Official 2019 Pre Draft Discussion

[powderblueboy]

Exactly! Feeney is actually a good run blocker. Needs more attention to picking up stunts. I have every confidence that Lamp will be good this year. OG will eventually be very deep for us.

If everything works out, yes! If Feeney doesn't progress, Lamp doesn't start & Pouncey gets injured......could be a very, very weak link. Unlike many, i don't like the talk about trying Lamp out at RT. Perhaps they don't like him at guard.

[Boltnut]

Still think this is premature to say. Feeney in his third season a d let's see what a healthy Lamp can do.

Exactly! Feeney is actually a good run blocker. Needs more attention to picking up stunts. I have every confidence that Lamp will be good this year. OG will eventually be very deep for us.

[Boltjolt]

I wasn't a huge Feeney fan in college. The fact is that up to now Telesco has missed on all his Oline picks, discounting Tevi i suppose.
Not encouraging.

Still think this is premature to say. Feeney in his third season a d let's see what a healthy Lamp can do.

[powderblueboy]

What I said is we can't really blame Telesco because he went out there and drafted two of the best guard prospects in the 2017 draft in Feeney and Forrest. Obviously they haven't worked out (yet), and with hindsight we could have drafted differently, but no one knows how a prospect will turn out when they draft them. Every prospect comes with a risk. When you select two of the best prospects at their position you don't expect them both to not pan out...

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how we approach the draft. There are some good OL candidates that we can add in the draft and we would be wise to sure up the OL in order to help protect Rivers and aide our running game.

I wasn't a huge Feeney fan in college. The fact is that up to now Telesco has missed on all his Oline picks, discounting Tevi i suppose.
Not encouraging.

Telesco didn't draft two of the best guards.... as it stands now (jury is still out on Feeney and Forrest, and while we hope for the best)

and doubt Pouncey makes it thru the full season (ditto for Denzel btw), and....

think for this team Forrest is an OG, and w/Feeney & Scho that our need/concern is @the OC

would also volunteer that Tevi may be best at guard, and that Trent Scott is a backup RT for the most part ??

What I said is we can't really blame Telesco because he went out there and drafted two of the best guard prospects in the 2017 draft in Feeney and Forrest. Obviously they haven't worked out (yet), and with hindsight we could have drafted differently, but no one knows how a prospect will turn out when they draft them. Every prospect comes with a risk. When you select two of the best prospects at their position you don't expect them both to not pan out...

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how we approach the draft. There are some good OL candidates that we can add in the draft and we would be wise to sure up the OL in order to help protect Rivers and aide our running game.

[Topcat]

Chargers have met privately with Duke QB Daniel Jones

2 Chargers met with the top-5 QB in Durham, NC

By Michael Peterson@ZoneTracks Apr 5, 2019, 6:39am PDT
SHARE Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
The Chargers are doing their homework on yet another quarterback in this year's class, with the latest being Duke's Daniel Jones, according to Adam Schefter. The Bolts are one of a handful of teams that have trekked out to Durham, North Carolina recently to meet with Jones, with others including the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and the Denver Broncos.

Daniel Jones, 6-5, 221, QB, Duke

Three-year starter who operates with a rare level of quality mechanics coming from the college game. Jones doesn't have special arm talent, but he can make pro throws and has the ability to attack deep with accuracy. He completed just 59.9 percent of his career passes, but his receivers -- who dropped 38 passes this year alone -- really struggled to get open at times. Jones has good football IQ and is relatively mobile, but he appears to be more of a game manager than "franchise" talent. He's more of a Day 2 draft pick than Day 1.

Strengths

• Benefitted working under QB guru David Cutcliffe at Duke
• Did more with less at skill positions
• Quick worker through progressions
• Early recognition of deep ball opportunities and feathers throws into the target
• Adjusts pre-snap plan to blitz and exploits hot-read opportunities
• Consistent footwork from pocket with feet following eyes
• Outstanding accuracy on intermediate throws
• Uses fastball when he needs it, but generally throws with touch
• Drives field-side throws with velocity
• Courage to hang in the pocket and throw despite impending blow
• Completion percentage hurt by high drop rate
• Displays feel for pressure off the edge
• Good athlete with scrambling ability to move the chains
• Slick pocket slider with ability to keep searching for target or flee for yardage

Weaknesses

• Thin in his lower body
• Had 12 passes batted down at line of scrimmage in 2018
• Benefitted from heavy play-action/RPO scheme
• Incessant patting of the ball through progressions
• Waits an extra step before cutting it loose too often
• Average release speed slowed by small windup
• Attempts throws into some impossible windows
• Needs to work ahead of schedule more often on next level
• Succumbs to off-platform tosses rather than working into better positioning
• Showed willingness to throw it up for grabs rather than take sack
• Loose ball handling in face of pressure leads to fumbles
• Too much bravado as a runner
• Took licks when slides or dashes out of bounds were options

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/daniel-jones?id=32194a4f-4e16-5462-39a4-3b4fa743c66f

[like54ninjas]

Chargers have met privately with Duke QB Daniel Jones

2 Chargers met with the top-5 QB in Durham, NC

By Michael Peterson@ZoneTracks Apr 5, 2019, 6:39am PDT
SHARE Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
The Chargers are doing their homework on yet another quarterback in this year's class, with the latest being Duke's Daniel Jones, according to Adam Schefter. The Bolts are one of a handful of teams that have trekked out to Durham, North Carolina recently to meet with Jones, with others including the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and the Denver Broncos.

