This is a fan blog about the San Diego Chargers that has been running since the 2013 offseason. Thanks for the read, please follow, and if you have comments or need to contact me, use the ask box.
Hello everybody! Football season is nearly upon us! However, before we can get to the fun, there are a few worrisome topics to cover first.
First up, Stevie Johnson’s knee injury. Stevie hurt his meniscus in a non contact injury after diving for a ball in a 7 on 7 drill. The severity of the damage is not known, but the Chargers have signed James Jones in the meantime to provide more experience in the Wide Receiver core. Jones is a pro’s pro and should be a good edition to the team. He has the most experience playing outside and not in the slot, so it remains to be seen how he will fit in with Keenan Allen and newly acquired Travis Benjamin. It’s possible that Jones would come in during 3 WR sets, but would push Keenan inside when he does so.
The second major issue I wanted to address was the Joey Bosa contract situation. Bosa remains unsigned despite the rookie wage scale dictating the vast majority of his contract terms. Two terms that are not already set in place are called offset language and deferred signing bonus. Offset language is essentially put in place in case the team would like to cut a player in the future. As an example, say a team would like to cut a $4 million guaranteed dollar player. That player is picked up for $2 million guaranteed by another team. If offset language is included in the first team’s deal, then the first team only owes the player $2 million dollars now. If not, then the first team owes that player his full salary of $4 million and he gets the extra $2 million from the new team as well. Deferred signing bonus is a tool teams use with high draft picks to break up large signing bonuses across multiple years to lower early cap numbers and free up cap room. In a vast majority of high draft picks, contracts usually end up including 1 of these 2 provisions. Either a player accepts his whole signing bonus up front and also offset language, or there is no offset language and he defers part of his signing bonus into the next year. Bosa’s camp is reportedly willing to accept either of those types of deals. The Chargers wish to defer part of Bosa’s signing bonus to next year and include offset language. There are some minor examples of players accepting both of those terms in their contracts, including Carson Wentz and Ezekiel Elliott, the picks on either side of Bosa this year.
The one detail we do not really know is how much of his signing Bosa is being asked to defer and what his camp is willing to defer. According to this story by Michael Gehlken, the Chargers are willing to make sure that Joey sees more cash than the rookies who were selected behind him, and that his camp is requiring 100% of his signing bonus. That would represent a very difficult position for the Bosa camp to take. However, since the Chargers were unwilling to negotiate on offset language, it doesn’t completely surprise me that they are unwilling to move off of their number. Both sides need to be willing to compromise to get Bosa into camp and getting important reps.
The Chargers continue to solidify their Offensive Line with the addition of Matt Slauson. He signed a 2 year deal with playing time incentives, but the total compensation has not been released just yet.
Slauson would immediately project as the starting Center, over rookie Max Tuerk. However, it would not surprise me that if in the Preseason or during the regular season we find out that the best starting 5 involves Tuerk at Center and Slauson taking over for either of the Guards. But for now, he will provide a veteran, tough presence at Center for Philip Rivers and both of the Guards on either side of him. I believe that both Guards were harmed by the abysmal Center production last year, and this year the Chargers are doing everything they can to prevent that from happening again. Slauson should provide plenty of stabilization to the position, so we’ll know a lot more about the status of the Guards very quickly. Having both Tuerk and Slauson on the roster adds injury insurance as well, as Slauson can replace either Guard should one go down with injury (or need to replace an injured Tackle) and Tuerk can slide in at Center.
Perhaps most importantly for the way the Chargers Offense is trending, Slauson is a good run blocker. It would not surprise me if this moved proved to have the same significance and impact as another late-offseason move Telesco made last year in picking up Chargers OL of the Year Joe Barksdale.
The Chargers 2016 NFL Draft: How it fits the Defense
Here’s the second half of my draft analysis and how the new players on the Chargers will help solidify the first two levels of the Defense.
Defensive needs going into the Draft: Defensive End, ILB
Defensive Players taken in the Draft: DE Joey Bosa, ILB Joshua Perry, ILB Jatavis Brown
Let’s start with Bosa, the prize of this draft. I think he fits pretty well for the Chargers, despite no one linking him to a 3-4 team before the draft. They are (hopefully) going to ask him to do 2 thinks regularly. But first, some football 101. I’m going to reference 2 concepts in talking about Bosa’s responsiblities. techniques, and gaps. Calling a position a 3 technique or 5 technique merely refers to where that person lines up at the start of the play. Here’s a graphic on where a guy would line up at various techniques on the Defensive Line. Gaps refer to the areas between the Offensive blockers, and they are labeled like so, going out from the box with the “X” in it, which is the other team’s Center. The idea is if the other team runs the ball, if every defender fills a gap, the running back will have no where to go. So when I say “Bosa will need to play a 5 technique and defend the C gap,” it’s short for me saying he needs to be able to line up in front of an opposing tackle and defend the gap on the outside shoulder of that tackle.
First, in Base (3-4-4) they will want him to play the 5 technique. I’ve seen enough tape of him playing 6 technique and 5 technique that I think he should make this transition easily. The usual worry with moving an outside defender inside is that they are used to using their speed on a long, looping arc to defeat their blocker and moving them inside takes away their primary method of winning. Bosa fights with his hands instead of using his speed to regularly beat guys, so that’s not a concern with him. And if his gap is the C gap, he doesn’t need to play a strict 5 technique either, he’d be fine at 6 as well.
