The guys on the broadcast yesterday (Spiro Dedes and Adam Archuletta - sinc) were saying they think Lynn will be back too.
They have to get rid of Bradley at least, he's been awful.
I agree Bradley should go even if Lynn stays. An interesting thing about that is to think about how it affects some of the returning players. Nwosu is the heir apparent to Ingram at LEO, but LEO is a role that is specific to the defensive scheme Bradley (and all Carroll disciples) uses. If they go for a non-Carroll disciple to replace him, it could affect Nwosu's position and impact... remember, Nwosu was actually drafted as a LB, not a DE.
Regardless, I think the team has to accept the consequences and try to get a DC that will improve their performance.
And Telesco really needs to dedicate himself to building a top quality offensive line. Watching the Packers game yesterday, at the outset of the game, when showing the Packers starting offensive line, their PFF ratings were all top 12 or better at their position (except for a rookie who was in for an injured starter - he had no ranking). That's what the Chargers need to be approaching. Rogers is awesome, but I have to believe a decent amount of his success is predicated on the Packers always putting a better than average offensive line in front of him. The Chargers just keep trying to patch things together with cast offs (some of whom used to be good, but are past their prime by the time the get here) and never was draft gambles. It's not good enough.
The problem with the OL is that it is going to be a multi-year project just to get it to average. Consider:
- Tackles:
Starting LT Tevi - PFF grade is 52.9, which ranks #118 out of 136 graded tackles; he has played 1024 snaps
- Starting RT Bulaga - PFF grade 61.6, which ranks #84T out of 136 graded tackles; he has played 444 snaps
- Backup Pipkins - PFF grade is 49.6, which ranks #122 out of 136 graded tackles; he has played 499 snaps
- Backup Norton - PFF grade is 63.9, which ranks #69T out of 136 graded tackles; he has played 237 snaps
[*]Guards:
Starting LG Lamp - PFF grade is 50.3, which ranks #110 out of 130 graded guards; he has played 1102 snaps
- Starting RG Turner - PFF grade is 34.9, which ranks #127 out of 130 graded guards; he has played 519 snaps
- Backup Groy - PFF grade is 57.7, which ranks #83 out of 130 graded guards; he has played 271 snaps
- Backup Toner - PFF grade is 61.6, which ranks #58 out of 130 graded guards; he has played 236 snaps
- Backup St. Louis - PFF grade is 37.7, which ranks #124 out of 130 graded guards; he has played 80 snaps
- Backup Quessenberry - PFF grade is 54.7, which ranks #99 out of 130 graded guards; but he has played just 6 snaps
[*]Centers:
Starting C Feeney - PFF grade is 47.0, which ranks #51 out of 54 graded guards; he has played 1102 snaps
Pouncey obviously is not listed since he missed the season due to injury.
PFF grades aren't perfect, and perhaps one could argue they may be less accurate for OL than many other positions... but I believe this is a fair representation of their play, which is bottom of NFL level. As an entire unit, which includes RBs, TEs, and WRs, PFF grades the Chargers #30 at pass blocking and #32 at run blocking.
I get that nearly every team has OL issues. But the Chargers need 4 new starters and only have 2-3 adequate depth players at best. It's hard to imagine a worse situation for a crucial position group. One would almost have to willfully try to create a situation this bad.
Now consider:
- Tevi, Lamp, Feeney, Groy, and Pouncey are UFAs
- Toner is a RFA
- St. Louis is a ERFA
- Turner is under contract in 2021, but can be released with zero dead cap money to clear $11.5M in 2021 cap space
Ideally, the team should release Turner and let all of the other free agents except possibly Toner walk. But that would leave just 4 players to carry over into 2021:
- RT Bulaga
- T Pipkins
- T Norton
- C/G Quessenberry
Now that they won a few games, they have no shot at the premier LT in the 2021 draft, Sewell. They still need to expend draft capital on OL, but, unfortunately, they also need impact help at CB and pass rush, and I suspect their first round pick will be used to address one of those. I assume Telesco will be back, and we know that he is terrible at drafting OL... here is the list of the ones he has drafted:
- 2013 1.11 (11) - T/G Fluker - never came close to playing up to draft position; drafted at tackle but forced to move to less valuable guard position
- 2014 3.25 (89) - G Watt - bust, out of league
- 2016 3.3 (66) - C Tuerk - bust, out of league
- 2016 7.3 (224) - G Clark - didn't work out, but just a 7th round pick, so no surprise
- 2017 2.6 (38) - G Lamp - bust
- 2017 3.7 (71) - G/C Feeney - bust
- 2017 6.6 (190) - T Tevi - probably the best of all of these OL picks, given he was a 6th rounder, but he is not good and should be a swing tackle, not a starter
- 2018 5.18 (155) - C/G Quessenberry - we don't really know, since he hasn't played much... but that is kind of an indictment given how bad this OL is
- 2019 3.27 (91) - T Pipkins - probably unfair to call him a bust just two seasons in, but drafted as a project player and does not look like he will ever be a capable starter
This implies to me that the team will likely re-sign at least two of Tevi, Lamp, Feeney, maybe all three. Especially if Lynn is back, as I assume he will be. And maybe they will not release Turner, hoping he somehow regains his early career level of play. Whichever ones of those players they re-sign will probably be signed for at least two years. So this situation is not likely to improve much for years.
