The AFC as a whole, got a lot better this offseason. Two franchise quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan both left the NFC to join the AFC. Khalil Mack was traded from the Bears to the Chargers and even an elite safety like Marcus Williams left the Saints to join the Ravens.
But which team in the AFC is the most improved so far this offseason? Well, that depends on who you ask.
In a recent by Jeremey Fowler of ESPN, he named the Raiders as the team that has improved the most so far this offseason. Here is a snippet of his thoughts below:
“A team on the cusp just added the necessary players to make a serious run. The Davante Adams trade elevates the entire offense, and Chandler Jones is a Hall of Fame-level edge rusher. With Jones taking Yannick Ngakoue’s spot opposite Maxx Crosby, the Raiders flipped Ngakoue for Rock Ya-Sin, an intriguing 25-year-old corner with untapped potential. The Raiders got a lot better, and the AFC West will notice.”
The Raiders don’t have a lot of draft capital, but they’ve filled all of their biggest needs in free agency and via trade. They’ll likely use their draft picks to fill in the back-end of their roster, but their starters are likely set. Overall, it’s a much more talented team than we saw at the end of the 2021 season.
It’s hard to argue with Fowler’s logic as the Raiders are suddenly a team in a Super Bowl window. If Adams can produce at an elite level in Las Vegas, this should be one of the best offenses in the NFL. And that alone should give the Raiders a chance to compete in the super-competitive AFC.
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