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Denver Broncos

Adam Gase, making the step up from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, credits predecessor Mike McCoy for helping him feel prepared. "Mike did a great job in letting me help him in everything we did," Gase told the Denver Post of McCoy, now the Chargers' head coach.

Tom Nalen, the former center who spent 14 seasons with the Broncos, will become the 24th member in the team's Ring of Fame, reports the Post's Jeff Legwold.

Will the Broncos sign any other free agents prior to the season starting? Legwold weighs in.

Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs defenders are liking the system being installed by new defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, they tell the team website.

Tamba Hali expects the Chiefs' defense to get a lot more sacks this season, writes Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star. “I don’t want to put numbers on it but, yeah,” Hali said when asked if the Chiefs would put the opposing quarterback under more pressure than they did last season. “With the type of thing coach Sutton is doing with our entire defense, yeah. From cornerbacks to safeties to linebackers, we’re coming. We can get a lot of sacks."

One player who has stood out to quarterback Alex Smith during organized team activities is Dexter McCluster, writes the Star's Randy Covitz. “Not knowing much about Dexter McCluster ... he was the running back/receiver, and seeing how fluid he is, going in and out of those roles has been impressive for me to watch,” Smith said after Wednesday’s practice.

Oakland Raiders

Coach Dennis Allen sees the return of Charles Woodson putting a swing in his squad's step, the Bay Area News Group reports. "Charles ... he's got that swagger and I think he can bring some of that to our team," Allen said, "not just defensively, but to the whole team in general."

Why did Woodson choose to return to the Raiders? There were the passionate fans and the money, but Woodson said his relationship with GM Reggie McKenzie also played a role, reports Vic Tafur of SFGate.com. “I got a good feel about how he felt about the team and that just really gave me confidence that they’re going in the right direction,” Woodson said. “The game is about fundamentals and playing good football, and they have some good players, and if we can put it together then we’ll win games.”

San Diego Chargers

Ten months after he suffered an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2012 season, receiver Vincent Brown told the team's website that he feels "like a 10-year old kid running around, just happy to be out there" on the road to recovery.

The Chargers are making a mistake by shielding Manti Te'o from the media, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Charles Woodson had gotten word that Oakland fans had mobilized through social media to hold a rally at his free-agent visit to the Raiders.

Even Woodson was blown away by the reception, which included more than a hundred fans decked out in Raiders gear and costumes waiting at the team facility for his arrival Tuesday.

"It was overwhelming," he said Wednesday. "I think that if at any time I'd ever forgotten what the love was like in Oakland, I was definitely reminded yesterday."

The love from the fans, the belief in general manager Reggie McKenzie's rebuilding project and a one-year contract worth up to $4.3 million all led to Woodson's decision to return to his original team seven years after leaving as a free agent for Green Bay.

"I was actually scared of leaving the facility and not having a deal done," he said. "I don't know if I would have made it out of there. But that was a big deal, and receiving that kind of welcome, it definitely put me in a mindset that it would be a good decision to make it happen."

Woodson came into free agency after being released by Green Bay in February looking to play for a Super Bowl contender and met with upper-echelon teams San Francisco and Denver during the process.

Nothing came together with the 49ers and the Broncos weren't willing to make the same commitment as the Raiders, leading to Woodson's decision to sign with Oakland.

For the full story, click here.

Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg discuss Charles Woodson's decision to sign with the Raiders instead of the Broncos.

San Diego Chargers

Left tackle Max Starks, who spent his first nine seasons with the Steelers, agreed to a one-year deal with the Chargers. GM Tom Telesco deserves credit for upgrading a position that was a serious weakness last season, writes Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego.

Chargers president and CEO Dean Spanos made a firm commitment to staying in San Diego Tuesday as the team continues to press for a replacement for Qualcomm Stadium, reports NFL.com's Albert Breer. "I've said this the last 10 years. The Chargers belong in San Diego," Spanos said at the NFL spring meeting. "That's where we want to be. We're going to continue to try to get something done in San Diego."

