun Phillips left for the Broncos in free agency and Melvin Ingram is out for the season with a torn ACL. Antwan Barnes also left for the Jets. Freeney spent 11 years with the Colts, where he became the franchise leader in sacks with 107.5. Freeney's role with the team is still yet to be defined, but he should play a major part on third downs at minimum. He will be a factor in a revamped defense featuring 2nd round pick Manti Te'o.  Freeney will finally get his chance to sack long-time teammate Peyton Manning this season.

AFC West Quarterback Rankings

Chargers fans get to see this matchup twice a year now.

No position can be as big of a game changer as quarterback. How well a quarterback plays often determines who wins and loses. Here is the breakdown on the starting quarterback situations for each AFC West team.

1) San Diego Chargers

There is no doubt that Rivers is the cream of the crop in the AFC West. I know that Peyton Manning has been added, but until we know for sure how he throws in a game situation, Rivers is still the best. Last season was a rough one for Rivers, but it happens. He may have the best supporting cast in the AFC West around him too. The offensive line will return all of the pieces that protected him so well at the end of last season. Better yet, they added quality depth to the line. Look for Rivers to have 2 great duals against new Bronco Peyton Manning and return to form.

2) Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning is the guy that Elway wanted. Tebow got thrown under the bus and now Peyton is in charge. If he fully recovers from the neck surgeries, look out. He may not have the best supporting cast around him, but he will have control of the offense like he had in Indy. With young developing players like Eric Decker and Demaryious Thomas to work with, Manning isn't in a talent vacuum.

3) Oakland Raiders

Carson Palmer is a real unknown. What does he even have left? He was all over the place last year, so a full off-season with the team can certainly help. His supporting cast is not very strong at all, especially at tight end, but he is a veteran with good experience. It will be interesting to see how this pans out with a full season. It is critical that Mcfadden stays healthy all year.

4) Kansas City Chiefs

How many more chances is Cassel going to get? He has been hit and miss the last few years, and is most likely on a short leash. He does have great talent around him with Baldwin, Bowe, and company. Cassel has to show that he can be the franchise quarterback he was thought to be. Expect the pressure to be on him from the get go.

Manning Starts Negotiating with Denver

It seems that Manning is all but a signature away from becoming a Denver Bronco. Manning told his agent to begin negotiations with the Denver Broncos. It seems that Manning will get basically full control of the offense. Manning turned down several other teams, including the Dolphins, 49ers, and the Titans. Experts are now saying that the Broncos are the favorite to win the AFC West. I think that this is going a little far. It will make the AFC West more competitive, but we shouldn't forget that the Chargers have beat Manning 5 of the last 6 times they have played. All of the hype isn't over yet. Just because Manning has signed does not mean that things are set for the Broncos. They now have to deal with Tim Tebow, both from a personnel standpoint and a fan standpoint. While I think most fans will be happy to have Manning, trading Tebow may not be popular. I have a hard time seeing Tebow fit in with a lot of teams. Many are pointing as Jacksonville as the team he will be traded to, but I really could see the Dolphins making a cheap trade, especially with the odds of Alex Smith staying in San Francisco. Expect to hear more and more about how great this trade is. I am still concerned about his injury issues. In the end, I have to love the attitude that Philip Rivers has about Manning coming to Denver. Instead of worrying about how the division just got tougher, he has stated that he is excited to compete against one of the best in the league.

Peyton Watch

Is Manning an executive in the making?

As we have all undoubtedly heard, Peyton Manning is a free agent. It is rumored that at least 12 teams wanted Manning, with 4 teams emerging as the leaders, those being, Miami, Denver, Arizona, and Tennessee. Each team offers benefits, but Tennessee may have played a huge power card. It is reported that the Tennessee Titans have apparently guaranteed Manning a position in the front office after he retires as a player. This is a huge leveraging by the Titans. I have to wonder if this practice would even be approved by the league. We have all seen how the league reacts to things they don't like, even if there is no rule against it (of which I am not sure, more research needed). To me, Manning looking for a guarantee like this would make me all the more worried about his arm strength. It will be interesting to see if any other teams are willing to make an offer like this. In the end, Manning is literally leading these teams around by their noses. This is leading to a slippery slope, with teams destroying relationships with not just quarterbacks, but other players and even executives. This has stopped being just a big free agent signing and turned into a three ring circus. I for one will be glad when this is over.

Free Agency Just Hours Away

Free Agency will begin in just a few hours. Fans are eagerly awaiting the start to see what teams are going to make a big signing and what teams get left in the dust.  Everybody wants the best, but every year, countless teams get left at the alter. Agents know that this is the best period to get a good deal for their clients. Heading into free agency, there are two huge stories.

First off, Peyton Manning is going to determine much of how the free agency period plays out. The list of teams that want a shot at Manning is daunting. Manning stated that he would like to have a decision by today. If Manning delays, several teams could be forced to wait on signing other free agents while Manning decides. This could cause teams to be at a disadvantage when signing free agents beacause they may not be able to argue specifics on salary. While I do expect most teams to be able to float a ballpark number, Manning will control the free agent market.

The other big issue is the reported 46 million dollar cap removal that the league is imposing on the Cowboys and the Redskins. While there is a point that the teams may have broke a gentleman's agreement in regards to contracts for free agents (Dallas with Miles Austin and Washington with Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall), there was no actual written rule for the uncapped year. It is expected that all other teams with the exceptions of the Saints and Raiders will receive around 1.6 million dollars worth of extra cap space. This is all rather hazy at the moment. Fans are understandably frustrated with this ruling, especially since the NFL approved all of the contracts. Dallas will be facing 10 million dollars removed, but Washington is the team that is really getting hit the worst. The Redskins are being penalized 36 million. The Redskins, as you may or may not know, just recently sold the farm to the St. Louis Rams to be able to draft RG3 (or Andrew Luck if the Colts have a sudden change of heart). They gave up three 1st round picks and a second rounder. Free agency was how the Redskins were going to put RG3 around good talent.

In my opinion, the NFL is penalizing two teams that, while they may have broke a gentleman's agreement, had league approval for what they did. While trying to protect the competitive balance, the NFL has actually limited that very principle of competitive balance.