Sources: Perryman out 4 to 6 weeks with ankle injury

[blueman]

That's what I was wondering, what would Perryman's snaps be, sucks to lose any starter but as starters go it just means we see more Toomer. Not as bad as could be. Heck with MW likely back in October the big injury hit remains Lamp, which really sucks just glad TT doubled up on OL with Feeney.

[Boltjolt]

I thought Notre Dame ran a 3-4? Wasn't that the hubub back when Yuba was pining for their Nose Tackle?

I only remember Yuba pining for NT John Jenkins from Georgia. Called whoever we picked before him in the second and third a bad pick lol.

[Panamamike]

Believe he is referring to Louis Nix III .

[Formula 21]

The Chargers gave up about a yard per carry less last year with Mebane than they did the previous year.

Coincidence? I think not. I think a quality NT is important.

[Panamamike]

The Chargers gave up about a yard per carry less last year with Mebane than they did the previous year.

Coincidence? I think not. I think a quality NT is important.

It is. But they can be had without spending a first Rd pick. Especially on a guy that slid to the third and has struggled to make an impact at all. In fact he was cut by the Texans and is out of the league. This is the guy he wanted top 15 and the world was crazy for not agreeing with him.

[blueman]

I think we need a Yuba rule around here: mention his name, you got a do a shot.

[Steve]

Having a quality NT is important. Big guys who pass the eyeball test are not necessarily good players. A smaller NT like Mebane is far, far better than Nix, Jenkins or any of the rest of the bum's that Yuba liked.

Yuba used to go for the fat sloppy guys. All he wanted was size above all else. The guys he wanted are either out of the NFL (Nix or Terrance Cody) or bouncing from team to team (Jenkins). All of those players have leverage problems because they were too fat to bend their knees and play with leverage. None of them were any good as run defenders, despite their size.

Many of the best NT in football now are a lot smaller than they used to be. Mebane is a pretty good NT, and he is around 300 lbs. If you can get a Haloti Ngata type of guy, who is huge, has great quickness and is powerful, and plays with leverage, then great. Draft the guy with a high pick, and let him dominate inside. But don't draft a guy high in the draft who is huge and HOPE he develops into a great player. It just doesn't work. If you are going to draft a guy and develop them, do it in the later rounds, or sign them as a priority FA. College football is full of huge DT. Most aren't any good, but you aren't out anything if you do.

Go to over the cap ( https://overthecap.com/position/inte...efensive-line/) and see how NFL value huge run stuffing NT? All of the interior DL, the top paid guys are all pass rushers, or guys who play the run and the pass. Relatively few of the run stuffers are really high draft picks. That translates in that you HAVE to rush the QB, but you don't have to have a huge DT to stop the run. You need good run defenders, but that isn't the same thing.

Draft a NT in the 1st round, if the guy can't run well enough to push the pocket (like Nix and Jenkins were too big to run that much), you just spent the highest pick on someone who is a part time player. If you can get a Haloti Ngata type, then those are 3 down players in any defense, although you would probably play them at 3 technique, like Miami does with Suh, not at NT.

[rustybolt]

In Teo's case the evaluations had more to do with how he played. It was clear he couldn't stack and shed from his collegiate film. You saw euphemisms used when describing players like that when they say "must be kept clean to make plays", or having a 4 man dline protected him and allowed him to stay clean. I saw his shortcomings when I broke down his play and agreed with the aforementioned. I see a lot of the same in Emanuel as well.

When I look at this roster I see a problem at OTTO. Emanuel & Onwualu both lack the speed Bradley covets in his LBs. Perry showcased his limitations last Sunday. He's got adequate straight line speed but struggled to quickly change directions. For a second year player he's not showing the kind of developmental progression you want to see. He's still slow in his play and his technique remains poor. Bradley understands the advantages speed brings to a defense. Breaking down the roster's LB's Nigel Harris would seem to be the guy to watch making the move from WIL to contend for the start at OTTO. If he can show anything at all this preseason he could have a shot at unseating Emanuel. Dzubnar is one of those guys that doesn't time well, but he plays fast with good instincts. He's another possible option if they make a change in starters at OTTO.

One thing about Bradley's defenses, is that he plays largely zone with his LB's. So quickness and the ability to close quickly is important. IMO depth at LB is the worst of any unit on the team which magnifies the loss of Perryman who is now looked at as starting the season on IR with return designation. If so he won't even come off of IR until the 9th week and will probably need a couple of more weeks to practice. The 9th week is the Charger bye week so it helps tremendously if they are able to get Perryman back.

Right now I see the Chargers finishing at best 9-7 and more realistically at 8-8 or 7-9. They would need some teams to collapse to finish above 9 wins and to stay healthy to even get that far. IMO the lack of quality depth at LB is the biggest concern right now. I look for some final cut down waiver wire signings this year.

[Boltjolt]

In Teo's case the evaluations had more to do with how he played. It was clear he couldn't stack and shed from his collegiate film. You saw euphemisms used when describing players like that when they say "must be kept clean to make plays", or having a 4 man dline protected him and allowed him to stay clean. I saw his shortcomings when I broke down his play and agreed with the aforementioned. I see a lot of the same in Emanuel as well.

