He believes in taking care of his own and building from the draft but it wouldnt hurt to sign a FA or two when we lose our own or just need immediate help that a rookie probably wont be able to give us.
Duke Robinson is the guy we need first. He'd be a reach with our 1st, but AJ has certainly reached on worse picks. Just not that impressed w/Maualaga (sp?). He hits hard, but overruns a lot of plays & is often out of position. I'd say Laurinaitis, but I'm really tired of taking chances on slow white boys. Beef first. I seldom agree with Mtl, but Robinson, Raji/Brace are better picks for us than Maualaga would be. Rashad Jennings at RB in the 4th, if he lasts.
This draft is loaded with running backs. I don't think I have ever seen a more dominant running back class, not even CLOSE. Too bad AJ doesn't have the beans to can LaDainian. Regardless you don't spend high picks on running backs that is a waste. Same for cornerbacks. If you have a higher first rounder ideally you draft either a quarterback or pass rusher. If you don't need one, next you look at offensive line or defensive tackle. #1 draft priority for the game of football are the players who directly and first and foremost impact the game... QB and pass rushers. #2 is the trenches #3 linebackers #4 is the WR, CB #5 are the complementary players like TE and S. If you use an offense or defense where the TE or S are heavily involved then bump that position up a notch on the priority list. If we have a really high pick and feel there is a generational pass rusher available then trade phillips and draft him. If not then draft Oher if he is there as some are predicting but I'm not buying into for one second. If not, trade down and do whatever. It is hard as hell to find great players to put in a 3-4 defense these days. It would be much easier to convert our rush linebackers into DEs and switch to the 4-3, then our drafting options would be wide open and we would finally be able to put together a dominant defense.
Laurinitis is not Wilhelm, Wilhelm couldn't hold Laurenitis's jockstrap on Wilhelm's best day. Laurinitis would be an outstanding pick up but I do like Malauga more then him, Malauga is a more natural fit at 3-4ILB and has more intensity. Robinson's a nice pick but I don't think we can afford a guard with the first pick. I do like Raji/Taylor
Me being a USC fan or not doesnt have anything to do with it but i DO see many in Charger forums who are USC fans and thus vastly overrate their players. Maualuga is rated high on most draft sites but when ive watched him play , ...and i have seen about 5 games this year, .....he just doesnt have real good games. He sucked against Oregon st. I keep reading how he is this and that and how they compare him to Seau and ive got to say...he couldnt carry Seau's jock. He does not shed blocks well and in many cases gets taken out of running plays by simply getting in his way. He only makes big plays when nobody blocks him and he has a free run , meaning he isnt beating anybody to make those plays. He does not react fast off the ball unless he is blitzing when he doesnt have to react but just rush, and he plays too high a lot of times. He plays the pass pretty decent imo and for our team, i think he could make a better OLB than a ILB because he has rushing the passer skills and zone coverage skills but he is not that great against the run and doesnt have sideline to sideline speed. That said, i think there are a lot other LB's out there that would be better for us and i dont really want him unless he falls like Siler did and we get him later. It is my opinion that he will have a hard time adjusting to the NFL and if he runs in the 4.75 range at the combine( if he runs) then i think he will easily be a 2nd rounder, possibly lower. Then again, some team could grab him early but i still think he wont be an immediate impact player in the NFL. Just what i have seen of him and why i think he is overrated and there are a handful of sites ( so im told, i havent really searched a lot of sites for rankings yet) that have him around pick #42-43 which is 2nd round. I am not saying he isnt a good player. He is a good college player. I just think he is overrated.
Who's gonna have the better Pro career. M'lga or Cushing? :icon_shrug: Every SC game I've seen... Cushing seems to be around the ball more.
Never compared Wilhelm & Laurinaitis. I'm just tired of AJ reaching for guys who aren't contributing that much. I think that we need another quality OL for the right side. Like I said - we've reached for worse choices. Malauga is intense - to the point of getting washed right out of plays. I think that many are seeing the second-coming of Seau. He ain't Junior - not on his best day. :no: I'd take Spikes over Malauga. :yes:
Anyone remember the 2001 draft? When we passed up Troy Polamalu? I know this is probably a coincidence but I don't want to pass up another "hawaiin haired" player :lol: .
I maintain that AJ started reaching only when he was done with the vast majority of putting the team together and only needed little additional pieces. Surely he wasn't taking those kinds of risks in 2004, 2005, 2006 when we were still building. in 2007 when we went 14-2 and last year 11-5, that was when the majority of the team was set so all that was needed were the minor touches. If AJ knew then what he knows now, no way we'd be in the situation we are in now. He thought he was adding final touches and additions not rebuilding the whole damn front seven
Not denying what he THOUGHT. But apparently he was WRONG. I hope that he comes off his high horse, learns some lessons, & realizes what needs to be done. It's not just getting quality players with heart & focus - it's also getting a coaching staff that will maintain some discipline. This draft will tell a lot. I still maintain that we're gonna be missing Nix a lot at this time of year.
