SNF: Chargers (9-7) @ Raiders (9-7) - Win and you're in

[NYRaider]

2 minutes ago, Xenos said:

Al Davis would be ashamed of you.

I don't keep up with the Chargers although I do like your current core of players. Herbert, Ekler, Keenan, Mike, and Slater are all beasts. If you guys add a stud TE and get better defensively you will be a problem for years to come. Do you think Mike Williams is resigned this offseason?

[Dr LBC]

19 hours ago, Forge said:

The hardest thing about this thread is coming to the understanding that @Dr LBC is probably smarter than I am

Smart is debatable.  Intelligent, maybe... could even be probably.  Then again, I'm also older than you, I've been in the education field for almost 20 years (including getting two post-grad degrees in the field), which in itself reinforces constantly continuing to learn.  And, for whatever the hell its worth, I do have a pretty strong IQ - enough that my parents didn't give me the choice and, in fact told me to "deal with it" if I felt the strain was intense with playing 3 sports year-round growing up and going through an International Baccalaureate track since junior high (since, up through most of high school I was targeting going to the Naval Academy).

[Xenos]

7 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

I don't keep up with the Chargers although I do like your current core of players. Herbert, Ekler, Keenan, Mike, and Slater are all beasts. If you guys add a stud TE and get better defensively you will be a problem for years to come. Do you think Mike Williams is resigned this offseason?

We’ll probably franchise Mike Williams. Though I’m conflicted since I don’t know if he’s worth it. He just disappears too much.

[NYRaider]

Just now, Xenos said:

We’ll probably franchise Mike Williams. Though I’m conflicted since I don’t know if he’s worth it. He just disappears too much.

Yeah I had Herbert and Mike in one of my fantasy leagues this year, his spike weeks were as good as any WR in the NFL but he'd really just have stretches with zero production. Wasn't he dealing with a knee injury for most of the season though? 

[Xenos]

1 minute ago, NYRaider said:

Yeah I had Herbert and Mike in one of my fantasy leagues this year, his spike weeks were as good as any WR in the NFL but he'd really just have stretches with zero production. Wasn't he dealing with a knee injury for most of the season though? 

He’s always dealing with something. Though I think this and 2018 have been his healthiest season. I honestly would rather use our FA money to first extend Derwin, Kyzir White, Justin Jones, and Uchenna Owusu. Outside of Derwin, I hope everyone else signs a reasonable deal. Then I think we need to find upgrades at NT, DE, RT, and slot/outside corner. 

[Dr LBC]

1 minute ago, NYRaider said:

I don't keep up with the Chargers although I do like your current core of players. Herbert, Ekler, Keenan, Mike, and Slater are all beasts. If you guys add a stud TE and get better defensively you will be a problem for years to come. Do you think Mike Williams is resigned this offseason?

Kind of depends on him.  Report has come out that he wants to come back, but I doubt that precludes also recouping a fat payday to do so.  The team can afford it and is shedding a lot (or at least is in the position to) of their very mediocre depth (ERFA's and RFA's not withstanding, and I don't believe there are any if any of them) the Chargers will enter the offseason with 4 DL (if you count Bosa as a OLB - which the base formation does) on the books.  And also with only Allen, Palmer, and Andre Roberts on the books at WR (Guyton is a RFA and likely will be tendered).  At the very least, and again, they can afford to do it, he could be a candidate for a second franchise tag, because they really don't have anyone else among their pending FA's that stands to be worth the tag.  And given what I'm familiar with of how Telesco approaches free agency, if he can make that WR corps a non-issue, both going into the draft and free agency, he'll do it - the player permitting.  I'd expect to see him aiming to bolster the DL - likely Linval Joseph/Justin Jones' replacement - in free agency (and if Staley is giving input, it will likely be someone in the Ashawn Robinson mold of 1-T/DT) while they'll go mid-round fishing for their fatbody/run-plug.  That said, Telesco and John Spanos love them some in-the-twilight-of-their-prime vets coming off of historically successful teams, so as much as someone like a Calais Campbell could be in play, someone like his teammate Brandon Williams could be too if Baltimore decides to let him walk because of his age (as the tend to do along the DL, rather than make massive long-term commitments to aging guys there).

