*** Official 2013 San Diego Chargers **** (2 Viewers)

[Tau837]

I think last night really highlighted the difference between Woodhead and Mathews. I know people love Woodhead, but he's just not a very good runner. Sure, he can pick up yards on draw plays when the defense is playing the pass, but the guy is an easy arm tackle and is pretty much worthless when used as real, early down back to run between the tackles and give you 2nd and 5. Instead, you end up with 2nd and 8, then 3rd and 6. He's got great hands and 4.4 speed, so he's an asset, but he'll always be a niche player.

Last night also highlighted that this offensive line has overachieved this year, but still needs some improvement. Rivers was getting almost instant pressure from a 4 man rush in the first half.

As an outsider, I'd like to see the Chargers improve the line and maybe bring in a free agent like Gerhart to replace Ronnie Brown. I've always liked Brown, but he turns 33 next year and I think Gerhart would make a nice fill in for Mathews or Woodhead if either were to miss time. He won't be super cheap but they need a contingency plan should Mathews walk after next year or miss time in 2014. I'd really like to see an additional weapon for Rivers, but I feel like defense has to be the next focus. If they can snag a Maclin or Holmes on the cheap then they should absolutely do it, but I don't think anyone like Nicks or Decker will be feasible.

The focus should be in this order:Corners

Corners

Oline

Linebacker

Oline

WR

RB

This first round seems deep at Corner, several going in round1 in mocks I see, dont mean they can all play, I say go FA for a one corner and drart depth at the spot.

More Oline help please

If gates returns, move L.Green to start opposite Keenan would be the move I would make as HC/OC not sure how feasible it is but kid needs to be on the field every play.

Ronnie BRown is toast, Woodhead is a good COP/PPR player but if over used he kills you, like he did yesterday missing blocks and getting exposed. Need a capable backup in the Draft or a smart FA move

With regard to offensive targets, here's what I'm thinking:

1. Allen will be the #1 WR next season.

2. Floyd should be back and should start as the #2 WR. He is set to make $2.75M next season, which seems reasonable enough.

3. Gates will be back. Though he is clearly in decline, he was still top 4 this season in TE receptions, receiving yards, and first downs. I don't think the Chargers will want to take the cap and PR hits to release him.

4. Green's snaps should go up. I'd like to see him get snaps both in relief of Gates and on the field with Gates.

5. Vincent Brown is a bust. I don't think it's too soon to release him. If they insist on keeping him, I hope his snaps are minimal.

6. Not sure about Royal. He is set to make $4.5M next season. Seems a little pricey for what he contributes, but I'd like to see him back, especially if Brown is released. Could he be restructured/extended?

7. Ajirotutu is a free agent. I'd like to see them resign him to be as the #5 WR who contributes on special teams.

8. I agree with those who have said it's time to replace Ronnie Brown with another competent and cheap veteran RB.

Thoughts?

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I think last night really highlighted the difference between Woodhead and Mathews. I know people love Woodhead, but he's just not a very good runner. Sure, he can pick up yards on draw plays when the defense is playing the pass, but the guy is an easy arm tackle and is pretty much worthless when used as real, early down back to run between the tackles and give you 2nd and 5. Instead, you end up with 2nd and 8, then 3rd and 6. He's got great hands and 4.4 speed, so he's an asset, but he'll always be a niche player.

Last night also highlighted that this offensive line has overachieved this year, but still needs some improvement. Rivers was getting almost instant pressure from a 4 man rush in the first half.

As an outsider, I'd like to see the Chargers improve the line and maybe bring in a free agent like Gerhart to replace Ronnie Brown. I've always liked Brown, but he turns 33 next year and I think Gerhart would make a nice fill in for Mathews or Woodhead if either were to miss time. He won't be super cheap but they need a contingency plan should Mathews walk after next year or miss time in 2014. I'd really like to see an additional weapon for Rivers, but I feel like defense has to be the next focus. If they can snag a Maclin or Holmes on the cheap then they should absolutely do it, but I don't think anyone like Nicks or Decker will be feasible.

