Besides missing out on free agents, seeing your division rivals sign top free agents could be a tough pill to swallow. Which remainginFAs do we not want to see AFC rival teams sign? At this point in free agency, there won't be an over-the-top signing besides DeAndre Hopkins.
The stud receiver was recently cut by the Arizona Cardinals and is now free to sign with a team of his choosing. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers seem geared up to be playoff teams again in 2023, and the Denver Broncos have also made moves to angle themselves into playoff contenders.
Even though I like the Broncos' chances in 2023 to win 10 or so games, there still is a chance that the three other AFC West teams end up crushing the Broncos' dreams.
Which remaining free agents do we not want to see the Broncos' division rivals sign in 2023?
AFC West: One free agent we'd hate to see each rival team sign in 2023
We'd hate to see the Chiefs sign DeAndre Hopkins
I think this is an obvious one. The Chiefs have been connected to the All-Pro receiver and apparently were engaged in trade talks with the Cardinals, but those never materialized. Hopkins and the Chiefs surely have mutual interest and Hopkins would clearly fill a need for them.
The Chiefs don't necessarily need to sign the player, as they were just fine last year with their current WR core, but this would be an excellent luxury signing for the team.
We'd hate to see the Raiders sign Ben Jones and Dalton Risner
The Las Vegas Raiders did not do a thing to their offensive line this offseason, which has been baffling thus far. The team dumped Derek Carr for an inferior quarterback in Jimmy Garopplo, so you'd think that the Raiders would bolster the situation around him.
Well, it would kind of stink to see the Raiders sign Ben Jones and Dalton Risner. Ben Jones is an elite center and was cut by the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason. He'd also be a great get for the Broncos, but they don't appear to be angling towards him at the moment.
Dalton Risner is probably better than the guards that are in the Raiders' projected starting lineup, so he'd likely provide a marginal boost, which I think we'd not want to see.
We'd hate to see the Chargers sign Yannick Ngakoue
The Los Angeles Chargers defense has been a problem for them over the past couple of seasons. They could use another cornerback, but a player that we'd truly hate to see sign with LA would be Yannick Ngakoue, a pass-rushing specialist who has never had less than 8.0 sacks in a season.
We've written about him for months on this website and for good reason. Denver, more than any other team in the AFC West, need to add a pass rusher, but you could argue that LA needs a boost as well. The 28-year-old Ngakoue would make the Chargers' defensive front ultra scary, which might not bode well for the Broncos' offensive line.