Charger's Forum Options

[nyyjones]

As the draft approaches, the Chargers have remained very quiet about what their up to. A lot of boards have them taking a RB, either Moreno or Wells at 16. I don't know if either would be the RB they want. If they don't take Tyson Jackson, assuming he's available, or ILB Malaluga, I could see them taking a RB, but trading down to do so to a point somewhere between the 21st and 26th picks to pick up an extra 3rd or 4th rounder, and targeting the RB, Brown, from Connecticut. If they make a move such as this, and pick up an extra 3rd or 4th, then I could see them packaging that pick, and another to move back into the 2nd round, perhaps targeting someone like the DE from San Jose St, Gilbert, although he may not meet AJ Smiths criteria for character.

[nyyjones]

According to the San Diego Union, both the Eagles and Giants are rumored to be interested in moving up to the Chargers 16th pick, with throwing in a 2nd rounder, which the Chargers do not have being the bait.

[nyyjones]

Initial observations on the Chargers 2009 draft.

Round 1 - DE/OLB Larry English - 6'2" 274 Northern Illinois - Some had compared him to current Charger Shawne Merriman, but I like the analogy of current Steeler, Lamar Woodley better. Very similar player. Will provide insurance in case Merriman's recuperation falters, or perhaps for when his contract expires. In any case, should allow the Chargers to once again put on an intense pass rush this year. Can also play ILB. Some teams had him rated as a 2nd rounder, but I see this as a very solid pick right where they got him.

Round 3 - OG Louis Vasquez - 6'5" 333 Texas Tech - I like this pick. Vasquez plays with an attitude, and the Chargers need more players who play with a mean streak. Needs some work on his foot work in pass blocking, but drives his man off the line when run blocking. LT will like this pick.

Round 4 - DE/NT - Vaughn Martin 6'3" 331 Western Ontario (Canada) - Boom or Bust. I friggin love this pick. The guy has only played football for 3 years, but has shown to be an absolute animal on the field. When you say the word potential, this is the kind of player you're talking about. Incredibly strong, benching 44 reps at his pro day workout. Effortlessly handles the double team while frustrating his opponents, and possesses great timing and leaping ability against the pass. He also played blocking back and fullback on goal line plays, ala the Fridge, and ran a sub 5.0 in the 40 too. Needs to learn how to use his hands, and if he does, he could turn into one of the better DL in the NFL. Could project into the DL rotation as either the 5 technique DE, or at NT to spell Williams. Known to be a tireless worker, intelligent and a very good speaker, and is impeccably clean character-wise. There is no doubt his selection is a gamble but the rewards will be great if this pick turns out. Expect the Charger coaching staff to focus on getting this kid ready in a hurry. May not see a lot of action until later in the year, but I expect to start hearing people talking about this kid a lot in 2010.

Round 4 - OG - Tyronne Green 6'2" 309 Auburn - Another blue collar G, Green could also be tried at C. Originally a DL, he only has 25 games at G. Will likely sit a lot this year as the Chargers develop him.

Round 4 - RB Gartrell Johnson 5'10" 219 Colorado State - I thought this was a reach, and don't like the pick. Could surprise, but I think he'll have a hard time making the roster. Might be a pick to wake up Hester who was supposed to fill the short yardage/blocking role when they selected him last year. I honestly don't know why this pick was made, but heck, AJ makes a lot more money than I do too.

Round 5 - CB - Brandon Hughes 5'10" 182 Oregon State - A tough player who projects as a nickel back in the NFL. Very good at bump and run coverage, and will likely line up against 3rd WRs or slot receivers. Will not line up on top wideouts, as he doesn't have the speed to stay with them.

Round 6 - S Kevin Ellison 6'1" 227 Southern Cal - I like this pick right here. Does not possess great athletic ability, but is very smart and instinctive, and is like having a coach on the field...always seems to make the big play. Good size and hitting ability, and he will push Clinton Hart for playing time by years end. I expect Ellison to make the team and contribute.

Round 7 - WR Demetrius Byrd 6'0" 199 LSU - Was in an auto accident last week, or would have likely been a 4th or 5th rounder. Is a possession type WR, lacking breakaway speed. Had a better Jr. year than he did as a Sr.

