Friday Faceoff: Which AFC West team improved the most in free agency?

Chris Tomasson, Broncos writer

Answer: Las Vegas Raiders

One could say the Raiders have been the antithesis of the Broncos in free agency.

While the Broncos have signed only one outside free agent so far in safety Tycen Anderson, the Raiders have landed a robust 11 players. That includes doling out $270 million to their top six signees.

And while Las Vegas and Denver both sought big trades, only the Broncos had one go through. While the Broncos acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from Miami, the Raiders’ expected trade of Maxx Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks was called off due to health concerns.

But the biggest difference between the teams has been the Broncos coming off a 14-3 season and the Raiders having gone 3-14 to earn the top NFL draft pick. They are in line to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

While the Broncos have re-signed 17 of their own free agents, the Raiders went looking for impact outside guys. And that has resulted in the best free-agency period of the four AFC West teams.

The Raiders landed a top center in Tyler Linderbaum, who got a whopping three-year, $81 million deal to snap to Mendoza. They signed edge rusher Kwity Paye to a three-year, $48 million contract and got linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean on three-year deals worth $40.5 million and $36.03 million, respectively.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Kwity Paye speaks during a press conference at the NFL football team’s training facility, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Henderson, Nevada. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

The Raiders landed wide receiver Jalen Nailor on a three-year, $35.03 million contract and cornerback Eric Stokes on a three-year, $20 million deal.

The Raiders also brought in a free agent of another kind in head coach Klint Kubiak, fresh off winning a Super Bowl as Seattle’s offensive coordinator. Kubiak, who chose the Raiders over Arizona, is a former Broncos assistant and the son of longtime Broncos quarterback, offensive coordinator and head coach Gary Kubiak.

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Evan Rawal, Avalanche writer

Answer: Kansas City Chiefs

I’d say no offense to Raiders fans, but I wouldn’t mean it.

The Raiders went out and spent millions of dollars in free agency to get better. But as the worst team in the NFL, they had to do so to close the giant gap between themselves and the Broncos. They should be a better team next season with the talent they’ve added, but it would have been borderline impossible for them not to be. Spending the most money doesn’t always work out.

For now, the answer is the Chiefs. They may or may not start the season without Patrick Mahomes, meaning they’ll have to rely on their run game. In order to do that, they needed to find a back they could trust. The Chiefs lacked explosiveness at running back.

Kenneth Walker III could be just the man to fix that. He forced a missed tackle on more than 30% of his touches, one of the highest rates in the NFL, and has speed for days. Walker didn’t come cheap but brings an element that offense has sorely been lacking in recent years. When Mahomes gets back to 100%, they’ll have more balance when they have the ball.

Kansas City Chiefs’ new running back Kenneth Walker III holds up a jersey as he is introduced during an NFL football news conference, Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley)

Kansas City’s defense took a hit when they traded cornerback Trent McDuffie, but they did get Chris Jones some help on the interior line by signing Khyiris Tonga, who is coming off the best season of his career with New England. Even without McDuffie, they should still be in good shape on defense.

The Chiefs didn’t make as many splashes as the Raiders, but they did what they needed to do and have three top-40 draft picks to fill even more holes.Â