2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[BoltingUP]

My only immediate time-concern right now is CB. We only have three and only one starter. We have KC and other teams loaded with receivers in our division. Rookie CB have to be drafted early if you want any starting production. I think we need a vet or two to bridge us to developing some young CB. Its getting to the time where we need to grab some soon!

As a general concern, I don't want to waste the cheap years of Herbert's contract building the team just to have to let go a bunch of players because we have to start paying 45 million a year for our QB. We need to be aggressive enough to have at least a two-year window with Herbert's rookie contract.

[Topcat]

Time to resign SupaMel. He played the market and found out his value is diminished. Time to bring him home on a realistic contract. We have no realistic Edge prospects that can produce more than him next year.

In the 7 games he played this past season, Ingram had a grand total of ZERO sacks...

Not so Supa...time to let Not So Supa Mel find a new deal...if he gets any offers...

[Boltjolt]

LOL Popper gives it to some fans

[Bolt4Knob]

My only immediate time-concern right now is CB. We only have three and only one starter. We have KC and other teams loaded with receivers in our division. Rookie CB have to be drafted early if you want any starting production. I think we need a vet or two to bridge us to developing some young CB. Its getting to the time where we need to grab some soon!

As a general concern, I don't want to waste the cheap years of Herbert's contract building the team just to have to let go a bunch of players because we have to start paying 45 million a year for our QB. We need to be aggressive enough to have at least a two-year window with Herbert's rookie contract.

Agreed -the Chargers cannot waist this year as Herbert has a very team friendly contract for three more years plus you have Ekeler, Bosa, Allen, Murray, Tranquill, Derwin James for at least two years (if healthy), now Linsley, Feiler, Mike Davis and this draft

That said, Telesco still has cap space so he should, and I think will, continue to build up the roster and yes, CB has to be a pretty high priority to allow the young drafted CB some time

[richpjr]

LOL Popper gives it to some fans

Big difference between wanting to bring MW back on a reasonable contract vs being unhappy with him being paid as a top 10 WR in the league (which very few think he actually is) and using that money to plug another hole.

[Xenos]

I was a bit tired yesterday and so I lacked some clarity. I disagree with Popper and most on these forums. Telesco's plan and ideas only work if he can draft players and those players can be developed. The problem with the Chargers has been Telesco's drafts, stated simply. FA becomes a better place to build a team right now because of Telesco's drafting deficiencies. If Telesco could draft like NE, or AJ Smith, or the 49ers, then the idea of Telesco's "plan" might make sense. But Telesco has a history of significant misses, and more so misses in rounds -- 3 through 6 -- where you need to score to build your team. Right now, there is no real developing talent on the team, and this draft will likely be the first "in flux" of that type of talent.

Someone compared Telesco to AJ Preller. They are nothing alike. Preller recognized the need to obtain as many lottery tickets as possible and to build a talent base. Then from there, he could spend in free agency or trade that talent base for players. Telesco has failed to draft adequately, has not built up a large number of picks (instead often trading away future picks for ill decided move ups to take a Manti Teo), and has not built a talent base that can yield compensatory picks. Therefore, while I appreciate Popper and others being optimists and discussing building through the draft, over Telesco's eight years as GM, the drafts have proven extremely lacking and I do not see a basis for believing he will suddenly discover some new drafting prowess.

While TT has done marginally better in FA, it’s not a sustainable way to build a team. We don’t get a Casey Hayward often who is with the team for 5 years. Whether we like it or not, he has the right of philosophy of building through the draft. He just needs to execute. To put it bluntly, we need him to do great this year. To have a 2004 year type draft.

[AKFlyFisher]

LOL Popper gives it to some fans

Right, but he admitted that MW isn't worth $15.6 million. His argument is that because the Chargers managed the cap so well and Herbert's salary is relatively low, they have flexibility to overspend on MW. Given the holes on this roster, the idea that you save cap so you can "overspend" on a player makes no sense. If the Chargers really liked MW, then they needed to negotiate a long term contract earlier, and reduce the cap hit this year. If you are building a team, those extra dollars -- potentially $16 million -- can yield a big difference for a team.

Lastly, Popper bases his MW "love" on the eye test. But the analytics are not very high on MW. He also has an injury history.

[Xenos]

like54ninjas this is what Popper said regarding lowering the cap hit this year with an extension:

https://theathletic.com/2459965/2021/03/18/chargers-free-agency-reset-projecting-a-mike-williams-extension-updated-top-10/

Signing Williams to a long-term extension remains the scenario that makes the most sense for the Chargers. By signing Williams to an extension, they can lower that 2021 cap hit significantly. The first year of the new deal would effectively replace the fifth-year option contract he is currently on.

The Chargers did the same thing with Joey Bosa in July. Bosa was entering his fifth-year option year and was due to have a cap hit of $14.36 million. The Chargers signed him to a massive $150 million extension. That contract was for six years. The first year of that deal replaced the fifth-year option year for 2020. Bosa’s cap hit went from $14.36 million to $15 million.

But in Bosa’s case, that was the most lucrative contract ever given to a defensive player, which is why the cap hit went up slightly. Williams’ contract will not be that. He is more like a $13 million to $14 million per year player, while Bosa is a $27 million per year player. So Williams’ Year 1 cap hit in this hypothetical extension would be significantly less than $15.68 million. Maybe $6 million. Maybe $7 million. Depending on how the Chargers choose to structure it. Which would net them cap savings of $8 million to $9 million. These are all rough estimates, but you get the idea.

The Chargers can do this extension with Williams at any time. There are no restrictions. But, as I have been saying, writing and tweeting, Williams would have to agree to any extension. And when the new league year started, the Chargers lost whatever leverage they had. They no longer can cut him. So Williams can play this season on the $15.68 million if he chooses to. The Chargers could sweeten the pot with long-term financial security, but the decision is up to Williams. If he wants to bet on himself and hope for a breakout season, that is his prerogative.

[WindsorUK]

Big difference between wanting to bring MW back on a reasonable contract vs being unhappy with him being paid as a top 10 WR in the league (which very few think he actually is) and using that money to plug another hole.

Totally agreed Rich.
At $8 million a year, MW is an asset.
At $15 million, he's a liability.
AJ Green, a more accomplished WR, and same height as MW, is making $8 million this year.

[Boltjolt]

Big difference between wanting to bring MW back on a reasonable contract vs being unhappy with him being paid as a top 10 WR in the league (which very few think he actually is) and using that money to plug another hole.

If we can afford him, who cares what he is making this year? They can still extend him or resign him next season. We arent in cap trouble. Sure id like to see him extended but it isnt hindering us.

We still have cap space and posters are losing their minds that we havent done anything since day 1. Would that be different had we extended him? Doubt it. We werent going to sign Trent Williams....and Popper says we could have with the current cap psace.

[BoltingUP]

Lets see...I can have MW at 15 mill, or let go of MW, use the 15 mill + a little more to get a FA LT and then draft a better receiver in the 1st or 2nd round. Tough choice.

[Boltjolt]

Totally agreed Rich.
At $8 million a year, MW is an asset.
At $15 million, he's a liability.
AJ Green, a more accomplished WR, and same height as MW, is making $8 million this year.

AJ Green is on his last fucking legs on a big decline. I wouldnt even want him.