Second, in Nickel (2-4-5), the Chargers move their Defensive Ends further inside and line up their OLBs on the line of scrimmage, usually with one of the OLBs putting their hand in the dirt and one standing. In this case, Bosa will be asked to play the 3 technique and attack a B gap. He did this a little bit in college, and because of the aforementioned hand fighting methods he uses, he shouldn’t have too much difficulty doing this more often, but it always makes you a tiny bit nervous when you haven’t seen a guy do a ton of reps for something you know you’re going to want him to do quite a lot. And I do believe the Chargers will want him to play the 3 technique often, because they play in Nickel more often than Base, and because if he can master the 3 technique, that gives the Chargers their best personnel grouping they’ve had in years. Leaving him outside means not playing Attaochu or Ingram on some plays and playing a not as good backup DL player. But if he can pair with Liuget on the inside, that will let the Chargers use all 4 of their best pass rushers at once, and all 4 of them are stout run defenders as well. Ingram, Bosa, Liuget, Attoachu would be a pretty hard front to plan for or defeat because all 4 would theoretically be plus players in both rushing the passer and defending the run.
On to the new ILBs, Perry and Brown. Perry is seen as a run defender primarily, even though he actually got more reps in pass defense in college than run defense, significantly more if you count rushing the passer reps as well. People are concerned his lack of change of direction will limit his ability to defend the pass at the next level, which has hampered players in the past. Let’s assume for a moment the scouts are right, and that Perry shouldn’t be relied upon in pass coverage. Perry would still make a really good replacement for Manti Te’o in the base Defense. Te’o didn’t have his best year last year in any department, but I still believe in his ability to play in space and defend the pass because his instincts are usually on point. He lacks the lateral quickness needed to defend the run however, and he hasn’t improved his instincts in that aspect either. Te’o also regularly gets hurt. Perry solves both of these issues. Perry can theoretically replace Te’o in Base, which is reserved for running and early downs. Sliding him next to Perryman and accounting for the boost in DL production given to the Chargers by Mebane and Bosa, and the Chargers might actually have a formidable run defense in the coming year. At least there won’t be an obvious weakness for teams to attack. And by taking Te’o out of Base, you’d limit his snaps, keeping him healthier and fresher throughout the game and the season.
Ah, but the Chargers like to use 2 ILBs in Nickel, and Manti only accounts for 1. If it’s not Perry, then whom? Well, first of all, we don’t know it’s not Perry. Or Perryman for that matter. But beyond them, the Chargers have brought in CFL playmaking standout Dexter McCoil. He created a lot of turnovers in the CFL, but has yet to be tested at the NFL level. Given the more wide open passing aspect of the CFL, indications are that he should be suited to succeed as an in-space ILB. Even if he is not successful, the Chargers also drafted LB Jatavis Brown. I really like this player, especially because the Chargers are primed to keep him away from his weak point, which is defending the run. He’s small for a LB (5′11″ 227lbs) so he got swallowed up against power run teams and by any linemen that can grab him. But since the Chargers don’t need him for early running downs, they can unleash him on passing downs. He has the athleticism of a Safety (because he’s their size) and the closing burst and read abilities necessary to be successful at the NFL level. He can cover the pass well and also blitz like a demon. He was highly effective at generating pressure using timing and instincts, and since he’ll be used likely exclusively in Nickel, he’ll be on the field with the previously mentioned group of Ingram, Bosa, Liuget, and Attaochu, making his delayed blitz a very real, very deadly option for Offenses. Essentially, the Chargers are likely hoping that he turns into their version of Deone Bucannon from the Cardinals.
The Chargers 2016 NFL Draft: How it fits the Offense
Hello everyone! I have a lot of thoughts on how what the Chargers did in the NFL Draft works for both their Offense and Defense, so I figured I’d split them up amongst two posts. Here’s what I think about how the Offense will react to the Draft.
Offensive Needs going into the Draft: Blocking TE, Center
Offensive Players taken in the Draft: TE Hunter Henry, C Max Tuerk, FB Derek Watt, and G Donavon Clark
I was a big fan of pretty much everything the Chargers did with this draft. The key theme to remember is “conflict.” I’ll tell you what I mean, but first, let’s address the Offensive Linemen taken.
Max Tuerk should be a perfect fit for the Chargers, if he can keep his weight up. He needs to be near the 300 pound range to deal with the massive, powerful nose tackles, especially with Dontari Poe in the division. However, if he does keep the weight up, he’s intelligent enough to hang with Rivers’ demands and is a good enough player to be starting caliber material very soon. San Diego had the worst Center situation in the league last year, and it hurt the Guards a lot. If Tuerk can come in at even just slightly below average, he’ll elevate everyone’s game around him and be a better player than what they had last year. I like Clark as a project, but he faces an uphill battle to make the roster.
Now, onto conflict. I need to start with the reminder that Ken Whisenhunt is back with the Chargers, and most likely the Bolts are hoping to employ the quick hitting, fast-ish pace, audible based Offense that they used last time Wis was in town. This type of Offense won’t necessarily call for too many deep patterns, and thus there likely won’t be the need for too many 3 WR sets, although you’ll still see them to keep Defenses honest. Mostly, after today’s draft, I bet you’ll see a lot of 2 back sets (21 personnel), 2 TE sets (12 personnel), and even some 2 back 2 TE sets (22 personnel). The Chargers have been working for years to improve their run game, and with the selection of Hunter Henry and Derek Watt, they bring in a good run blocking TE and a FB that already has experience working with Melvin Gordon, as they played together in college. What’s important with those players however is that they are not only run blocking players. Both of them already possess enough skills in the pass catching department that they should not be considered 1 dimensional players. Antonio Gates is also multidimensional, but the Chargers have stayed away from making him run block to often to preserve his health.
