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Teams with good return defenses kick short I guess. Wouldn’t surprise me. Most every game I’ve been watching lately, the returner only gets the ball to the 20. For the Chargers, its been like that. Dial in the new old guy at kickoffs. :biggrin:
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There was one game a few weeks ago where all of Vizcaino's kickoffs were to the 2-4 yard line, and they were being returned, but the last three were all out of the end zone. I believe the short kicks are a deliberate strategy. And a lot of teams are doing that. According to Popper's latest, opponents are averaging a starting field position of the 24.6-yard line after a Charger kickoff, yet that ranks only 18th in the league. So most teams are not blasting the ball out of the end zone and taking a touchback.Originally posted by Topcat View PostComment
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When you look at the AFC standings, something for the Chargers really stands out to me: the Strength of Schedule of teams they have played. They have the strongest SOS of all the winning teams in the conference at .585. Cleveland's SOS is 2nd at .511. All the other teams with winning records have SOS in the .400s (or lower), all of them more than 100 pts lower than the Chargers. The Steelers, at 3-3, have the strongest SOS, .611, the Bolts' being second to that in the conference. Buffalo's is .366, they are 4-2 also.
What I see is that the Chargers are winning by beating good teams. All of the other teams at the top of the conference are winning by beating bad teams (except Cleveland). The bottom three teams in the conference, all with 1 win, have played a much stronger SOS, all over .500, than the top seven teams, except for the Chargers. And while the bad teams are losing against a strong SOS, the Chargers are winning.
KC's SOS is .553 by the way.Comment
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Not only that, but the two teams we lost to aren't chopped liver either....Originally posted by Velo View PostComment
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If you go further back Jeremy Clary. There used to be Chargers fans that would PRAY for that man to break a leg on game day (either figuratively or literally). But he never ever got injured and continued to always just play and suck.Originally posted by powderblueboy View PostTom Telesco’s Results in 9 years as Chargers GM:
- 69-74 record
- 0 division titles in 9 yrs as GM
- Worst record among all active GMs with same tenure
- 6th worst winning percentage among all active GMs overall
- 2 playoff wins despite elite QB all 9 yrs
- Team still has the same weaknesses (Oline and run defense) that it had when hired as GM in 2013
- Consistently puts together horrible depth, expects starters to never miss gamesComment
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Clary was a decent RT who held down that spot for years for the Chargers and for some reason some Chargers fans blamed him for everything. He was never as bad as his his haters made him out to be. But even his haters grew to admire him, and even pined for him, after DJ Fluker took over at RT.Originally posted by UglyTruth View PostComment
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Clary consistently led the Bolts in sacks allowed...wouldn't exactly call him decent...he was a late rounder who should have been a backup only...Originally posted by Velo View PostComment
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Clary was a tough SOB. He was very banged up at times and still played. What sucks is him being banged up and he was still our best option. Thats his best feature though.....playing when hurt and showing up. He was very mediocre but at the time, he was better than Olivea who was decent at first then fell to earth. Olivea was a 7th round pick.Originally posted by Topcat View PostComment
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Some hypothetical trade ideas that Popper is spitballing.
The NFL trade deadline is a week away, and the Chargers, at 4-2 through seven weeks, are in position to be buyers.
That does not necessarily mean they will be. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is historically inactive at the trade deadline. He has never acquired a player via trade before the deadline in his nine seasons as the team’s primary personnel decision-maker. And, in fact, he has only made two deadline trades in his tenure, both of which involved dealing players for draft picks. He traded wide receiver Dontrelle Inman to the Bears for a seventh-round pick in 2017, and last season, he sent defensive back Desmond King to the Titans for a sixth-round pick.
Telesco covets his draft picks. They lead to young, cheap players with potential on controllable contracts. And that is how he prefers to build his roster.
But the Chargers are playoff contenders this year, and they have clear deficiencies at two key positions: defensive line and right guard.
The Chargers have struggled on run defense through six games. Some of that is the teams they have played. The Chargers have already faced three top-10 rushing offenses, according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA efficiency metric. But some of that, too, is performance and talent. If the Chargers want to be aggressive at the trade deadline, acquiring a run-stuffing defensive lineman should be their top priority, even with defensive lineman Justin Jones — who has missed the past five games with a calf injury — set to return from injured reserve this week.
