2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[Xenos]

Once again....the Bears are a bad example because THEY DID NOT HAVE to cut players. They could have restructured and had the money to do what they needed to do. I called the BEARS NOT successful because they didn't even make a move to help their organization, like the Chiefs did. They just threw up their hands and said I surrender! That is why...they are the Bears

For example....Robert Quinn has a 11.5 mill 2021 salary plus the 3.1 million prorated bonus charge from the original signing bonus. The Bears can convert 8 million of the 11.5 million salary into a signing bonus and spread the cap hit over the remaining 4 years for an additional charge of 2 million per year. That would leave his 2021 cap numbers as 3.5 million base salary and 5.1 million prorated bonus for a total cap hit of 8.6 million for 2021 instead of 14.7 million cap number. That is a savings of 6.1 million from just one player. That alone about wipes out their deficit. Things can be done and are by organizations that win.

You were simply unclear in your original post.

[Bolt4Knob]

Once again....the Bears are a bad example because THEY DID NOT HAVE to cut players. They could have restructured and had the money to do what they needed to do. I called the BEARS NOT successful because they didn't even make a move to help their organization, like the Chiefs did. They just threw up their hands and said I surrender! That is why...they are the Bears

For example....Robert Quinn has a 11.5 mill 2021 salary plus the 3.1 million prorated bonus charge from the original signing bonus. The Bears can convert 8 million of the 11.5 million salary into a signing bonus and spread the cap hit over the remaining 4 years for an additional charge of 2 million per year. That would leave his 2021 cap numbers as 3.5 million base salary and 5.1 million prorated bonus for a total cap hit of 8.6 million for 2021 instead of 14.7 million cap number. That is a savings of 6.1 million from just one player. That alone about wipes out their deficit. Things can be done and are by organizations that win.

I understand what you are saying but do you really do all that for Andy Friggin Dalton. Personally, I would have kept Trubisky for 2.5m and Foles if you aren't upgrading QB that much. And Dalton has been a good NFL QB. But he hasn't been a difference maker.

But- there is also a reason teams like the SAints, Steelers and now Chiefs are kicking the can - they were or are in win mode now

Look at the Falcons - they tried to stay competitive, extended Ryan and that move bit them hard in the butt. And they kicked more down the road, another $14, So, I am not sure the Bears should have done all that you said in lieu if keeping Kyle Fuller. But maybe they shouldn;'t have franchised A-Rob so save 18m since they do not have a QB to throw him the ball. Or tag and trade him and get a serviceable WR but better allocation of resources

The Chargers sucked it up - gave up Hunter Henry to build a better OL. So its easy to say do what you are suggesting but teams need to be honest with themselves and personally, I feel like the Bears are not being honest with themselves.

And the Chargers - though they should fight for the playoffs this year if Telesco does a good job with player personnel. I think are a year early from doing the voidable years contracts and pushing all the chips in.

[Boltjolt]

I understand what you are saying but do you really do all that for Andy Friggin Dalton. Personally, I would have kept Trubisky for 2.5m and Foles if you aren't upgrading QB that much. And Dalton has been a good NFL QB. But he hasn't been a difference maker.

But- there is also a reason teams like the SAints, Steelers and now Chiefs are kicking the can - they were or are in win mode now

Look at the Falcons - they tried to stay competitive, extended Ryan and that move bit them hard in the butt. And they kicked more down the road, another $14, So, I am not sure the Bears should have done all that you said in lieu if keeping Kyle Fuller. But maybe they shouldn;'t have franchised A-Rob so save 18m since they do not have a QB to throw him the ball. Or tag and trade him and get a serviceable WR but better allocation of resources

The Chargers sucked it up - gave up Hunter Henry to build a better OL. So its easy to say do what you are suggesting but teams need to be honest with themselves and personally, I feel like the Bears are not being honest with themselves.

And the Chargers - though they should fight for the playoffs this year if Telesco does a good job with player personnel. I think are a year early from doing the voidable years contracts and pushing all the chips in.

Dalton is much better than Trubiski and Foles.

[BoltUp InLA]

Interesting take from The Athletic about remaining free agents..


Chargers free agency reset: Kyle Fuller, Jared Cook, top 10 targets and more

By Daniel Popper 6h ago
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Chargers free agency reset.

This is your one-stop shop to get you ready for the day of NFL free agency. We will go over the moves the Chargers made Thursday. We will go over the moves they did not make. We will assess the salary cap situation. And we will look into the available free agents the Chargers should be targeting in our updated top 10 — including, yes, cornerback Kyle Fuller.

This will be our final reset of free agency, as activity will quiet down significantly next week. But do not worry: I will still have every move analyzed as the Chargers continue filling in and fleshing out their roster.

The moves the Chargers made

The Chargers jumped back into the action Thursday by agreeing to terms with tight end Jared Cook. It is a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, with $4.5 million guaranteed, according to reports.

This was the Chargers’ first deal since Monday, when they agreed to terms with two new starting offensive linemen, center Corey Linsley and guard Matt Feiler, and re-signed cornerback Michael Davis to a three-year deal.