Overall, I am happy. This is a tough draft without a lot of talent that screams out at you, especially at the top, so it will also be a draft that separates the GMs who did their homework from the ones who didn't. I said last year the Chargers needed to get their attitude back, and they addressed that by drafting some good players who play with an attitude. I think English will start showing up more during the second half of the season if Merriman comes back, as he learns the system and acclimates to the speed of the NFL game. The two Gs will also see playing time this year. The kid from Canada really has a chance to be something special, and has the attitude, desire, and intelligence to be just that. My gut says he'll work out, and his selection truly excites me for the future, and he may just surprise some people this year. The CB will likely contribute and so will Ellison. A good draft overall in a down year, and if the kid from Canada pans out this could be a very good draft.

[bwalker]

Looking for the Chargers to repeat in the AFC W. They should be in the mix in the AFC playoffs. Gotta have more success in Jan. Not a big fan of Norv Turner and I don't know if he will ever win a SB as a HC.

[nyyjones]

The big news in San Diego this off season was the signing of QB Phillip Rivers to a long-term extension. Rivers has entered into the NFL's elite category as a QB, and his newest contract pays him like one.

The Chargers are confidently quiet this off season, which I think is a good thing and a sign of maturity, and are generally being rated around the 7-9 range in most preseason power rankings. I think is way too low, but it also keeps the pressure off them early in the season, and hopefully they will not repeat the slow starts of the past two years.

I am very optimistic about their chances of making it to the AFC Championship game, and hopefully the SB this year. For one, I believe their offense will be the most prolific in the NFL this year, and no, I will not defer to the Pats or any other team on this. I do think they are now prepared if LT goes down again, but I expect him to stay healthy this year, and Vincent Jackson is perhaps the most under-rated WR in the NFL, and barring a serious injury you'll see why right from the start. Secondly, with Ron Rivera now running the defense I think a middle of the pack to perhaps a rating of 10-15 defensively will be more than adequate with their offense to take them to the promised land. By season's end the Chargers defense could be a much more cohesive unit, and perhaps even dominating should Merriman fully recover from his injury by then. Of course, like all of us, that's hoping and assuming there will be no serious injuries to anyone of significant importance.

And...Norv will finally get his due respect...perhaps even from bwalker:)

[nyyjones]

In San Diego, this is RAIDERS Week. Twice each year it is always looked forward to by Charger fans, because nothing feels so good as beating the Raiders to a Charger fan. To say they're hated (although I really don't like that word) would be putting it mildly, especially since the infamous "Holy Roller" game. Come Monday night, I personally would hate to be JaMarcus Russell. All preseason the Chargers defense has played it vanilla (according to the coaching staff). On Monday night, they will finally unveil, and unleash a pass rush so ferocious that Bruce Gradkowski will wish he'd signed elsewhere...and Raider fans will likely wish they hadn't cut Jeff Garcia. What the Raiders will discover, and the rest of the NFL will witness, is the return of a San Diego pass rush that more resembles the one that led the league in 2006 with 61 sacks, versus the one of last year that registered only 28. With the return of the pass rush, look for the Chargers turnover ratio to again be one of the best in the league. Add to that the emergence of Philip Rivers as one of the best QBs in the league, and the Chargers are poised to finally live up to the expectations they've had heaped upon them the last couple of years by all the experts.

With a QB who may be ready to take his place amongst the Brady's and Mannings in the league (not Eli...even though I'm a Giant fan too)...a WR...Vincent Jackson (fondly referred to as VJ by Charger fans) now coming into his own and who may be the best WR in the league that nobody has heard of...with appolgies to fans of Houston's Andre Johnson (and of course, TO and Ocho whoever he is Johnson)...a healthy LT and Merriman (proven by his alleged bedroom exploits which allegedly caused Tila Tequila to remove her clothes and dash outside in a fit of jealousy after reportedly entering a room at Merriman's home and discovering him in bed with two other women...at least he allegedly asked her to "join in" prior to her antics which included filing a "citizen's arrest" of Merriman which the San Diego DA has now ruled baseless and unproveable...not to mention supposedly at least a dozen witnesses who corraborated Merriman's story...I only wish I was so lucky)...a revamped Dline and overall defensive philosophy which will feature an attacking defense to go with their attacking offense...and a draft that has already produced one starter (OG Louis Vasquez), and will likely produce three starters and another player who will have significant playing time by years end this year's San Diego Charger team just may be a powerhouse waiting to finally explode and finally live up to the expectations of the so called experts...and more importantly, thier loyal fans. Then again, it could be just another disappointing season...but, right now, I like the Charger's chances of appearing in the SB as much as any team in the league.

