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What went right: The Chargers shored up an offensive line that ranked 32nd in pass block win rate last season in front of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. General manager Tom Telesco signed away Corey Linsley away from the Packers and added Matt Feiler from the Steelers before using his first-round pick on Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater. The team also helped keep the universe in order by signing Chase Daniel to serve as Herbert's backup.
What went wrong:The defense took a hit, as the Chargers lost a trio of starters in Melvin Ingram, Casey Hayward and Rayshawn Jenkins. The only significant replacement they acquired for any of the three was cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., a second-round pick who might be pushed into the lineup prematurely. The pass-rushing spot across from Nick Bosa might come down to Uchenna Nwosu and Kyler Fackrell. The Chargers will count on the return of Derwin James and the arrival of Brandon Staley, who oversaw the league's fourth-best defense by DVOA a year ago.
What they could have done differently: Los Angeles could have addressed cornerback by adding a veteran in free agency; I was surprised it didn't make a run at Troy Hill, who played under Staley a year ago. Linsley was an excellent center in Green Bay, but great centers don't always travel well when they head to new locations in free agency, and he's getting paid $17 million in Year 1 of his deal. Would the Chargers have been better with Hill at corner and instead using their second-round pick on a center such as Creed Humphrey? The money they saved could have bought them an edge rusher.
What's left to do: Add that edge rusher. The Chargers are too dependent on Bosa as it stands, and we know that it's always dangerous for this organization to count on one of their stars to stay healthy.
Losing that trio wasn't exactly "taking a hit." Ingram is a washed-up pass rusher with ZERO sacks last season. Hayward is a washed-up CB who has lost two steps and got burned repeatedly last year. Jenkins flashed at times, but was too inconsistent on his tackling, making a nice stop one play, then whiffing the next. The Bolts made the right move by letting all three of them go...
Now you're starting up with the Herman's Hermits tunes, eh?
And why stop there? Now that the Spani are done "monkee-ing around" the past several years, they now have a competent coaching staff in place, with key players, so now, ahem, "I'm a Believer"...
And why stop there? Now that the Spani are done "monkee-ing around" the past several years, they now have a competent coaching staff in place, with key players, so now, ahem, "I'm a Believer"...
Or are you a daydream believer?
If you ask me, they put Anthony Lynn on the last train to Clarksville...
If you ask me, they put Anthony Lynn on the last train to Clarksville...
Excellent ones, there, Quack...all I can say is, after being the doormat of the AFC West for years, the Bolts can now truly say, ahem, "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone!"
Excellent ones, there, Quack...all I can say is, after being the doormat of the AFC West for years, the Bolts can now truly say, ahem, "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone!"
You're coming up with some good ones, Cat, and so am I.
And why stop there? Now that the Spani are done "monkee-ing around" the past several years, they now have a competent coaching staff in place, with key players, so now, ahem, "I'm a Believer"...
I want to believe, but I am reserving judgment on competency/incompetency of this staff until they've coached a few games and see what the team looks like. For all we know, they could make Anthony Lynn look like a genius.
Losing that trio wasn't exactly "taking a hit." Ingram is a washed-up pass rusher with ZERO sacks last season. Hayward is a washed-up CB who has lost two steps and got burned repeatedly last year. Jenkins flashed at times, but was too inconsistent on his tackling, making a nice stop one play, then whiffing the next. The Bolts made the right move by letting all three of them go...
Agree. This is a really lazily written blurb. Maybe the Chargers did "make a run" at Troy Hill. Centers don't travel well? What does that even mean? Samuel is widely considered to be very, very ready to play. And not knowing which Bosa is on the team is unforgivable.
One of the things that got my attention in the Jeremiah interview is that he said, "the Chargers need to finish games. And you finish games with the pass rush." Yep...been banging the table for a quality Edge for months...one more reason to find a way to sign someone like Justin Houston...
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