Cook fills a huge need at tight end with Hunter Henry’s departure. Henry, of course, signed with the Patriots earlier this week on a three-year contract with an average annual value of $12.5 million. I do not have the official numbers on Cook’s deal, but I expect his cap hit to be $4.5 million, which is the guaranteed money on the contract. Henry’s 2021 cap hit, by comparison, is just under $7 million, and it jumps to $15 million in 2022 and $15.5 million in 2023.

Cook, who turns 34 in April, presents less upside than Henry and is a worse run blocker. But he is cheaper. And this one-year contract is not the same type of commitment as the deal Henry signed in New England. Cook, as long as he can stay on the field, will provide similar production as a receiver. In that sense, the deal makes a lot of sense. The Chargers give themselves more flexibility in 2022, and they add a capable, reliable and consistent receiving tight end to their roster.

They avoided overpaying. And that is important.

Moving forward, they will need to add a blocking tight end. Cook and Parham will not get the job done in that area. I think targeting Notre Dame’s Tommy Tremble in the draft would be a wise move. He should be there at pick 77. With Cook, Parham and Tremble, the Chargers would have a solid tight end room. And Tremble, who already is a polished run blocker, has the potential to develop into a No. 1 tight end. This scenario would give him a year to grow alongside an experienced player in Cook.

Cook’s connection to new Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi also is noteworthy. They spent the past two seasons together in New Orleans. Lombardi will not be bringing the Sean Payton Saints offense over to the Chargers in its entirety. The Chargers’ new scheme will be a mix of several different systems. Brandon Staley will take ideas from Sean McVay, with whom he coached last season on the Rams. Former 49ers QBs coach Shane Day, now the Chargers passing game coordinator and QBs coach, will bring ideas from the Kyle Shanahan system. New tight ends coach Kevin Koger, formerly an offensive assistant with the Packers, will bring ideas from Matt LaFleur. But Lombardi still will be implementing concepts from the Saints’ intricate and complex playbook. Having Cook on the roster and in the meeting rooms will aid in the transition and application of those concepts. Justin Herbert will benefit greatly from his presence, both on and off the field.

I like this signing. There is always a concern with adding an aging player. But Cook is a fine bridge for one season, as long as the Chargers bring in more tight end talent in the draft.

The moves the Chargers did not make

Offensive lineman Dan Feeney, the Chargers’ starting center last season, signed a one-year deal with the Jets. According to our Connor Hughes, the deal is for $3.5 million and can be worth up to $4.25 million. Considering the size of this deal, the Chargers clearly had an opportunity to re-sign Feeney, who started 57 games for them over four seasons after being drafted in the third round in 2017. They chose otherwise.

The Chargers always projected Feeney as a center. That is the position they drafted him to play. But Mike Pouncey became available in free agency in 2018, and that changed the organization’s plans.

Pouncey was lost for the season in training camp last year because of a hip injury, and that opened the door for Feeney to take over as the starting center. The Chargers were hoping Feeney would break out and prove himself to be the long-term answer at center. That did not happen. He flashed as a run and screen blocker. But his inconsistencies in pass production plagued the offensive line all season. And now he ends up with the Jets as a backup.

I thought there was a chance the Chargers brought Feeney back to compete for the starting right guard spot. But now they will be looking elsewhere. They could still re-sign Forrest Lamp to compete for that job. Either way, they will need to add another interior offensive lineman, either through the draft or free agency, to at minimum create that competition. I have a free agent option in my updated top 10.

The other development Thursday was former Rams cornerback Troy Hill signing with the Browns. I had Hill in my top 10 remaining free agents all week. He played well under Staley last season. His deal with Cleveland was reasonable — reportedly four years, $24 million. The Chargers had the cap space to do that deal. Hill can play both in the slot and outside. He did both for the Rams last season. So I figured he would be a good fit, considering his familiarity with Staley’s scheme. The Chargers still need to find a third corner. Hill is no longer an option for that spot.

The salary cap situation

One correction before we get into the finances: In my spreadsheet, I was subtracting a figure I should have been adding. Just a clerical error. I apologize. So this spending space number will look more inflated than you expected. The net change was about $3 million.

I have the Chargers at roughly $15.7 million in spending space, including Cook’s projected cap hit of $4.5 million. That gives the Chargers enough room to make two more marquee signings. This means they have the space to sign Fuller and make another move for a starter. The spending space number factors in all expenses — deals already made, rookie compensation and budgeting for in-season moves.

Top 10 remaining free agents

1. Chiefs OT Eric Fisher

2. Steelers OT Alejandro Villanueva

3. Bears CB Kyle Fuller

The Bears plan to release Fuller, according to our Kevin Fishbain. They could still try and swing a trade. But the news breaking significantly decreases Chicago’s leverage and thus decreases the chances of a trade happening. Fuller is much more intriguing as a free agent option. Any team trading for him would take on a cap hit of $13 million. He has two void years on his contract, so the Chargers hypothetically could restructure his deal to lessen that 2021 cap hit. But he is on this list under the assumption that he hits the open market.