[nyyjones]

Whew! That's all I have to say. From losing two starting OL, to starting the game in a 4-3 D instead of their 3-4, to a questionable call by the officiating crew (see my blog for further discussion of this), the Chargers were indeed fortunate to get out of Oakland with their 12th straight win over the Raiders. Unlike the last few years, where the Chargers have owned the Raiders, this game more closely resembled Raider/Charger games that both fans have become accustomed to. No matter how good/bad one team is, these games usually are decided by a touchdown or less, and this was the case last night.

As a fan, I listened to the coaching staff say they were holding the real Charger D under wraps during the preseason. If that's the case, I'm still waiting for them to unwrap it. If starting out in the 4-3 that allowed the Raiders to dominate them with the run game was their secret, I have a secret for them...go back to the 3-4 full-time. Once they did that, the Raider running game basically disappeared, and although Russell showed flashes, he also consistently showed why he was an over-rated talent. There's no doubty he has a great arm, but he certainly has a problem hitting the south end of a north bound mule from 5 feet away with a handful of rock salt. If the Raiders had given Jeff Garcia a real chance to compete, this game could have turned out differently.

Negatives for the Chargers once they went back to the 3-4 was the play of their deep secondary, especially once S Steve Gregory got his bell rung. Once Clinton Hart stepped in he blew one coverage after another, and became a "finger pointer" on a 57 yard TD pass in which he blew the inside coverage assignment he had. They need to give the kid Ellison a shot if Gregory's injury is lingering. And, although they were in Russell's face most every pass, they had but one sack. On offense they ran the ball well until LT went down when he rolled his ankle on the play he fumbled, which is something he rarely does. However, once LT went down, combined with the loss of the two OL, the running game disappeared. I also thought Marcus McNeil played a poor game too...and he needs to pick it up big time, and right now.

Positives include the play of Rivers despite the constant rush the Raiders put on him after they lost two starting OL. Sproles displayed why he's a threat every time he's back on a kick off, and the receiving corps had a very good game overall. The overall play of the front 7 also was good once they went back to their 3-4, except for the lack of sacks against what is an average at best Oakland OL.

All in all, the end result was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless, something the Chargers have not done at the beginning of the year in the last couple of years. With the problems other highly touted teams like the Pats, Steeler, Colts, and Ravens displayed in their first games, it's clear all teams have issues to work on. A lot of San Diego's hopes however, likely will revolve around the seriousness of the injuries to their OL. As Rivers showed last night at the end of the game, you do not want to give him two minutes left and 89 yards to go, because he'll beat you most of the time. However, he won't be standing long if the play in front of him continues like it did last night. If the injuries are serious, then the Chargers will get the opportunity to show off the depth all the experts say they have, but that is not what I want to see...just wins, baby...ugly or not.

[nyyjones]

With a real tough Baltimore team in town, the Chargers were dealt a devestating blow when it was revealed today that starting NT Jamal Williams is lost for the season with a torn triceps muscle...the same problem he battled for most of last year. This is on top of them already being without LT and starting C Nick Hardwick for their home opener. Somehow they are going to have to retool both their offensive and defensive lines on the run, thus if they are to beat the Ravens, it will likely be on the right arm of QB Philip Rivers.