Telesco and Gus Bradley with him, before Staley even go there, put Staley in a corner with regard to trading up and investing a premium pick in Kenneth Murray, who really isn't a great fit for Staley's system (I remember discussing this back when Murray was a prospect and the Rams had a glaring need at ILB).  It will be interesting to see, what with Kyzir White's contract expiring, as well as Uchenna Nwosu's and Kyler Fackrell's, if Murray gets shifted to elsewhere in the formation more suited to his skillset (possibly as someone who splits time between hybrid-edge and pressing-WILL that doesn't ask him to defend anything more than the shallows and flats in pass-defense but otherwise allows him to largely go forward and penetrate, which he's actually good at.  Because Drue Tranquill is a better fit at ILB than he is, and I still think if they were open to moving Murray, the Chargers could very easily crush hard on one of several high IQ, high leadership quality (this is like Horny Goat Weed to Telesco), and much more instinctive/versatile LB's early on in the draft.  Don't know that it's going to be an early round demand, but I also feel like Staley is going to make it known, similar to how he did with the Rams, that he needs more on the edge than just Bosa (in the Rams case Leonard Floyd), so that may well mean sacrificing some ceiling in favor of floor at EDGE rusher if they wait till the draft to address it, which (given the price tags on edge-rushers in FA) is probably very likely.

[NYRaider]

21 minutes ago, Xenos said:

He’s always dealing with something. Though I think this and 2018 have been his healthiest season. I honestly would rather use our FA money to first extend Derwin, Kyzir White, Justin Jones, and Uchenna Owusu. Outside of Derwin, I hope everyone else signs a reasonable deal. Then I think we need to find upgrades at NT, DE, RT, and slot/outside corner. 

After seeing Corey Davis and Kenny Golladay get paid last offseason I'm sure he's going to be seeking a huge deal.

[Dr LBC]

20 minutes ago, Xenos said:

He’s always dealing with something. Though I think this and 2018 have been his healthiest season. I honestly would rather use our FA money to first extend Derwin, Kyzir White, Justin Jones, and Uchenna Owusu. Outside of Derwin, I hope everyone else signs a reasonable deal. Then I think we need to find upgrades at NT, DE, RT, and slot/outside corner. 

Realistically, given the contract they invested in him and TT's general aversion to admitting he made a mistake, (which is more, by extension, John Spanos not wanting to admit he made a mistake) Bulaga is still the likely projected starter at RT next season, just for how long is the question.  There's been nothing shown by Norton that indicates he deserves an RFA tender.  So I wouldn't be shocked to see them - especially since TT's in the afterglow of all the praise he's getting for Slater falling in his lap and not screwing that one up - go with an OL fairly early in the draft that is also capable of cutting his teeth at RG early on before being shifted over if/when Bulaga isn't available.  Schofield hasn't been anything special, so he's replaceable.  I wouldn't be shocked to see them bring back Aboushi, but I'd doubt it's on anything longer than 1 or 2 years, particularly with him coming off a torn ACL.

[Xenos]

10 minutes ago, Dr LBC said:

Kind of depends on him.  Report has come out that he wants to come back, but I doubt that precludes also recouping a fat payday to do so.  The team can afford it and is shedding a lot (or at least is in the position to) of their very mediocre depth (ERFA's and RFA's not withstanding, and I don't believe there are any if any of them) the Chargers will enter the offseason with 4 DL (if you count Bosa as a OLB - which the base formation does) on the books.  And also with only Allen, Palmer, and Andre Roberts on the books at WR (Guyton is a RFA and likely will be tendered).  At the very least, and again, they can afford to do it, he could be a candidate for a second franchise tag, because they really don't have anyone else among their pending FA's that stands to be worth the tag.  And given what I'm familiar with of how Telesco approaches free agency, if he can make that WR corps a non-issue, both going into the draft and free agency, he'll do it - the player permitting.  I'd expect to see him aiming to bolster the DL - likely Linval Joseph/Justin Jones' replacement - in free agency (and if Staley is giving input, it will likely be someone in the Ashawn Robinson mold of 1-T/DT) while they'll go mid-round fishing for their fatbody/run-plug.  That said, Telesco and John Spanos love them some in-the-twilight-of-their-prime vets coming off of historically successful teams, so as much as someone like a Calais Campbell could be in play, someone like his teammate Brandon Williams could be too if Baltimore decides to let him walk because of his age (as the tend to do along the DL, rather than make massive long-term commitments to aging guys there).