The point of all these multidimensional players is to create conflict in the Defense pre-snap. Most times you see 21, 12, or 22 personnel, you can pretty much guess the other team is going to run, because most teams would have limited options in the passing game in those personnel groupings. If there are only 2 or 3 players on the field capable of running a good route and getting open, it’s easy to defend the pass and the run at the same time. But with Henry, Watt, Gates, and Gordon/Woodhead, all of them possess the ability to catch the football, and everyone buy Watt should be considered a legitimate threat in the passing game to create separation and get open. Using these players, the Chargers should have 4 to 5 options in the passing game even in run heavy looks, which leaves the Defense at an impasse. Either they bring out their best run defenders and get burned by the pass or they keep out their best pass defenders and get the ball run on them. This is the conflict the specific selections of Henry and Watt bring to the Offense, and because this Offense will already primarily be quick hitting, the Chargers won’t be too hurt by the shortness of the routes available to them from the guys in the backfield. Theoretically, Rivers should be able to audible to a play that highlights a lot of the strengths of Gordon/Woodhead/Watt/Henry/Gates because that’s what most of this Offense will be.
I see two potential flaws with this strategy. The first is the Offense getting too compact. You want to make Defenses defend the length and depth of the field, which is hard to do when you’re primary routes coming from Tight Ends and backs. However, the inclusion of Travis Benjamin in 12 or 21 personnel packages should mean teams have to respect a deep threat that can stretch the Defense.
The second potential flaw is the most real to me, and it’s that the Offensive Line isn’t improved enough to run the ball, even when not facing a run defense oriented front. Exactly 0 players ran blocked well last year, and the Chargers will return with at least 4 out of 5 OL starters. I do think that a lot of this had to do with the problems at Center, and you’d figure if he’s healthy DJ Fluker should be able to at least run block. So hopefully health and Center improvement will propel the OL to average status in terms of run blocking. If they can block for him, Gordon will look a lot like a 1st round pick, and the Offense will take off.
The writing appeared to be on the wall when the Chargers selected a Punter in the NFL Draft. Apparently, the Chargers had already notified Mike that he was being released before the pick was even announced. Scifres is probably the best punter in franchise history, and he was constantly under appreciated by not only the fans around the league, but even San Diego’s own fans. He was a massive part of winning a lot of games throughout the years. His 13 year tenure spans the majority of my football watching career, and I wish him well in the future.
Let’s take a look at whom the Chargers picked up on Day 3 of the Draft
4th Round, Pick 102: LB Joshua Perry
Needing depth in their ILB room, the Chargers have selected 6′4″ 250 pound Joshua Perry, a Linebacker out of OSU. Most of the draft pundits and scouts have said that he’s going to struggle a little bit in pass coverage, but he’s had more reps in pass coverage than he did in the run game, and according to Pro Football Focus, he graded out just fine in both areas. The worry is he looks a little stiff and has some difficulty changing direction that will hinder his coverage ability at the next level. I’ll have more on his fit in a coming post later today or tomorrow.
5th Round, Pick 175: LB Jatavis Brown
Brown is an undersized linebacker, so much so that I’d probably say he’s a Safety if I didn’t know any better. He’s only 5′11″ and 227 pounds. He played OLB in college however, and because of his size he struggled in the run game. His athleticism is really good though, and he’s got the ability to play in space. He’s a true sideline to sideline defender who can play zone coverage. Brown also was an effective blitzer for Akron and has a lot of experience playing over Tight Ends and in the slot, which leads me to believe he can be a coverage LB on the inside rather than an OLB.
6th Round, Pick 179: Punter Drew Kaser
Kaser had the 2nd highest punting average out of every punter in the class. He’s also from the same school as Josh Lambo. The team might be moving on from Mike Scifres.
6th Round, Pick 198: FB Derek Watt
Watt is coming to San Diego! Derek Watt that is, younger brother to JJ Watt. Derek is a jack of all trades FB who can do enough of everything that you’d feel comfortable asking him to block, catch, or even occasionally run the ball. I mentioned the dilemma that teams will face when Hunter Henry is on the field, and that they cannot assume run or pass with him and Gates in a 2 TE set. Watt amplifies that effect, and he played with Melvin Gordon in Wisconsin, which should help both players transition to the NFL.
7th Round, Pick 228: G Donavon Clark
He has some work to do with his technique, but he’s a big body with enough tools to be a solid backup player, and he does have some experience at a few positions. We’ll have to see how the OL depth shakes out here.
Now the Chargers will begin calling all of their favorite guys who weren’t picked in the draft in the hope that they can lure them to sunny San Diego as undrafted free agents. Congratulations to all the players that were drafted and all the ones getting their shot as UDFA’s.
USC Center Max Tuerk is the Chargers 3rd Round Pick!
C Max Tuerk is now a San Diego Charger! With the top 2 Center prospects off of the board, the Chargers went with Tuerk, a somewhat local prospect. Tuerk comes with some question marks, but overall is an athletic, smart player.
The biggest question mark is his size. He reportedly was playing at 270 pounds during the season, which is far too light for a NFL Center. People question whether or not his bulk up to 298 pounds in the Offseason will stick when it comes time to play again. Also, he tore his ACL in October. That concern is not about the injury itself, as ACL tears have not been scary for teams for a few years now. The bigger concerns are if he’ll be able to adjust to the NFL game without getting a ton of work in the Offseason, and whether or not he’ll be injury prone in the future. Teams need 2 things from their Centers: consistency, and intelligence.
