2021 Draft Discussion - Bolts Pick 13th

[Bolt4Knob]

Yep...I've been banging the table against trading away those round 2, 3 and 4 players for YEARS...out of all those 5-6 players we threw away, or those Sammie Small School reaches, if even TWO of them had panned out into solid starters, it would be worth it to keep them...

So when I see people wanting to trade up for Penei Sewell - I step back and look at the two things
1) the actual draft capital and how many players you will not draft and the cost of a "veteran" to replace - its more expensive to your cap than a 2nd and 4th rounder. veterans probably start getting worse - younger players with coachings should get better

2) the fact the Chargers have so many veterans on the last year of their contracts (Turner, Hayward, Harris, Joseph) plus younger guys like Justin Jones, Nwosu on the last year of their deals - that the chargers really need all their draft picks to make sure they for sure the not only figure out OL, but add another IOL starter as Turner is probably , a CB for Hayward and Harris - they need to get younger this year for sure, Edge for Ingram plus DT for Joseph

So when I say in the first four rounds: OT, Edge, CB, IOL and IDL - its not just because I think they need to solidify those positions - but looking ahead a year - they really will need players. So get them this year.

[sonorajim]

Chris Watt
4th rounder traded for Te'O who was a serviceable LB in the NFL but was he worth the extra 4th
Attaouchu - was he worth an extra 4th rounder? Umm, no
Mager
Max Tuerk - may he RIP but he was not a good Pro player
Josh Perry - LB from Ohio State - out after one year, since retired after he tried with the Colts
Melvin Gordon - cost the team a 4th round pick
Trey Pipkins - a 3rd round pick
Kennethy Murray - cost the team a 3rd round pick - remains TBD if a good use of the pick

Sensing a pattern here - Telesco between trading away fourth rounders, and missing on both 3rd and 4th rounder - its been a big issue. And the key to a teams drafts are really those 2nd through 5th rounders. They are cheap contracts for four years. Its why if the right guy isn't there at 13 - I am okay trading back to possibly get one, maybe two more picks in these rounds.

This is where you add depth and cheap players.

For 8 yrs of 3rd & 4th rd draft picks not traded, in 2020 we had 8 players on the Chargers:
KA 2013 3rd
Feeney 2017 3rd
Jenkins 2017 4th
Jones 2018 3rd
White 2018 4th
Pipkins 2019 3rd
Tranquill 2019 4th
Kelley 2020 4th
TT broke off trading up until Murray. We'll see about him. He wasn't bad or great as a rookie.

[gzubeck]

Interesting debate. I wonder how much Telesco missing on later rounds was not having the actual coaching talent to help with evaluations. I mean Gus needed 1st rounders to even have a chance. I bet we start seeing some other talent actually get on the team outside the first 2 rounds with this coaching staff. Might not be this years upcoming draft but down the line 3 years. I bet we get more seasoned veterans wanting to join the next dream team if ya know what I mean! Adding good veterans will have a bigger impact on the immediate future than developing 4th rounders at the moment.

[Bolt4Knob]

Interesting debate. I wonder how much Telesco missing on later rounds was not having the actual coaching talent to help with evaluations. I mean Gus needed 1st rounders to even have a chance. I bet we start seeing some other talent actually get on the team outside the first 2 rounds with this coaching staff. Might not be this years upcoming draft but down the line 3 years. I bet we get more seasoned veterans wanting to join the next dream team if ya know what I mean! Adding good veterans will have a bigger impact on the immediate future than developing 4th rounders at the moment.

My point is - you can't just keep trading away or missing out on those 3rd and 4th round picks. For sure, this year, veterans will be needed as the rookies will still need time to grow. But over time, with better coaching/teaching - maybe they improve.

But I do agree with you -- that maybe Staley and this coaching staff will have a better idea of the types of players they want and can give that input to Telesco.

[sonorajim]

My point is - you can't just keep trading away or missing out on those 3rd and 4th round picks. For sure, this year, veterans will be needed as the rookies will still need time to grow. But over time, with better coaching/teaching - maybe they improve.

But I do agree with you -- that maybe Staley and this coaching staff will have a better idea of the types of players they want and can give that input to Telesco.

