Official 2015 Draft Discussion

[bonehead]

Why would Candale be considered a "project" and need to convert? I don't get it.

[Fleet]

Nobody is talking about this guy but im really impressed with WR Byron Marshall of Oregon despite his mistake. A converted RB. Put up over 1000 yards rushing last year and over 1000 yards receiving this year. Quick player. Poor mans Randal Cobb possibly. I think coming from the spread this guy could be a nice little slot guy who can line up at RB occasionally. Jet sweeps end arounds etc. Returner dynamo. Id love a versatile player like him.

[BoltBacker]

As long as he learns to not drop the ball before entering the end zone. :wtf:

[BoltBacker]

Doesn't get any closer than that play. He does look to be versatile though, agree with that. It is something we do not have now.

[Fleet]

Bonehead mistake. Dosnt make that mistake twice imo.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

[Bolt-O]

The opposite side of the argument is that he can get hurt in training, while he's waiting for the draft. He does look like a lock to get drafted though, and if he leaves the program, he's no longer held to the rules of the NCAA, so his agent can pay him, right?

[Steve]

Yes, the injury and scrutiny may hurt them in the short term payoff, but it might help them long term ,cashing in on 2nd and 3rd contracts, making them better, more productive pros. Probably not every one, but a lot of them.

There was also the study that Joel Buchsbaum did before he died, in the period he looked at, by far the most productive 1st round picks were the 5th year seniors (guys who redshirted), both in terms of overall production and in terms of immediate production. 4th year senior were not as productive as the 5th year, but the juniors were far more likely to be busts, even though the consensus was that the juniors were physically the best athletes.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Chargers Respond to Mayor’s Proposal for Another City Task Force
Posted 3 hours ago

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Mark Fabiani, the Special Counsel to the President of the San Diego Chargers, discusses the Chargers’ response to the Mayor’s speech.


Wednesday night San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer addressed the Chargers’ 13-year-long search for a new stadium in San Diego during his State of the City Address. The Mayor’s plan, announced during his speech, to appoint a task force to work on the issue for the remainder of 2015 has sparked discussion throughout San Diego.

We sat down with Mark Fabiani, the Special Counsel to the President of the San Diego Chargers, to discuss the Chargers’ response to the Mayor’s speech.



Q: Many people had high hopes for the Mayor’s speech because there was some expectation that the Mayor would introduce a new stadium plan. The Chargers’ reaction, on the other hand, seems to put a big damper on those hopes. What’s behind this?

A: Over the entire time we have been working with Mayor Faulconer and his staff, we have only ever asked for one thing – and we asked for it at the very first meeting we had with the Mayor’s staff: ‘Please do not assign Steve Cushman to work on this issue; instead let’s try to find some new voices and fresh perspectives to add to this 13-year-long process. Again, this is the one and only request we’ve ever made of the Mayor.

So hopefully the community will understand our disappointment when the one and only specific stadium initiative the Mayor announced in his State of the City speech was the appointment of Steve Cushman to be in charge of devising a financing plan.


Q: Why do the Chargers object so vigorously to Cushman’s appointment?

A: Two reasons. First, we believed we had established a working relationship with the Mayor’s Office that was based on open lines of communications and shared goals. Obviously the Mayor’s designation of someone the team objected to at our very first meeting together does a great deal to undermine that working relationship.

Second, if you were going to line up the people in San Diego who have done the most to block a new stadium over the years, there is no doubt that Steve Cushman would be near the head of that line. When the Chargers were exploring the Chula Vista bayfront as a stadium location, Cushman told the Chargers to stay away so that the Gaylord Project could move forward. Of course, under Cushman’s leadership, no such project was ever built. When the Chargers were exploring a joint-use stadium/convention center facility downtown, Cushman again told the Chargers to stay away because of the contiguous convention center expansion plan. Again, under Cushman’s leadership, the courts decisively invalidated the financing plan for the convention center project. And when some in the community wanted to explore Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal as a stadium location, Cushman pushed through a ban on everyone at the Port of San Diego from even so much as discussing the issue. The fact that Mayor Faulconer has now assigned Steve Cushman — the architect of so many of San Diego’s civic failures — to work on the stadium is discouraging.


Q: Shouldn’t you wait to see what financing plan Cushman comes up with before criticizing him?

A: Steve Cushman was one of the key architects of the financing plan for the convention center expansion; the plan that was unanimously rejected by the California State Court of Appeals. There were many people and organizations around town that predicted right from the outset that the Cushman convention center financing plan would be struck down as illegal. But Cushman and the City – with the strong support of then-downtown area Councilman Kevin Faulconer and then-City Council President Todd Gloria – decided to forge ahead anyway. The result: Years and years of wasted time and effort, and millions and millions of dollars of wasted tax dollars – all expended on behalf of a financing plan that was doomed from the outset.

In light of this track record, we are not encouraged that Steve Cushman will somehow come up with a workable solution to the stadium problem that has eluded everyone else for 13 years.