The focus should be in this order:Corners

Corners

Oline

Linebacker

Oline

WR

RB

This first round seems deep at Corner, several going in round1 in mocks I see, dont mean they can all play, I say go FA for a one corner and drart depth at the spot.

More Oline help please

If gates returns, move L.Green to start opposite Keenan would be the move I would make as HC/OC not sure how feasible it is but kid needs to be on the field every play.

Ronnie BRown is toast, Woodhead is a good COP/PPR player but if over used he kills you, like he did yesterday missing blocks and getting exposed. Need a capable backup in the Draft or a smart FA move

With regard to offensive targets, here's what I'm thinking:

1. Allen will be the #1 WR next season.

2. Floyd should be back and should start as the #2 WR. He is set to make $2.75M next season, which seems reasonable enough.

3. Gates will be back. Though he is clearly in decline, he was still top 4 this season in TE receptions, receiving yards, and first downs. I don't think the Chargers will want to take the cap and PR hits to release him.

4. Green's snaps should go up. I'd like to see him get snaps both in relief of Gates and on the field with Gates.

5. Vincent Brown is a bust. I don't think it's too soon to release him. If they insist on keeping him, I hope his snaps are minimal.

6. Not sure about Royal. He is set to make $4.5M next season. Seems a little pricey for what he contributes, but I'd like to see him back, especially if Brown is released. Could he be restructured/extended?

7. Ajirotutu is a free agent. I'd like to see them resign him to be as the #5 WR who contributes on special teams.

8. I agree with those who have said it's time to replace Ronnie Brown with another competent and cheap veteran RB.

Thoughts?

Make Gates re-structure too.

Send V.Brown packing, Didnt floyd mess up his neck? not sure how much w can count on him coming back. Royal was surprisingly effective this year, has good quickness and makes plays

 

[Tau837]

I think last night really highlighted the difference between Woodhead and Mathews. I know people love Woodhead, but he's just not a very good runner. Sure, he can pick up yards on draw plays when the defense is playing the pass, but the guy is an easy arm tackle and is pretty much worthless when used as real, early down back to run between the tackles and give you 2nd and 5. Instead, you end up with 2nd and 8, then 3rd and 6. He's got great hands and 4.4 speed, so he's an asset, but he'll always be a niche player.

Last night also highlighted that this offensive line has overachieved this year, but still needs some improvement. Rivers was getting almost instant pressure from a 4 man rush in the first half.

As an outsider, I'd like to see the Chargers improve the line and maybe bring in a free agent like Gerhart to replace Ronnie Brown. I've always liked Brown, but he turns 33 next year and I think Gerhart would make a nice fill in for Mathews or Woodhead if either were to miss time. He won't be super cheap but they need a contingency plan should Mathews walk after next year or miss time in 2014. I'd really like to see an additional weapon for Rivers, but I feel like defense has to be the next focus. If they can snag a Maclin or Holmes on the cheap then they should absolutely do it, but I don't think anyone like Nicks or Decker will be feasible.

The focus should be in this order:Corners

Corners

Oline

Linebacker

Oline

WR

RB

This first round seems deep at Corner, several going in round1 in mocks I see, dont mean they can all play, I say go FA for a one corner and drart depth at the spot.

More Oline help please

If gates returns, move L.Green to start opposite Keenan would be the move I would make as HC/OC not sure how feasible it is but kid needs to be on the field every play.

Ronnie BRown is toast, Woodhead is a good COP/PPR player but if over used he kills you, like he did yesterday missing blocks and getting exposed. Need a capable backup in the Draft or a smart FA move

With regard to offensive targets, here's what I'm thinking:

1. Allen will be the #1 WR next season.

2. Floyd should be back and should start as the #2 WR. He is set to make $2.75M next season, which seems reasonable enough.

3. Gates will be back. Though he is clearly in decline, he was still top 4 this season in TE receptions, receiving yards, and first downs. I don't think the Chargers will want to take the cap and PR hits to release him.

