How should the Chargers address their Run Defense Next year

[chargerbuckeye]

Through Free Agency or The Draft?

 

I like both Wilkins and Payne as draft prospects, but is that the route to go if we make the playoffs and are picking late, Or should we sign an experienced vet.

[Dr LBC]

So long as the run defense remains the biggest deficiency of this season's team, Telesco is going to spend his 1st round pick addressing the matter - which likely means he won't devote much in terms of free agent dollars to the cause.

Depending on draft position, I'd wager Vita Vea is going to be high on their board.  I'd figured that either NT or QB was going to be the 2nd round pick (because that's typically TT's "intended future starter drafted a year early" pick.  If he's determined to shore up the run defense (which more than anything need to learn to tackle better) that could be the the first two picks in succession.  Fortunately, this is looking like a good draft class to need an interior lineman from.  Guys like Trenton Thompson, Foley Fatukasi, even possibly Derrick Nnadi (though he's someone I can see slipping into the back 1/3 of the 1st and being highly valued by a perennial playoff team; he reminds me so much of Brandon Mebane when he came out in 2007) are all looking like they'll have Day 2 (or later) availability.

[chargerbuckeye]

23 hours ago, The LBC said:

So long as the run defense remains the biggest deficiency of this season's team, Telesco is going to spend his 1st round pick addressing the matter - which likely means he won't devote much in terms of free agent dollars to the cause.

Depending on draft position, I'd wager Vita Vea is going to be high on their board.  I'd figured that either NT or QB was going to be the 2nd round pick (because that's typically TT's "intended future starter drafted a year early" pick.  If he's determined to shore up the run defense (which more than anything need to learn to tackle better) that could be the the first two picks in succession.  Fortunately, this is looking like a good draft class to need an interior lineman from.  Guys like Trenton Thompson, Foley Fatukasi, even possibly Derrick Nnadi (though he's someone I can see slipping into the back 1/3 of the 1st and being highly valued by a perennial playoff team; he reminds me so much of Brandon Mebane when he came out in 2007) are all looking like they'll have Day 2 (or later) availability.

So you see payne and wilkins going rather early. 

 

I could see buffalo, denver, and Dallas possibly using firsts on dt's. In the case of denver, that happens if they trade back and if they sign Tyrod like I predict they will, trading back for denver may be an easier decision for them. As I mention buffalo, they may trade up with denver for a QB So possibly a sign and trade could work, Tyrod and one of their firsts for Denvers top 10 pick.

[chargerbuckeye]

I like wilkins more but I think Payne fits more ofc what we are looking for. But, I would really like for them to get Tavarrus McFadden 

[Dr LBC]

6 hours ago, chargerbuckeye said:

So you see payne and wilkins going rather early. 

 

I could see buffalo, denver, and Dallas possibly using firsts on dt's. In the case of denver, that happens if they trade back and if they sign Tyrod like I predict they will, trading back for denver may be an easier decision for them. As I mention buffalo, they may trade up with denver for a QB So possibly a sign and trade could work, Tyrod and one of their firsts for Denvers top 10 pick.

Wilkins is going to go Top 10, IMO, possibly higher.  Payne I'm a bit torn on and it really depends on who tests really well, who goes where in free agency, and - as is always the case it seems with Alabama prospects - how clean of a bill of health he has (Saban hides so damn much from the public eye).

My feeling is that the team is going to look to get out from under Liuget's contract; they'd eat $3m doing so, but they can easily make the argument he just doesn't fit into Bradley's scheme like they'd hoped and certainly not for the money he's being paid.  However, I'm not sure I can see them replacing both Liuget and Mebane (whose contract is up, I believe), so if Liuget's let go, they're going to draft a, more than likely, out and out 3-Technique DT or someone who could come in and initially play the 3-Tech before shifting over to the 1-Tech (similar to what the Seahawks did with Mebane back when they were initially running a Cover-2 variant under Mora Jr. and then shifted Mebane when Pete Carroll/Gus Bradley came in).  Even when it comes to these 3-Tech's though, the preference appears to be for "bigger" guys - the Seahawks showed a Mebane/Rubin pairing under Bradley, a Tony McDaniel/Mebane combo before that, a McDaniel/Rubin combo after Mebane left, and have more recently replaced Rubin with Jarran Reed and McDaniel, initially, with Malik McDowell and later with Sheldon Richardson.

The only guy I think is probably not in high consideration for the Chargers is Hurst - too similar to Bosa, and me personally, I really don't see him actually getting consistent push (this is more than just an effective bull-rush, he gets stalled out A LOT).  I think Wilkins, Nnadi, Taven Bryan (if he declares) all fit, Payne probably does (but I also think he's more in the line of a Top 20 prospect, not a blue-chipper and isn't as dynamic as we'd prefer to have at the 3-Tech); but if it's me, I'd sooner spent a mid/late 1st on more upside in someone like Dre'Mont Jones than I would Payne.  Another guy I really like as a 3-Tech and, if he declares, could end up a late riser into Day 2 is R.J. McIntosh out of Miami - his athleticism has always been apparent, but watch his hands... it's the same thing I fell in love with watching Bosa as a prospect; handwork is one of the single best indicators for DL success and McIntosh has quick, powerful hands.

[DingoLadd]

By investing in some scarecrows they can tackle. 

[kyle21121]

I would be very happy if this was addressed early in the draft Round 1/2 someone like Vea makes a ton of sense but Trenton Thompson is a guy that's really caught my attention. 

Good info in this thread. 

[chargerbuckeye]

8 hours ago, kyle21121 said:

I would be very happy if this was addressed early in the draft Round 1/2 someone like Vea makes a ton of sense but Trenton Thompson is a guy that's really caught my attention. 

