Official Game Day Thread: Chargers vs Broncos - 11/18

Just wait until we lose to the Raiders in week 17, and you hear cheers in the stadium. From happy Raider fans who took over Qualcomm, and from the Chargers fans who are celebrating to see Norv leave for the last time.

I have been saying it for years now


WHERE'S THE BEEF

Lol leftwich gets a 31 YD rushing TD.

I'll second that motion LG ...... Step on up Girl.

what about Jim Tressel? What's he doing these days?

Untill the Chargers start using some of thier high draft choices on Olineman, we are going to remain with a Oline like we have right now. We cant run, and Rivers has constant pressure

I'd rather see us draft CBs and pick up FAs for the O-line. No time to wait for rookies to develop and see who will not get Philip Rivers killed, we need to win in the next 3-4 years or blow it all up and start again...back to the early 2000's.

I say we get Milliner, Rhodes or Poyer in the 1st, Dallas Thomas in the 2nd, Cobi Hamilton in the 3rd and another o line player in the 4th 5th 6th and 7th. gotta figure one of those guys will hit

I'm actually for keeping Jared Gaither around, he's been an injury dissapointment but he's solid or better when he plays. I'm talking about Albert, Clady, or Long getting 50+ million to protect Philip Rivers face. Or a step lower with Vollmer, Baker, or Svitek. But thats the price you pay when a statue is supposed to lead you to a Super Bowl.

We have to find a way to get rid of Clary's contract though. And dropping dead weight like Spikes, Phillips, Jammer, Cason, Garay, and English will help as well. Time to get young again.

It's debatable and really depends on whether you're drafting guys for ceiling or for floor or what combination of which. There are a number of OL prospects because of the programs they're coming from that are capable of hitting the ground running because their college programs run pro-style offenses and play the type of competition where they face as close to pro-level opposition on a week to week basis as you'll find in college football (basically we're talking SEC linemen and some but not many Big 10 linemen). It also depends on what position you're asking the player to play.

We often see an incidence of high success among rookie centers because 1) Centers tend to be the more intelligent of linemen, hence the learning curve is more in the team's favor and 2) centers get assistance on most plays due to the nature of where they play in the line. The only other instance where we see consistent and truly quality-level play coming from first-year OL are with the blue chip LT prospects (typically the guys that have top 5 picks spent on them; the ones that fall like Bryan Bulaga and Michael Oher fall for a reason).

So now for the perks... the top OL prospects (for the most part) in the upcoming draft class are coming from programs running pro-style offenses (Texas A&M, Michigan, Alabama). Depending on the long-term evaluation of Gaither, I'll be honest, I'm not opposed to spending a 1st round pick on someone like Barrett Jones who has a high floor and that ability to play 4 of 5 OL positions at the pro level (realistically, he'd likely be drafted as an intended long-term center, but could slot in as a guard initially). At this point salvaging our franchise QB's faith in his line is paramount above just about anything else, because as we saw today it doesn't matter if our defense can shut down high-powered offenses, if our offense can't move the ball and put points on the board consistently we're still not going to win games.

As I touched on earlier in the thread, the sounder philosophy is invest in the trenches because high level trenches can carry mid-level skill positions (San Francisco anyone?).

Ya your right, we dont need to protect Rivers at all, he doing great out there right now.

Again...due to the contract we gave him we'll owe him a huge chunk of money if we cut him, and he's not a tradable asset at the moment.

So the option is keep him and pay him, or cut him and pay him more.

I have been hearing for years now that we can build the Oline through free agency. I am just wondering when we start that building process.

Apparently what I said went right over your head. I'm talking about spending big money on O-line, and drafting DBs.

But Gaither was a free agent, where else are you going to get an Offensive lineman? Ebay or Craigslist?

Do you know how much good offensive lineman cost?

Yes.

Do you know how poor Philip Rivers is under pressure? Sometimes I think people forget this franchise goes where he takes it, he is the most important player on the roster, and like in Tampa he can win or lose a game with one bad decision under pressure.

so you want to protect him with people who have been cut from other teams for a cutrate contract. Meanwhile the teams that pickup the good lineman in the draft give us their players they no longer need.