Telesco and Gus Bradley with him, before Staley even go there, put Staley in a corner with regard to trading up and investing a premium pick in Kenneth Murray, who really isn't a great fit for Staley's system (I remember discussing this back when Murray was a prospect and the Rams had a glaring need at ILB).  It will be interesting to see, what with Kyzir White's contract expiring, as well as Uchenna Nwosu's and Kyler Fackrell's, if Murray gets shifted to elsewhere in the formation more suited to his skillset (possibly as someone who splits time between hybrid-edge and pressing-WILL that doesn't ask him to defend anything more than the shallows and flats in pass-defense but otherwise allows him to largely go forward and penetrate, which he's actually good at.  Because Drue Tranquill is a better fit at ILB than he is, and I still think if they were open to moving Murray, the Chargers could very easily crush hard on one of several high IQ, high leadership quality (this is like Horny Goat Weed to Telesco), and much more instinctive/versatile LB's early on in the draft.  Don't know that it's going to be an early round demand, but I also feel like Staley is going to make it known, similar to how he did with the Rams, that he needs more on the edge than just Bosa (in the Rams case Leonard Floyd), so that may well mean sacrificing some ceiling in favor of floor at EDGE rusher if they wait till the draft to address it, which (given the price tags on edge-rushers in FA) is probably very likely.

I think they work really hard to keep Justin Jones. He’s in his prime and their best run stopper. And given how dreadful that run defense was this year, one less hole to fill via FA and draft is probably welcomed.

[Xenos]

5 minutes ago, Dr LBC said:

Realistically, given the contract they invested in him and TT's general aversion to admitting he made a mistake, (which is more, by extension, John Spanos not wanting to admit he made a mistake) Bulaga is still the likely projected starter at RT next season, just for how long is the question.  There's been nothing shown by Norton that indicates he deserves an RFA tender.  So I wouldn't be shocked to see them - especially since TT's in the afterglow of all the praise he's getting for Slater falling in his lap and not screwing that one up - go with an OL fairly early in the draft that is also capable of cutting his teeth at RG early on before being shifted over if/when Bulaga isn't available.  Schofield hasn't been anything special, so he's replaceable.  I wouldn't be shocked to see them bring back Aboushi, but I'd doubt it's on anything longer than 1 or 2 years, particularly with him coming off a torn ACL.

Bulaga only played one game this year (the opener). I forgot how much they save but he’s gone. They only kept him this season because it was too much dead money to cut him outright. But they have an out now.

Agree about Aboushi. But I wouldn’t rely on him completely given the injury.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Xenos

[raidersedge]

Looking at the Chargers roster and the stats and the fact they just went 9-8 and out of the playoffs is INSANE. Lot of pressure on Staley next season. 

[Xenos]

14 hours ago, raidersedge said:

Looking at the Chargers roster and the stats and the fact they just went 9-8 and out of the playoffs is INSANE. Lot of pressure on Staley next season. 

Our roster is too top heavy. There’s also too many holes on defense. As a team, we’ve become too dependent on Herbert having a great game to pull us out against opponents. It was never sustainable. The Texans game kind of shone a big light on that. This offseason, we need to address the defense first and foremost.

[NYRaider]

1 hour ago, Xenos said:

Our roster is too top heavy. There’s also too many holes on defense. As a team, we’ve become too dependent on Herbert having a great game to pull us out against opponents. It was never sustainable. The Texans game kind of shone a big light on that. This offseason, we need to address the defense first and foremost.

Wasn't the appeal of hiring Staley that he was a defensive guru?

[Xenos]

19 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

Wasn't the appeal of hiring Staley that he was a defensive guru?

Yeah that’s one reason. Which is why this season took me by surprise with the defense. He has actually helped Herbert and the offense more this season than the defense as a whole. But we also spent all of last offseason rebuilding our OL. Maybe it just means we need to do the same for the defense this offseason. It’s not like Staley hasn’t tried to address the defensive problems. It just seems like it more of a short term fix during the season. Look how we did defensively against the Patriots versus what happened on SNF. There are moments of dominance but even more moments of absolutely being dominated.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Xenos