Bleacher Report's Most Overrated AFC West Players

Each year, especially towards the end of the season, various players put up big numbers and these players become the talk of blogs and fan-based sites.

Running backs who play a soft schedule to finish the season and end up with a high yards per carry average tend to dominate the talk, as well as QB's who are expected to make a team a playoff team, etc. Recently, I came upon an article where a Kansas City Chiefs fan ranked Jamaal Charles the fourth-best running back in the NFL, higher than Ray Rice, Steven Jackson, and many other good backs.

There are also plenty of rookies who become the talk of team boards who are the next great thing.

After reading that article and others, I've decided to create a slide of the most overrated players talked about this offseason who are new to the AFC West.

Jamaal Charles

Consistently, you'll hear Chiefs fans rave about how great Jamaal Charles is going to become because he was able to get over 1,000 yards in just eight games. I've even heard Chiefs fans state that, because he had over 1,000 yards in eight games, this automatically qualifies him for a 2,000-yard season because if was able to get the 1,000 yards in eight, then just double it and that's good.

But these same fans fail to be realistic about how Charles racked up those 1,000 yards. Considering the last 8 games Charles played, only two defenses were in the top-10 in stopping the run last year. The others, Cleveland, Denver (twice), Buffalo, and Oakland, were in the bottom-10. His last game came against one of the worst defenses in the NFL the second half of the season, Denver, for which he pounded them for 259 yards on 25 carries. Because of those weak eight games, he ended up with a 5.9 yards per carry average.

Make no mistake about it, though—Jamaal Charles can be an impact player down the line. But basing his future off of eight games against sub-par competition makes me believe there's no way he will average 5.9 yards a carry through 16 games and against better defenses.

Jason Campbell

As a Raiders fan, I've found it quite difficult to see articles about how Jason Campbell is the next great QB for the Oakland Raiders.

The Redskins made the playoffs a few years ago when Jason Campbell got hurt and they needed four wins to make the playoffs. Insert journeyman QB Todd Collins and they did just that. What does this have to do about Jason Campbell? He's always struggled with the leadership aspect of his game.

Each season, he improves his statistical averages and looks better stats-wise, but he must be willing to grab the Raiders QB spot by the horns and run with it if he's going to become a stud QB in the NFL. Just because he replaced JaMarcus Russell and is now the starting QB of Oakland doesn't mean the Raiders offense will be a playoff offense next season.

Too many Redskins fans have told me they couldn't stand Campbell and that he earned his numbers in garbage time. They said he wasn't a leader. I'm not sure who to trust, Redskins fans, or the fact Campbell has been a round peg in a square hole since his rookie year.

At least Campbell is a great fit for the type of offense Hue Jackson runs, as Campbell is more geared for a vertical attack that's run-first, like his days at Auburn.

Tim Tebow

I chose this photo, primarily because it details who Tim Tebow is: an athlete. Tebow is one of the most glorified college QB's in the history of the game who came from a spread system which he was primarily a running QB.

Numerous analysts and scouts all railed on Tebow, saying he was a third-round QB prospect who is a three-year project. Mike Mayock, who is considered among the best draft analysts out there for his numerous scouting reports of players which were spot on, said Tebow could become a viable starting QB if he's able to sit and learn and work out his kinks.

The biggest question, though, is can the Denver Broncos afford to sit Tebow for 2-3 full seasons? If Denver starts Tebow too soon, it's very possible he'll revert back to his old throwing motion and the whole experiment of turning Tebow into a Pro Style QB will be pointless.

Regardless, he's definitely the most overrated player to enter the AFC West this year.

Ryan Mathews

I believe Ryan Mathews is going to have a significant impact for the AFC West Champs, the San Diego Chargers.

However, I've seen numerous fans state that he's going to be the RB that replaces LT's production. He's a rookie who has yet to play an NFL game and Chargers fans believe because he's going to be a Charger, instantly he's become LT II.

I like Ryan Mathews a lot and believe he's another great pickup for the Chargers. I just can't compare him to LT until he plays a full season in the NFL.