When I look at this roster I see a problem at OTTO. Emanuel & Onwualu both lack the speed Bradley covets in his LBs. Perry showcased his limitations last Sunday. He's got adequate straight line speed but struggled to quickly change directions. For a second year player he's not showing the kind of developmental progression you want to see. He's still slow in his play and his technique remains poor. Bradley understands the advantages speed brings to a defense. Breaking down the roster's LB's Nigel Harris would seem to be the guy to watch making the move from WIL to contend for the start at OTTO. If he can show anything at all this preseason he could have a shot at unseating Emanuel. Dzubnar is one of those guys that doesn't time well, but he plays fast with good instincts. He's another possible option if they make a change in starters at OTTO.

One thing about Bradley's defenses, is that he plays largely zone with his LB's. So quickness and the ability to close quickly is important. IMO depth at LB is the worst of any unit on the team which magnifies the loss of Perryman who is now looked at as starting the season on IR with return designation. If so he won't even come off of IR until the 9th week and will probably need a couple of more weeks to practice. The 9th week is the Charger bye week so it helps tremendously if they are able to get Perryman back.

Right now I see the Chargers finishing at best 9-7 and more realistically at 8-8 or 7-9. They would need some teams to collapse to finish above 9 wins and to stay healthy to even get that far. IMO the lack of quality depth at LB is the biggest concern right now. I look for some final cut down waiver wire signings this year.

Nigel Harris has more straight line speed than Onwualu but his lateral and agility speed he was slower than Onwaulu. I dont think Harris is a better fit because of his straight line speed. Onwaulu had a much better 3 cone time than Harris. Harris' 20 yard shuttle time was also slower than Onwaulu by alot. Id say it Comes down to instincts there imo because which for a LB, imo Agility quickness is more important.

Te'o was just a smart player with good instncts but he didnt have good speed or quickness and is slower than both of these guys.

[Formula 21]

It wouldn't surprise me if Toomer stayed the starting MLB all year, even after a Perryman returns. Toomer is faster and more athletic IMO. Perryman is a thumper.

[Steve]

In Teo's case the evaluations had more to do with how he played. It was clear he couldn't stack and shed from his collegiate film. You saw euphemisms used when describing players like that when they say "must be kept clean to make plays", or having a 4 man dline protected him and allowed him to stay clean. I saw his shortcomings when I broke down his play and agreed with the aforementioned. I see a lot of the same in Emanuel as well.

When I look at this roster I see a problem at OTTO. Emanuel & Onwualu both lack the speed Bradley covets in his LBs. Perry showcased his limitations last Sunday. He's got adequate straight line speed but struggled to quickly change directions. For a second year player he's not showing the kind of developmental progression you want to see. He's still slow in his play and his technique remains poor. Bradley understands the advantages speed brings to a defense. Breaking down the roster's LB's Nigel Harris would seem to be the guy to watch making the move from WIL to contend for the start at OTTO. If he can show anything at all this preseason he could have a shot at unseating Emanuel. Dzubnar is one of those guys that doesn't time well, but he plays fast with good instincts. He's another possible option if they make a change in starters at OTTO.

One thing about Bradley's defenses, is that he plays largely zone with his LB's. So quickness and the ability to close quickly is important. IMO depth at LB is the worst of any unit on the team which magnifies the loss of Perryman who is now looked at as starting the season on IR with return designation. If so he won't even come off of IR until the 9th week and will probably need a couple of more weeks to practice. The 9th week is the Charger bye week so it helps tremendously if they are able to get Perryman back.

Right now I see the Chargers finishing at best 9-7 and more realistically at 8-8 or 7-9. They would need some teams to collapse to finish above 9 wins and to stay healthy to even get that far. IMO the lack of quality depth at LB is the biggest concern right now. I look for some final cut down waiver wire signings this year.

a couple things.

1). First you say that we covet speed at OTTO, then 2 paragraphs down you say we play mostly zone (with the LB) and need quickness. I guess I am missing the point, do we have to have really fast LB or not?

2). I think everyone is over-blowing the OTTO thing. OTTO is basically a drop OLB from a 34 D, who is primarily a guy who sets the edge in the run game. I suspect we will see a lot more nickel and dime, in which case, the OTTO would be the first player off the field. Yes, Seattle plays their LB as much as they can, but is that the DC way of doing things, or just the fact that Seattle has some really good LB. By the say, they have been trying to go to more and more nickel and dime packages, only the injuries to the secondary keep setting that plan back. Right now, the OTTO thing looks bad, because they are playing vanilla base D most of the time in preseason. That won't last.

If we can find a better LB off the streets (either vet or rookie), then improving the spot is fine. But it is not worth spending a lot of energy replacing a player who won't be on the field much. Even Seattle, with the best LB in football, only plays their base D 30-40% of the downs (plus some more 3 LB sets on goalline and some short-yardage). Most teams (including the others playing the Pete Carroll/George Seifert/49ers/Seahawks scheme, play the NFL norm of nickel and dime D (around 70-75% nickel). If we want to invest in players who have a chance to make a real impact, draft a DB who can play nickel in the top of the draft.

I didn't think any of the backup LB look particularly good against Seattle last week. They didn't attack the line, although I didn't think it was a speed thing as much as just attitude. Some times that takes a while, so it will be interesting to see how they play tonight. Remember, so many young players were in their 1st NFL game, and it gets to some guys get nervous and have a hard time getting into the flow.