Intelligence is not a problem for Tuerk. He does well in recognizing defensive attacks and in calling the proper protections for plays. The question will be consistency. Will he be on the field all the time? Tom Telesco believes that he will be healthy enough to compete for the starting Center position this year. If he is on the field, will he struggle with power or size inside? If he can keep the weight on, he uses his technique well enough to make up for his lack of power. He plays with great leverage and has a high level pulling game. He can move very well and find his targets in space. He was a plus player in every game he appeared in last year.
The San Diego Chargers select TE Hunter Henry in the 2nd Round of the NFL Draft
Tight End Hunter Henry joins the depleted TE Room in San Diego. Hunter has a really good skill level that you don’t always see with Tight Ends coming out of college. His blocking is already solid, so he fits the mold the Chargers need, but his work in the passing game is already advanced enough that he’s going to present a unique challenge for teams facing the Bolts. He’s good enough that teams seeing him and Gates in packages are going to have to question whether the Chargers have run or pass personnel on the field and how to respond defensively.
In the passing game, Henry already has a lot of developed skill with a chance at becoming great down the line. Learning from Antonio Gates should help in that regard. He’s nearly 6′5″ and possesses plenty of speed. He’s got natural route running ability and knows how to use his size to separate from defenders. He also has very natural hands and a large catching radius. So long as he works hard, there’s no reason why he can’t be successful in the NFL.
Once again, the Chargers select a guy who’s at the top of his positional group that also fits a need. It’s good work so far.
Well, the Chargers definitely surprised a lot of people.
Tom Telesco was quoted as saying that DE Joey Bosa was their top guy since September, and that what he puts on tape is some of the best they’ve seen in a long time.
Telesco also said that he will play Defensive End, confirming my thoughts from earlier. He’ll likely kick inside a little when the Chargers go to Nickel packages as well. He’ll have to get a little more used to going against Guards, but he should make the transition just fine. Bosa is just 20 years old right now and already possesses a neck that is reminiscent of Takeo Spikes.
Day 2
The Chargers have 1 second round pick (35) and 1 third round pick (66) right now. There are plenty of good players still left on the board. The first one I have to mention is Myles Jack. He was considered a top 5 possibility, but concerns about his knee made him slide out of the first round. The Chargers have 2 ILBs they like, but if they’ve done their medical homework on him and believe that he’s going to make it through the physical challenges of playing in the NFL, they should absolutely pick him if he’s there, as he would likely top their board of remaining players. Another candidate for them would be LB Jaylon Smith, another Linebacker who’s injury is very concerning for teams, but any team who’s comfortable with him should consider picking him quite soon. These guys are great players, if they come back completely healthy.
However, if they are not comfortable with the medical issues, there are lots of intriguing options for the Chargers. C Nick Martin would fill a massive need, but he may be viewed as a 3rd round pick. OL Cody Whitehair was one of the best Tackles in the country this year, but he’s expected to kick inside at the pro level. He has mentioned he’d be fine with a move to Center as well. He’s a mauler in the run game, a definite plus for the Chargers.
There are an untold amount of Defensive Linemen are still available. The Chargers signed Brandon Mebane to play Nose Tackle, but wouldn’t be entirely comfortable with that move as solving the Nose Tackle position. DT Jarran Reed is a legitimate 2 gapping DT that would help the Chargers absolutely crush the run game, not to mention he’d help out Manti Te’o behind him. Andrew Billings is of the same mold, with possibly even more playmaking ability. The Chargers’ Defense doesn’t require any 2 gapping, but having the ability to throw in a player that can do that is actually one of the things that makes the Seahawks so good. If not a 2 gapping Nose, there are many highly rated Defensive Ends and Defensive Tackles the Chargers could use as depth players, both in base and in Nickel.
No Tight Ends have been selected as of yet, and Hunter Henry is pretty much universally thought of as the best TE on the board. He’s already got solid blocking technique, so he could be a fit for the Bolts in what they need right now from a 2nd Tight End. Safety Vonn Bell might be a fit opposite of Jahleel Addae. Bell has outstanding cover skills, but is less of a force in the run. Addae has the run game more or less covered, even if I’d like him to focus less on a massive hit and more on form tackling.
With Connor Cook still on the board, some teams might be looking to move up. It’ll be interesting to see if any team can trade back with a team looking to get him.
The San Diego Chargers select DE Joey Bosa in the first round of the NFL Draft!
After many weeks of speculation, with the 3rd pick in the NFL Draft the San Diego Chargers have selected Defensive End Joey Bosa. Bosa was one of the few players not linked to the Chargers, but in taking him, the Chargers have improved their Nickel package by a good margin, and most likely their base defense as well.
Bosa is a really, really intelligent run defender. If the Chargers use him as an inside(ish) player in their Nickel package, the front 4 of Ingram, Bosa, Liuget, and Attoachu is a really good group both in defending the run and rushing the passer. Bosa is active with his hands and rather quick at defeating blocks. He also comes with the reputation of being a hard worker with a high motor.
The only minor question is whether or not he’s going to be effective in the base 3-4 Defense. He’s big enough to play 5 technique, but we haven’t seen that happen yet, and it might not be the most effective way to use him. If he is an effective run defender in the base Defense, this pick should essentially be a home run, and even without that assurance it was one of the safer picks in the draft.
Edit: He’d work out best for the Chargers with his hands in the dirt, but in the event of an injury to an OLB, he works very well from the outside and in space. He could also be insurance in case the Chargers lose OLB Melvin Ingram to Free Agency after the year. If the Chargers intend to use him strictly as an Outside Linebacker, it would be an interesting pick. One of the few bright spots on the team was the OLB group, with Melvin Ingram and Jerry Attaochu as the starters and quality players as depth options.