Oakland Raiders

More than 100 fans were waiting in the back lot of the Raiders' team facility in Alameda, waiting for Charles Woodson to arrive. Woodson later agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.3 million, including a $700,000 signing bonus.

Since reaching Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, why did things go so bad for the Raiders? Former agent Joel Curry takes an in-depth look at the trades, draft picks and bad contracts that have gotten the Raiders in trouble.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Star has a photo gallery from Tuesday's organized team activities (OTAs) at the Arrowhead Stadium practice facility.

Quarterback Chase Daniel described the pace of practice during OTAs. “I think right now it’s just tempo," Daniel said. "Get up and down, get on the ball. Completions, completions, completions. Run our plays; don’t worry about what the defense is doing. Just really press them -- we like to blitz the defense by getting a lot of formations and a lot of shifts and motions, our tempo. Stuff like that, that’s what we’re really looking like.”

Denver Broncos

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio expects an even better Von Miller for this upcoming season, writes Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post. "He can get better," Del Rio said. "Yeah, he can get more consistent. Certainly he had a tremendous number of impact plays -- tackles for loss, sacks, quarterback hits. He even had the interception for a touchdown, things like that. You want to maintain those impact plays, but we want to find a way to be more consistent, make less errors."

Fans need to let go and move on from the Broncos' heart-breaking playoff loss to the Ravens last season, writes the Post's Mark Kiszla.

Stuart Zaas of DenverBroncos.com looks at the team's record of plucking undrafted free agents who end up making the regular-season roster.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Free-agent defensive back Charles Woodson has signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders, a return to his original team.

Woodson's deal is worth a maximum of $4.3 million and includes a $700,000 signing bonus, ESPN's Josina Anderson reported.

The move will be popular with Raiders fans, many of whom staked out the team's facility Tuesday to greet Woodson on his visit and urge him to sign with Oakland.

They got their wish a few hours after he arrived when the team announced the deal.

Woodson, the fourth overall pick in the 1998 draft by Oakland, returns to a vastly different franchise than the one he left following his eighth season with the team in 2005. Owner Al Davis died in October 2011 and the team is now run by Davis' son, Mark. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski is the only player left from Woodson's eight years in Oakland that included three consecutive AFC West titles and a trip to the Super Bowl following the 2002 season.

For the full story, click here.

Denver Broncos

With the addition of Wes Welker, the Broncos now have three receivers who caught a combined 291 passes last season. So how will Peyton Manning distribute passes next season? "What we try to develop around here is the idea that everyone wants to touch it, everybody wants the ball," Broncos coach John Fox said via Mike Klis of the Denver Post. "But what our guys understand is this game is about matchups. And you put it on the defense who gets the ball each game."

Negotiations with Charles Woodson have hit a snag, and the free-agent safety is visiting the Oakland Raiders Tuesday, reports Klis. Manning, Rahim Moore and Champ Bailey expressed support for adding Woodson.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are going to be much more blitz-happy under new defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, writes the Kansas City Star's Adam Teicher in his notes from organized team activities (OTAs).

Undrafted free agent Rico Richardson has been impressed with what he's seen so far at Chiefs OTAs. "These guys are the real deal, there's no fake advertising," Richardson said via Michael Kerekes of the Natchez Democrat.

Oakland Raiders

Woodson, expected to visit the Raiders on Tuesday, sounds open to finishing his career where he started it. “It would be a really big thing to go back to Oakland being that I played there really most of my career,” Woodson said via Matt Pargoff of MaizeandBlueNews.com. “I played there eight years and Green Bay seven. So I spent most of my career in Oakland and I still have a lot of friends there. I still know people in the organization. It would be a homecoming of sorts if it were to happen, so we’ll see.”

Monte Poole of the Bay Area News Group has seven reasons Woodson and the Raiders should reunite.

Every eligible player was present during the first day of OTAs, reports Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group.

