**** Chargers 2024 Thread - Because No One Demanded It **** (2 Viewers)

[Gr00vus]

@Tau837 , you got a plan B for the contingency that the Cardinals trade down with someone who takes McCarthy and there's no good offer for the Chargers' 5 pick?

 

[TheWinz]

@Tau837 , you got a plan B for the contingency that the Cardinals trade down with someone who takes McCarthy and there's no good offer for the Chargers' 5 pick?

I think the Chargers may just take Alt at 5, even if 4 QB's start the draft and MHJ is available.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

@Tau837 , you got a plan B for the contingency that the Cardinals trade down with someone who takes McCarthy and there's no good offer for the Chargers' 5 pick?

I think the Chargers may just take Alt at 5, even if 4 QB's start the draft and MHJ is available.

I really need to start the kids’ bedtime early so I can be on the couch in time to watch this all unfold.

 

[Gr00vus]

@Tau837 , you got a plan B for the contingency that the Cardinals trade down with someone who takes McCarthy and there's no good offer for the Chargers' 5 pick?

I think the Chargers may just take Alt at 5, even if 4 QB's start the draft and MHJ is available.

Feels like if the draft has Harrison fall into your lap, you either need to take him, or find someone who really wants him and get more draft capital for the pick. Harrison could be a generational best, is Alt in that same tier?

 

[TheWinz]

@Tau837 , you got a plan B for the contingency that the Cardinals trade down with someone who takes McCarthy and there's no good offer for the Chargers' 5 pick?

I think the Chargers may just take Alt at 5, even if 4 QB's start the draft and MHJ is available.

Feels like if the draft has Harrison fall into your lap, you either need to take him, or find someone who really wants him and get more draft capital for the pick. Harrison could be a generational best, is Alt in that same tier?

He may just be. If the Chargers love Alt, which I think they do, they will not let him fall to Tennessee at 7. Maybe if MHJ is available at 5, they could dangle him to the Giants and move down 1 spot, while snagging an extra pick from them.

 

[Gr00vus]

It's going to be an interesting couple of days for us, that's for sure. I'm not certain what to hope for, but it'd be hard to get excited about taking Alt at 5 to take over for Pipkins at RT if Harrison is still on the board. And I'm a well known un-fan of Pipkins.

 

[calcinorjones]

@Tau837 , you got a plan B for the contingency that the Cardinals trade down with someone who takes McCarthy and there's no good offer for the Chargers' 5 pick?

I think the Chargers may just take Alt at 5, even if 4 QB's start the draft and MHJ is available.

Not sure how many picks the Chargers have but if Harrison slides than a top 3 WR certainly slides to Bears. Chargers would be smart taking Alt to protect their biggest offensive commodity. This means Harrison slides again. Assuming trading up for QBs this scenario could play out. Everything sits on what AZ will do wrt MHJ

 

[Tau837]

@Tau837 , you got a plan B for the contingency that the Cardinals trade down with someone who takes McCarthy and there's no good offer for the Chargers' 5 pick?

If QBs go 1-4 and there are no acceptable trade down options, I think they should take MHJ. I'm not completely confident they will do that, though... I think it is very possible they would still draft OT there.

 

[Despyzer]

It's going to be an interesting couple of days for us, that's for sure. I'm not certain what to hope for, but it'd be hard to get excited about taking Alt at 5 to take over for Pipkins at RT if Harrison is still on the board. And I'm a well known un-fan of Pipkins.

If stuck at 5, I'd be most happy with MHJ, but I'd be tickled with the prospect of two talented bookends like Slater and Alt. Interestingly, it doesn't appear that Bowers is even in the discussion anymore.

 

[Chaos34]

Shrager and Jeremiah have both mocked Latham to LA @5. Both of them are solid insiders with tons of contacts. I've been suggesting for a couple months Alt may not be the best OL in this class. No one knows him better than Harbaugh who recruited him out of hs and faced him every year. Maybe it's Alt, or Latham, or Harrison or trade down. Just trust the pick. They really know what they're doing.

Fwiw, I've had Latham over Alt for awhile and said so here somewhere a few times. He's more powerful, a much better run blocker, and a little better pass blocker.