4. Green's snaps should go up. I'd like to see him get snaps both in relief of Gates and on the field with Gates.

5. Vincent Brown is a bust. I don't think it's too soon to release him. If they insist on keeping him, I hope his snaps are minimal.

6. Not sure about Royal. He is set to make $4.5M next season. Seems a little pricey for what he contributes, but I'd like to see him back, especially if Brown is released. Could he be restructured/extended?

7. Ajirotutu is a free agent. I'd like to see them resign him to be as the #5 WR who contributes on special teams.

8. I agree with those who have said it's time to replace Ronnie Brown with another competent and cheap veteran RB.

Thoughts?

Make Gates re-structure too.

Send V.Brown packing, Didnt floyd mess up his neck? not sure how much w can count on him coming back. Royal was surprisingly effective this year, has good quickness and makes plays

I'm not sure of Floyd's status. He was diagnosed with a sprained neck, which doesn't sound like something that would keep him from playing again.

$2.5M for Floyd, if he is (entering the season) healthy seems like a worthwhile investment.

I agree Royal was surprisingly effective this year. The question is whether or not his contribution is worth $4.5M. I'm skeptical, but I suspect they will keep him, restructured or not.

If Vincent Brown is cut, it presumably makes it more likely that Floyd and Royal stick. I don't know how to judge the likelihood they will release him, though. He's only slated to make $645K next season. My guess is they will keep him.

 

[FF Ninja]

I think last night really highlighted the difference between Woodhead and Mathews. I know people love Woodhead, but he's just not a very good runner. Sure, he can pick up yards on draw plays when the defense is playing the pass, but the guy is an easy arm tackle and is pretty much worthless when used as real, early down back to run between the tackles and give you 2nd and 5. Instead, you end up with 2nd and 8, then 3rd and 6. He's got great hands and 4.4 speed, so he's an asset, but he'll always be a niche player.

Last night also highlighted that this offensive line has overachieved this year, but still needs some improvement. Rivers was getting almost instant pressure from a 4 man rush in the first half.

As an outsider, I'd like to see the Chargers improve the line and maybe bring in a free agent like Gerhart to replace Ronnie Brown. I've always liked Brown, but he turns 33 next year and I think Gerhart would make a nice fill in for Mathews or Woodhead if either were to miss time. He won't be super cheap but they need a contingency plan should Mathews walk after next year or miss time in 2014. I'd really like to see an additional weapon for Rivers, but I feel like defense has to be the next focus. If they can snag a Maclin or Holmes on the cheap then they should absolutely do it, but I don't think anyone like Nicks or Decker will be feasible.

The focus should be in this order:Corners

Corners

Oline

Linebacker

Oline

WR

RB

This first round seems deep at Corner, several going in round1 in mocks I see, dont mean they can all play, I say go FA for a one corner and drart depth at the spot.

More Oline help please

If gates returns, move L.Green to start opposite Keenan would be the move I would make as HC/OC not sure how feasible it is but kid needs to be on the field every play.

Ronnie BRown is toast, Woodhead is a good COP/PPR player but if over used he kills you, like he did yesterday missing blocks and getting exposed. Need a capable backup in the Draft or a smart FA move

With regard to offensive targets, here's what I'm thinking:

1. Allen will be the #1 WR next season.

2. Floyd should be back and should start as the #2 WR. He is set to make $2.75M next season, which seems reasonable enough.

3. Gates will be back. Though he is clearly in decline, he was still top 4 this season in TE receptions, receiving yards, and first downs. I don't think the Chargers will want to take the cap and PR hits to release him.

4. Green's snaps should go up. I'd like to see him get snaps both in relief of Gates and on the field with Gates.

5. Vincent Brown is a bust. I don't think it's too soon to release him. If they insist on keeping him, I hope his snaps are minimal.

6. Not sure about Royal. He is set to make $4.5M next season. Seems a little pricey for what he contributes, but I'd like to see him back, especially if Brown is released. Could he be restructured/extended?

