2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[Bolt-O]

Massa may be the only mini-surprise, but he was injured as well.

[equivocation]

A few of my thoughts:
1. At the time of the draft, I criticized the McKitty pick and still do. Quinn Meinerz was the no brainer pick at 97, even if he is interior line. Maybe the failure of Pipkins left them shy about drafting Meinerz. I'm not sure that is a good reason though. Anyway, with Slater, Meinerz, and Jaimes, the OL would have been moving in the right direction. To me, McKitty was not the best available at 97. It just didn't make sense and after camp and preseason, it still doesn't make sense. I get they viewed him as really an addition to the OL, but at 97, this team needed players. It hurts more seeing how Meinerz has performed and what he could have provided to this OL group.
2. I went back and reviewed the preseason games, and if Staley wanted to make a point about the lack of depth -- and just the general poor drafting by Telesco over the last 3 years -- he did it at least implicitly. Other than WR and TE (ironically -- Anderson makes the McKitty pick even more perplexing), I'm not thrilled with the overall talent in too many of the various groups.

It's hard to get depth reports from other team camps but it seems like Meinerz is struggling and was easily beaten for the starting C job by Cushenberry.

[La Costa Boy]

ok, the easy cuts are done.....

Funny........I didn't see Pipkins name on there........

Easy, yes.........probable??? Prolly not.........

[cmplxgal]

ok, the easy cuts are done.....

53 on the roster plus 16 on the PS equals 69. Can we assume that's pretty much what the Chargers have planned? Of this first group, only Lemonier might have been a practice squad candidate.

[Bolt4Knob]

I could be wrong but I believe Tevi going to IR doesn’t effect the comp pick situation, it’s only if he was released outright that we wouldn’t get a pick. Since he wasn’t looking like a lock to make the roster him being IRed may have been a blessing for us.

Two picks in the 7th - not the 5th

And thanks - you are right, not a lock

[blueman]

53 on the roster plus 16 on the PS equals 69. Can we assume that's pretty much what the Chargers have planned? Of this first group, only Lemonier might have been a practice squad candidate.

Well that makes too much sense, lol. And doesn’t preclude snatching up a player cut from another team (or trading a pick for Grant..).

[Bolts&noles]

I'd like to do a bit of hindsight drafting here.

I don't know where Tre' McKitty is in his development. But Cook and Parham are locks. Stephen Anderson has looked pretty good in the preseason, and he started to build some rapport with Herbert late last season, if you remember that. His strength is as a blocking TE though (correct me if I'm wrong). It may come down to having to make a tough decision between McKitty and Anderson. I'm just thinking the #97 pick could have been used for more OL help, to upgrade from Storm and Pipkins.

OT James Hudson, 6-4, out of Cincinnati, was available. The Browns drafted him in the 4th round at #110, and he is listed as the No. 2 LT on their depth chart. At #128 in the 4th round, the Steelers drafted OT Dan Moore, 6-5, 309 out of Texas A&M. He, too, is listed as the 2 LT on the Steeler's depth chart.

I realize that if Telesco had used the #97 pick on either of these guys, he might have made a different decision at #159 in the 5th round, where he drafted Brenden Jaimes. But why not draft an OT with the second 3rd pick and another OT in the 5th after drafting an OT with the 1st round pick? What's wrong with drafting three OTs, when your OL was the team's biggest liability the previous season, and you want turn it around in one year?

I hope McKitty makes me look stupid by having a surprise rookie season. But right now it looks like we could have gotten McKitty's skill set in free agency or later in the draft or from a UDFA. Or, even better, IMO, pay Hunter Henry with all the cap space the Chargers have not used, and eliminate the need to draft a young TE that is going to take time to develop. This team needed OL more than it needed a TE.

ADDENDUM: I didn't clarify that James is an OG for the Bolts. So it would have been OT in rounds 1 & 3 and an OG in round 5. I would prefer that to drafting a TE with a round 3 comp pick that is going have a big impact right away.

Iam a Florida state fan so I kinda thought he showed flashes.
Much rather have OL there though.
Could have had the guard out of Tennessee, Smith I believe.
In the 6th round♂️♂️

[Bolt Dude]

It's hard to get depth reports from other team camps but it seems like Meinerz is struggling and was easily beaten for the starting C job by Cushenberry.

The best alternative pick at #97 would have been Elijah Molden. Dude’s ballin in preseason. He’ll be the starting nickel by mid-season. Who do we have behind CHJ? Maybe Asante, but then who’s on the outside?

[Bolt4Knob]

Well that makes too much sense, lol. And doesn’t preclude snatching up a player cut from another team (or trading a pick for Grant..).

I guess Harper didn't show enough for the PS to be brought back. Granted, I am always looking for OL depth on the PS. Understanding you need to pick the right players that show the ability. But all things equal..

[Bolt Dude]

I guess Harper didn't show enough for the PS to be brought back. Granted, I am always looking for OL depth on the PS. Understanding you need to pick the right players that show the ability. But all things equal..

Bring him back? I say no.

[Xenos]

49ers and Steelers will cut backs that are better than Jackson and Kelley.... If we ONLY keep 3 RB's, our 3 RB's have to be healthy and not injury prone.....

There should be several players cut at RB, OL, K...... etc that are better than our current depth and can help this team

The 49ers RBs are only good because of Shanahan’s offensive scheme. He could probably make Kelley look good.

[Xenos]

A few of my thoughts:
1. At the time of the draft, I criticized the McKitty pick and still do. Quinn Meinerz was the no brainer pick at 97, even if he is interior line. Maybe the failure of Pipkins left them shy about drafting Meinerz. I'm not sure that is a good reason though. Anyway, with Slater, Meinerz, and Jaimes, the OL would have been moving in the right direction. To me, McKitty was not the best available at 97. It just didn't make sense and after camp and preseason, it still doesn't make sense. I get they viewed him as really an addition to the OL, but at 97, this team needed players. It hurts more seeing how Meinerz has performed and what he could have provided to this OL group.
2. I went back and reviewed the preseason games, and if Staley wanted to make a point about the lack of depth -- and just the general poor drafting by Telesco over the last 3 years -- he did it at least implicitly. Other than WR and TE (ironically -- Anderson makes the McKitty pick even more perplexing), I'm not thrilled with the overall talent in too many of the various groups.

I don’t remember Anderson as a blocking TE at all last season. Good that he improved this offseason.