The key to a Rex Ryan hiring is who he would hire as his Offensive Coordinator. He's great for your D but none of the Ryan boys (Buddy, Rex or Rob) have shown that they know a LICK about offense. The Chargers lost their whole offensive staff. If you think the Chargers offense will run itself with a 2nd year starter at QB because they have LT, I think you're nuts.
Seriously, I'm sick and tired of these Chargers homers insisting their offense is going to run itself.
Offensive coordinator is one of the few positions that the Chargers already have filled.After spending the past five seasons as the Chargers running backs coach, Clarence Shelmon has agreed to contract terms to become the team’s offensive coordinator. The team is expected to finalize the contract with Shelmon late next week.“Clarence has a strong familiarity with this offense and he’s a terrific teacher,†Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer said. “When you look at the players that he has coached, not only here but going back to Emmitt Smith and Chris Warren, he’s had a lot of success. It made all the sense in the world to me to go ahead and designate him as the offensive coordinator.â€Shelmon gets his first chance to serve as a coordinator after coaching NFL running backs for the last 16 seasons. With the Chargers coming off a 14-2 season in which they led the NFL in scoring, Schottenheimer placed an emphasis on continuity when searching for Cam Cameron’s replacement. That’s something that Shelmon, a member of Schottenheimer’s staff throughout his tenure with the Chargers, promises to bring. “Changes will be very subtle,†Shelmon said. “Obviously I’m a different person than Cam, so I may see things a little bit different, but the basics have been established. I see no reason to go making a lot of changes. That’s not why I was hired. That’s not my intention anyway. We just want the offense to continue to evolve as it has over the last five years. It’s about continuing to find ways to put our players in positions to do what they do best.â€While Shelmon will get his first crack at calling plays, he’s been heavily involved in game planning throughout his tenure with the Chargers. Like under Cameron, Shelmon will give each of his assistants a voice in preparation.“It’s not about me,†Shelmon said. “It’s going to be about us. That’s the way you win. That’s the way we’ve won, and I see no reason to change that. Since I’ve been here, it’s been a collaborative, group effort. You have to have one person calling the plays, but in our meetings, everyone is in there and everyone has input. We’ve got a lot of good coaches here that are going to help us.†Shelmon pointed out the importance of strong relationships with his players. He’s worked with LaDainian Tomlinson and the running backs for the last five seasons and is very close to each of them. Through his work in the run game and protection schemes, he’s also developed a rapport with the offensive linemen.He also emphasized the significance of the relationship between the offensive coordinator and his quarterback.“Philip (Rivers) and I get along tremendously well,†Shelmon said. “When he got here three years ago, we hit it off right away. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to work well together. The relationships that are in place with everyone here, those are all going to be huge pluses.†Added Schottenheimer, “The players all respect him because they know he is a terrific teacher and he understands the big picture.â€Throughout his career, Shelmon has taught his running backs to see things through the quarterback’s eyes and understand the entire concepts of the offense. That’s something he’ll continue to do in his new role with all players.“I’ve tried to make sure that my runners understand what their quarterback is thinking,†Shelmon said. “What does he see? Why is he changing the protection? The more a player learns about the entire philosophy of what you’re trying to do as opposed to just his assignment, you have a well-rounded player that can be more productive.†During his time as a running backs coach, Shelmon has seen four of his backs earn a total of 11 Pro Bowls, including Tomlinson (4) and Lorenzo Neal (2). During Shelmon’s tenure with the Dallas Cowboys (1998-2001), Emmitt Smith made two trips to Hawaii, and Chris Warren made three Pro Bowls and became the Seahawks’ all-time leading rusher while playing for Shelmon in Seattle.Players were unavailable for comment Friday, but several have vocally supported Shelmon in the past. When Tomlinson addressed the media three weeks ago after being named NFL MVP, he went out of his way to praise his position coach. “When (Shelmon) first got here, he taught me a lot,†Tomlinson said. “He taught me about watching film and different things out on the football field, learning how to run the football, learning how to read defenses to get me to this point. I’d probably say that he’s had the most influence on me as a player.â€Schottenheimer has handed play calling duties to Shelmon during preseason games in each of the last two seasons, and Schottenheimer praised his new coordinator for the job he did in those situations. It gave Shelmon a taste of what he’ll do in his new role, something he’ll anxiously embrace. “If you work in this business, most guys want to become coordinators and eventually head coaches at some point,†Shelmon said. “There are a lot of factors involved in it, but I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches that have no doubt played a big role in me getting this opportunity.â€
I've said it before but Singletary and Ryan seem the most intriguing to me of the current candidates.
Who's been saying that?
went 
Yeah - I can see why a Raider fan would be hoping for a Turner or Carroll hire - glad to see someone shares my opinion of those two. 
