AFC West primer: Where do Broncos’ rivals stand entering NFL offseason?

As we enter the key portions of the NFL offseason, we take a look at where the teams in the AFC West stand.

The Denver Broncos are a team on the rise in the eyes of many. The team seems to finally have a long-term answer at quarterback in Drew Lock, a budding superstar at wide receiver in Courtland Sutton and a defense that can be very good when all the key pieces are healthy. The Broncos are a team ready to surprise in 2020.

But, as is the key to any NFL season, getting through your division is always the first goal.

The Broncos already have the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, to contend with in the AFC West, but both the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers will be looking to reverse their recent fortunes as well.

Here, we will take an in-depth look at each of these teams and where things stand for them as we enter the key offseason events such as free agency and the draft.

Las Vegas Raiders

(Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

2019 record: 7-9

2020 salary cap space: $50.3 million

Key free agents: Daryl Worley, Karl Joseph, Vontaze Burfict, Benson Mayowa, Dwayne Harris, Josh Mauro, Jordan Devey, DeAndre Washington

First-round picks: Nos. 12, 19

The Raiders will be starting a brand new era in Las Vegas after decades in Oakland. This is a team that was fighting for a spot in the playoffs all the way up until the final week of the regular season last year.

The Raiders don’t have any players they can’t live without scheduled to be unrestricted free agents, which should give them the freedom to go out and spend on players they want.

Is Derek Carr still the right guy to lead this team? That’s a question the Raiders will need to answer this offseason above all else.