Hello everyone! A few days ago I posted my choice for the Chargers top overall draft pick. My top choice essentially informs the major themes I believe the Chargers should be using when selecting players in this year’s NFL Draft.
In principle, I am Best Player Available (BPA), followed by need. With the Chargers’ rash of injuries in the recent years, they really could use depth any where and every where but Quarterback, so essentially they wouldn’t be able to go too wrong with selecting any position, so long as they are getting good players under contract.
However, in most draft rooms, it always seems to work out that the best player available usually is at a position that is a need for that team. Funny right? Here’s a list of the Chargers’ Top needs. They remain the same as the last time we took a look at them:
Offense: Blocking Tight End and Center
Defense: Defensive End, Coverage Linebacker
The signing of Jeff Cumberland didn’t solve the Chargers’ depth or blocking needs at Tight End, and they haven’t announced any other signings since. The great news is this is one of the best groups of Defensive Linemen to come out in a long time and the Offensive Line group is really solid as well. So while many teams get caught up in moving players at positions of need up the draft board, even if the Chargers do so, they’ll likely be moving up quality players any way.
Another one of my philosophies for team building is to build from the lines out. Travis Benjamin can get down the field quickly, but he can’t cover 40 yards in the time it takes for Von Miller to blow by an Offensive Tackle and get to the Quarterback, not if the Tackle isn’t very good. Jason Verrett is a great cover Corner, but he can’t cover for 6 seconds plus, a situation he’ll find himself in if there’s no pass rush to force a pass to be thrown. And there won’t be any need to pass the ball if the opponent can run the ball effectively. Thus, the lines are important, second only to Quarterback play.
This obviously leads me to believe that the Chargers should be going Defensive and Offensive Line early and often. They have a clear need at starting Defensive End and also a clear need at Center. I believe they’ll likely fill those spots in the first three rounds. I picked DeForest Buckner as my top selection at #3, which solves Defensive End. The Chargers need a starter in the wake of not re-signing Kendall Reyes, and they could use a good pass rusher to fit into their Nickel package, where they remove their Defensive Tackle, add a Defensive Back, and use the two Outside Linebackers and two Defensive Ends as pass rushers. Ingram, Buckner, Liuget, and Attaochu is actually a really, really good pass rush combination that doesn’t lack versus the run.
In the 2nd round, the Chargers should be concentrating on BPA but should do so with a careful eye at Center. Tom Telelsco said at his press conference that Chris Watt was their Center but would have to compete for his job like everyone else. I do believe that the Chargers need to eventually find a Center in the draft, and I believe that if they bring in a 2nd round pick like Nick Martin or Ryan Kelly, players that show good football IQs and toughness, that guy will be a starter from day 1 and could represent 1000 or so snaps. With the contract of Franklin and the choice to pick up the final year of DJ Fluker’s contract, the Chargers are set at Guard for the coming year, but neither guy played well enough to make me believe that a 2nd round Guard couldn’t come in and take one of their jobs based on merit. If that doesn’t happen, a consistent, average presence at Center would be a world ahead of what the Chargers had last year and would greatly help both Guards execute their jobs better in the coming year. There’s also a chance that a highly rated guy slips out of the first round that isn’t a player in an area of need for the Chargers, or is another Defensive Linemen. If his grade is that much higher on the Chargers’ draft board, taking him is likely the best option. Because of the class, I do believe there’s a good chance the Chargers leave the first 3 rounds with 2 DL prospects, with a solid chance that both are starters from day 1.
In the 3rd round, the Chargers seem to be in position to fill any need they haven’t yet filled. There should be plenty of solid Defensive Linemen available, and a few solid OL prospects like Christian Westerman floating around as well. Nick Martin, my personal favorite Center from this class, is rated at a low 2nd, early 3rd round pick and would be great fit. There are also a couple of Tight End prospects, namely Austin Hooper and Nick Vannett, who graded out well according to Pro Football Focus in the run blocking department that are thought of as being in the early 3rd round range. Whether or not a coverage ILB will be there is harder to predict, as there are less of them in the draft. However, it seems like there will be a plethora of players for the Chargers to peruse through.
In the 4th round, the Bolts need to find a guy for what ever hole they have not filled, if they have any remaining. If they go DE Buckner, C Kelly, TE Vannett/Hooper 1, 2, 3, they’ll be looking solid and from that point forward they can really draft anyone they want. I’d still want more DL depth, and the 4th round is right when the depth of this class actually starts to fall off, but having an early 4th round pick means the Chargers would be in position to nab any guy who falls even slightly. If they’re still looking for a TE at that point, TE Tyler Higbee would be a good fit.
The 5th through 7th rounds are for finding those long shot prospects and filling out a roster, so if it were me making the decisions, I’d bring in 3 more prospects along the OL and DL just to see who can impress me most in camp. In my theoretical draft, I’d have Buckner, DE Jonathan Bullard/DT Andrew Billings, Martin, and then Higbee in the 4th. Unless there’s an ILB prospect that is intriguing (and there are some there, like Scooby Wright III) I’d still be picking linemen of all kinds just to get depth at the weakest areas of the roster.
Finally, let’s talk trades. At this time, the Chargers hold all the cards that don’t involve QBs. QBs are naturally the most valuable prospects, so a blockbuster deal is unlikely. I doubt teams will be jumping up a ton of picks to pick 3rd, but a team already in the top 10 might desire “their guy” enough to go get him, and the price tag wouldn’t be too steep. I am always a fan of creating more draft capital, especially when it’s been shown that GMs overvalue the top draft picks. Any move that generates 2nd or 3rd round picks is usually a smart play. The Chargers seem open to trading down, but doing so requires a partner and the right deal.