If Steve Cushman does come up with some kind of plan, our strong view is that it will be a plan designed to provide political cover – not to actually result in the building of a stadium.



Q: So what’s next? Does this mean that the Chargers franchise has given up on working with the Mayor?

A: We announced in December that we would not be exercising our termination clause and would continue to work in 2015 to find a publicly acceptable stadium solution in San Diego. And that’s what we intend to do. We will continue to attempt to come up with our own ideas for review by City leaders – as we have been trying to do for the last 13 years. And we will certainly carefully consider any ideas that are presented to us by the Mayor or others in the community.

Still, it’s unfortunate that the Mayor’s State of the City speech certainly didn’t move the ball forward at all and, with Steve Cushman’s appointment, may well have set us seriously back.



Q: But what about the Mayor’s task force? Isn’t it possible that the task force, when its members are actually named, could come up with useful ideas?

A: The Chargers will remain open-minded about any idea presented to us. That’s the attitude that we’ve had for 13 years and that had led us to explore stadium solutions at the Qualcomm Stadium site, in National City, in Chula Vista, in Oceanside, in Escondido, and now in downtown San Diego.

And we know what it means to work with a City task force and City experts because we’ve worked with many of them over the years. Mayor Murphy appointed the Citizens’ Task Force on Chargers Issues, and subsequent mayors retained – at significant taxpayer expense – two separate outside consultants. Whether yet another task force – which will undoubtedly hire other experts – will come up with ideas that haven’t been thought of by everyone else over the last 13 years is, of course, a real question.

[Fleet]

Faulkner already giving them the "Fuck you" lol

[zoom]

From Brugler: 5 to watch at Shrine Game

The 90th edition of the East-West Shrine Game will be played Saturday, but the heavy lifting is already done as all 32 NFL teams were represented in St. Petersburg, Fla., this week to evaluate prospects during daily practices. The game itself, scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on NFL Network, carries some value, but the majority of scouts and executives have already left town, having seen what they needed to see.

Below are five prospects who opened eyes this week and helped themselves in the minds of NFL evaluators.

WR Tre McBride, William & Mary (6-1, 205)
Entering the week, McBride was my highest-rated Shrine Game prospect and after a full week of practice, that hasn't changed. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds with 4.50 speed, he doesn't have imposing size or blazing speed, but he prides himself on the details, selling routes and using his foot quickness in his breaks to create just enough separation. McBride did an excellent job attacking the ball in the air with his quick eyes and hands, also taking reps as a punt returner. He is more smooth than explosive, reminding me a lot of Pierre Garcon when he entered the NFL out of Mount Union. Although he comes from the FCS level, McBride has impressed against FBS competition in the past (West Virginia in 2013, Virginia Tech in 2014) and certainly did again this week.

C B.J. Finney, Kansas State (6-4, 324)
The interior line play this week was inconsistent, but Finney stood out consistently during drills and held up well in one-on-ones. He was quick to engage and square his target, using proper mechanics and leverage to shield defenders from the pocket. As a former walk-on, Finney has the toughness, competitive appetite and strong intangibles, both on and off the field, that NFL coaches covet. Finney has nimble feet and gets every ounce of power out of his body, rarely making mistakes, but he also doesn't have a lot of physical traits to get excited about. Nonetheless, he has surpassed expectations at every level he has played and that likely won't stop once he gets to the NFL.

MLB Taiwan Jones, Michigan State (6-3, 258)
Considered the top linebacker prospect on the Shrine Game rosters by several NFL scouts, Jones is an aggressive thumper who enjoys contact and brings violence to the field. His physical presence stood out on the practice field, laying the lumber on several occasions and drawing "oohs" and "ahs" from the crowd. Jones will struggle at times with his feel in coverage, but he displayed better than expected range to complement his pursuit speed to both sidelines. He's at his best when the play is in front of him and he can use his aggressive downhill angles to make stops at or behind the line of scrimmage, striking and punishing the ballcarrier at the point of attack.

CB Damian Swann, Georgia (6-0, 180)
Although his tape has a lot of ups and downs, Swann showed the foot quickness and high level of competitiveness during Shrine Game practices that will give him a shot in the NFL. He tends to play overanxious at times, but his click-and-close ability to drive and blow up plays is a terrific asset for the position. Swann doesn't have an ideal body type for the position with lean-muscled bulk, but he's tough and feisty to work through blocks and make wideouts uncomfortable. After playing a similar role as Brandon Boykin at Georgia, look for Swann to compete for a nickel position at the next level.

WR Devin Gardner, Michigan (6-4, 217)
Although he saw reps at wide receiver earlier in his career at Michigan, Gardner was understandably rusty as he made the transition from quarterback to wideout during practice this week. But while he struggled on Monday, Gardner consistently improved throughout the week, adapting well to the coaching. He fine-tuned his routes and showed better focus downfield to finish catches in contested situations, using his top shelf size/speed combination to create mismatches. Gardner could be a prospect who continues to gain momentum throughout the process as he makes strides at the new position.