San Diego Chargers

Rookie Keenan Allen heard about it from Chargers fans after he tweeted out a photo of himself wearing a Raiders cap, writes Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego. "It won't happen again," the receiver said.

Newly signed Dwight Freeney will not participate this week in OTAs, reports U-T San Diego's Michael Gehlken. Freeney hasn't arrived in San Diego due to what the team has called a “prior commitment.”

Manti Te'o is off limits to the media and will continue to be until minicamp in mid-June, the AP reports.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos insist they have moved on from last season's playoff loss to Baltimore and remain behind safety Rahim Moore, who was beat for a 70-yard touchdown in the final minute of regulation. "I think he's over it; I think we're all over it, you know," Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio told the Associated Press. "I think we all look back and see things that we could have done better. We also look back with a great deal of pride in what we accomplished. We played some very good defense and he was central to that. So, we want to feel good about what went well. We want to feel the sting of what went bad. And we want to get ready to be better this year."

Mike Klis of the Denver Post asks questions the Broncos need to answer as they begin OTAs.

Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs wide receivers coach David Culley is already making a positive impression on his players. "Coach Culley, he’s been with some guys that have done great things in the NFL," Chiefs WR Jon Baldwin said. "So, for him to be able to be with those guys, who have been doing it for a long time and have proven that, it lets him be able to rub some of the stuff that he taught those guys and seen those guys develop into and bring it to us. It’s a great thing to have him as a receiver coach."

Oakland Raiders

Raider Nation would really like to see veteran cornerback Charles Woodson back in an Oakland uniform.

San Diego Chargers

Former Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer fully expects to be playing somewhere in 2013.

Matt Calkins of U-T San Diego: "It is completely understandable that Chargers coach Mike McCoy would want to shield his celebrity of a linebacker from prying media members, and if the request came from Manti Te’o, one can empathize with that as well. But this story isn’t like a headache or a bruise that will go away if you just leave it alone. It’s more like an anxiety disorder -- the only way to kill it is with exposure."

NFL.com reports the Denver Broncos have offered safety Charles Woodson a contract, but will likely need to up the offer. Next week, Woodson is planning to visit Oakland, where he spent the first eight years of his career.

I would be surprised if the Raiders engage in a bidding war. They have not done so this offseason as they have begun to rebuild their roster.

They are giving players short, inexpensive deals. Trying to win a bidding war for a 36-year-old player doesn’t seem like it would fit the plan of G.M. Reggie McKenzie. But if Oakland thinks Woodson can help on the field and in the locker room, perhaps McKenzie will change course. Denver is still considered by many league observers as a favorite to land the future hall of famer.

The Charles Woodson AFC West race may be extending into next week.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson is reporting that Woodson’s agent said the Oakland Raiders have invited Woodson to visit on Tuesday. He ended a visit to Denver on Wednesday. Agent Carl Poston had previously said the Raiders made an initial offer.

The Giants and Panthers have also been mentioned as possible destinations for the 36-year-old safety. He was cut by Green Bay this offseason.

The Broncos are said to still be interested. Some observers see Denver as the favorite because it could give him a chance to play a lot, a decent salary and a chance to stay with a contender.

Woodson played his first eight years in Oakland. He has a relationship with Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie dating back to their Green Bay days. The Raiders have not been paying free agents much and they have been looking for youth. But they could be interested in having Woodson’s leadership.

Meanwhile, Dwight Freeney, the other big-name defensive player linked to the AFC West, ended his visit with the Chargers on Thursday.

The Oakland Raiders may be replacing one of the best punters of all time with one of the most famous punters ever.

Chris Kluwe, who was recently cut by the Minnesota Vikings, told Fox Sports that he will be signing a one-year deal with the Raiders.

An Oakland pursuit of Kluwe made sense as the Raiders did not have a punter with any NFL experience on the roster after star Shane Lechler departed to Houston in free agency. Oakland has Marquette King, who spent last season on injured reserve. Although King showed potential and impressed with a booming leg last season, he is raw and inconsistent.

