2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[dmac_bolt]

Are you calling the "picket fence" predictable?

I never knew if they would be 10 yds back or 12. Unsolvable riddle.

[sonorajim]

Nobody gets it.
NFL teams--not just KC--will be throwing several weapons at us on a weekly basis.
These weapons will be ridiculously fast and ridiculously good.
Wide Zone...everybody's gonna do it.
We've got to defend the width and the length of the football field.
This cannot be done with uber athletes who are not instinctive football players.

This would be the greyhound chasing the mechanical rabbit at the race track--never to catch the critter.

We need scheme.
We need deception.
We need smart football players.

NO! Say it ain't so. I shudder to think!

I agree scheme, deception, smart...and well coached.

[Steve]

Hopefully Staley can figure out how to better utilize him. If he can’t, I won’t be surprised to see him cut in the off-season.

I think Adderley is a pretty good fit to what is being looked for in a S. He has a lot to learn in the new D, but it wasn't happening under the old staff, hopefully the new staff can make it happen.

2021 Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart | Ourlads.com
The Ourlads depth chart lists 3 S on the roster right now.

Derwin, Adderley and Gilman. Adderley and Derwin both have the mobility to be S in the split secondary, but time will tell if they can make the coverage reads to make it work. Gilman is possibly on the way out, as he was drafted as an in the box S, a position that we really don't use anymore, although he may be able to play a passing down LB type of role.

Most teams carry more than 3 and it means we can't use all 3 on the field at once if that is all there is of them. Any set with all 3 would not be used if one (or more) gets hurt, so coaches tend to not use sets like that. Most teams carry 4 or 5 S total, because nickel and dime packages will often use 3 at the same time. If the idea is to use all 3 at the same time, we need at least 1, maybe 2 depth guys in case. A lot of S types are pretty good ST guys, so extra wouldn't hurt to have an extra one or two, depending on what other positions they might play (usually 1 CB can play some S too).

Addai is still on the chart, but I would only play him at LB, as he really doesn't fit the split S/cover 2 kind of scheme, and is unsigned in any case.

As for CB, we are VERY thin there too.
Harris and Davis are 2 the only starting caliber CB we have right now (nickel CB makes the 3rd starter), so there is an immediate opener unless Gilman is ready to start as the nickel DB.

Tevaugh Campbell, Brandon Facyson, Donte Vaughn and John Brannon are on the roster but have only been depth guys so far in their careers. Campbell and Facyson got some playing time last year, but Campbell only played well vs the Jets, and Facyson has never played all that well, although both have flashed some ability. I'm not saying they can't develop, but there are not a lot of undrafted FA who develop into pro bowl caliber CB. It's probably not wise to rely on them too much in a passing league where the average team spends 75% of their defensive downs with 5 or more DB (Staley's D played 85%).

Jaylen Watkins is listed as an unsigned FA, but he is kind of a hybrid, half S, half CB, and doesn't fit either job especially well. Again, unless someone has a lot of faith in Campbell, Facyson, Vaughn and Brannon (and I don't know why they would), we need a couple more CB minimum. Again, many teams have at least 5 on the roster, sometimes 6. Of those at least 4 will need to play on a regular basis, not just fill out the bottom of the roster.

We can live with only part time players at LB, because they only play part time. But nickel and dime DB play 2 to 3 times as many downs as the LB who are the "starters".

[Topcat]

Are you calling the "picket fence" predictable?

Gimme a minute to think about that...yes...

[Topcat]

I think Adderley is a pretty good fit to what is being looked for in a S. He has a lot to learn in the new D, but it wasn't happening under the old staff, hopefully the new staff can make it happen.

2021 Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart | Ourlads.com
The Ourlads depth chart lists 3 S on the roster right now.

Derwin, Adderley and Gilman. Adderley and Derwin both have the mobility to be S in the split secondary, but time will tell if they can make the coverage reads to make it work. Gilman is possibly on the way out, as he was drafted as an in the box S, a position that we really don't use anymore, although he may be able to play a passing down LB type of role.

Most teams carry more than 3 and it means we can't use all 3 on the field at once if that is all there is of them. Any set with all 3 would not be used if one (or more) gets hurt, so coaches tend to not use sets like that. Most teams carry 4 or 5 S total, because nickel and dime packages will often use 3 at the same time. If the idea is to use all 3 at the same time, we need at least 1, maybe 2 depth guys in case. A lot of S types are pretty good ST guys, so extra wouldn't hurt to have an extra one or two, depending on what other positions they might play (usually 1 CB can play some S too).