This injury also presents a serious blow to the Charger's aspirations for a Super Bowl title, as Williams was a rock against the run in the center of their Dline. This presents a very difficult situation in San Diego, and unless they come up with some answers quickly, their season may already be over. I'm hoping for some quick answers:)

[nyyjones]

As was fairly predictable, the Ravens came in and ended up winning. With the injuries the Chargers have suffered on both lines, the Ravens put constant pressure on Philip Rivers, who still played a hell of a game, and ran at will up the gut of the San Diego defense for most of the game. However, a few bright spots emerged from the loss. First of all, they really could have won this game, and very well might have were it not for some questionable play calling from the sideline, especially when the Chargers entered the red zone...and especially on their last time there. Secondly, rookie 4th rounder, DT Vaughn Martin got into his first action of the season because of the injury to Williams, and after looking like a rookie for his first few series finally settled down, and actually began to dominate the blockers in front of him. Once this kid gets a little more experience, he will be a similar player to Ngata for the Ravens, with even more speed and quickness. Thirdly, at least they played the Ravens tough, which I was worried about after the Raiders pushed them around physically last week. There's more hope now than a couple of days ago. Merriman is getting better with each snap, so I look for him to start to be his old self soon, and with the addition of Martin to the Dline, I think by the season's mid point the Dline will be something to contend with...barring any more injuries. Also, Shawn Phillips played well. The main concern on my part is the play of the ILBs, but if Martin, or someone else comes through on the nose, their play should improve.

Rivers had his usual stellar game, but did make two bonehead passes, although in his defense the Ravens were on his tail or in his face both times, as they were on almost every single pass he threw. He rarely had a pass where he didn't finish the play on the ground. Without LT, and two starters on the Oline, there was virtually no running threat for the Ravens to worry about, and it was readily apparent their defensive game plan was to blitz Rivers on almost every play. In the end, they won, but it was a good game nonetheless, and hopefully the Chargers took notice of the play of Martin, who I think will become one of the better DL in the league with more experience. They do need to present more of a pass rush, and seemed to begin to do that near the end of the game, but they need to start games like that, and the addition of Martin to the rotation may just allow them to do so.

[bwalker]

Tough loss in Jamal Williams. They are going to have to ride Rivers and win a lot of shootouts.

[nyyjones]

Tough loss in Jamal Williams. They are going to have to ride Rivers and win a lot of shootouts.

Yeah...but they will likely win a few...problem is, they probably won't go far unless God steps in and delivers an All Pro NT...not a likely scenario. Teams have just shoved it down their throats to start the first two games, and I can accept that from the Ravens, but the Raiders did the same. In both games the D settled down after the first 15 or so running plays to actually stuff both the Raiders and Ravens. Why they can't play that way to begin with is something I don't understand. Still, the biggest obstacle to them winning shootouts with other talented teams remains their patchwork Oline. I don't remember the last time I saw a QB under so much pressure on a consistent basis as Rivers was against the Ravens, and the Raiders pass rush wasn't too shabby either. It's not just the missing starters either, as McNeil is playing below his ability too. I'm ready to just watch the Giants, man.

You guys losing Palomalu is pretty tough too, as he is the "straw that stirs the drink" on your D, and it was obvious you guys missed him Sunday. At least he'll be back. Good luck...see ya in a couple of weeks, but the game may not live up to the pre-season speculation...then again, ya never know.

[nyyjones]

The Chargers revealed that starting Pro Bowl C Nick Hardwick has had surgery in Indianapolis on his left ankle, and is lost at least until sometime in December. They now have to decide whether or not to place him on IR, or save a roster spot in case he can come back for the playoffs, should they make it that far.

It has also been revealed that both Lt and Shawne Merriman missed the Wed. practice. I don't have any inside info on this yet, but I do believe this is a year the Chargers may be active players on or before the Oct. 20 trading deadline. With the drafting of OLB Larry English, added to the contract difficulties with Merriman, the Charger could end up trading him before the deadline for OL/DL help. The Chargers have a very deep LB corps, along with a suddenly deep WR corps too, so a trade involving one or both positions is not out of the question if something is available that AJ likes. I don't see him making a deal that's a short term fix, but if someone offers the right long term package, he just might pull the trigger now.