I share your hope in this regard. TT has drafted more OL than any other position and has a poor avg of success.
It may prove interesting that some of HC Staley's new staff were noted college recruiters.
I also hope that Staley & co will get more from current roster.
It's a new year.

[electricgold]

We need a great CB, OT, or DE with pick 1. Go with the best player available at one of these 3 positions.

[Topcat]

My point is - you can't just keep trading away or missing out on those 3rd and 4th round picks. For sure, this year, veterans will be needed as the rookies will still need time to grow. But over time, with better coaching/teaching - maybe they improve.

But I do agree with you -- that maybe Staley and this coaching staff will have a better idea of the types of players they want and can give that input to Telesco.

Hopefully Staley and Staff will do a better scouting job than Lynn and TT did with reaches like Tillery, Mager and Pip...I really like that Staley is bringing in a lot of assistant coaches from different teams...nice to have several different perspectives on players, each new hire bringing in some of the wisdom they hopefully picked up from previous head coaches and coordinators...

[BoltUp InLA]

Curious.. What are the thoughts about using the 13th pick on OG Wyatt Davis. He seems to me to be a safe pick at a position of need, especially if the Chargers are moving on from Turner. I feel Farley and Surtain will be gone by then, and I feel that Wyatt Davis will be a safer pick than either Slater or Darrisaw, although I like them both players as well, but I feel less certain about either early on.

I would much rather go the free agent route to address the OT and CB positions. Hopefully Bulaga has a healthier season, Michael Davis is signed to a reasonable deal, and Staley / Hill can better utilize the talents of Tillery and Adderley.

[Boltjolt]

Hopefully Staley and Staff will do a better scouting job than Lynn and TT did with reaches like Tillery, Mager and Pip...I really like that Staley is bringing in a lot of assistant coaches from different teams...nice to have several different perspectives on players, each new hire bringing in some of the wisdom they hopefully picked up from previous head coaches and coordinators...

Got to figure Gus had a hand in defensive guys as well. However, Telesco did say it was Lynn who wanted Murray.

[BoltUp InLA]

My point is - you can't just keep trading away or missing out on those 3rd and 4th round picks. For sure, this year, veterans will be needed as the rookies will still need time to grow. But over time, with better coaching/teaching - maybe they improve.

But I do agree with you -- that maybe Staley and this coaching staff will have a better idea of the types of players they want and can give that input to Telesco.

I doubt that it's about poor coaching when there have been major misses in those rounds with players like Chris Watt, Attaouchu, Mager, Tuerk, and Pipkins. Also. when the OL have at least been adequate, regardless of which coach is around, the Chargers have been playoff contenders, so at least some of that falls on Telesco.

And the jury is still out on Tillery and Adderley who were Teleso's picks all day long. If the coaches are picking the players instead, then that's a problem IMO.

[dmac_bolt]

Oh there's a literalist in the room.
Trying to have fun here.

So if we are being literal regarding the premise, Cade Johnson (S Dakota St) and Jaelon Darden (N Texas) should not be drafted,
but Racey McMath (LSU) and Osirus Mitchell (Mich St) should be drafted.

BTW dmac, that Gopher program is ascending like a mofo.

Lol, i thought it was you who was proving a small school point by calling out 2 small school guys and 3 from power conferences. I wasn’t trying to prove anything, i was just having fun with your flawed example. Don’t sweat - just hang for a bit and I’ll post something even more flawed before you can blink. You can have fun with it, its all good. I’m really just an idiot with a keyboard.

[wu-dai clan]

Lol, i thought it was you who was proving a small school point by calling out 2 small school guys and 3 from power conferences. I wasn’t trying to prove anything, i was just having fun with your flawed example. Don’t sweat - just hang for a bit and I’ll post something even more flawed before you can blink. You can have fun with it, its all good. I’m really just an idiot with a keyboard.

Ha ha ha.

I appreciate that you are a straight shooting flamethrower in posting style, dmac.

I am an idiot with a keyboard too.

Was just giving Critty some well deserved grief.

The small school stuff is surely valid.

Do it seldom and get it right.

These mascots tho.

My fav is Coryell's old haunt...Whittier College...home of the Fighting Poets.