Chargers Offseason thread

[Neutral2]

Jeez, I thought you guys were joking about Aguayo.  I had no idea he found his way onto another NFL roster.

Fortunately we signed Caleb Sturgis to a 2-year deal.

[Xenos]

Hoping that Pouncey stays healthy and actually helps us this year. I would love to find a way to pick up Hankins as well.

[Neutral2]

I'm thinking we're not taking an OT anywhere in the draft.

Just noticed that Michael Schofield's salary this year is fully guaranteed, and he got a $1.5M signing bonus.  Coupled with Sam Tevi on the left, and we're set at OT depth for the next two years.

[DingoLadd]

On 3/19/2018 at 8:56 PM, Xenos said:

Hoping that Pouncey stays healthy and actually helps us this year. I would love to find a way to pick up Hankins as well.

He's not going to with what is functionally a degenerative hip, but if he can be a solid presence for like 8 games I'll take it. He was dreadful last year though.

[Bolts223]

Just now, DingoLadd said:

He's not going to with what is functionally a degenerative hip, but if he can be a solid presence for like 8 games I'll take it. He was dreadful last year though.

He'll be an upgrade from Pulley, but that isn't saying much.

I'd really like to see us address at least one of FS/LB/DT before the draft.

[BoltsFan937]

I think it's almost a mortal lock that we're taking a LB in the first (barring a miracle fall like James or Fitzpatrick sitting there). So how do you guys rank the top four LB's? I have it

Roquan Smith

Rashaan Evans

Leighton Vander Esch

Tremaine Edmunds

I know I'm low on Edmunds, not that I don't like him, but I think he's more potential and projection right now.  I would think Smith and Evans would top a Telesco board.  Multiple years of production, power 5 conference, etc.  How would you guys rank em?

[game3525]

2 hours ago, BoltsFan937 said:

I think it's almost a mortal lock that we're taking a LB in the first (barring a miracle fall like James or Fitzpatrick sitting there). So how do you guys rank the top four LB's? I have it

Roquan Smith

Rashaan Evans

Leighton Vander Esch

Tremaine Edmunds

I know I'm low on Edmunds, not that I don't like him, but I think he's more potential and projection right now.  I would think Smith and Evans would top a Telesco board.  Multiple years of production, power 5 conference, etc.  How would you guys rank em?

Agreed on Edmunds. 

TT puts a premium on production and strength of conference. So that really points to Smith or Evans (likely Evans, since I don't think Smith makes passed Oakland at 10). 

[Dr LBC]

14 hours ago, Neutral2 said:

I'm thinking we're not taking an OT anywhere in the draft.

Just noticed that Michael Schofield's salary this year is fully guaranteed, and he got a $1.5M signing bonus.  Coupled with Sam Tevi on the left, and we're set at OT depth for the next two years.

Depends on how far Orlando Brown falls due to the poor combine (for whatever it's worth, he put up numbers a lot closer to what people were expecting from him at OU's pro day).  If he's there in the 4th similar to Keenan falling to the 3rd, I could see Telesco pulling the trigger.  But I've been genuinely confused by the people projecting an early OT to the Chargers; I don't see them integrating what's realistically 3 (since Lamp never even got any actual game time last year) new OL into the starting lineup in one offseason.  As folks recall, Feeney had "a shot" to earn a starting spot, but he was always fighting the inside track held by both Pulley and Slauson.  Brown could represent that and he's been mentored, has a very similar play-style to a guy that Pat Mayer's old direct-boss Aaron Kromer used to coach in New Orleans, Jammal Brown.  Probably more important, if you've read or heard any of the interviews he's given, he's checks all the personality/demeanor boxes that the Chargers front office tends to look for - it's just a matter of how comfortable they feel about his ability to shed about 15 pounds and improve the flexibility in his knees when he plays.

Duffman and I were talking on Twitter and it seems a lot of people just plain want to crap on Barksdale for no other reason than he's Barksdale.  It seems like they're incapable of moving on past the 2016 outings where he was a false-start magnet and struggled while playing through injury.  He's not fantastic, but his play improved with the tweaks and the greater emphasis to (less predictable) runs last season.

[game3525]

Quote

Duffman and I were talking on Twitter and it seems a lot of people just plain want to crap on Barksdale for no other reason than he's Barksdale.  It seems like they're incapable of moving on past the 2016 outings where he was a false-start magnet and struggled while playing through injury.  He's not fantastic, but his play improved with the tweaks and the greater emphasis to (less predictable) runs last season.

Yeah, there is a lot of groupthink concerning Barksdale (same thing is happening with Mebane and Benjamin). I don't see the rush to release these guys, it doesn't help the team and just creates more holes for them to fix. 

[Duffman57]

4 hours ago, The LBC said:

Depends on how far Orlando Brown falls due to the poor combine (for whatever it's worth, he put up numbers a lot closer to what people were expecting from him at OU's pro day).  If he's there in the 4th similar to Keenan falling to the 3rd, I could see Telesco pulling the trigger.  But I've been genuinely confused by the people projecting an early OT to the Chargers; I don't see them integrating what's realistically 3 (since Lamp never even got any actual game time last year) new OL into the starting lineup in one offseason.  As folks recall, Feeney had "a shot" to earn a starting spot, but he was always fighting the inside track held by both Pulley and Slauson.  Brown could represent that and he's been mentored, has a very similar play-style to a guy that Pat Mayer's old direct-boss Aaron Kromer used to coach in New Orleans, Jammal Brown.  Probably more important, if you've read or heard any of the interviews he's given, he's checks all the personality/demeanor boxes that the Chargers front office tends to look for - it's just a matter of how comfortable they feel about his ability to shed about 15 pounds and improve the flexibility in his knees when he plays.

