Welcome Josh Palmer, WR, Tennessee (Pick #77)

[equivocation]

Stop looking at the stats and start looking at the film. When he lines up as the outside reciever in a trips bunch left and runs a 6 yard hook on 3rd and 5...that's a really good route. The CB was camping the 1st down line and Palmer was able to freeze him long enough to present a target by driving downfield and not showing his route until he broke, then snapping the cut. He's really good at disguising his route and breaks. This is in his film over and over.

[richpjr]

Apparently you've looked in your crystal ball and determined that he's hit his ceiling as a number five receiver. Don't be surprised if it turns out your crystal ball had a massive crack in it.

LOL - writing a guy off after a solid first preseason game and following the glowing reviews of the coaching staff and reporters who have watched him practice seems really odd.

[powderblueboy]

I agree with you about he obvious over-hyping of Palmer's performance against the Rams.

I mostly disagree with your other points. The issue is not that Guyton/Johnson need large separation on deep passes, but rather that they have proven repeatedly that they can get that separation.

I am not interested in 50/50 long passes to Palmer when we can get 100/0 long passes to a wide open Guyton/Johnson. Not even Mike Williams wins all of his contested catch opportunities and he is much better in the air than Palmer.

It seems like Palmer can play in the NFL. I am just not so sure that he gives us a whole lot that we do not already have at WR and that if used frequently, he may take away from Johnson and Guyton give us to the extent he is used in the place of one of those two WRs.

Once again, Palmer has gotten deep on first/2nd round draft picks in the SEC. There is nothing to disagree with about that.
Palmer has gotten deep in scrimmages at Chargers park...he just has not demonstrated that skill in an actual NFL game.

And Guyton/Johnson are not 100/0 deep ball threats as you contend...consider the deep ball Chase Daniel threw that barely went over Guyton's head last Saturday.
Other receivers would have made that reception. You have to be on target with Guyton.

Guyton/Johnson were able to get deep last year because defenses were concerned with Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry & Ekeler; and the dime backs Guyton/Johnson would beat had little safety help. Guyton /Johnson are nothing more than 3rd receivers.

It is not guaranteed, but it looks like Palmer will be able to beat you at any level.....and those receivers are very valuable.

[richpjr]

Once again, Palmer has gotten deep on first/2nd round draft picks in the SEC. There is nothing to disagree with about that.
Palmer has gotten deep in scrimmages at Chargers park...he just has not demonstrated that skill in an actual NFL game.

And Guyton/Johnson are not 100/0 deep ball threats as you contend...consider the deep ball Chase Daniel threw that barely went over Guyton's head last Saturday.
Other receivers would have made that reception. You have to be on target with Guyton.

Guyton/Johnson were able to get deep last year because defenses were concerned with Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry & Ekeler; and the dime backs Guyton/Johnson would beat had little safety help. Guyton /Johnson are nothing more than 3rd receivers.

It is not guaranteed, but it looks like Palmer will be able to beat you at any level.....and those receivers are very valuable.

I have seen several former NLF front office media types who believe opposing coaches will concentrate on taking away the deep ball from Herbert this year and trying to keep him in the pocket to see if he has the patience and touch to methodically drive down the field. I suspect this will likely be true and Guyton and Johnson won't have the chances to go deep as frequently as last year.

[Topcat]

Stop looking at the stats and start looking at the film. When he lines up as the outside reciever in a trips bunch left and runs a 6 yard hook on 3rd and 5...that's a really good route. The CB was camping the 1st down line and Palmer was able to freeze him long enough to present a target by driving downfield and not showing his route until he broke, then snapping the cut. He's really good at disguising his route and breaks. This is in his film over and over.

Yep...and if Palmer is this good already, imagine the tips he can pick up from the master route runner, KA...

[Topcat]

I have seen several former NLF front office media types who believe opposing coaches will concentrate on taking away the deep ball from Herbert this year and trying to keep him in the pocket to see if he has the patience and touch to methodically drive down the field. I suspect this will likely be true and Guyton and Johnson won't have the chances to go deep as frequently as last year.

And that's okay with me...if opposing defenses go with two deep safeties, we can put 4-5 receivers out, and Herbie can dink and dunk all day long and eat up the clock...

[Formula 21]

I have seen several former NLF front office media types who believe opposing coaches will concentrate on taking away the deep ball from Herbert this year and trying to keep him in the pocket to see if he has the patience and touch to methodically drive down the field. I suspect this will likely be true and Guyton and Johnson won't have the chances to go deep as frequently as last year.

Protecting deep opens up the running game and short passing game. Nothing wrong with that. Last year, AL said we’re going to be a running team so they defended the box and opened up the long pass. And Herbert made them pay for it like very few QBs can. I’ll be Herbert is outstanding in the short game too.

[Heatmiser]

I have seen several former NLF front office media types who believe opposing coaches will concentrate on taking away the deep ball from Herbert this year and trying to keep him in the pocket to see if he has the patience and touch to methodically drive down the field. I suspect this will likely be true and Guyton and Johnson won't have the chances to go deep as frequently as last year.

I bet that is true and it happens. Other teams learned that even with a crap line, Herbert excels under pressure and that when they gave him super easy, cover zero reads, he can get it done. So conventional strategy would be to play more coverage and make him sit in the pocket more. And him having a better line means pressure won't get there as easily anyway. This is where Lombardi comes in. The Payton offense has plenty of dink and dunk in it. And Herbert appears humble and grounded (and smart) enough to not have to take the kill shot deep balls all the time. I bet he can be patient. Also, taking away the deep game means more space to run the ball.

TG

[Topcat]

I bet that is true and it happens. Other teams learned that even with a crap line, Herbert excels under pressure and that when they gave him super easy, cover zero reads, he can get it done. So conventional strategy would be to play more coverage and make him sit in the pocket more. And him having a better line means pressure won't get there as easily anyway. This is where Lombardi comes in. The Payton offense has plenty of dink and dunk in it. And Herbert appears humble and grounded (and smart) enough to not have to take the kill shot deep balls all the time. I bet he can be patient. Also, taking away the deep game means more space to run the ball.

TG

^ This. I don't think we'll see Herbie playing hero ball like PR, and forcing the rock into coverage...

[La Costa Boy]

^ This. I don't think we'll see Herbie playing hero ball like PR, and forcing the rock into coverage...

Golly darn gee I hope not..........

[chargeroo]

We saw a couple of games last year where we got the ball late in the game and he took what the defense was giving him - and he got us points without the bomb. He's cool headed.

[equivocation]

Yep...and if Palmer is this good already, imagine the tips he can pick up from the master route runner, KA...

I can't post twitter links any more but a couple days ago on the Chargers twitter feed they had a 2+ minute video about CHJr. In it you can see a Palmer vs Adderley matchup where Palmer runs a KA style dagger route and shakes Adderley big time.

He isn't as good as KA at this route but rookie KA wasn't as good as now KA either. He's clearly already learning. I don't know if Palmer will ever have KA's wiggle and improvisation, but he runs good routes and a complete tree, which is good enough.