Also, here’s a list of not 1st round prospects that I am intrigued by, listed by position group in alphabetical order:
OL: Joshua Garnett, Darrell Greene, Nick Martin, Joe Dahl, Jason Spriggs
DL: Andrew Billings, Jonathan Bullard, Sheldon Day, Matt Ioannidis, Carl Nassib, Robert Nkemdiche(might fall out of the first?), Emmanuel Ogbah, Charles Tapper, Jihad Ward
LB: Josh Forrest, Nick Kwiatkoski, Blake Martinez, Jaylon Smith, Scooby Wright III
There seems to be a division amongst the fan base as to whom the Chargers should select with the 3rd overall selection, assuming they keep the draft pick. Tom Telesco held a press conference today, and he said that since the Eagles made their move up to #2, trade talks have slowed down considerably. The purpose of that statement is a whole can of worms, but for now, assuming the Chargers stay put at 3, whom should they take? I’ll give you my opinion on the subject.
First off, let’s get the “Best Player Available” (BPA) argument out of the way. Of course they should select their highest rated player, regardless of position. Good teams have good players, and good coaches will make those players work in their schemes, so it shouldn’t really matter what position or fit a kid has, so long as he is passionate about football, dedicated to his job, has enough sense in his head to stay out of trouble, and has the highest level of talent possible.
So assuming they go BPA, whom do I believe that is? I believe it’s a tie between DE DeForest Buckner and OT Laremy Tunsil. Both are better in the passing aspect of their positions (rushing the passer and pass blocking, respectively) than the run aspect of their positions (defending the run and run blocking), but I wouldn’t consider their weaknesses glaring.
“But what about Ramsey?” cried out untold numbers of you, just a few seconds ago. He is a great prospect. He seems very football intelligent, very instinctual, and passionate about the game. I actually see him as a Tyrann Mathieu type player, whom the Chargers could use as primarily a Safety while shifting him around the cover whomever they need him to cover in Nickel and Dime Defenses. I just think his flaws are slightly more concerning than Buckner and Tunsil, so he gets pushed down.
The knocks on him are ball skills (not really concerned there) and lateral/overall quickness (much more of a red flag). His struggles with quickness are going to be magnified at the NFL level, and that concerns me. He’s a true press man CB, meant to be on a boundary and up against the bigger receivers in the NFL, but any team that manipulates him into a match up with a smaller, quicker guy is going to expose his weaknesses rather quickly. That makes me worry about his ability to play slot CB at the next level, and it wouldn’t take a masterful Offensive Coordinator to manipulate his alignments to get him out of press.
Truth be told, I even think the Chargers would be one of the better teams for him to go to, with their depth at CB and snaps open at Safety, but even if Ramsey was equal to the other two top prospects, I’d still have him 3rd. Part of the excitement of getting a high level player is replacing a guy who probably wasn’t very good with a player that is either going to be very good or already is. It’s like double jeopardy. Ramsey will likely be a good player early, but in a secondary that is pretty well set (except at Safety) with good players. Even if he’s good, he won’t be improving the secondary’s performance very much. Tunsil or Buckner would likely be vastly improving a position on the Chargers that has been in flux (Dunlap is a good LT when healthy, but he struggles to be healthy quite often) or down right terrible (Kendall Reyes, bless him, has been a disaster for a few years now).
Back to the guys at the top of my board: Tunsil and Buckner. I have to go Buckner here. I wish he was slightly better at defending the run, although it’s not as if he’s getting washed out on run plays. He will almost certainly be better than every DL on the Chargers except maybe Liuget, His ability to rush the passer from the 5 technique is too good to pass up. He also played the vast majority of snaps for Oregon last year, and seeing as he’d be in Base as well as Nickel for the Bolts, that’s an important aspect to consider. He’s been in the 3-4 in Oregon as well. With consideration to his imperfections in the run game, he essentially checks all the boxes for the Chargers as a prospect. His ability to come in and fill a clear area of need is slightly more clear than Tunsil’s would be as well, which ultimately led me to my opinion. I think Tunsil would likely become the Chargers’ new Left Tackle immediately, and he would push Dunlap in the swing tackle role, which Dunlap is actually pretty suited for. I love Dunlap’s ability, but he struggles with his health seemingly season after season, and it’s hard to rely on him to be there every play. However, as a backup to either tackle, he could come in and the Chargers would not lose a single step in terms of talent or production if one of the top tackles got hurt. With Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, and the cast of weapons around them, fixing the OL is pretty enticing. The “problem” with selecting Tunsil is that he wouldn’t fix everything with the OL. Left Tackle would get better, as would the depth, but Tunsil does not play Center, an area where the Chargers were the worst in the league in 2015. It was area that was so bad, I think it’s fair to say the problem at Center had repercussions up and down the OL.
So I believe that the Chargers should make Buckner the #3 pick. That said, if their evaluations place Ramsey or Tunsil as the much better prospect, smart draft philosophy says take the best player and make it work. The Chargers have more than 1 pick however, and I’ll have a post on what they should do with their other high draft picks coming soon. In the meantime, let me know whom you think the Chargers should take.
Hello everyone! By now you’ve heard that the Los Angeles Rams have traded all the way up to #1 to select a Quarterback, either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. However, now the Eagles have traded up to the #2 draft slot, also likely to select a Quarterback. As of right now, it seems that the Chargers hold the de facto #1 undetermined selection in the NFL Draft. That presents many questions and a lot of excitement going forward.