Duffman and I were talking on Twitter and it seems a lot of people just plain want to crap on Barksdale for no other reason than he's Barksdale.  It seems like they're incapable of moving on past the 2016 outings where he was a false-start magnet and struggled while playing through injury.  He's not fantastic, but his play improved with the tweaks and the greater emphasis to (less predictable) runs last season.

I COULD see this, if Brown even a little bit fit our system.  He's about as far from a fit with the way that Meyer is running this offensive line.  Meyer's MO has been 100% about athleticism and very functional power, not pure country strength like Brown. The pickup of Pouncey really drilled home that MO, with a guy who's SUPER functionally strong at 6'5" 300lbs but also is still very athletic and blocks very well at the 2nd level. There's a HUGE emphasis on quick-sets with the OT's in his scheme, which requires the length, but also REALLY requires the athleticism to avoid getting beat around the edge too shallow.  He hasn't taken a single player at OT that is over 6'5" in his career, hasn't taken a player that weighs more than 320 (and really has sat in the 300-310 range) in his career and he also hasn't taken a player with shorter than 34" arms. Funny enough, Barksdale fits perfectly in that category (6'4" 319 and 36" arms) Given that, if we do take an OT at all, I can't see anyone other than Tyrell Crosby (would LOVE this pick as a developmental OT, but I'm biased since I know the kid), Jamarco Jones (a guy I'm REAL high on), Geron Christian, Will Richardson and Joe Notebloom, who I'm less high on.  Other guys that are close enough to warrant consideration, would be Des Harrison, Okorafor, Timon Parris, Martinas Rankin, and Greg Senat.  If one of those guys drops farther than expected, then I'd be interested to see if we jump on them.

I for one doubt we take an OT, unless it's a clear BPA type of pick, as I was very high on Tevi last year, and thought he was a perfect developmental piece for the system, and showed pretty well last year.

[Dr LBC]

34 minutes ago, Duffman57 said:

I COULD see this, if Brown even a little bit fit our system.  He's about as far from a fit with the way that Meyer is running this offensive line.  Meyer's MO has been 100% about athleticism and very functional power, not pure country strength like Brown. The pickup of Pouncey really drilled home that MO, with a guy who's SUPER functionally strong at 6'5" 300lbs but also is still very athletic and blocks very well at the 2nd level. There's a HUGE emphasis on quick-sets with the OT's in his scheme, which requires the length, but also REALLY requires the athleticism to avoid getting beat around the edge too shallow.  He hasn't taken a single player at OT that is over 6'5" in his career, hasn't taken a player that weighs more than 320 (and really has sat in the 300-310 range) in his career and he also hasn't taken a player with shorter than 34" arms. Funny enough, Barksdale fits perfectly in that category (6'4" 319 and 36" arms) Given that, if we do take an OT at all, I can't see anyone other than Tyrell Crosby (would LOVE this pick as a developmental OT, but I'm biased since I know the kid), Jamarco Jones (a guy I'm REAL high on), Geron Christian, Will Richardson and Joe Notebloom, who I'm less high on.  Other guys that are close enough to warrant consideration, would be Des Harrison, Okorafor, Timon Parris, Martinas Rankin, and Greg Senat.  If one of those guys drops farther than expected, then I'd be interested to see if we jump on them.

I for one doubt we take an OT, unless it's a clear BPA type of pick, as I was very high on Tevi last year, and thought he was a perfect developmental piece for the system, and showed pretty well last year.

Curious as to why you're less high on Noteboom.  Is it a tape thing?  He has technical stuff he needs to clean up, but the tools are there.  There's a lot of similarity to Tevi last year to be honest - you want to see more power but that's going to come as he gets into a pro-level S&C program and gets coached up on his hand-placement and striking (I see a lot of cases where the concerns that people have about his inability to really get push as a move-blocker is because he's not landing a proper first punch or when he does, it's hitting too wide).

That said, Toledo's Elijah Nkansah is likely to not get drafted at all or at very least will still be around in the 5th, 6th, or 7th round and has the kind of athleticism (along with better arm length and knowledge of how to use that length) of a lot of the guys that are probably going to go higher.  I'd recommend checking him out.  I went back and did another look after the 4.5s short-shuttle he put up at his pro day - at 6'5", 315 with 34" arms.  Had he gotten a combine invite, he'd have been a Top 10 performer among linemen in 2 of the the more relevant workouts and just outside the Top 15 in another. 

[BleedTheClock]

So why on earth hasn't Denzel Perryman been successful? Or is it a LB running mate you guys are looking to pair with him? I was under the impression that Perryman was going to be a top 5 ILB and that Jatavis Brown was on his way to becoming a very good player. Why haven't they been very good, or is it a 3rd LB next to those two you're desiring?

[game3525]

Perryman has been fine.

The big issue is outside of him, none of the LB's are very stout against the run. 

[Neutral2]

17 minutes ago, BleedTheClock said:

So why on earth hasn't Denzel Perryman been successful? Or is it a LB running mate you guys are looking to pair with him? I was under the impression that Perryman was going to be a top 5 ILB and that Jatavis Brown was on his way to becoming a very good player. Why haven't they been very good, or is it a 3rd LB next to those two you're desiring?

What makes you think he hasn't been successful?

[BleedTheClock]

1 minute ago, Neutral2 said:

What makes you think he hasn't been successful?

His madden rating and the insistence that the Chargers desperately need linebackers. I had him graded out as the #5 ranked player from his draft class, but it appears that he's underwhelmed thus far from someone that hasn't seen many SD games. I guess I just thought he'd be a MONSTERRRRR