AFC West Roundup: Jimmy Garoppolo cleared for Raiders; Marcus Peters joins him in Vegas

The Raiders finally got good news on the injury front Sunday from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The lead reporter let the Vegas fan base know quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would be available to open training camp. But that wasn’t all, Marcus Peters also made headlines by agreeing to a deal with the Silver and Black.

Raiders Get Great News On QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Since Garoppolo signed with the Raiders in March, a cloud has been hanging over the franchise. The oft-injured signal-caller underwent surgery soon after inking the new deal, and up until recently, many wondered if the veteran passer would be able to clear his physical. It turns out these worries were overblown.

Jimmy G only has one full slate under his belt as a starter, so fans should soak up this promising development while they can. Hopefully, the nine-year veteran will stay upright all season and lead the Raiders to a surprising playoff berth. But Garoppolo is at the point where he has the burden of proving himself without the support of offensive mastermind Kyle Shanahan.

To the credit of head coach Josh McDaniels, he is no slouch as a play caller. If anyone can get the most out of Jimmy Garoppolo — other than Shanahan — it will be his old Patriot companion, McDaniels. The duo has a little over a month to re-acquaint themselves; keep an eye on this situation throughout training camp.

Even Better, Vegas Gets Defensive Help In The Form Of CB Marcus Peters

Another recent development saw general manager Dave Ziegler sign veteran cornerback Marcus Peters. The former All-Pro brings a stellar pedigree to the Silver and Black, boasting an absurd 32 interceptions since entering the league in 2015. The Raiders’ depth chart lacked a proven veteran presence aside from the underwhelming Brandon Facyson; not anymore.

Peters enters his age-30 season with a clean bill of health and every incentive to ball out for Vegas. The deal he signed only links the star cornerback to the franchise for one season, with the maximum value being $5 million. The partnership makes all the sense in the world for both parties. Ideally, Peters plays well enough to secure a couple more years as the team’s CB1. The potential positional battles at training camp are infinitely more interesting now than yesterday.

Could Justyn Ross Live Up To His Potential In 2023?

The Chiefs are giving a former four-star Clemson wideout a chance with the first-teamers at training camp. Justyn Ross, once considered an early-round prospect, went undrafted at the 2022 NFL Draft, thanks to some scary medical red flags during the pre-draft process.

Ross has dealt with back and foot injuries since his amateur days, two of the most debilitating injuries a football player can suffer. The foot injury in particular kept the 23-year-old wide receiver out of action for his entire rookie season. But like Garoppolo, Ross is doused in optimism after the latest reports from Chiefs training camp.

Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid proved they could turn water into wine after trading away All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill last offseason. Led by JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Mahomes never missed a beat en route to a second Super Bowl title in a handful of seasons as a starting quarterback.

Kansas City dipped into the rookie pool early in the past two drafts. Skyy Moore was the No. 54 overall pick last year, while Rashee Rice came off the board at No. 55 this past April. As enticing as Moore and Rice are, Ross boasts the best story by far. Luckily for this trio, there is plenty of volume for all three to make impacts in 2023 — assuming health stays in the favor of Ross.