AFC West OL

[blueman]

I have more confidence in Troutman stepping up if his mistakes had been more technique related. That he was such a reliable mental mistake waiting to happen/happened makes me think his ceiling has been reached.

[Millionaire Wussy]

When we suck at something, change is good.

Wisdom baby.

[KNSD]

I have more confidence in Troutman stepping up if there's somebody else on the team that can replace him. That way when he doesn't step up the team can move forward without him.

[blueman]

Can't be too hard, a street signing outplayed him.

[richpjr]

Eric Williams on Watt:

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

San Diego Chargers: Who should start at right guard?
by Keith Demolder 1d ago FOLLOW @SPORTSFAN318 TWEET SHARE COMMENTS
When the smoke cleared in 2014, the San Diego Chargers finished 9-7 but missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. One of their biggest downsides? Their offensive line.

After ranking just 18th a season ago by Pro Football Focus, only two teams in the NFL were ranked worst than the Bolts this past season in terms of offensive line play. San Diego finished 27th in pass-blocking and 26th in run blocking.


As well, Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus stated that the Bolts “don’t give you the cleanest pocket and the moves they’ve made haven’t turned them into road graders. D.J. Fluker concerns you with his pass protection and yet he’s arguably the only guy you’d guarantee will be starting for the team next year even if it is at guard. Dude: Pick a guard, any guard. We’ll go with Johnnie Troutman who just didn’t deliver in his 790 snaps. The whole interior is ripe for ripping up.”

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After such a poor performance from the offensive line, General Manager Tom Telesco made it his mission to make this offensive line that much better in 2015 by re-signing left tackle King Dunlap while adding guard Orlando Franklin, tackle Joe Barksdale from the St. Louis Rams and Chris Hairston from the Buffalo Bills to its much-improved offensive line.

As well, the Bolts added former Arena Bowl Champion Michael Huey to add some depth to the right guard position.

With OGs Huey, Johnnie Troutman and Jeremiah Sirles, the San Diego Chargers have a bit of a predicament. They have three offensive guards at the right guard position and no clear winner.

The consensus around Chargers Park is that junior Chris Watt will be the Botls starting center, with Franklin, Dunlap and Fluker starting as well. For the right guard position, Troutman is listed as the current “starter,” but nobody truly knows who will be in that starting slot come week one.

Out of Pennsylvania State University, Troutman was one of the Nittany Lions best offensive tackles and top prospects.

According to his bio via Penn State, Troutman “has made considerable progress over the last two seasons while grabbing hold of the starting job at left guard and is a probable All-Big Ten candidate. Troutman started the final 11 games of last year and has 19 career starts. He was instrumental on a Penn State offensive line that allowed only 12 sacks all season, No. 13 in the nation for fewest sacks allowed. Possessing very good physical attributes, skills and intensity, Troutman will be one of three returning senior starters to the O-Line. The former all-state selection at Pemberton HS, [Troutman] played a critical role in helping Penn State gain 350 or more yards nine times.”


Unfortunately for the Chargers, Troutman’s pectoral injury kept him out of the entire 2012 regular season. Luckily during 2013 he was able to replace Jeromey Clary and Chad Rinehart and start some games at left and right guard.

Last season, Troutman started 15 games at the right guard position and saw mixed results, suffering a season-ending knee injury in week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers. What is interesting to note is Troutman’s improvement over the 2013 and 2014 seasons where his penalties decreased from eight to just two and his sacks allowed per game started decreased from 3.0 allowed in nine games to 3.5 allowed in 15 games (courtesy of YES Network).


And while those stats are improvements, Troutman was one of the Chargers more porous guards in 2014, helping contribute to the Chargers woes in the running game (ranking second-worst in run blocking according to FootballOutsiders.com).

In all honesty, I would love to see the Chargers go out and sign guard Justin Blalock who remains one of the league’s best free agent guards. In the past five seasons, Blalock has allowed just 2.4 sacks and two penalties per season (according to STATS).

Considering Troutman’s injuries and lack of pass protection, it seems that anybody else would be a better job. If there were anyone I would advocate for, it would be former Arena Bowl Champion Michael Huey.

[Mister Hoarse]

Former Arena Bowl Champion...

[Lightningwill_420]

Is Justin Blalock good?

The author is wrong on one point and confusing on another.

DJ Fluker is not the only Charger lineman from last year guaranteed to be starting this year. King Dunlap is not going to get demoted before the season starts.

Did Troutman give up 3.5 sacks per game last season or 3.5 sacks total over 15 games?

[Steve]

According to YES network, 3.5 over the 15 games. I looked him up on PFF, and they ranked him at 5 allowed (which is what they credited Rivers as having given up). take it with a grain of salt, but 5 sacks allowed by an OG is quite a few. But it is also his stronger suit. Troutman makes the occasional big block as a run blocker, but mostly he is more steady as a pass blocker. He allows way too much penetration against the run, getting the RB blown up in the backfield.

