Five reasons im optimistic about the Chargers.

[Mister Hoarse]

Phew! More than enough to start with.

#1...It was never my impression, from your posts, that you "advocated" taking 2 offensive linemen with our first 3 picks. More like you "resolved" yourself to that possibility...much to your own disappointment/chagrin. I think you made it fairly obvious that you wanted to go defense, but had grudgingly accepted the 'fact' that TT was going to go heavy on the OL at the top of the draft. That's the impression you gave me, anyway.

So, let's see if I can boil down the verbiage into a "GM Den60 Off-Season". I was really looking just for names, but your explanation was good reading nonetheless.

DRAFT
1) Jarvis Jones, OLB
2) Warford, OG
3) Keenan Allen, WR
4) Barrett Jones, OT
(So much for going heavy on defense at the top of the draft, eh? )
5) Blocking TE
6) I guess it doesn't because it's all a crap
7) shoot at this point anyway. Fair?

FREE AGENCY
- Vasquez (while cutting Clary)
- Dunlap or Starks
- Martin
- Barnes
- Jammer
- Franklin (maybe)
- Woodhead (but not Brown, because he is redundant)
- Cox (you didn't specifically mention him, but you have been supportive of his signing)
- Re-upping Butler NOW (you've been pretty emphatic about that)

When I have the time, I will try to do a side-by-side comparison of starting lineups/depth for TT's off-season vs. GM Den60's. If will be interesting to see how this shakes out. Thanks for the input.

I would be ok with this.
You can also put me down in the way too early to judge camp.

[blueman]

Really? Den's Oline has a project rookie at LG (Warford) and another project rookie at RT (Jones), also no depth. An aging CB as a first year safety (Jammer). A health-risk rookie at OLB (Jones). An aging backup NT (Franklin).

Key matchups:
Barnes v. T. Williams at backup OLB
Clary v. Vasquez at RG
Jammer v. Gilchrist/Taylor at SS
Jones v. Freeney at OLB
B. Jones v. Fluker at RT
??? v. T'eo at ILB
Martin v. Winn at backup DE
Franklin v. UDFA at backup NT
Warford v. Rinehardt at LG

Seems LT is the same, Starks or Dunlap. The rest should be intetesting, deserves its own thread, lol.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Rinehardt is important becuase he knows the drills and scheem of the new oline coach. He has a big part in the transition. Nothing wrong with Warford as a pick though.

[oneinchpunch]

I would be ok with this.
You can also put me down in the way too early to judge camp.

So do I but Tommy didn't have the cap space to make that happen. Also, I'd much rather discus the players that were drafte by the team instead of guys people wanted more.

[Den60]

My daughter went to Berkeley.

#whatthefuckdoesthatmean

It was a joke, son.

[Mister Hoarse]

It was a joke, son.

I know. Made ya do a Double Take, huh?

[Den60]

Phew! More than enough to start with.

#1...It was never my impression, from your posts, that you "advocated" taking 2 offensive linemen with our first 3 picks. More like you "resolved" yourself to that possibility...much to your own disappointment/chagrin. I think you made it fairly obvious that you wanted to go defense, but had grudgingly accepted the 'fact' that TT was going to go heavy on the OL at the top of the draft. That's the impression you gave me, anyway.

So, let's see if I can boil down the verbiage into a "GM Den60 Off-Season". I was really looking just for names, but your explanation was good reading nonetheless.

DRAFT
1) Jarvis Jones, OLB
2) Warford, OG
3) Keenan Allen, WR
4) Barrett Jones, OT
(So much for going heavy on defense at the top of the draft, eh? )
5) Blocking TE
6) I guess it doesn't because it's all a crap
7) shoot at this point anyway. Fair?

FREE AGENCY
- Vasquez (while cutting Clary)
- Dunlap or Starks
- Martin
- Barnes
- Jammer
- Franklin (maybe)
- Woodhead (but not Brown, because he is redundant)
- Cox (you didn't specifically mention him, but you have been supportive of his signing)
- Re-upping Butler NOW (you've been pretty emphatic about that)

When I have the time, I will try to do a side-by-side comparison of starting lineups/depth for TT's off-season vs. GM Den60's. If will be interesting to see how this shakes out. Thanks for the input.

If I had a dollar for every time I said I would be surprised if we didn't spend 2 of our top three picks on the o-line I could buy a very good bottle of wine with it (at least a Grgich Chardonnay). As for defense I advocated taking an OLB first and a DB later in the draft (I actually had McFadden from SDSU in the 4th but he went earlier than I expected). Now, I know you are going to point to the fact that my dissertation didn't include a DB so how do I reconcile that (trying to be preemptive here)? My mock did not include a WR; I would have been perfectly happy not drafting a WR this year. But, you are not being accurate when you argue that I thought it necessary to get more out of the draft on defense than that or that I was "resigned" to selecting two O-lineman in the first three rounds. I even had a debate with OIP defending my belief that we could draft two starters for the o-line this draft.

No, I don't see the need to keep Brown and Woodhead. To me we need someone who could step in and be an in between the tackles back should Mathews get hurt.

Cox is one of the few FA pickups I liked, though I call him a risk reward type of pick. When healthy he is a true #1 CB. I don't worry about his knee as much as his propensity to have muscle strain type of injuries - of which he has had quite a few. We lack depth at CB so we really need him to be healthy or we could be in a world of hurt at the position. Say what you want about Jammer and Cason, they managed to stay on the field quite a bit.