7. Ajirotutu is a free agent. I'd like to see them resign him to be as the #5 WR who contributes on special teams.

8. I agree with those who have said it's time to replace Ronnie Brown with another competent and cheap veteran RB.

Thoughts?

Make Gates re-structure too.

Send V.Brown packing, Didnt floyd mess up his neck? not sure how much w can count on him coming back. Royal was surprisingly effective this year, has good quickness and makes plays

I like Gates, but his situation is dicey. He started off hot, posting 48/550/2 in the first 8 games - super great. Then his last 8 games he fizzled, posting 29/322/2 - meh. In the two playoff games he accounted for 3/15/0.

Here is his cap situation. Would be hard to stomach over $7.3 million on him with Green looking so good. To put it in perspective, the Falcons paid Tony G $5.25M this year. The cap savings on cutting him would be over $2.5 million but I'd think they could work something out, because they'd be dealing with a lot of dead money if they cut him, too.

If they don't bring in a veteran WR, Allen is going to be a top 15 fantasy wideout next year with huge upside potential.

I agree about Floyd - he's not young and just had a major neck injury. It would be risky to go into a season counting on him as your #2.

 

[TS Garp]

Would love to see the Chargers make a run at Jeremy Maclin.

 

[TS Garp]

Also: Chargers have to part ways with Gates. Love the guy but he was an absolute shadow of himself as the year went on.

 

[Gr00vus]

Is Danario Alexander all done?

 

[TS Garp]

Is Danario Alexander all done?

Believe he's a FA. Maybe he'll come back on an inexpensive one-year deal but you wonder if he can make it through a full season unless his snaps are scaled way back.

 

[DanFouts]

Is Danario Alexander all done?

Believe he's a FA. Maybe he'll come back on an inexpensive one-year deal but you wonder if he can make it through a full season unless his snaps are scaled way back.

Healthy Danario + Allen+ Green + Healthy Matthews would be scary.....

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

So Frank Reich to take over as OC?

and I heard Whisenhut will be taking some other caoches with him.

 

[Tau837]

With regard to Alexander, the Chargers waived him in August. From Rotoworld:

Chargers waived/injured WR Danario Alexander.
Alexander tore his right ACL on August 6 and had reconstructive surgery on August 15. The quickness with which the procedure was performed suggests DX's ACL tear was clean and affected no other ligaments. It will be interesting to see whether any team takes a flier on him via the waiver process. To do so, they'd have to pay Alexander's full $1.323 million salary for a lost year. Alexander is a free agent in 2014, so we suspect he won't be claimed. Fri, Aug 16, 2013 07:49:00 PM

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

So who really gets credit for "fixing" Rivers this season?

Whiz? McCoy? Frank Reich? a combo?

Will be interesting to see how it works out now

 

[Tau837]

I think last night really highlighted the difference between Woodhead and Mathews. I know people love Woodhead, but he's just not a very good runner. Sure, he can pick up yards on draw plays when the defense is playing the pass, but the guy is an easy arm tackle and is pretty much worthless when used as real, early down back to run between the tackles and give you 2nd and 5. Instead, you end up with 2nd and 8, then 3rd and 6. He's got great hands and 4.4 speed, so he's an asset, but he'll always be a niche player.

Last night also highlighted that this offensive line has overachieved this year, but still needs some improvement. Rivers was getting almost instant pressure from a 4 man rush in the first half.

As an outsider, I'd like to see the Chargers improve the line and maybe bring in a free agent like Gerhart to replace Ronnie Brown. I've always liked Brown, but he turns 33 next year and I think Gerhart would make a nice fill in for Mathews or Woodhead if either were to miss time. He won't be super cheap but they need a contingency plan should Mathews walk after next year or miss time in 2014. I'd really like to see an additional weapon for Rivers, but I feel like defense has to be the next focus. If they can snag a Maclin or Holmes on the cheap then they should absolutely do it, but I don't think anyone like Nicks or Decker will be feasible.

The focus should be in this order:Corners

Corners

Oline

Linebacker

Oline

WR

RB

This first round seems deep at Corner, several going in round1 in mocks I see, dont mean they can all play, I say go FA for a one corner and drart depth at the spot.