Why I think this may be so encompass a myriad of reasons. For one, a good OL will help keep Rivers alive. Secondly, Merriman is likely to want more dollars than AJ or the Chargers will be willing to part with. Thirdly, despite anything anyone in the Chargers front office has stated, they didn't draft English for nothing. The problem with this right now is two-fold, Merriman was just starting to get going in the Ravens game when he hurt his groin. It's not thought to be serious...at least that's the current word, but you never know with a groin injury. If it proves not to be serious, then he could be history by this Oct. in a Charger uniform. Secondly, English has looked very much like a rookie so far. It appears they are going to force feed him some plays, so much of my guess here is predicated on the assumption that English will improve to the point the Chargers feel comfortable with him in Merriman's place, or at least on passing downs with Jyles Tucker sharing time. The WR position also is a strong position with the Chargers, and a team needing a WR who can provide either a quality OL or DL may cause some interest in San Diego. Vincent Jackson has become the ultimate deep threat in the NFL, and with Malcom Floyd waiting in the wings, Chris Chambers might be made available to someone. There is plenty of quality depth to allow the Chargers to comfortably make a deal like this too. I personally like the idea of trading Chambers, who would have nice value for a contending team in need of a quality WR. IMO, Jackson and Floyd would then give the Chargers perhaps the most potent set of WRs in the NFL.

In any case, if the Chargers hope to beat Miami this week, they need to do something to both their OL and DL, because Miami is strong in both areas.

[nyyjones]

After a nice win against the Dolphins, the Chargers now travel to Pittsburgh where they haven't won in the last 13 games. Before the season started, this game was considered one of the marquee matchups of the season, and it still may be, but it has suddenly turned into a MUST WIN for the Steelers, who now find themselves in the unfamiliar territory of looking up at two division rivals in front of them, both the undefeated Ravens, and the Bengals.

Both teams play a base 3-4 defense, and so far, both teams have had little success in putting pressure on their opponent's QB. Thus, this game could prove to be an old fashioned AFL type shootout featuring two of the best young QBs in the game today. The Steelers do have the luxury of facing a Charger team whose OL has been beset by injuries, but starting RG Louis Vasquez has practiced well this week, and is expected to start on Sunday. Still, he is also a rookie, so how much real help he'll present is still questionable. The big boost to the offense is the return to health of LT, who will start against the Steelers on Sunday too, and may finally give the Bolts a semblence of balance to their offense, which has essentially been Philip Rivers and his receivers. LT is also a nice receiving threat out of the backfield, and might even throw the ball too. A big question that could affect San Diego's chances is the health of OLB, Shawne Merriman, who is battling a groin injury that may keep him out, or/and limit his play.

The Chargers are not the only ones entering this game nicked up. The Steelers are likely to be missing starting S Troy Palamalo, and RB Willie Parker, which could allow the Chargers defense to concentrate more on rushing the passer, and the offense to play to it's current strength, the deep pass to its various receiving threats, especially Vincent Jackson, who should be able to manhandle the current crop of DBs on the Steelers if Rivers has time to throw. With Palamalo out, the Charger's running game will also likely find more room to operate too, as defending the run is definitely his strong suit.

I think this game will be close, and might even come down to who has the ball last, but the scariest thing for the Chargers fans is the Steelers really need the win, whereas the Chargers can somewhat afford a loss, and still maintain a good chance to win their division. We'll have to see on Sunday who wants this game more.

[nyyjones]

The Chargers have started the shakeup of their pitifull defensive play by cutting starting S Clinton Hart. Hart was the obvious target to most of their opponents, especially on deep passes. Still, the biggest problem the Charger defense has is the woefull play of their front seven. They are a sieve against the run, and virtually lack any kind of pass rush. This from a team who led the league in sacks just 2 short seasons ago. The defensive players have all been told that "jobs are on the line." My biggest complaint is the promotion of LB coach Ron Rivera to Defensive Coordinator after only one year of experience with the 3-4, and that wasn't a very successful one at that under Ted Cottrell. I would have seriously looked at someone on the Steeler's staff, or someone with some real experience with this defense. Kevin Greene, who's now Green Bay's LB coach also would have been someone who certainly understands this defense better than Rivera. In any case, the Chargers are pretenders right now as it stands. If they do anything, it will be the offense that does it until they get the mess cleaned up on the defensive side of the ball. The only solid play is from the three remaining starters in the secondary, but they even look bad because the front seven has not brought any pressure to help them out...you can only cover a NFL receiver for so long, no matter how mediocre they are.

