Official Chargers News - Injury Updates

[richpjr]

I was listening to the radio today and it was reported that Osweiler is very unhappy with the Broncos for benching him this season and may not be all that interested going back to Denver.

[Bearded14YourPleasure]

With the Broncos luck they will take Connor Cook with their 1st pick and he will end up being the best QB out of this draft.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Just not going to sit around pretending we should field the same loser team we had last year. The O'line and defensive front seven need to have different people if we want the results to be any different.

We can sit around with our lips shut like good little doggies who love 12-loss seasons, or we can talk enough shit (like we did with Norv) that, some day, somebody might do something about it. Being positive about losing never won shit.

We are 0-0 so far this off season...

[Lightningwill_420]

Who you play next to and how comfortable you are with them is important. Our online was hurt and mixed and matched so much last year. Barksdale played well, Fluker played hurt at a new position. Franklin and Dunlap disappointed but were injured. They have both played to a high level previously. I don't think Watt is ready for prime time but he is learning a new position, one that requires some smarts, and he was hurt. We need a Left Tackle and Center moving forward. I only say LT because of Dunlaps concussion history. Remains to be seen if there is still gas in the tank. Bring in a starting quality Center and if watt can beat him out great. Online isn't a unit that can just be wholesale replaced overnight. We need some depth as well and that can be addressed at end of FA period.

The only guy who was injured last year who has a history of staying healthy is Franklin. Fluker is always playing hurt, and he plays as if he's playing hurt. Watt might as well change his name to Hurtt. And, like you said, Dunlap has concussion problems and is always one play away from retirement. What exactly are you expecting to be different next year? Are you expecting these guys to be healthy and good?

[Lightningwill_420]

A voice of reason...

It's reasonable to assume that, if we keep the same starting O'line, we will have a better starting O'line next year? That sounds like the opposite of reason.

At the very least, we need a new center and a new right guard. DJ Fluker would make a nice backup at guard and tackle. He ain't a starter - he isn't that great to start with, and he's generally hampered by some injury. Watt I'm not sure is even worth keeping as a backup. I'd want to keep Chris Hairston as a backup. We need somebody better than Trevor Robinson backing up at center. Plus, we're taking a big risk keeping King Dunlap as our starting left tackle. He didn't play very well last year, and he is too much of a major injury risk. Our only bit of bad injury luck that I wouldn't expect to reoccur this season is with Orlando Franklin. Dude didn't miss many games in Denver, so, last year, I hope, was an aberration.

We need to make a lot of changes. If we stand pat at the offensive line, we will suck again.

[blueman]

Can I quote you on that?

[Mister Hoarse]

Wat

[Fleet]

24 different variations of the OL last year.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

It's reasonable to assume that, if we keep the same starting O'line, we will have a better starting O'line next year? That sounds like the opposite of reason.

At the very least, we need a new center and a new right guard. DJ Fluker would make a nice backup at guard and tackle. He ain't a starter - he isn't that great to start with, and he's generally hampered by some injury. Watt I'm not sure is even worth keeping as a backup. I'd want to keep Chris Hairston as a backup. We need somebody better than Trevor Robinson backing up at center. Plus, we're taking a big risk keeping King Dunlap as our starting left tackle. He didn't play very well last year, and he is too much of a major injury risk. Our only bit of bad injury luck that I wouldn't expect to reoccur this season is with Orlando Franklin. Dude didn't miss many games in Denver, so, last year, I hope, was an aberration.

We need to make a lot of changes. If we stand pat at the offensive line, we will suck again.

I don't advocate 'standing pat,' but who is the new LT to replace Dunlap? Who is the new OG to replace Fluker? I don't think Fluker is as bad as you say...he's had injury problems and he's moved around a ton. I think he a starter. But finding a real stud LT isn't the easiest thing in the world especially if Tunsil is gone, and I expect him to be. In a perfect world I would definitely find an option that allows for the eventual phase-out of Dunlap but right now, I don't see many options. You didn't mention Barksdale, who isn't the player Dunlap is, but stayed healthy last year. In a perfect world, he would be a swing tackle.