Oakland looked at veteran punters Jason Baker and Mat McBriar last week. Signing Kluwe is the best option, and he'll likely be the favorite to win the job because of his eight years of NFL experience. But if King is the better punter this summer, there could be competition for the starting job.

Kluwe has rare notoriety for a punter. He is a colorful character and he is outspoken, including his stance on gay rights.

Kluwe, a native Californian, already has some Raiders in him. He was fined last season for writing a tribute to legendary Oakland punter Ray Guy on his uniform.

So, in all aspects, this seems like a nice fit.

Meanwhile, the Josh Cribbs signing in Oakland is not official, although he and his agents have said the wide receiver is heading there. The Raiders must cut a player to make room for him on the 90-man roster. Another player will have to be cut to make room for Kluwe.

Also, the agent for safety Charles Woodson told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that the Denver Broncos, the Raiders and a new team are all talking to his client. Woodson visited the Broncos and had a good visit there. ESPN’s Ed Werder is reporting the Giants are now interested.

Every team has a May rookie star.

This year for Oakland, it was seventh-round pick, receiver Brice Butler. Bay Area reporters lauded Butler for making several impressive catches during a practice Saturday.

Of course, this means nothing. A rookie practice held the day before Mother’s Day does not mean much. However, it does put Butler on the radar. It will be interesting to see if he can make his coaches take notice during training camp and to see if he can crack a talented, young group of receivers on the 53-man roster.

I asked Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. to give me his thoughts on Butler as he tries to make an NFL roster. Muench said Butler has potential. This is what he had to say about the 6-foot-3, 205-pound San Diego State product:

“Butler is an interesting prospect because he has the speed, size and body control to stretch the field at the NFL level. There are of course reasons he didn’t get drafted until the seventh and the concerns start with his lack of production at the college level. He is a Southern Cal transfer who got lost in the shuffle there. In fairness adjusting to a new program and playing in a run heavy scheme hurt his production the one year he played at San Diego State. Still you would have liked to have seen more against MWC competition. He has to improve his ability to separate underneath too. He’s not crisp enough with his routes and he appears faster than quick on film. In terms of his hands, he can snatch the ball out of the air and make tough catches so no surprises he’s wowed there but he can let the ball get to his frame at times so he needs to be a little more consistent in that area.”

There’s no doubt Butler is nothing more than an NFL hopeful at this point. But as he showed over the weekend, there is potential.

A day after New York Jets general manager John Idzik said he didn’t think Josh Cribbs was healthy, the aging but dynamic return man has signed with the Oakland Raiders.

The longtime Cleveland receiver/returner nearly signed with Arizona earlier in free agency, but he was recovering from a knee injury. He started visiting teams last week with the Raiders being the first team he visited. He visited three other teams, including the Jets. The fact that Cribbs may not be completely healthy right now is not a huge deal. He will get there.

Oakland will look at Cribbs primarily as a return man. He is tied for the most career kick returns for a touchdown in NFL history with eight. Cribbs, who will turn 30 next month, is primarily a returner. He has had more than 23 catches in a season just once when he had 41 in 2011.

I don’t see this as being a bad signing for Oakland. It’s a low-risk move. If Cribbs still has something in the tank, he can help the team.

It is also insurance in case Jacoby Ford can’t return from a foot injury that kept him out for the 2012 season and for six games in the previous season. Ford and Cribbs are similar players, with Ford giving more in the passing game. But it could come down to keeping either player, especially if some rookie receiver like Brice Butler or Conner Vernon makes a huge push to make the 53-man roster. The team can only keep so many receivers.

So, it could come down to health between Ford and Cribbs.

In other AFC West notes:

Former Kansas quarterback Dayne Crist signed with Baltimore. He tried out for the Chiefs last week.

Wednesday was the last day for Amy Trask in Oakland. She resigned as Raiders CEO four days ago. The team took out a full-page ad in a local paper to thank Trask for her quarter century of service.

Rolando McClain just closed the book on one of the most disappointing, bizarre NFL careers in recent memory.

