Football is right around the corner; can you believe that?
The offseason has once again flown by, and in just a few, short weeks, all 32 NFL teams will get back to work, and report for training camp in advance of the 2017 regular season.
After a resurgent 12-4 campaign last year, the Oakland Raiders will look to build on that in 2017, but the trio of other teams in the AFC West will no doubt make that a tough proposition for the Silver and Black.
Speaking of the Raiders division foes, let's catch you up on everything that's been going on with the rest of the teams in the AFC West.
Denver Broncos
Broncos fans are probably breathing just a little bit easier following the news that came out of Denver earlier this week regarding one of the big pieces on the team's offensive line.
Originally selected in the sixth round (No. 207 overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft, center Matt Paradis has been the model of consistency for the Broncos, starting all 32 games since he arrived in Denver a little over two years ago.
However, lingering hip injuries forced surgery at the end of the season, but according to the Denver Post, Paradis' rehab is not only going well, he's actually ahead of schedule.
At first, the goal was to have Paradis ready for the team's Week 1 contest with the Los Angeles Chargers, but it now looks like the reliable center will be back to work when the team reports to training camp later this month.
How much work he actually does remains to be seen, but it's certainly a good sign for the team that he at least won't be sidelined.
Kansas City Chiefs
Head Coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs selected their quarterback of the future in this year's draft, picking up Texas Tech gunslinger Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 overall.
And while Mahomes is certainly paramount to nearly all of Reid's offensive strategy a few years down the line, as it stands now, the dynamic rookie is still unsigned. Now, the fact that Mahomes still hasn't inked his rookie deal really isn't cause for concern for Chiefs fans, but he is part of a list of unsigned rookies that gets smaller and smaller each day.
The odds are that Mahomes will finally put pen to paper in the coming weeks before the rest of his teammates report to training camp, but if it hasn't happened by then, it will assuredly become a much bigger story than it is right now.
Quarterbacks in the NFL are at a premium, and even though Mahomes is expected to sit behind Alex Smith and learn the game for the foreseeable future, getting him under contract is key to that process continuing.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers went in a new direction January, hiring former Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lynn as their next head coach.
As you'd imagine, the first year for any head coach – regardless of sport – is a challenging one, filled with unforeseen surprises, and myriad obstacles.
Lynn's new gig as the man in charge of the Bolts is no different, but in addition to the challenges that come as the result of being an NFL coach, Lynn also hopes to enjoy a lot of happy moments with his team going forward.
Ricky Henne of Chargers.com spent a full day with Lynn during the Chargers Organized Team Activities, and chronicled his day, from his early morning arrival at the team's facility, to scheduling future practices, and breaking down film.
You can check out the full piece, here.