First of all, most of this is based off the assumptions that the Eagles made the move for a Quarterback. I cannot imagine that they could afford to trade 2 1st round picks, along with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks to pick any player but a Quarterback. There’s a myriad of players that could be the first non-QB off the board (DB Jalen Ramsey, DL Joey Bosa, DL DeForest Buckner, OL Laremy Tunsil) but none of those players truly stick out as the “it” guy. And even if they did, when teams miss on or lose multiple high round picks, the quality of their roster regresses harshly. The only way to over come such a regression is with a high level of play at Quarterback (which is how San Diego has stayed relevant up until last year). Maybe the Eagles are absolutely in love with a player that’s not a QB, but that would be an incredible price tag to pay.
So, assuming it is QBs 1 and 2 in the NFL Draft, the Chargers have the first undecided pick in the NFL Draft, and all the cards, draft cards that is. If Tom Telesco and company have a #1 guy, head and shoulders above everyone else, they should select him and thank the Rams and Eagles for the opportunity. For my personal draft philosophy, I want the best players, we’ll make the rest work later. So yes, while Laremy Tunsil is a weird fit for the Chargers, who have King Dunlap signed for 3 more years and Joe Barksdale signed for 4 more years, not to mention a swing Tackle in Chris Hairston signed for 2 more years, if the Chargers believe he’s the best player in the draft, pick him, and we’ll figure it out later.
If the Chargers feel like the draft pundits and analysts do, that there are 4 or 5 great players at the top of the draft, and they cannot find a trade to their liking, then they merely select the player that is the best fit, or the slightly highest graded prospect. I’ll have a write up of what I believe they should do in that situation at a later date.
Finally, if the Chargers believe the top of the class all have a similar talent level, I’d prefer that they follow the trend of the owners of the top picks and trade down. The Chargers are the first team that will have the first shot to take “the guy” that some other team wants now. Any team looking to secure “their guy” will likely enquire at the price tag of the #3 pick. Considering there are 7 or so top level prospects Chargers could select, dealing with anyone 4 through 8 or 9 would mean the Chargers would still get a high level prospect and extra draft picks. Extra draft capitol in this draft would be highly useful, given the value of the players that can be found all the way into round 3 this year. Also, given that there are teams beyond the Rams and Eagles in the Quarterback market, we could see more than 2 get taken in the top 15, pushing down the elite non-QB prospects even further.
One thing is for sure, it now seems like the Chargers hold the first undetermined draft pick in the NFL Draft. That gives them a lot of power and leverage. How will it unfold? We’ll have to wait and see.
Hello everyone! I want to present an updated needs list, as well as an update on the Chargers’ cap space, and what looks like a more clear picture of what the Chargers are going to do in the NFL Draft
First up, we have a significantly shorter needs list.
Offense:
Blocking Tight End: James Hanna, who visited the Chargers, ended up re-signing with the Cowboys. Smart move on the Cowboys part, but it leaves the hole remaining for the Bolts.
Center: Probably tied for the most important opening left. Last seen as a Guard, Manny Ramirez has a lot of experience at Center and would be a decent option. The Chargers played with the worst situation at Center out of any team last year, so decent is a big upgrade.
Defense:
Defensive End- They got their NT and have a couple of decent backups, but the Chargers probably need 2 DEs still and it’s what’s tied with Center for biggest need. More on this further down
Coverage ILB: The least greatest need, unless Manti Te’o goes down. With a worse coverage (and organizational) situation at Safety this year, Manti becomes that much more important to the middle of the Defense. I’m not saying that he will get hurt, but he has missed significant time every year he’s been in the league. That fact and that Manti is so important this year makes his backup that much more important. Currently it looks like Nick Dzubnar is the only back-up ILB on the roster right now, and he has exactly 17 snaps of experience in the NFL. If both the ILBs are healthy, there should still be around a couple hundred snaps to fill there. Maybe Dzubnar is ready, but if he isn’t the Chargers need a solid option to fill in.
Cap Space: According to this tweet, the Chargers have $13.6m in cap space with the need for an in-season reserve and draft pick compensation. That wouldn’t leave a ton left for them to work with, but it’s enough to get a few more cheap guys.
NFL Draft: It looks more and more like the Chargers are going to go with a Defensive End early in the NFL Draft. There’s a lot of talk about CB/S Jalen Ramsey, which would be an interesting pick for the Chargers. I believe he’s a Safety at the next level, and he would have to be the next Weddle or Chancellor or Thomas to justify that pick. I just don’t see quite that level of play from him, so I would rather go with Oregon Defensive End DeForest Buckner at number #3 overall. Buckner was the most productive Defensive Interior player and is a complete scheme fit for the Chargers. Ohio State Joey Bosa was the nations most productive DL and most productive Edge Defender. However, he’s not quite a fit for the Chargers as they are stocked at OLB and he’s not as a good fit at DE for the Chargers. Plus, I have some reservations about his explosiveness as a pass rusher. I’d rather take the guy who’d played at a very high level in college at the position you expect him to play in the NFL.