 

[Gr00vus]

What's the cap hit if they cut Pipkins? These guys have been sharp with the salary cap so far, seems like paying a backup T 8M wouldn't be palatable if they draft one of these Ts at 5. Or maybe they keep Pipkins for depth this year given our annual struggle to keep linemen healthy?

 

[Despyzer]

Shrager and Jeremiah have both mocked Latham to LA @5. Both of them are solid insiders with tons of contacts. I've been suggesting for a couple months Alt may not be the best OL in this class. No one knows him better than Harbaugh who recruited him out of hs and faced him every year. Maybe it's Alt, or Latham, or Harrison or trade down. Just trust the pick. They really know what they're doing.

Fwiw, I've had Latham over Alt for awhile and said so here somewhere a few times. He's more powerful, a much better run blocker, and a little better pass blocker.

I think the (only) reason those guys might have Latham as a better match for the Chargers is because he has shown the flexibility to play on the right side, and the Chargers already have the LT position covered. Alt has only ever played LT and might take some time to develop the footwork for the other side. I've seen a lot more "experts" that have Fashanu as a better prospect than Latham than I have that think Latham is better than Alt, but experts have definitely been wrong before.

No one bats an eye at taking the best LT in the top five. Taking a RT at 5 seems a little risky for a team with so many holes to fill.

 

[Tau837]

What's the cap hit if they cut Pipkins? These guys have been sharp with the salary cap so far, seems like paying a backup T 8M wouldn't be palatable if they draft one of these Ts at 5. Or maybe they keep Pipkins for depth this year given our annual struggle to keep linemen healthy?

Pipkins' 2024 cap hit is $8.75M. Possibilities:

• If they trade him before June 1, they save $3.75M in 2024 cap space with no dead cap in 2025.
• If they release him before June 1, they take a 2024 dead cap hit of $11.25M, meaning they actually lose $2.5M in 2024 cap space. This option doesn't make sense.

Particularly if they draft a first round OT as well as a starting-caliber center, I could see them trading him if they could get something valuable enough. That would imply that Salyer would become the swing tackle, with Bozeman presumably starting at RG in between the rookie C and rookie RT.

But what is "valuable enough" and how likely is that? Seems more likely to me that they would just keep him this year even if they draft another tackle. Let them compete for the job, and improve depth.

 

[Tau837]

Shrager and Jeremiah have both mocked Latham to LA @5. Both of them are solid insiders with tons of contacts. I've been suggesting for a couple months Alt may not be the best OL in this class. No one knows him better than Harbaugh who recruited him out of hs and faced him every year. Maybe it's Alt, or Latham, or Harrison or trade down. Just trust the pick. They really know what they're doing.

Fwiw, I've had Latham over Alt for awhile and said so here somewhere a few times. He's more powerful, a much better run blocker, and a little better pass blocker.

I think the (only) reason those guys might have Latham as a better match for the Chargers is because he has shown the flexibility to play on the right side, and the Chargers already have the LT position covered. Alt has only ever played LT and might take some time to develop the footwork for the other side. I've seen a lot more "experts" that have Fashanu as a better prospect than Latham than I have that think Latham is better than Alt, but experts have definitely been wrong before.

No one bats an eye at taking the best LT in the top five. Taking a RT at 5 seems a little risky for a team with so many holes to fill.

I agree. Hortiz was quoted as saying they would have to be blown away to trade down from 1.5, but IMO it would make no sense to draft any OL other than Alt at 1.5. If they really want Latham, they should trade down.

People will point out that you have to find another team that wants to trade up and the two teams must agree on compensation... That is true, but Hortiz can facilitate a trade if he really wants to. Just trade 1.5 for 1.x + a single 3rd or 4th round pick if he has to... or even a 2025 3rd round pick. If they get the same player they would have taken at 1.5, then any extra draft capital is icing on the cake. Plus, drafting the same player at a later draft slot lowers the cap hits on his rookie contract... another win.

 

[Gr00vus]

Yeah, drafting Latham at 1.5 seems like a bad use of draft and cap capital.