Ten other prospects who created buzz during Shrine Game practices:
QB Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion
RB John Crockett, North Dakota State
WR Darren Waller, Georgia Tech
TE MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois
OT Sean Hickey, Syracuse
OT Tayo Fabuluje, TCU
DT Tyeler Davison, Fresno State
LB Ben Heeney, Kansas
CB Josh Shaw, USC
CB Craig Mager, Texas State

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Standouts from East-West Shrine Classic
 
By Eric D. Williams | January 18, 2015 11:35:45 AM PST
The East-West Shrine Classic turned into a defensive battle and a field goal fest, with the East defeating the West 19-3 on Saturday.

Still, there were some performances of note by several of the college prospects looking to impress NFL scouts in attendance at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.


2015 NFL DRAFT
Round 1: April 30, time TBA
Rds. 2-3: May 1, TBA
Rds. 4-7: May 2, TBA
Where: Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, Chicago

MORE KEY DATES
Declaration deadline: Jan. 15
2015 Senior Bowl: Jan. 24
2015 Scouting Combine: Feb. 17-23

NFL draft home page
• 2015 NFL draft order
• Todd McShay: Mock 1.0 
• McShay's Top 32 
• Mel Kiper Jr.'s: Mock 1.0 
• Kiper Jr.'s Big Board 
• NFL draft player rankings 
Here are some players who stood out to me from watching the game and could make some sense for the San Diego Chargers if they are looking for a diamond in the rough in the mid-to-late rounds of this year's NFL draft.

Tre' McBride, WR, William & Mary: McBride ran polished routes for a small-school prospect. He also did a nice job using his hands and not letting the ball get into his body. McBride had good production his senior season, finishing with 62 receptions for 809 yards and four touchdowns. And he’s a big body at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, which fits the profile of what the Chargers look for as an outside receiver. My only question is a significant one: How fast is McBride? The Chargers already have two developmental, possession-type receivers they like in Javontee Herndon and Torrence Allen, and they could use a burner.

Terrence Magee, RB, LSU: McGee ran the ball hard, doing a nice job making one cut and getting down the field with an attitude. He also flashed good hands catching the ball out of the backfield and showed the ability to make people miss. Magee finished with 571 yards rushing and three touchdowns during the 2014 season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He comes from a program in LSU that’s produced several running backs currently playing in the NFL, including Stevan Ridley, Jeremy Hill, Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue, so you know McGee has been coached well in a competitive environment.

Za'Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky: Smith showed quickness and the ability to bend around the edge as an outside pass rusher. He posted a sack in the first quarter, bringing down Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly as he tried to scramble out of the pocket. Smith also notched a pass deflection on an inside rush on third down. At 6-5 and 265 pounds, Smith projects as more of a strong-side defensive end in passing situations for San Diego’s defense.

Anthony Chickillo, DE, Miami: At 6-4 and 275 pounds, Chickillo got off blocks and did a nice job in pursuit in the run game. He also showed some juice as a pass rusher, finishing with a sack.

Josh Shaw, CB, Southern Cal: He's a big corner at 6-1 and 200 pounds who did a nice job turning and running with a fast receiver in Maryland’s Deon Long on a go route. Shaw also had a nice interception where he showed anticipation breaking on the ball in the end zone. However, he will have to explain to teams the curious incident he had in college that resulted in his suspension for most of the 2014 season. Shaw projects as a press corner.

John Miller, OG, Louisville: At 6-3 and 315 pounds, Miller is physical and can move. He did a nice job getting a push in the run game for the East Squad. However, Miller appeared top heavy in pass protection and needs to bend his legs more. Miller made 47 starts for the Cardinals as a four-year starter and was an honorable mention All-ACC selection this season. He played both guard spots at Louisville.

Dominique Brown, RB, Louisville: At 6-2 and 232 pounds, Brown is a physical, between-the-tackles runner who can grind out tough yards. I like the way he finished runs, falling forward almost every time. However, Brown didn’t show much wiggle or ability to make defenders miss. Brown totaled 69 yards on 19 carries and scored the game’s only touchdown.

Damian Parms, S, Florida Atlantic: Parms had two interceptions, so he showed he has a nose for the football. That’s important for a team in San Diego that totaled just seven interceptions in 2014.

Derrick Lott, DT, Tennessee-Chattanooga: Lott had a nice tackle for a loss that almost resulted in a safety. And at 6-4 and 300 pounds, Lott also showed athleticism, running down on kickoff to make an open-field tackle.

Niklas Sade, K, North Carolina State: Sade had 47 touchbacks on 74 kickoffs for the Wolfpack. He also nailed a career-long 51-yard field goal. The Chargers could use a kickoff specialist, and Sade would be a cheap alternative through the draft or as an undrafted rookie free agent.