Official Chargers News - Injury Updates

[Boltjolt]

Didn't a few want to give a draft pick to trade for him?

[TTK]

Didn't a few want to give a draft pick to trade for him?

I was willing to give up a late round pick for him a couple of years ago when it was rumored the Browns might dump him. Huge risk involved but for a late round pick I would have taken that risk even though it obviously hasn't worked for him. He did have a pretty amazing 2013 though.

[Boltx]

Not making excuses for him and we don't know the circumstances of the testing - but is alcohol prohibited by the league's testing policies (not denying it's a drug or it can be abused)? Or is it because of his prior history?

I mean what if he was just having a few brews at his house? That's bannable? Obviously for a positive test it must have been done shortly after he was drinking/drunk, and we don't know the circumstances around it.

[TTK]

Prater got suspended for failing an alcohol test and he was just drinking at home. I believe he got in trouble previously for some alcohol related fight and that's what got him on that testing program. Did Gordon ever have a DUI or was all his run-ins with the law weed related?

[Geezbolt]

- but is alcohol prohibited by the league's testing policies (not denying it's a drug or it can be abused)? Or is it because of his prior history?

From what I heard today his prior history was the reason the restrictions were so tight on him.

[zoom]

Interesting read (it's offseason...anything to keep from reading about lbs in a football....) on 'how many players short of a Super Bowl team'. Breaks down the roster by elite, good, average and bad.

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12179331/how-many-players-away-super-bowl-team

[oneinchpunch]

Prater got suspended for failing an alcohol test and he was just drinking at home. I believe he got in trouble previously for some alcohol related fight and that's what got him on that testing program. Did Gordon ever have a DUI or was all his run-ins with the law weed related?

I believe Prater was on a fishing trip with his dad.

Gordon was dumped by Baylor for failed drug test. Failed drug test in the NFL. DUI.

[SDFan]

bump

[Yubaking]

We play OK D, but we don't play really great D, and until that changes, it will keep coming up.

At this point it really doesn't matter. Until we can find a way to rush the QB, we will jut be an average D. It doesn't matter if we play a 43 or a 34, without the edge rush, you could line up a bunch of all pros inside and we would till just be an average D. Adding Suh is not going to change that. He might help help us get more out of the interior D, and they would be closer to whatever the peak potential the rest of the D has, but that isn't that much higher then it is now.

We HAVE to get an outside pass rush, and it really doesn't matter if it is in a 34 or a 43.

I agree that improving the pass rush is a need, but it is not our top defensive need. Despite not having a good pass rush, we were a good team on pass defense. That speaks to how good our secondary was as a coverage unit. With the exception of Chris Davis, I would keep all of the pass defending secondary players. We could use a long CB with coverage skills (that part rules out Davis) for matching up against bigger receivers, but aside from that, I think we are good in the secondary.

What killed us was our lack of a run defense, particularly against KC, where we matched up horribly despite being the better team. Had we won either KC game, we would have been a playoff team. Instead, we finished out of the playoffs and 29th in YPC against--just awful, but we got what we asked for by refusing to upgrade the run defense for two seasons as if it weren't our biggest defensive problem all along.

We need improved stoutness up front in the worst way. We need a #1 NT and a stout 3-4 DE opposite Liuget. We need a run stuffing ILB. Conner is our best run defending ILB and he is not great against the run. He is just not the run defending liability everyone else is versus the run.

Going to a 4-3 would likely be disastrous for us. Our interior DL are not stout enough, not remotely close to being stout enough. I do not think we have a single LB that translates to a 4-3 defense. We have no speed to offer on the weak side. There is no way in hell I want any of our ILBs to handle the whole middle. Assuming Ingram shifts to DE, who plays on the strong side? Attaochu? Seems like a bad fit all the way around.

I wish we could stop discussing Suh forever. I would take Justin Houston over Suh straight up and he is likely to cost $8-10M per year less. In addition, Suh is a horrible fit for our defense--not just bad, but horrible. Houston would be a perfect fit for our defense opposite Ingram even though I can't imagine KC not doing everything in their power to keep him.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

FYI, #1 NT = Danny Shelton at 17...

[Boltjolt]

FYI, #1 NT = Danny Shelton at 17...

Rookie NTs take time to develope so if we get a NT id rather get a FA. I still dont think it is our #1 need though.

[Yubaking]

Rookie NTs take time to develope so if we get a NT id rather get a FA. I still dont think it is our #1 need though.

There do not appear to be any good FA NTs, so while I think there is nothing wrong with the theory you suggest, I think the lack of a good FA NT being available will prevent us from picking up a good one in FA this year. In order to get a good NT, I think we will have to draft one. We already have a #2 and #3 NT in Carrethers and Lissemore, respectively, so we only want/need to get a #1 NT.

Conversely, there are no good pass protecting ROTs in the draft that would allow us to move Fluker inside, so I think we have to add Bulaga in FA or we will have to keep Fluker at ROT.

I would like us to prioritize signing Iupati and Bulaga in FA. This would allow us to load up on a NT, 1+ OLBs, and an ILB in the draft.

Although I think Shelton is okay at #17, I think DGB would likely be the player with the greatest upside at #17 if we were still on the board at that point (and he might be). He is likely the WR with the greatest upside. So I would be fine with Shelton or DGB at #17.

I doubt any worthwhile OL players will be available at #17. I would pass on Peat, Collins, Flowers and Clemmings altogether. If Scherff fell to #17, he has the potential to be a good OG. If we signed Iupati, but failed to get Bulaga, Scherff would be a good selection at #17 with us keeping Fluker at ROT for one more season.