 

[Chaos34]

Shrager and Jeremiah have both mocked Latham to LA @5. Both of them are solid insiders with tons of contacts. I've been suggesting for a couple months Alt may not be the best OL in this class. No one knows him better than Harbaugh who recruited him out of hs and faced him every year. Maybe it's Alt, or Latham, or Harrison or trade down. Just trust the pick. They really know what they're doing.

Fwiw, I've had Latham over Alt for awhile and said so here somewhere a few times. He's more powerful, a much better run blocker, and a little better pass blocker.

I think the (only) reason those guys might have Latham as a better match for the Chargers is because he has shown the flexibility to play on the right side, and the Chargers already have the LT position covered. Alt has only ever played LT and might take some time to develop the footwork for the other side. I've seen a lot more "experts" that have Fashanu as a better prospect than Latham than I have that think Latham is better than Alt, but experts have definitely been wrong before.

No one bats an eye at taking the best LT in the top five. Taking a RT at 5 seems a little risky for a team with so many holes to fill.

A couple months ago Mike Martz did film breakdown of the three you mention. He was detailed. He watched all three. He pointed out strengths and weaknesses. He clearly preferred Latham and Fashanu to Alt. It was mostly about power and footwork, but the only reason to prefer Latham being he plays RT wasn't part of the evaluation. I dug in from there not with typical experts, but OL gurus. Guys that specialize in scouting and discussing OLs. One of them has Alt and Fashanu tied though he leaned Fashanu with his tweets. The other prefers Latham to both. Alts problem is his height. He may be too tall for NFL edges who get low as they hit the jets and round the corner. We'll see.

 

[Tau837]

Shrager and Jeremiah have both mocked Latham to LA @5. Both of them are solid insiders with tons of contacts. I've been suggesting for a couple months Alt may not be the best OL in this class. No one knows him better than Harbaugh who recruited him out of hs and faced him every year. Maybe it's Alt, or Latham, or Harrison or trade down. Just trust the pick. They really know what they're doing.

Fwiw, I've had Latham over Alt for awhile and said so here somewhere a few times. He's more powerful, a much better run blocker, and a little better pass blocker.

I think the (only) reason those guys might have Latham as a better match for the Chargers is because he has shown the flexibility to play on the right side, and the Chargers already have the LT position covered. Alt has only ever played LT and might take some time to develop the footwork for the other side. I've seen a lot more "experts" that have Fashanu as a better prospect than Latham than I have that think Latham is better than Alt, but experts have definitely been wrong before.

No one bats an eye at taking the best LT in the top five. Taking a RT at 5 seems a little risky for a team with so many holes to fill.

A couple months ago Mike Martz did film breakdown of the three you mention. He was detailed. He watched all three. He pointed out strengths and weaknesses. He clearly preferred Latham and Fashanu to Alt. It was mostly about power and footwork, but the only reason to prefer Latham being he plays RT wasn't part of the evaluation. I dug in from there not with typical experts, but OL gurus. Guys that specialize in scouting and discussing OLs. One of them has Alt and Fashanu tied though he leaned Fashanu with his tweets. The other prefers Latham to both. Alts problem is his height. He may be too tall for NFL edges who get low as they hit the jets and round the corner. We'll see.

Surprised no mention of Fuaga here.

 

[Chaos34]

Shrager and Jeremiah have both mocked Latham to LA @5. Both of them are solid insiders with tons of contacts. I've been suggesting for a couple months Alt may not be the best OL in this class. No one knows him better than Harbaugh who recruited him out of hs and faced him every year. Maybe it's Alt, or Latham, or Harrison or trade down. Just trust the pick. They really know what they're doing.

Fwiw, I've had Latham over Alt for awhile and said so here somewhere a few times. He's more powerful, a much better run blocker, and a little better pass blocker.

I think the (only) reason those guys might have Latham as a better match for the Chargers is because he has shown the flexibility to play on the right side, and the Chargers already have the LT position covered. Alt has only ever played LT and might take some time to develop the footwork for the other side. I've seen a lot more "experts" that have Fashanu as a better prospect than Latham than I have that think Latham is better than Alt, but experts have definitely been wrong before.

No one bats an eye at taking the best LT in the top five. Taking a RT at 5 seems a little risky for a team with so many holes to fill.