Good info in this thread. 

Vea and Thompson concern me, especially thompson with his injuries. Vea concerns me with speed for his size. I feel like we gotta pull the trigger on payne or wilkins if one of them is available 

[OhioG]

How are the linebackers playing so far this year?

[Dr LBC]

21 hours ago, ohiogenius said:

How are the linebackers playing so far this year?

Tackling was definitely an issue at the start of the season - and still seems to be something of an issue, but it appears - to me at least - to be more of an issue with the deep secondary issue (namely Adrian Phillips) - but the outside backers have really taken well to the new scheme (those being Emanuel, Jatavis Brown, and Denzel Perryman - though Perryman missed a lot of the first 2/3 of the season, his return to the lineup has really helped shore up the second-level run D lately).  Right now Korey Toomer is the best they've got at the MIKE spot, and Hayes Pullard was seeing a lot of minutes in the first half of the season (apparently purely for the reason that Gus felt more comfortable with his scheme/system familiarity - particularly with Perryman out injured).

One of the "I don't think people will like it, but I can definitely see Tom Telesco identifying it as a need" picks I can definitely see coming is a field general MLB type - a la a Josey Jewell or someone similar who is capable of carrying sideline-to-sideline responsibilities and is adept at stacking and shedding (pass rush ability is a bonus, but not essential for the MIKE in Bradley's scheme).  I haven't had a chance to chart Perryman's snaps since he returned from injury, so I don't know if he's been seeing the majority of them at MLB or OLB; but while he does have the ideal build for the position, if Bradley hasn't given him meaningful snaps there yet, I have a hard time imagining they'll just change things up next season.  Early season, I had him pegged to play a sort of two-down MIKE role and then shift to the outside or sub out on obvious passing downs because his coverage skills aren't really his strength (particularly compared to guys like Brown and Emanuel).  All that said, Perryman has had injury issues in two of his seasons as a Charger, so it's not like the team will necessarily see him as a lock if they find someone they fall in love with more (they could presumably draft someone they like and let Perryman play out his rookie deal the same way they did Te'o).

Malik Jefferson definitely doesn't fit the bill, but Roquan Smith at the right value could be an interesting fit (as he would basically stand to slot into the exact same spot as Deion Jones plays for Atlanta).

[OhioG]

Good to hear. Jatavis Brown was my late round draft favorite I wanted on the Browns badly.

Also, was there a reason the chargers kept Perryman over Joshua Perry

[Dr LBC]

1 hour ago, ohiogenius said:

Good to hear. Jatavis Brown was my late round draft favorite I wanted on the Browns badly.

Also, was there a reason the chargers kept Perryman over Joshua Perry

It was Hayes Pullard (and to a lesser extend Korey Toomer) that was kept over Perry - and that reason was basically because he was a favorite of Gus' and more familiar with the scheme.  Perryman over Perry really wasn't much of a competition, as Perryman had Perry on sheer athleticism, lateral agility, and hence range.

[DingoLadd]

1 hour ago, ohiogenius said:

Good to hear. Jatavis Brown was my late round draft favorite I wanted on the Browns badly.

Also, was there a reason the chargers kept Perryman over Joshua Perry

Edit: lol my post is meaningless read the guy above me. 

[Xenos]

13 hours ago, ohiogenius said:

Good to hear. Jatavis Brown was my late round draft favorite I wanted on the Browns badly.

Also, was there a reason the chargers kept Perryman over Joshua Perry

I like Jatavis Brown as well. But Adrian Philips is utilized more in Gus's system as a hybrid linebacker than Brown is.

[Xenos]

16 hours ago, The LBC said:

Tackling was definitely an issue at the start of the season - and still seems to be something of an issue, but it appears - to me at least - to be more of an issue with the deep secondary issue (namely Adrian Phillips) - but the outside backers have really taken well to the new scheme (those being Emanuel, Jatavis Brown, and Denzel Perryman - though Perryman missed a lot of the first 2/3 of the season, his return to the lineup has really helped shore up the second-level run D lately).  Right now Korey Toomer is the best they've got at the MIKE spot, and Hayes Pullard was seeing a lot of minutes in the first half of the season (apparently purely for the reason that Gus felt more comfortable with his scheme/system familiarity - particularly with Perryman out injured).

One of the "I don't think people will like it, but I can definitely see Tom Telesco identifying it as a need" picks I can definitely see coming is a field general MLB type - a la a Josey Jewell or someone similar who is capable of carrying sideline-to-sideline responsibilities and is adept at stacking and shedding (pass rush ability is a bonus, but not essential for the MIKE in Bradley's scheme).  I haven't had a chance to chart Perryman's snaps since he returned from injury, so I don't know if he's been seeing the majority of them at MLB or OLB; but while he does have the ideal build for the position, if Bradley hasn't given him meaningful snaps there yet, I have a hard time imagining they'll just change things up next season.  Early season, I had him pegged to play a sort of two-down MIKE role and then shift to the outside or sub out on obvious passing downs because his coverage skills aren't really his strength (particularly compared to guys like Brown and Emanuel).  All that said, Perryman has had injury issues in two of his seasons as a Charger, so it's not like the team will necessarily see him as a lock if they find someone they fall in love with more (they could presumably draft someone they like and let Perryman play out his rookie deal the same way they did Te'o).

Malik Jefferson definitely doesn't fit the bill, but Roquan Smith at the right value could be an interesting fit (as he would basically stand to slot into the exact same spot as Deion Jones plays for Atlanta).

Bradley's scheme is weird though. Adrian Phillips is currently on the field more as a linebacker than Jatavis Brown or Korey Toomer.