More Oline help please

If gates returns, move L.Green to start opposite Keenan would be the move I would make as HC/OC not sure how feasible it is but kid needs to be on the field every play.

Ronnie BRown is toast, Woodhead is a good COP/PPR player but if over used he kills you, like he did yesterday missing blocks and getting exposed. Need a capable backup in the Draft or a smart FA move

With regard to offensive targets, here's what I'm thinking:

1. Allen will be the #1 WR next season.

2. Floyd should be back and should start as the #2 WR. He is set to make $2.75M next season, which seems reasonable enough.

3. Gates will be back. Though he is clearly in decline, he was still top 4 this season in TE receptions, receiving yards, and first downs. I don't think the Chargers will want to take the cap and PR hits to release him.

4. Green's snaps should go up. I'd like to see him get snaps both in relief of Gates and on the field with Gates.

5. Vincent Brown is a bust. I don't think it's too soon to release him. If they insist on keeping him, I hope his snaps are minimal.

6. Not sure about Royal. He is set to make $4.5M next season. Seems a little pricey for what he contributes, but I'd like to see him back, especially if Brown is released. Could he be restructured/extended?

7. Ajirotutu is a free agent. I'd like to see them resign him to be as the #5 WR who contributes on special teams.

8. I agree with those who have said it's time to replace Ronnie Brown with another competent and cheap veteran RB.

Thoughts?

Make Gates re-structure too.

Send V.Brown packing, Didnt floyd mess up his neck? not sure how much w can count on him coming back. Royal was surprisingly effective this year, has good quickness and makes plays

I like Gates, but his situation is dicey. He started off hot, posting 48/550/2 in the first 8 games - super great. Then his last 8 games he fizzled, posting 29/322/2 - meh. In the two playoff games he accounted for 3/15/0.

Here is his cap situation. Would be hard to stomach over $7.3 million on him with Green looking so good. To put it in perspective, the Falcons paid Tony G $5.25M this year. The cap savings on cutting him would be over $2.5 million but I'd think they could work something out, because they'd be dealing with a lot of dead money if they cut him, too.

If they don't bring in a veteran WR, Allen is going to be a top 15 fantasy wideout next year with huge upside potential.

I agree about Floyd - he's not young and just had a major neck injury. It would be risky to go into a season counting on him as your #2.

With regard to Gates, they either take a $7.3M cap hit for him to play another season or a $4.7M cap hit to cut him as things stand right now. If those were their only choices, I think they would keep him for another year. Of course I agree that restructuring his contract in some manner could likely improve the situation. He is a HOFer who has played his entire career with San Diego, and I think that will be a consideration.

As for Floyd, he was diagnosed with a sprained neck. That doesn't sound like something he cannot come back from. He is 32. That's not young, but it's also not over the hill for a NFL WR. Floyd has long been underappreciated, even by San Diego fans. As one example, consider his PFF ratings going back to 2008 (that's as far back as they go):

2008 - +8.8 - WR#13 in 13 games

2009 - +16.9 - WR#7 in 16 games

2010 - +9.9 - WR#6 in 11 games

2011 - +14.2 - WR#8 in 12 games

2012 - +10.7 - WR#22 in 14 games

2013 - +3.6 - WR#55 in 2 games

PFF's rating is a cumulative metric, so to have been consistently high in their ratings is impressive, given that he has typically missed games every season. And I believe Floyd has typically ranked favorably in other advanced stats (e.g., yards per target).

Floyd is a veteran who has been with the Chargers since 2004, Rivers' rookie year, and he and Rivers definitely have chemistry. If he wants to come back and is healthy, he would be a big upgrade over the #2 WR they played this year, Vincent Brown, and for just $2.5M.

 

[Tau837]

So who really gets credit for "fixing" Rivers this season?

Whiz? McCoy? Frank Reich? a combo?

Will be interesting to see how it works out now

I don't think Rivers was "fixed." The coaching staff, offensive line, RBs, and receiver play were all upgraded. He played better with better players around him. Go figure.