Addai is still on the chart, but I would only play him at LB, as he really doesn't fit the split S/cover 2 kind of scheme, and is unsigned in any case.

As for CB, we are VERY thin there too.
Harris and Davis are 2 the only starting caliber CB we have right now (nickel CB makes the 3rd starter), so there is an immediate opener unless Gilman is ready to start as the nickel DB.

Tevaugh Campbell, Brandon Facyson, Donte Vaughn and John Brannon are on the roster but have only been depth guys so far in their careers. Campbell and Facyson got some playing time last year, but Campbell only played well vs the Jets, and Facyson has never played all that well, although both have flashed some ability. I'm not saying they can't develop, but there are not a lot of undrafted FA who develop into pro bowl caliber CB. It's probably not wise to rely on them too much in a passing league where the average team spends 75% of their defensive downs with 5 or more DB (Staley's D played 85%).

Jaylen Watkins is listed as an unsigned FA, but he is kind of a hybrid, half S, half CB, and doesn't fit either job especially well. Again, unless someone has a lot of faith in Campbell, Facyson, Vaughn and Brannon (and I don't know why they would), we need a couple more CB minimum. Again, many teams have at least 5 on the roster, sometimes 6. Of those at least 4 will need to play on a regular basis, not just fill out the bottom of the roster.

We can live with only part time players at LB, because they only play part time. But nickel and dime DB play 2 to 3 times as many downs as the LB who are the "starters".

Launchwhiffy is horrible in deep coverage, though he's better at SS...but whether he fits Staley's D remains to be seen...if not, he's probably gone...

[Steve]

Launchwhiffy is horrible in deep coverage, though he's better at SS...but whether he fits Staley's D remains to be seen...if not, he's probably gone...

I'm not even sure we will bring him back.

The Staley D uses the S interchangably, so his days at S are numbered. I don't know if Staley designates them as left and right (the pats use that system) or SS and FS, but expect them to have the same skill set. In either case, Addai doesn't fit what we are looking for as a S.

Addai is either makes it as a passing down LB type (like a SS in our old D), or as a strictly ST guy, if they bring him back at all. We can get guys with the same skill set as Addai for almost nothing and those guys would have some upside as a S.

I would bring Watkins back first, but only because he played both S spots for us, played in the split secondary/cover 2 scheme for Philly before we signed him, and has played CB in Philly and in college. He is athletic and can run, but he hasn't been that great a player for us, although he was a big part of the secondary that beat the Pats in the SB.

[Bolt4Knob]

Gimme a minute to think about that...yes...

Used to love when the opponent would have a 3rd and long from say the 38 to 45 and Gus would play the defense 12 to 15 yards off the line - the other coach would do a little screen pass, get in FG range and get points. He did this against the Chiefs and for sure against Buffalo, down 7 which allowed the Bills to get a FG to make it 10 Big whoopity do Gus - they didn't get a first down but they got in FG range!!

[Parcells]

As for CB, we are VERY thin there too.
Harris and Davis are 2 the only starting caliber CB we have right now (nickel CB makes the 3rd starter), so there is an immediate opener unless Gilman is ready to start as the nickel DB.

Man, it would have been great to add Kyle Fuller.

[Topcat]

Used to love when the opponent would have a 3rd and long from say the 38 to 45 and Gus would play the defense 12 to 15 yards off the line - the other coach would do a little screen pass, get in FG range and get points. He did this against the Chiefs and for sure against Buffalo, down 7 which allowed the Bills to get a FG to make it 10 Big whoopity do Gus - they didn't get a first down but they got in FG range!!

Used to drive me nuts...goodbye, Gus...have fun feuding with Chuckie on the sideline the next time yer picket fence epic fails...

[powderblueboy]

Used to love when the opponent would have a 3rd and long from say the 38 to 45 and Gus would play the defense 12 to 15 yards off the line - the other coach would do a little screen pass, get in FG range and get points. He did this against the Chiefs and for sure against Buffalo, down 7 which allowed the Bills to get a FG to make it 10 Big whoopity do Gus - they didn't get a first down but they got in FG range!!

Or they would get an easy 15 yards and flip field position after they punt.
:what:

[Bolt4Knob]

Or they would get an easy 15 yards and flip field position after they punt.
:what:

yes, that too. i am not going to miss Gus Bradley either.

[Boltjolt]

yes, that too. i am not going to miss Gus Bradley either.

Ironically Raider fans cant wait to see a better defense under him and i have to say, he will be better than Guenther was. But they stil need more talent. Raider fans point to our #10 defense and are estatic to possibly be that good.....while we are glad he is gone. I think we had more talent on our D than they do though.