For the rest, Ronnie Brown was the only RB to allow one.
Reinhart - 4
Dunlap - 3 (although he faces the best pass rushers as the LT)
Fluker - 7
Watt - 3
Robinson - 1
Sirles - 1
Willie Smith - 3


The telling thing about Troutman was that although he allowed 5 sacks, he only allowed the QB to be hit 1 other time. Meaning, when he misses, he misses pretty big.

[Lightningwill_420]

According to YES network, 3.5 over the 15 games. I looked him up on PFF, and they ranked him at 5 allowed (which is what they credited Rivers as having given up). take it with a grain of salt, but 5 sacks allowed by an OG is quite a few. But it is also his stronger suit. Troutman makes the occasional big block as a run blocker, but mostly he is more steady as a pass blocker. He allows way too much penetration against the run, getting the RB blown up in the backfield.

For the rest, Ronnie Brown was the only RB to allow one.
Reinhart - 4
Dunlap - 3 (although he faces the best pass rushers as the LT)
Fluker - 7
Watt - 3
Robinson - 1
Sirles - 1
Willie Smith - 3


The telling thing about Troutman was that although he allowed 5 sacks, he only allowed the QB to be hit 1 other time. Meaning, when he misses, he misses pretty big.

Thanks.

[Formula 21]

Chris Watt looks part as Chargers center
By Michael Gehlken9 a.m.May 30, 2015

There is something different about Chris Watt.

His quarterback can sense it.

The Chargers center has been around the team facility since early April. In that time, Philip Rivers has watched how he carries himself, a quiet confidence discernibly different from what the 24-year-old had even months ago during his rookie season.

Watt is coming into his own.

Around him, the rest of the group will take shape.

Watt is the least experienced member of the Chargers' projected starting offensive line. He does not act it, having matured quickly to entrench himself as the man in the middle for San Diego, both for this year and likely well beyond. However the line is arranged in 2015, the Chargers believe they'll have an improved unit. Watt is at its core.

Rivers called his maturation "awesome to see."

"I think I see it more as an older player than maybe I did (my) sixth, seventh or eighth year just because you're more aware of it," Rivers said. "Seeing a guy, even from his rookie year to his second-year offseason like this stage we're in right now, he's just got a different presence about him.

"He may not admit to it, but I can see last year, 'I'm figuring this out, watching (center NIck) Hardwick and these guys to figure it out.' Then he was playing at center and he gets injured. It's not that he didn't have confidence, but he's still figuring it out. Now you see him, and he just has a little bit of an aura about him, of 'I belong here, and I'm ready to go be the center.' "

In one year, Watt has come a long way.

He joined the Chargers last May as a third-round pick from Notre Dame, a guard who'd never played center during a game in his life. He was in an ideal position to learn, both with Hardwick in his 11th season and offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris, one of the league's most respected mentors, on staff.

Watt played some center in the preseason.

The plan was for him to stay at guard in 2014, but the Chargers became the first team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to start five different centers in the same season. He was one of them, making five starts before a Week 16 ankle injury ended his season.

Back home, he trained in Lake Forest, Ill.

He worked with former NFL linemen Olin Kreutz, James "Big Cat" Williams and Roberto Garza. The group has a combined 40 years of NFL experience, 35 of which was spent with the Chicago Bears. Watt grew up in Illinois, his hometown of Glen Ellyn about 25 miles west of Chicago.

"Olin has his own personal gym," said Watt, who added bulk and upper-body strength. "It's a pretty impressive (facility). ... Those are guys I watched growing up; I saw them in training camp. They bring a lot of knowledge, not just football but with lifting and taking care of your body. It was good information to get, and they're fun to work with."

What the Chargers' line looks like in 2015 remains to be seen.

Tackle King Dunlap and guard Orlando Franklin seem cemented on the left side.

On the right, there are options with guard Johnnie Troutman and tackle D.J. Fluker returning. As of right now, Joe Barskdale, a recent signing, projects as depth as a No. 3 tackle, but he and guard Jeremiah Sirles, a second-year player, figure to be among those who push for reps in training camp. Reserve center Trevor Robinson is among the others who round out the group.

The Chargers had unprecedented instability at center last year.

From it, Watt gained experience he'll carry into his second season. It should serve him and the team well.

"At this time last year, this was my third week here," Watt said. "I'm more comfortable being in the city, around my teammates. You don't want to be too comfortable. This is only my second year; I haven't done anything yet. ... But I'm definitely more comfortable with the offense."

Rivers can tell.

I'm pretty happy with the state of the O line so far this year. I'm even willing to give Porkchops another chance in TC due to last year's instability at C and the discombobulated mess at O line as a whole. We'll see, but Watt could become a long time quality starter for us.

Could the O line become a team strength? That would be a dream after years of ignoring it.

[bonehead]

I'm pretty happy with the state of the O line so far this year. I'm even willing to give Porkchops another chance in TC due to last year's instability at C and the discombobulated mess at O line as a whole. We'll see, but Watt could become a long time quality starter for us.

Could the O line become a team strength? That would be a dream after years of ignoring it.

Our Oline is on the way up while Denver's is imploding.