 

[DanFouts]

So who really gets credit for "fixing" Rivers this season?

Whiz? McCoy? Frank Reich? a combo?

Will be interesting to see how it works out now

I don't think Rivers was "fixed." The coaching staff, offensive line, RBs, and receiver play were all upgraded. He played better with better players around him. Go figure.

I think whoever (McCoy, Whiz, Reich) installed the quicker drop back release, and let him call his own plays on the fly should get some credit.

I love the long ball, but watching Rivers the previous 3 years drop back, wait for the long ball to develop, and get crushed almost every play was too much!

Also, I think they will have a hard time letting Gates go...after getting rid of LT, Seau, Brees, etc, I think they might be mindful of fan base.

 

[Tau837]

So who really gets credit for "fixing" Rivers this season?

Whiz? McCoy? Frank Reich? a combo?

Will be interesting to see how it works out now

I don't think Rivers was "fixed." The coaching staff, offensive line, RBs, and receiver play were all upgraded. He played better with better players around him. Go figure.

I think whoever (McCoy, Whiz, Reich) installed the quicker drop back release, and let him call his own plays on the fly should get some credit.

I love the long ball, but watching Rivers the previous 3 years drop back, wait for the long ball to develop, and get crushed almost every play was too much!

Also, I think they will have a hard time letting Gates go...after getting rid of LT, Seau, Brees, etc, I think they might be mindful of fan base.

Agree the playcalling and style of offense was a better fit for Rivers. What I was trying to say is that Rivers wasn't fixed, other things (offense, offensive line, etc.) were fixed.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

So who really gets credit for "fixing" Rivers this season?

Whiz? McCoy? Frank Reich? a combo?

Will be interesting to see how it works out now

I don't think Rivers was "fixed." The coaching staff, offensive line, RBs, and receiver play were all upgraded. He played better with better players around him. Go figure.

I think whoever (McCoy, Whiz, Reich) installed the quicker drop back release, and let him call his own plays on the fly should get some credit.

I love the long ball, but watching Rivers the previous 3 years drop back, wait for the long ball to develop, and get crushed almost every play was too much!

Also, I think they will have a hard time letting Gates go...after getting rid of LT, Seau, Brees, etc, I think they might be mindful of fan base.

Agree the playcalling and style of offense was a better fit for Rivers. What I was trying to say is that Rivers wasn't fixed, other things (offense, offensive line, etc.) were fixed.

yeah the Norv offense had become super stale.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

So who really gets credit for "fixing" Rivers this season?

Whiz? McCoy? Frank Reich? a combo?

Will be interesting to see how it works out now

I don't think Rivers was "fixed." The coaching staff, offensive line, RBs, and receiver play were all upgraded. He played better with better players around him. Go figure.

I think whoever (McCoy, Whiz, Reich) installed the quicker drop back release, and let him call his own plays on the fly should get some credit.

I love the long ball, but watching Rivers the previous 3 years drop back, wait for the long ball to develop, and get crushed almost every play was too much!

Also, I think they will have a hard time letting Gates go...after getting rid of LT, Seau, Brees, etc, I think they might be mindful of fan base.

I dont think there would be the outcry if they let Gates go, not like there was for Junior or LT

F/O dont care what fanbases think

 

[Gr00vus]

The problem with keeping Gates would be the potential to stunt Green's development. Green needs to be moved into the starting/primary pass catching TE role at some point in this upcoming season. Gates just isn't fast enough and doesn't get enough separation to continue in the role he's been accustomed to. I'm not saying he's useless - he's still in traffic and can make plays even when covered, but he's not a game breaker anymore - Green probably is/could be.

I still think they need a stud NT - they got run on a bit too easy and if they want to stay with the 3-4 as their base it requires a stud NT if you're going to have an above average defense. While they were middle of the pack (12th) in rushing yards per game, they were tied for 4th worst in yards per carry. Getting a high end NT would make the whole defense better. When they had Williams at NT I expected them to win 3rd and short - now I expect them to lose. There have been multiple occasions this season where getting a stop on 3rd and short would have changed the game. Now, whether there's one they could reasonably expect to acquire is a whole different issue.

