Chargers First Pick: Mike Williams, WR Clemson

[Fleet]

I meant to say blocking WR.

[Formula 21]

TT's biggest failure? Drafting OL, without a doubt.

TT, prove me wrong.

[Bolt-O]

Listen very carefully when Tom Telesco identifies himself...

[Fleet]

Listen very carefully when Tom Telesco identifies himself...

Coach? Clearly they never met.

[oneinchpunch]

Listen very carefully when Tom Telesco identifies himself...

Even though he has no clue that was pretty cool to see

[Mister Hoarse]

With the Spani's history of being penny pinchers (outside of the salary cap), I wonder if any of their decision making with trainers, equipment, nutritionists, food choices, etc played any role in the Chargers having the most missed games by starters and most players on IR over the last 2 years than any other team. The weird thing is, when some of the injuries are similar but across players playing different positions and body shapes. That's odd.

If this is a 3rd year in a row, no one can claim just coincidence yet again.

When Alex Spanos started put, he sold baloney sammiches to migrant workers. Eventually getting a Govt contract to supply meals to work camps. Those workers were basically captives and their meals were the same baloney on wonderbread for every single meal as Spanos made a good profit off of them and they were not allowed to cook their own meals.
So yeah, I dont expect their NFL training table to be top notch.

[Steve]

The speed thing is overated for him. He is tall, has long legs, and can eat up ground when he runs deep routes. He is fast enough to get deep off the right type of routes.

Is he a true deep threat? No, you don't draft those guys at the top of the draft because they don't catch enough passes. Longer passes are low percentage. It puts teams into too many 2 and longs, 3rd and longs, and gives us the ineveitable 2nd and 10 dive up the middle that everyone in the world knows is coming.

Possesion guys who can get deep like Williams (right routes and game situations), are the kind of players you want high in the draft. The deep threat guys are just not valuable enough for what you get.

The best attribute a WR has is not speed anyway. It is their ability to get off the line cleanly and then run good routes. Williams needs some work in both areas, but he is way ahead of most college WR in those areas. Almost every college WR needs work on both, so I don't see it as any sort of negative. The hall of fame is full of WR who did not run good 40 times, even back in the day. Jerry Rice (4.6), Steve Largent (4.7) and Cris Carter (4.8) come to mind. Dwight Clark (49ers the catch) had to have his 40 time rigged to get the rest of the 49ers staff to buy into the pick. Bill Walsh had a scout that he had hired to go to Clemson and time him on a slope and even figured out how much to wet the grass down to speed him up without being too dangerous to run on. But Walsh didn't care how fast they ran the 40 times, he saw on film. You see Williams get caught or run slow on film?

I think the big thing is that it gives us another threat to go opposite Allen. Save him being the focal point on so many routes. Hunter Henry, who I love, is not the kind of TE who is going to catch 90-100 passes a year like Gates did in his prime. He is more of a Witten type TE, who is developing into a good blocker and will probably catch 50-75 passes a year, but he is not the focus of the offense type of guy. We needed another player, like Williams who can draw attention away from Allen and Henry.

The other thing I like about Williams is as a red zone threat. He runs a great fade. He has a decent slant. His quick out needs work. He also does nice bunch releases, although there is some work needed there too. Together, those things are a pretty good package. Teams are going to have to sell out to stop Williams fades, which is going to open up the inside breaking routes, which is going to draw coverage towards him, and give everyone else a lot more room to work.

[OhioBolt]

I think this pick helps both Williams can you see 3 receiver set with Allen, Mike Williams, and Tyrell Williams, Allen if back to form should draw the most attention, then that leaves both Williams one on one, I suspect both of them will be benefactors! Crazy can you see them spread the field with Allen, the Williams, Hunter Henry and Gordon in the backfield Rivers will have pass options like never before!!!!!!!

[Steve]

That is the key to me. If we can spread teams out, then pick up the quicker, inside blitz just allowing the speed rushers to take the outsdie (long way around to Rivers), it gives Rivers the chance to hit those blitz-beating passes.

We're definitely going to emphasis the run a lot more this season, but the passing game and keeping Rivers upright is still key. Defenses will keep trying to stack the line, so we need Rivers to get be able to exploit it when the box is loaded and when they put together run blitzes. The OL has to do their job so the WR can make the plays. That is why I think this draft really hits the key elements.

[Fleet]

[Bolt-O]

I just saw that the Panthers have signed Christian McCaffrey. I hope the Chargers don't play games with Williams contract, or that the Williams camp is willing to hold out because of last season's debacle.

[Formula 21]

Nice hand