A couple months ago Mike Martz did film breakdown of the three you mention. He was detailed. He watched all three. He pointed out strengths and weaknesses. He clearly preferred Latham and Fashanu to Alt. It was mostly about power and footwork, but the only reason to prefer Latham being he plays RT wasn't part of the evaluation. I dug in from there not with typical experts, but OL gurus. Guys that specialize in scouting and discussing OLs. One of them has Alt and Fashanu tied though he leaned Fashanu with his tweets. The other prefers Latham to both. Alts problem is his height. He may be too tall for NFL edges who get low as they hit the jets and round the corner. We'll see.

Surprised no mention of Fuaga here.

I like him tons. he just wasn't part of Martz breakdown that convinced me Alt isn't necessarily OT1. They're all elite prospects and Fuaga is the dude if you want run blocking. I'd be grinning ear to ear if Dallas could nab any of them.

 

[Gr00vus]

Alt is a solid pick all things considered.

 

[Wingnut]

"If I asked you the question of what position group depends on no other position group to be good but every other position group depends on them to be good, what position group is that? Offensive line. They're not relying on any other position group. Every other position group relies on the offensive line to be good."

- Jim Harbaugh

 

[Despyzer]

A couple months ago Mike Martz did film breakdown of the three you mention. He was detailed. He watched all three. He pointed out strengths and weaknesses. He clearly preferred Latham and Fashanu to Alt. It was mostly about power and footwork, but the only reason to prefer Latham being he plays RT wasn't part of the evaluation. I dug in from there not with typical experts, but OL gurus. Guys that specialize in scouting and discussing OLs. One of them has Alt and Fashanu tied though he leaned Fashanu with his tweets. The other prefers Latham to both. Alts problem is his height. He may be too tall for NFL edges who get low as they hit the jets and round the corner. We'll see.

Imagine sticking your nose this far up in the air... and then being this wrong.

 

[Despyzer]

I wouldn't cry if the Chargers drafted Joe Alt at 5. He and Slater would (likely) be the best bookend tackles in the NFL... and both under age 25.

I was wrong about the Harbaugh hiring, but I want some credit for being early on this.

 

[Gr00vus]

Now lets get a C here somewhere.

 

[Despyzer]

I love that Denver reached for Bo Nix. Their QB jinx seems likely to continue.

I'm not a fan of of Bowers going to the Raiders. I'm already haunted by future memories of him tearing through the Bolts' D twice a year.

 

[Gr00vus]

I love that Denver reached for Bo Nix. Their QB jinx seems likely to continue.

I'm not a fan of of Bowers going to the Raiders. I'm already haunted by future memories of him tearing through the Bolts' D twice a year.

Yeah, but who's throwing him the ball, and who's blocking for that guy?

 

[Nick Vermeil]

I love that Denver reached for Bo Nix. Their QB jinx seems likely to continue.

I'm not a fan of of Bowers going to the Raiders. I'm already haunted by future memories of him tearing through the Bolts' D twice a year.

Had the same thought. Kelce and bowers both twice a year. Awesome.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

I love that Denver reached for Bo Nix. Their QB jinx seems likely to continue.

I'm not a fan of of Bowers going to the Raiders. I'm already haunted by future memories of him tearing through the Bolts' D twice a year.

Yeah, but who's throwing him the ball, and who's blocking for that guy?

Somehow it won’t matter.

 

[Tau837]

I will post my comments along with ranking and draft profile info for the Chargers draft picks here: 2024 Draft Rankings/Discussion

My comments there on the Alt pick:

The Chargers selected Alt right in line with his general rankings, so no reach here. I would have preferred that the Chargers trade down, even if it meant selecting a different player, since there were at least a couple other OTs plus Nabers, Odunze, and Bowers available.

But I'm not at all surprised by the pick. Sometimes teams will actually tell you what they are going to do, and Hortiz, Harbaugh, and Roman have been saying since they were hired that this team would be strong in the trenches, particularly the OL. This pick obviously makes that unit stronger. If they also draft a starting caliber center, this could be one of the top 5 OLs in the NFL as soon as this season.

One pick in, this already has the potential to be better than most of Telesco's drafts. No surprise there.

