Elway: Chargers might be team to beat in AFC West

With the draft and free agency in the rearview, things are beginning to take shape across the NFL as the countdown to the season begins.

One division that promises to be wide open this year is the AFC West, with each club facing a number of questions that must be answered for them to be considered contenders.

The Denver Broncos certainly improved at their most vulnerable position by signing quarterback Case Keenum in the offseason, but despite that signing, general manager John Elway pointed toward another team in the division as the favorites.

"I thought the Chargers did a really nice job with the draft," Elway said last week, via Peter King of The MMQB. "They've got a settled quarterback, even though the Raiders do too. Looking at it, (the Chargers) may be the ones to beat."

After starting the season with four straight losses, Los Angeles rebounded by posting a 9-3 mark to close the schedule, narrowly missing the playoffs on the last day of the season.

With star pivot Philip Rivers back for his 15th season, the offense will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with yet again. Adding former Florida State star Derwin James in the first round of the draft was a savvy move by the club, as it now has a talented player in the secondary to pair with the ferocious pass-rush of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.

Oddsmakers appear to agree with Elway's assessment, as the Westgate Superbook has the Chargers listed as 3-2 favorites to claim the division crown.