After seeing how the OL improved over the course of the season in the new offense, I'm not as stressed that they spend a 1st rounder there. I guess CB is the most glaring need, but if the talent levels were equal I think I'd still rather have the NT in the 1st.

ETA: I just looked at football outsiders - they have the Chargers as the worst non-weighted defense in the NFL for 2013 and 31st ranked in both the separate rushing and passing defense categories. Weighted they came in 28th, so while they improved over the course of the season I think they need some help there.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Re-sign John Pagano Tue Jan 14, 03:16 PM

The San Diego Chargers have re-signed defensive coordinator John Pagano Tuesday, Jan. 14. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Gates isn't being cut. I'm frustrated that he's apparently okay with playing at this weight and in this manner, but he's one of the best players in team history, still a leader in the locker room, and still a functional starter who Rivers trusts.

I'd love to see him renegotiate and see Green on the field more. Why not run a bunch of 2 TE sets a la NE from last year with Green and Gates?

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Gates is still one of the four or five best receivers on the team. I think Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead were the most effective receivers this year, but then Ladarius Green, Antonio Gates, and Eddie Royal are all in the next tier.* Obviously, Green is on the upswing while Gates is on the decline -- but as long as Gates is in the top five, I don't see how he can be cut.

I think Green should be the primary TE next year and Gates should play mainly in 2-TE sets. But if the Chargers are trying to get their best players on the field, they should be in 2-TE sets an awful lot.

___

*I don't know where Malcom Floyd will fit in with his age and injury history.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Gates is still one of the four or five best receivers on the team. I think Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead were the most effective receivers this year, but then Ladarius Green, Antonio Gates, and Eddie Royal are all in the next tier.* Obviously, Green is on the upswing while Gates is on the decline -- but as long as Gates is in the top five, I don't see how he can be cut.

I think Green should be the primary TE next year and Gates should play mainly in 2-TE sets. But if the Chargers are trying to get their best players on the field, they should be in 2-TE sets an awful lot.

___

*I don't know where Malcom Floyd will fit in with his age and injury history.

If I were Telesco, I'd have a hard time paying 2.75M to Floyd next year. Spend that and a bit more and bring in Golden Tate.

 

[tommyGunZ]

FYI - per PFF:

[SIZE=medium]13. San Diego Chargers (28th)[/SIZE]
PB: 24th, RB: 3rd, PEN: 23rd

Stud: He’s big and he’s a brutal run blocker. They don’t make left tackles like King Dunlap (+24.4) who was one of the pickups of the offseason. He’ll always give you a bit when he’s protecting the passer, but my word is he fun to watch in the run game.

Dud: Switching from tackle to guard didn’t lead to a turnaround in the fortunes of Jeromey Clary (-18.3). He did earn a positive with his pass blocking, but his run blocking was so bad and often why running plays broke down.

Analysis: Quite the turnaround. Perhaps even more impressively was that they did it despite a gluttony of injuries that included having to switch D.J. Fluker to left tackle. A shame for the rookie who was so good on the right side and so much worse on the left. The transition is coming along a lot quicker than expected.

MT, this supports what you and I discussed briefly at Wonderland the other night; our guards were terrible this year and need to be a focus of the draft/FA.

ETA: Makes it even more painful seeing Louie Vasquez named All Pro.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Perhaps most importantly, who is going to call the plays in 2014?

 

[Gr00vus]

By the way, I didn't intend to imply that I think Gates should go. I hope they find a way to let him play all his years with the Chargers. I just think his role needs to change - and it kind of did this year anyway - to something along the lines of what MT mentioned above.

 

[Gr00vus]

Perhaps most importantly, who is going to call the plays in 2014?

I'm not too concerned about it. I imagine McCoy has some significant input into how the offense runs. Does anyone have deeper insight into how the offensive planning and decision making was broken down between McCoy and Whisenhunt?