The linebacker -- who was the No. 8 overall pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2010 -- has retired from the NFL. He is 23.

McClain was recently signed by Baltimore after he was cut by the Raiders. He was arrested in his hometown of Decauter, Alabama for the third time in a year-and-a-half shortly after joining the Ravens. Seemingly out the blue McClain told the team this week that he is leaving the game.

Of course, this cements McClain’s status as a tremendous draft bust. But it all raises more questions of what he is thinking about?

Why would he quit? What is he going to do with his life at 23 instead of playing football? Is he going to stay in his hometown, a place where he clearly has proven he cannot stay out of trouble?

I hope for McClain’s future and for his family that he can find some type of happiness and peace away from the NFL that he couldn’t achieve while playing.

Maybe McClain will get his head together and attempt a comeback at some point. But that will not be easy. Teams are simply not going to welcome McClain with open arms.

In addition to his legal issues, McClain struggled on the field, he was a locker-room issue and he was known for not being coachable.

This is probably the end for McClain in the NFL. Hopefully, moving on from the game will help McClain as he moves forward in life.

An AFC West battle for Charles Woodson is brewing.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported on Tuesday that the future hall of famer is flying to Denver for a visit this week. Later, Anderson reported the Raiders sent Woodson an initial offer. Woodson spent his first eight years in the NFL in Oakland. He knows Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie from their Green Bay days.

The strong safety was cut by Green Bay in March and has received little interest. But it is heating up. Anderson reports Carolina is also involved.

If it comes down to Denver and Oakland, it will be interesting to see what happens. I think the playing time in both places would be about similar. Finances could be an issue, but I don’t see either team offering him too much. Oakland has been very cost-conscious, has been mostly giving out one-year deals, and most of those have been to younger players. I don’t see Oakland breaking the bank to get Woodson.

An advantage Denver might have is it is expected to be a Super Bowl contender, while Oakland isn’t. Oakland could have an advantage because of Woodson's familiarity with McKenzie and the franchise.

If Denver decides it wants to sign Woodson, it could try to finalize a deal during his visit to keep him from considering other offers.

In other AFC West notes:

The Chiefs cut 2012 fifth-round pick, safety DeQuan Menzie. He didn’t play last season. It’s not surprising. Late-round picks from a previous regime usually aren’t safe when the new regime comes in. The Chiefs concentrated on adding to the secondary this offseason.

This ESPN video looks at a possible free-agent fit for the division.

The Jets don’t believe Josh Cribbs is recovered from a knee injury. He has visited with four teams in the past week, including Oakland. It will be interesting to see of the Raiders feel the same way.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders both made some roster moves Monday after digesting their rookie minicamps, which were held over the weekend.

Kansas City signed several try-out players: defensive lineman Risean Broussard, safety Greg Castillo, defensive end Miguel Chavis, safety Justin Glenn, running back Jordan Roberts and defensive back James Rogers. They also cut running back Nate Eachus, fullback Ryan D'Imperio and defensive back Jose Gumbs. The Eachus cut is a tad surprising. He was well liked by the previous regime.

The Raiders also signed several try-out players: cornerback Chance Casey-Thomas, linebacker Eric Harper, receiver Greg Jenkins, tight end Jeron Mastrud, defensive end Ryan Robinson, center Andrew Robiskie and cornerback Mitchell White.

Oakland waived cornerback Adrian Bushell, center Deveric Gallington, defensive end Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, tight end Mickey Shuler and long snapper Adam Steiner. Bushell’s release is a bit surprising. He was considered a top free-agent get. But clearly he did not impress the team during the minicamp.

The Raiders also claimed receiver Andre Holmes off waivers from the New England Patriots. He had two catches with Dallas last season. He played at Hillsdale College with Oakland left tackle Jared Veldheer.

In other AFC West notes:

• Denver signed seventh-round draft pick, quarterback Zac Dysert.
• Defensive lineman Antonio Johnson has signed with Tennessee. The former Colt visited with the Chargers earlier in free agency.