However, the group of Defensive Linemen in the NFL Draft is not only strong at the top, but it’s strong all the way into the third round. The Chargers could end up picking Ramsay (or Tunsil possibly, highly unlikely) and still get a good DE in the 2nd round. Guys I’m interested in that aren’t rated as top 32 options in the Draft are Jonathan Bullard, Sheldon Day, Chris Jones, Carl Nassib, Emmanuel Ogbah, Charles Tapper, and Jihad Ward. Some of those guys are right near the first round, some are ranked as top of the 4th round. Even if the Chargers picked up a DE at number #3 overall, I would hope they’d still consider picking at least one of these guys later because depth at DL is never harmful, plus not many ILBs come out of college as good pass defenders and not many TEs come out of college as good blockers, so the Chargers’ options there are probably limited to Free Agency any way.
That leaves Center, if it’s not something they addressed in Free Agency. 2 Centers caught my eye this year, Alabama’s Ryan Kelly and Notre Dame’s Nick Martin. Both rank as 2nd round picks, and both have the intelligence and toughness that Centers need to succeed in the NFL. If the Chargers do their homework on them and come away with the impression that they are in fact good prospects and will be available at 35, then I would not be disappointed to see the Chargers go that way with their 2nd round pick.
Philosophically, I have always believed that teams need to build from the inside out, and the Chargers’ two weakest units this year were both of their lines. Even with an elite Quarterback, you can see where a pretty talented Chargers team got with 2 weak lines. Maybe that means I’m biased, but I think the dream draft scenario for the Chargers would be Buckner at #3, Kelly at #35, and Bullard at number #66.
I’ll have more on the draft as it gets closer as well.
There are 4 new memebers of the Bolts family to talk about now that the first wave of Free Agency is seemingly died down. All of them fill big needs for the Chargers going forward. In no particular order:
CB Casey Hayward: Hayward is coming in for the seemingly departed Patrick Robinson, who is drawing a lot of attention from many teams. Hayward signed a 3 year, $15.3m deal with $6.8m guaranteed. If he is going to play as much as Robinson did, he should be well worth the money. He isn’t great in run defense, but he’s not terrible, and he’s a good cover player. It remains to be seen how the Chargers will use the combination of their 3 CBs. Verrett is a top flight man Corner, and I expect him to go all over the field following dominant receivers. Beyond that, I don’t know whom the Chargers consider their number 2 CB at this point, as Hayward had a good year and Flowers had a down year, but Flowers has the higher reputation overall. And when all 3 are on the field, I’m unsure which of the two will be the slot CB, as Hayward was pretty much as good playing the slot and playing outside. I’m pretty confident the 3 of them will be solid this upcoming year.
NT Brandon Mebane: Mebane signed for 3 years, $13.5m and $5.5m guaranteed. Mebane is a little beyond his prime, and isn’t quite the dominant run stuffer he used to be, but he’s still better than anyone the Chargers have had in a while. I don’t believe the Chargers will ask him to 2 gap, I think he’ll be more of a 1 gap slash type player, but he should be someone the opposing team has to contend with in the middle.
S Dwight Lowery: Lowery signed for 3 years, $7.2m and $1.5m guaranteed. As predicted, the Chargers went cheap at the Safety position, but they found themselves a solid player. Lowery should be able to hold the secondary together as a stable presence in the backfield, although not only is he a big decrease in pure pass coverage ability, he likely will not be the leader Weddle was either. That’s no slight to Lowery, it’s more of a shout out to how good Weddle was at organizing his fellow DBs. More than one man is going to have to step up their preparation and knowledge level to replace his leadership, and Lowery will have to be one of those guys.
WR Travis Benjamin: Benjamin signed for 4 years, $24m with $13m guaranteed. That would be a lot of money. He has big time speed and should provide a boost to Special Teams play, but his primary role is going to be the deep threat role that Malcom Floyd is leaving behind in retirement. It was critical the Chargers add some speed to the Offense and they have. He likely won’t be a hugely productive player, especially with Ken Whisenhunt and his quick hitting Offense back, and his contract numbers were inflated due to a weak WR Free Agency market and a weak WR draft market, but the money isn’t ridiculous and he’ll still be highly useful for what he’s asked to do.
Overall, I feel like the Chargers’ front office has done a good job so far. A few holes remain, but the NFL Draft is still ahead of us as is a lot of Free Agency. Tom Telesco does a good job at finding good talent at reasonable prices and at knowing the market and targeting the right guys for his team. Every year, it seems like the Chargers have a concerted, intelligent plan of how they will improve without overspending and harming their flexibility in future years. That’s about as much as you can ask for in a GM. Now if only all the players would stay healthy...
Some of the holes the Chargers almost needed to fill this Offseason were because many of their own players were without contracts. Some players won’t get the chance to pack their bags however, as the Chargers have announced a few re-signings over the past few days.
Antonio Gates: Number one in your hearts may have also been the top priority. Gates re-signed with the Chargers for 2 years and $12m. Gates remains a top of the line pass catching option for the Chargers, especially in the redzone.
Joe Barksdale: The Chargers’ Offensive Lineman of the Year last year re-signed for 4 years, $22.2m, $10m guaranteed. A reasonable contract for the Chargers’ best OL player last year.
Jahleel Addae: The Chargers placed a 2nd round tender on Addae, nearly guaranteeing that he’ll be back. He’ll be the Chargers’ starting Strong Safety for the upcoming year.
Kellen Clemens: He returns for 1 year, $1.06m. Hopefully, he only comes into the game when the Chargers are up 30 late in the 4th quarter.
Chris Hairston: Hairston returns as the backup utility OL for 2 years, unknown money. He played 4 OL positions for the Bolts and is decent as a backup.
Damion Square: He became a part of the DL rotation after injuries and earned himself a 1 year deal to return to the team.
The Chargers placed exclusive-rights tenders on WR Dontrelle Inman and G-T Kenny Wiggins, and both will be back next year.