I'd probably take Watford over Jones in the 4th. Of course, had we kept Vasquez we wouldn't have needed to take another guard so then you might have wanted to consider trading up for Schwenke or Bakhtari. I would have been tempted a bit more to take Schwenke and let him fight it out with Hardwick this PS. Letting him learn behind a cerebral guy like Hardwick for a year would have been an option as well. I think this is Hardwick's final year with the club since he will be grossly overpaid at $5.65M next year and his cap savings should he be cut will be $3.9M.

One other thing, coming out of the season I "only" saw an immediate need to upgrade the O-line at LG and LT. Letting Vasquez walk turned RG into an immediate need for this team.

[QSmokey]

If I had a dollar for every time I said I would be surprised if we didn't spend 2 of our top three picks on the o-line I could buy a very good bottle of wine with it (at least a Grgich Chardonnay). As for defense I advocated taking an OLB first and a DB later in the draft (I actually had McFadden from SDSU in the 4th but he went earlier than I expected). Now, I know you are going to point to the fact that my dissertation didn't include a DB so how do I reconcile that (trying to be preemptive here)? My mock did not include a WR; I would have been perfectly happy not drafting a WR this year. But, you are not being accurate when you argue that I thought it necessary to get more out of the draft on defense than that or that I was "resigned" to selecting two O-lineman in the first three rounds. I even had a debate with OIP defending my belief that we could draft two starters for the o-line this draft.

No, I don't see the need to keep Brown and Woodhead. To me we need someone who could step in and be an in between the tackles back should Mathews get hurt.

Cox is one of the few FA pickups I liked, though I call him a risk reward type of pick. When healthy he is a true #1 CB. I don't worry about his knee as much as his propensity to have muscle strain type of injuries - of which he has had quite a few. We lack depth at CB so we really need him to be healthy or we could be in a world of hurt at the position. Say what you want about Jammer and Cason, they managed to stay on the field quite a bit.

I'd probably take Watford over Jones in the 4th. Of course, had we kept Vasquez we wouldn't have needed to take another guard so then you might have wanted to consider trading up for Schwenke or Bakhtari. I would have been tempted a bit more to take Schwenke and let him fight it out with Hardwick this PS. Letting him learn behind a cerebral guy like Hardwick for a year would have been an option as well. I think this is Hardwick's final year with the club since he will be grossly overpaid at $5.65M next year and his cap savings should he be cut will be $3.9M.

One other thing, coming out of the season I "only" saw an immediate need to upgrade the O-line at LG and LT. Letting Vasquez walk turned RG into an immediate need for this team.

Yes, you said you expected us to take OL with 2 (or all 3) of our first three picks. I recall that perfectly. What I don't recall is you PREFERRING that we do that. In fact, I recall just the opposite of that.

I would have probably re-signed Vasquez, and I've been on record as saying that I wanted Barnes, Jammer, and Martin. Phillips, Cason, Bigby...bye-bye. After that run on OL guys at the top of the draft (totally expected), I'm not sure what I would have done. I doubt I would have taken Fluker, although, admittedly, I am the worst person on this board when it comes to evaluating college players since I watch ZERO college football. I do like what I've read about Fluker from a personality/effort/enthusiasm standpoint. It's refreshing to see that in the thug/ego/criminal/a$$hole element that has become the NFL. I still contend that he could be a stud guard. Which *I* believe is worth the #11 pick in the draft.

Freeney only came into the picture after the Ingram injury. Unfortunate, but the team had to do something, and overpaying for Freeney is what they chose to do. Phillips and Barnes were already gone. There wasn't another OLB anywhere they could have signed. Not that Freeney is an OLB. LOL! He'll probably play out his contract here, and his signing doesn't bother me all that much. It's not like he (or Phillips or Barnes...or Ingram for that matter) was/is going to make a major impact in a rebuilding year. I saw it more as a PR move. Whatever. It's not my money.

The team isn't going to pay Hardwick $5.6 million next year; I'm pretty sure even Hardwick knows that. If they want him back, they'll re-negotiate his contract. If he doesn't want to come back, he'll go elsewhere. Just a reality in the 20-25% turnover/year that is pretty much the norm.

Nothing in TT's plan - or YOUR plan - really floats my boat. There are just as many holes after the Den60 off-season as there is in the TT off-season. Just shifted around a bit. But that's always been my point; and why I find it hysterical that you're so vocal in your criticism of Telesco. And I don't necessarily see your plan as putting us in a better position going forward, either. Pick your poison. 5-11 is 5-11. Half a dozen holes is half a dozen holes. A rose by any other name is still a rose.

[oneinchpunch]

Yes, you said you expected us to take OL with 2 (or all 3) of our first three picks. I recall that perfectly. What I don't recall is you PREFERRING that we do that. In fact, I recall just the opposite of that.

It came up in the make or break season for Rivers. Where it was rumored that Rivers position on the team would come down to this season. Many argued that it was a bit unfair given the state of the OL. The response was that if Tommy T didnt get 2 starting OL in the draft he should be fired. Which meant a position of taking 2 OL in the first 3 rounds. Otherwise he would have to take a position that Rivers wasnt given the OL he should have gotten.

[QSmokey]

It came up in the make or break season for Rivers. Where it was rumored that Rivers position on the team would come down to this season. Many argued that it was a bit unfair given the state of the OL. The response was that if Tommy T didnt get 2 starting OL in the draft he should be fired. Which meant a position of taking 2 OL in the first 3 rounds. Otherwise he would have to take a position that Rivers wasnt given the OL he should have gotten.

Same as if he drafted a WR in the 3rd round.

[Zot]

Jets and Chargers should both be pitiful to watch this year.

This I do NOT agree with...

I don't know about the Jets, but I'm sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation for the Chargers this year.

So far:
I'm looking to run the ball and play dink and dunk. Move the chains and control the clock. And a smothering defense