The Chargers still need a corner, and he would fit well into Staley’s scheme, which is a variation of the scheme Vic Fangio runs in Denver and ran with the Bears when he was the defensive coordinator there from 2015-18. Staley coached outside linebackers with the Bears under Fangio from 2017-18. Fuller had his best NFL season with Fangio and Staley in 2018, when he was a first-team All-Pro.

We will see what happens. A trade makes less sense. But if Fuller hits the open market, the Chargers should be in pursuit. Fangio and the Broncos also will be the mix for Fuller.

4. Vikings S Anthony Harris

5. Chiefs OT Mitchell Schwartz

6. Titans CB Adoree’ Jackson

7. OG Larry Warford

Warford is a new addition to the list. The Saints cut him last spring after he had made three straight Pro Bowls. Warford, a right guard, then opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID. Like Cook, he is familiar with the Saints’ offensive system. Lombardi knows him from their time together in New Orleans. As noted above, the Chargers have an opening at right guard. I think this would be a fantastic signing for GM Tom Telesco. Warford turns 30 in July.

8. Broncos DB Kareem Jackson

The Broncos opted not to pick up Jackson’s team option, and he will now hit the open market. Jackson, who turns 33 in April, spent the last two seasons playing for Fangio in Denver. The scheme familiarity makes him an option for the Chargers. Jackson played strong safety for the Broncos. But he was previously a corner in Houston and has some versatility. The Chargers are looking for a third safety behind Derwin James and Nasir Adderley. I love Jackson’s style — physical, violent, downhill. He would be an interesting piece in the safety rotation.

9. Falcons S Ricardo Allen

The Falcons cut Allen in February, meaning he would not count in the compensatory pick formula. He is a true centerfield free safety and would be more of a positional fit than Jackson. He is 29.

10. Panthers G John Miller

Miller started 74 games in six seasons in Carolina and would be an experienced option at right guard. The Chargers would still need to add guard talent in the draft, but they could get Miller for cheap. He played on a one-year, $4 million deal last season for the Panthers.

[Bolt4Knob]

Dalton is much better than Trubiski and Foles.

Never said he wasn't better. Just not enough of a difference maker. Russell Wilson would have been a difference maker but the Bears gave a lousy offer .

[BoltUp InLA]

Dalton is much better than Trubiski and Foles.

I think Trubiski has more upside at this point. Trubiski is young enough and inexperienced enough to still grow. He only started a single season in college. He has a nice TD to interception ratio as a baseline. The Bears were 29-21 during his tenure, so you can do so much worse than him as a starter. He is a plus athlete, but he struggles with downfield accuracies and reads. Those things can be coached up still with him is my opinion.

[Lone Bolt]

So you want a rook LT or Pipkens protectin our franchise's blind side?I want Villenuava and Sewell,Slater,or Little.Get greedy.Hell put Slater at Guard for a year while pickin V's brain about ins n outs of LT.

Yes...rookie LT. They wont learn any younger, how to play on the left side. And vets next to them, helping.

[Xenos]

Never said he wasn't better. Just not enough of a difference maker. Russell Wilson would have been a difference maker but the Bears gave a lousy offer .

I don’t know about lousy offer. Seattle was never trading Wilson.

[Bolt4Knob]

I don’t know about lousy offer. Seattle was never trading Wilson.

That might be true but if reports are accurate the two players they wanted to include were Fuller and Hicks. Those are salary dumps. If the Bears truly wanted to entice the Seahawks, you add names like Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson. Two players with some upside long term potential as the Bears draft pick this year is like 20 and one would think if they get Wilson, they will get better. Not worse.

[Xenos]

I want to point out that the Bears is a great example of why aggressive organizations win and passive ones lose. The Bears were 7.5 million over the cap and cut players. The Chiefs started 35 million over the cap, cut their two injured tackles and center, re-structured, signed Thuney, Long and are ready for more. It has cost them very little in future years and it is more than offset by the new television revenues. If the Chargers were 35 million over the cap, we would have cut our players, raised our hands and said we can't do anything. We would waste a year of a rookie QB. This league is divided by the organizations that want to win and the organizations that find ways to be afraid of their own shadow.

This is the first year that the Chiefs really had to do something like this. So we’ll see how far it gets then. It reminds me of the Rams and their craziness that ended up getting them nothing so far. And while Thuney is nice, I’m perfectly fine with us spending the money on Linsley and Feiler instead. I’m not even sure why Kyle Long is used as a pro for the Chiefs considering he was injury prone, and a shell of himself when he retired.

[Boltjolt]

Never said he wasn't better. Just not enough of a difference maker. Russell Wilson would have been a difference maker but the Bears gave a lousy offer .

Lousy offer? They offered a ton. Seattle didn't like that their picks werent high enough. I think if a team in the top ten had made that offer, he is traded.

[MasterOfPuppets]

So you want a rook LT or Pipkens protectin our franchise's blind side?I want Villenuava and Sewell,Slater,or Little.Get greedy.Hell put Slater at Guard for a year while pickin V's brain about ins n outs of LT.

a rookie high draft pick LT yes!! Pipkins no!!!