[beachcomber]

Telesco didn't draft two of the best guards.... as it stands now (jury is still out on Feeney and Forrest, and while we hope for the best)

and doubt Pouncey makes it thru the full season (ditto for Denzel btw), and....

think for this team Forrest is an OG, and w/Feeney & Scho that our need/concern is @the OC

would also volunteer that Tevi may be best at guard, and that Trent Scott is a backup RT for the most part ??

[wu-dai clan]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Mike. Solid.

I was a Bruin too. IOL is very important for us. Qberry can be a key cog. I like him at Guard, as stated, but am anxious to see how this shakes out.

Good post.
What is your assessment of
Quessenberry ?
I like him as a Guard.
My next question is
how much does Pouncey
have left in the tank ?

I am a UCLA Bruins fan so perhaps I am a bit biased, but I did like Quessenberry coming out of college. I do feel that he can become a starter in this league as long as he works hard and is well coached. From a build stand point he is ideal for a center and he does possess a good all round skill set, though he could play guard as well and he did start at left guard for a handful of games in college; however, I think he's better suited as a center. He's not elite at any one thing, but he is a solid enough player to not let a team down, and he does have a good football IQ and can identify what the defense is setting up to do. So for me Quessenberry does have the potential to be a starter, but whether he's ready to assume those duties this season is debatable.

As for Mike Pouncey, I think he still has a number of seasons left in the tank. From a durability stand point he's played a full slate of games the past two seasons, which is the first time since his first two seasons the league. For us he was solid but no more than that, and I think that's the kind of production we are going to get from him at this point in his career. And that's where someone like Quessenberry comes in because he could be Pouncey's successor a year from now if we don't extend him, or in the future if we decide to give Pouncey an extension. Or alternatively we could slide Pounce over to right guard where he played at a pro bowl level for the Miami Dolphins a few seasons back in order to let us put Quessenberry (or another player) in at center if we felt that was a move that made our OL better. Though for now I think Pouncey holds onto the starting center position, however if his performance doesn't improve I can see us moving on from him a year from now.

Mike, I was pleasantly surprised
when AL proclaimed recently that
Lamp will get looks at OT.

Previously, TT has stridently stated that
"we view Forrest Lamp as a Guard !"

If memory serves Forrest Lamp was a starting left tackle in college, but his lack of height and arm length would likely force him into an interior role in the NFL. Could he handle right tackle duties? I'm not sure. I do think he projects better as a guard but with our lacklustre right tackle position it is not a surprise to hear he will get looks at OT. After all, Sam Tevi blows hot and cold and for me is no more than a backup tackle, while Trent Scott looks to have potential if well coached but is arguably more suited to the left tackle spot. So unless we draft someone to fill the right tackle position (which I think we should do), or add a veteran right tackle, maybe giving Lamp the opportunity to compete with Sam Tevi and Trent Brown will be the way to go?

I personally don't see Lamp being a fit at tackle, but with Feeney, Drango, Schofield, Toner, and potentially Quessenberry competing for the starting guard positions, maybe giving Lamp looks at tackle gives him a better chance of making the roster or having a chance to start.

[wu-dai clan]

Mike, I was pleasantly surprised
when AL proclaimed recently that
Lamp will get looks at OT.

Previously, TT has stridently stated that
"we view Forrest Lamp as a Guard !"

[wu-dai clan]

The thing with Feeney is he was actually really highly regarded coming out of college. Most experts (including Mike Mayock) had him pinned as a second round pick and one of the best guard prospects in his draft class. In fact, Forrest Lamp was equally highly regarded coming out of college and ranked as one of the best guard prospects. So who do we blame here for their inability to make the grade in the NFL?

I don't think we can really blame TT because he went out there and selected two of the best guard prospects on day two of the 2017 draft. I think more of the blame attaches itself to the players, especially in Feeney's case since he's been a starter for the past two seasons. Maybe he will get better, but realistically I think it's time we look for upgrades on the interior because the guard play hasn't been good enough. Or at the very least we need to be looking to add more competition.

Good post.
What is your assessment of
Quessenberry ?
I like him as a Guard.
My next question is
how much does Pouncey
have left in the tank ?