[nyyjones]

In a game both the Giants coach and players had talked about and treated as a potential "playoff" game, the Chargers kept their mouths shut, played a hard, tough game, and having seemingly lost the game drove the length of the field to score the winning touchdown with 21 seconds left to go on a pass from Philip Rivers to Vincent Jackson, which may just be becoming the new No. 1 passing duo in the NFL.

Looking lost throughout most of the first half, the Charger's defense also tightened up considerably in the second half by not allowing the Giants to convert one 3rd down for a 1st down, after allowing them to convert 5of 8 3rd downs in the first half. Take away the one 10 minute drive, and the game was basically even. The Chargers have turned into an almost pure passing team, similar to Indy, and now there are several other positive signs that seem to indicate a team that had been sleepwalking has suddenly come awake.

After losing two in a row to Denver and Pittsburgh, they've won 3 in a row. Yes, two were against the Chiefs and the Raiders, but these teams have always played each other hard no matter if one is honestly significantly better than the other since their old AFL days. The Giants though, were a different story, and a cross country road trip for the Chargers. Yes, they were hurting in their secondary, but the Chargers have their own injuries too, as do all teams this time of year. Their retooled Oline played the Giants vaunted pass rush to a draw all night, especially in most key moments, giving Rivers enough time to get his passes off and he made them pay, especially at the end.

Like most teams, the Giants had no answer for Jackson and I honestly found myself wondering why they were even throwing to Gates, Floyd, Nanee, or Tomlinson. They were dropping passes right in their hands, and Jackson was catching everything...and doing so with little perceived effort in all honesty. He even made the final TD catch look effortless as he openly abused anyone who tried to cover him.

So now the Chargers find themselves at 5-3 halfway through the season. What does that mean? Who knows? However, under Turner, and you can look it up...the Chargers have traditionally been very strong in the second half of the season, and even more so in December. Right now, the Broncos are getting their butts handed to them at home by the Steelers, and are about to lose, making them 6-2. That means the Chargers have put themselves back in the AFC West picture.

Add to that the seeming return to 90-95% of his health for OLB Shawne Merriman (and his likely full recovery in the near future), the emergence of WR Malcom Floyd to take Chris Chambers' job from him during the year, resulting in Chambers being cut and an even more potent passing attack, a rookie S in Ellison who has picked up the D very nicely, and some of their injured players now starting to practice and soon to return, and the Chargers could find themselves being both healthy and more rested come playoff time than most teams.

The bulk of the tough part of their schedule is now behind them, and Denver has now entered their tough part. The Chargers still have to face the Eagles at home this week, the Broncos in Denver the next, and a trip to Dallas and a visit from the now dangerous Bengals in December as the perceived toughest games left on their schedule. The trick for McDaniels is to get his team's head up this week as they travel to Washington, who on paper does not look that good, but does have a top notch D. They could be ripe for an upset, and could face the Chargers tied for the lead.

On defense, the Chargers pass rush has slowly emerged with the continuing improvement in Merrimen's health. In the last two games he has 4 sacks, and with opposing teams once again having to account for him, it has freed up his partner, OLB Shaun Phillips, who has 5 sacks in the same 2 games. As their pass rush improves, so has the play of their secondary, and Ellison has been a nice addition, along with Gregory.

The two big negatives right now are the Chargers running game, and their defense against the run. If they get at least one of the two going by season's end, even in a Wild Card position they would not be someone anyone is going to hope to play. And with the emergence of Rivers as a true clutch player with the 11th game winning drive in the last two minutes of a game that he's led them on in his short stint as a starting QB in the NFL, his teammates have both openly and eagerly accepted him as their leader, and know if they can stay close and get him the ball in the end, the results usually end up being positive. He is just getting better and better with every single game, and fully plays within himself.