I think the biggest need is quality depth. I'd like to see us get one starter-worthy OL in this draft and a project guy. And I actually would like to see if Vasquez could come back as a backup /utility sort of player. I don't know what kind of money he can command but his value seems to be down. He was a good guard for us and has experience at tackle. I could feel comfortable if he beat out, say, Fluker and Fluker was sort of the utility guy. Watt needs to go and we need a C really badly.

[Lightningwill_420]

Can I quote you on that?

You're welcome to go back and quote me from whenever. Before I was Engine Engine Number 420, I was thelightningwill.

I blew it on thinking King Dunlap would suck, and I overhyped Melvin Ingram. I was wrong about Derek Cox and Orlando Franklin - only because I trusted what I read about them. And I was wrong, so far, that Melvin Gordon would be healthier than last year's top drafted runningback. Mostly, I've been wrong about stuff I've read about, but, with the exception of Ingram, I've been right about what I've seen.

I knew Butler would suck and get injured because I had seen him play. I knew we'd have a bunch of injuries last year because I've watched the Chargers before. I knew Watt as starting center was a terrible decision because I saw him play (and mostly not play) the year before. I knew we overpaid for Corey Liuget because I've watched him play. After a couple years, I figured out Ryan Mathews would have injury problems because I had paid enough attention to do such figuring. I knew Eric Weddle would have an off year last season and would start missing games because I know some stuff. I knew that turtling up to play for a potential game-winning field goal was a mistake because I've watched football before. I knew the Chargers would improve as soon as they fired Norv because I've watched Norv's teams before. I knew Rivers would be great again if somebody would throw a block for him because I had already seen him be great when somebody threw blocks for him.

So, if you start seeing me say some shit about new draft picks or new free agents or players from other teams, you can bet all the words you are reading are complete bullshit. But, if you see some messages about Chargers who have been Chargers and those messages are from me, there is a good chance that there is some truth being told.

And, I'm telling you, if we stick with the same O'line that got injured and sucked last year, we will have the same O'line that gets injured and sucks this year.

[Lightningwill_420]

I don't advocate 'standing pat,' but who is the new LT to replace Dunlap? Who is the new OG to replace Fluker? I don't think Fluker is as bad as you say...he's had injury problems and he's moved around a ton. I think he a starter. But finding a real stud LT isn't the easiest thing in the world especially if Tunsil is gone, and I expect him to be. In a perfect world I would definitely find an option that allows for the eventual phase-out of Dunlap but right now, I don't see many options. You didn't mention Barksdale, who isn't the player Dunlap is, but stayed healthy last year. In a perfect world, he would be a swing tackle.

I think the biggest need is quality depth. I'd like to see us get one starter-worthy OL in this draft and a project guy. And I actually would like to see if Vasquez could come back as a backup /utility sort of player. I don't know what kind of money he can command but his value seems to be down. He was a good guard for us and has experience at tackle. I could feel comfortable if he beat out, say, Fluker and Fluker was sort of the utility guy. Watt needs to go and we need a C really badly.

Who is the new left tackle? I don't know. If there are no legitimate tackles available who are durable, then I guess we are stuck with hoping Dunlap returns to 2014 form. I didn't mention him as the one we absolutely needed to replace. I just hope we can. It's hard to believe there isn't a single starting tackle out there who is available. Telesco seems to be decent at picking tackles up through free agency. Dunlap was a great find and Barksdale is a'ight. Can he get another one so that, if Dunlap goes down or just sucks like he did last year, then we still would have two starting tackles?

Fluker has had injury problems - we agree. That isn't likely going to change. And, when he's hurt and he's playing, he is bad news for Philip Rivers and any runningback who tries to run behind him. He can't be our starter.

Fluker would be a good backup at guard and tackle - we agree.

I didn't mention Barksdale because he's one guy I don't feel we need to replace. He shows up every week, and he isn't terrible.

Watt needs to be something other than a starter. Perhaps he could be a backup if he improves. I'm pretty sure I mentioned he was a terrible choice for starting center before the beginning of last year, but nobody listened to me.

I really don't see anything here that we disagreed on.

[Boltx]

Honestly, if we want any hope at salvaging Rivers' last few years, we need to try to sign Mack at center and hope Tunsil is somehow still there. Pick up a guy like Vasquez to push Fluker and Franklin (or flat out beat them) and this goes A LOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNG ways towards making the line possibly even a bright spot on the team.