No I want to protect him with players other teams can't afford to keep.

Mario Williams hit free agency this off season, as did Vincent Jackson, as did Peyton Manning...big time players hit FA all the time for different reasons. And history shows us spending on O-line is safer than spending on most other positions.

And if we can't land big fish there's always a 2nd and 3rd (cheaper tier)....all still better than the epic fu*king failure that is Jeromey Clary.

I actually don't advocate building it through FA. OL is more about chemistry than almost anything else (obviously capacity to perform has to be there), and competent coaching secondly (this is why you look at teams like Atlanta, New England, Houston, and so forth where they can just plug and play moving the "next man up"). You also very rarely see particularly impactful free agent OL signings (a case could be made for Carl Nicks this season in Tampa, but there was also a shift in coaching philosophy and coaching staff that has played an obvious part as the team is still producing even with Nicks now injured).

It's truly going to be interesting to see, because I'm of the opinion that the apprehension to invest premium draft picks and free agent courting efforts into the OL was in existence well prior to AJ, and stands the potential to exist even if AJ is shown the door. Neither AJ or John Butler were remotely associated with this organization prior to the turn of the century, but it was near 15 years prior to even that the last time we selected a 1st round OL (yes, some of that is also due to lack of actual premium picks due to Beathard's moronic wheeling and dealing, but still...). I'm concerned that Spanos doesn't see OL as being sexy or marketable enough to invest in. How many OL do you see getting endorsement deals? Being featured in commercials? Even the greats of the game when it comes to OL, how many of even diehard NFL fans (of the sport and the league, not just their own particular team of choice) could identify Anthony Munoz, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace, Rosey Brown, or Willie Roaf from a still photo of them out of uniform? And those are guys that all played reasonably within these folks' lifetimes.

Building through the draft, could/should be done. We have enough presently on the roster that it wouldn't take more than a 2 (best case) to 3-4 (worst case) year process pull off a complete overhaul while still being functionally competitive (guys like Vasquez and Hardwick would ideally be replaced, but their play is adequate enough - or can be safely presumed to be when bolstered by an improved supporting cast, that they can serve as stop-gaps). And in all honesty, there's something to be said for the philosophy of having one particular spot on the line that is almost perpetually filled by a mid-level veteran free agent - largely because you can still invest mid-level picks into that position and if it hits you've got a cheap starter at lower cost, but also because that one position (for the teams that run with this it's usually LG) can be played by veterans who are ring-hunting or who are former tackles now kicking inside due to the physical degradation that comes with age.

and how are doing with that history lesson right now?

I've been right overwhelmingly more often then I've been wrong as of late...just agree with me bro! And do the right thing, and hope the Chargers don't win more than 6 games this year, we want that top 10 pick. Whether we get a blue chip prospect or trade back a couple times we'll be a better team for it.

To me,

Both the Center & Right Guard positions are set. Hardwick will serve the remaining of his contract, with Molk waiting in the wings. Vasquez is still developing his game. He'd have better progression if he had a good Right Tackle.

Left Tackle needs to be addressed. Yes, we have Gaither, obviously. But, he has proven this year he is not liable. We need a solid back up Left Tackle. So if it's me, I go out and sign a vet guy. Whether Left Tackle or Right Tackle. I don't care. Either will do because, Gaither and Harris (who will be better next year) can play both positions.

Left Guard, has to be addressed. Another vet signing, Brandon Moore, Andy Levitre, Matt Slauson, Ryan Lilja, etc. With Troutman hopefully developing and getting Dombo back as well.

I don't get it, the Bucs have lost pro-bowl caliber OL, Steelers have, etc. they don't have protection issues like we do.

The Bucs and Stiller's had good O-lines to begin with the Bolt's didn't.

It comes with a coach who made a living off throwing the ball deep in the 90's, and had the best O-line in history while doing it.

Bucs did, they are solid with Donald Penn and Trueblood, but the Steelers should be more of a disaster than they are.

Then I guess in your world we have that perfect offensive line because you are always right. And I will never root for the Chargers to lose any game.