On the offensive line, the Chargers lost right guard Oday Aboushi for the season with a torn ACL. They signed Michael Schofield and he has filled in at right guard over the past two games. But they could use an upgrade at that position. At a minimum, they could use some depth on the interior of the offensive line. Fifth-round pick Brenden Jaimes is not ready to play at this point. He has been inactive in each of the last four games.
Will Telesco buck his deadline trend? We will find out. Here are four players he could target if he decides to address those needs sometime in the next week.
Bears DL Akiem Hicks
Why it makes sense: The Bears are 3-4 with two losses in the last two weeks, including an ugly 38-3 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. They are not particularly close to contending. They have a rookie quarterback in Justin Fields. And Hicks is someone they could use to acquire a draft pick. Hicks is on an expiring deal and is set to be a free agent after this season. The Chargers would take on $10.4 million in salary if they trade for Hicks, and they have just enough cap room to fit that into their sheet, according to Over The Cap. The Chargers have just under $11 million in space. Brandon Staley spent two seasons with Hicks in Chicago in 2017 and 2018. Hicks is familiar with the scheme from his time playing under Vic Fangio in those two seasons. The Chargers need talented defensive linemen, and Hicks certainly provides that. I think a fourth-round pick would get this deal done.
Why it does not make sense: Telesco almost always avoids operating that close to the salary cap. The Chargers would have less than $1 million in space if they trade for Hicks, and that move would significantly decrease the amount of space the Chargers can roll over to 2022. Hicks turns 32 in November and is nursing a groin injury that kept him out of the Bears’ Week 7 toss to Tampa Bay. Trading for aging and injured players goes against Telesco’s GM DNA, so I do not think this deal is likely. But it is an option.
Eagles DL Fletcher Cox
Why it makes sense: Cox is not particularly pleased with how he has been used in first-year defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme, and he has voiced those frustrations in recent weeks. “Honestly, it’s just not what it’s been,” Cox said after the Eagles’ blowout loss to the Raiders on Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Bo Wulf. “I’ve just gotta play what’s being called, and when you’re so used to playing so aggressive in the last however many years I’ve been playing … you just kind of gotta play what’s being called.” Talented, disgruntled players on losing teams are always intriguing trade candidates. After restructuring his contract in September, Cox only has a $1.075 million base salary, according to Over The Cap. That is what the Chargers would take on if they trade for Cox, and that can fit easily.
Why it does not make sense: That same restructure made it rather difficult for the Eagles to trade Cox. According to Over The Cap, the Eagles would take on more than $10 million in dead money if they trade Cox before the deadline. That is a hefty number and could make this deal untenable. But the Eagles are not cap-crunched. And even with a trove of 2022 draft picks they acquired via trades, they could use more capital given the state of their roster. The salary-cap situation would likely force the Chargers to give up a more premium pick to sweeten the deal for Philadelphia.
Bills OL Cody Ford
Why it makes sense: Ford started at right guard for the Bills in their first three games but has since lost that role. He has not played an offensive snap in the past two weeks. With starting experience and tackle flexibility, Ford is an interesting target for the Chargers. He also has one more year remaining on his rookie deal.
Why it does not make sense: After checking in with The Athletic’s Bills writer, Joe Buscaglia, it seems like the Bills are more likely to hang on to Ford for insurance. Daryl Williams began the year as their starting right tackle, but he lost that role to rookie Spencer Brown and moved inside to right guard. Williams is not having a great season. The Chargers would have to sway the Bills with a high draft pick in return.
Eagles OL Brandon Brooks
Why it makes sense: Brooks is an excellent player when healthy, and, as mentioned, it’s looking like the Eagles will be sellers at the deadline. Brooks has a $1.075 million base salary, so there would be no cap issues for the Chargers in acquiring Brooks. Losing Aboushi hurts, but adding Brooks would be an upgrade if he can get back on the field. Brooks has not played since Week 2.
Why it does not make sense: Brooks, who turned 32 in August, is dealing with a torn pectoral muscle that will keep him out a few more weeks. He missed all of last season with an Achilles injury and he has three more expensive years left on his contract. He would have cap hits of $13.4 million, $11.6 million and $13.4 million through 2023, according to Over The Cap. If Brooks can stay healthy, he would shore up the Chargers’ right guard spot for the remainder of Justin Herbert’s rookie deal. Aboushi was only on a one-year deal, and the Chargers do not have an apparent replacement on the roster unless Jaimes takes a huge jump from Year 1 to Year 2. But, like with Hicks, this trade might not align with Telesco’s team-building philosophy.Comment
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