 

[TheWinz]

I will post my comments along with ranking and draft profile info for the Chargers draft picks here: 2024 Draft Rankings/Discussion

My comments there on the Alt pick:

The Chargers selected Alt right in line with his general rankings, so no reach here. I would have preferred that the Chargers trade down, even if it meant selecting a different player, since there were at least a couple other OTs plus Nabers, Odunze, and Bowers available.

But I'm not at all surprised by the pick. Sometimes teams will actually tell you what they are going to do, and Hortiz, Harbaugh, and Roman have been saying since they were hired that this team would be strong in the trenches, particularly the OL. This pick obviously makes that unit stronger. If they also draft a starting caliber center, this could be one of the top 5 OLs in the NFL as soon as this season.

One pick in, this already has the potential to be better than most of Telesco's drafts. No surprise there.

Jackson Powers-Johnson to be had at 2.37. He and Alt as the Bolts first picks to start Harbaugh's regime is exactly what he wants.

 

[Gr00vus]

Feels like C or DT will be the next pick given what's out there. Maybe CB if somehow JPJ and Newton are gone.

 

[Tau837]

Right now, these look like an easy top 3 choices for the Chargers (not necessarily in this order):

• C JPJ
• IDL Newton
• CB DeJean

If they are all gone by 37, then presumably they consider (again, not necessarily in this order):

• CB McKinstry
• IDL Jenkins
• WR McConkey
• WR Mitchell

I will be mildly surprised if they pick a player I didn't name here.

ETA: I could also see them trading down if they feel they can still get a player they like while adding more draft capital.

ETA: The only realistically possible thing I think would upset me is if they draft a LB. That would be a Telesco move.

 

[Gr00vus]

McConkey, bit of a surprise they traded up, guess the really liked him. Seems like he'd have been available if they stayed put. Keenan Allen's replacement?

 

[Jail]

McConkey, bit of a surprise they traded up, guess the really liked him. Seems like he'd have been available if they stayed put. Keenan Allen's replacement?

I wondered the same thing, but with the run on WR that was going on I think they viewed it as a big drop off after McConkey. Here is the write up from Mcginn's piece. I don't like reading the injury concerns. It's like deja vu from the Telesco era. He has him 9th. Harmon seems to be a fan of the pick fwiw.

LADD McCONKEY, Georgia (5-11 ½, 186, 4.43, 2): Redshirted in 2000 before starting 21 of 39 games from 2021-’23. “He’s very good,” one scout said. “He’s an easy evaluation. My only concern is can he stay healthy.” Missed five games last season with back and ankle injuries. “He’s the best route runner of the bunch,” a second scout said. “Precise, determined, tough, instinctive as hell. Really good hands. But he’s little, make no mistake about it.” His short shuttle of 3.97 was the best among wideouts. “Hunter Renfrow-type,” said a third scout. “He’s a slot. Quick, good hands, doesn’t make big plays. Now he’s been hurt — a lot.” Finished with 119 receptions for 1,687 (14.2) and 14 TDs. “I didn’t realize he was as fast as he was,” said a fourth scout. “That kid can flat-*** run. He’s got all the skills. He’ll be a starter in the slot. He’ll be like those New England guys. He’s probably faster. This guy really has speed.” Exceptional student. “I’m a fan,” said a fifth scout. “That guy will be exactly where the (quarterback) tells him to be. Some of these other guys, you don’t know what they’re going to do.” From Chatsworth, Ga.

 

[Tau837]

Need to digest, but immediate reaction:

• Would rather they traded down rather than up for McConkey. Would rather they had drafted JPJ, Newton, or DeJean. That said, I like McConkey fine and trust that since they moved up for him, they will be able to use him effectively, and he will make a positive impact as a top 3 WR. Not sure he can be a WR1, though.
• Don't like the value of drafting LB in the 3rd, especially not after doing it last year (I realize that was a different front office and coaching staff) and signing Perryman. I trust Harbaugh and Minter, which is the only reason I'm not upset with this pick. They know him and wanted him, so I have to put faith in that.
• CB and IDL are looking very weak right now... especially CB. I would say center, but they can presumably get by in 2024 with Bozeman.