Your 2015 projected starters...

[Lightningwill_420]

We will just have to wait for the rise or fall of the turd Reich to play out.

You sound like Norville Chamberlain.

[bonehead]

We will just have to wait for the rise or fall of the turd Reich to play out.

and hope the Vichy Ownership doesn't capitulate to the LA Axis

[blueman]

and hope the Vichy Ownership doesn't capitulate to the LA Axis

Fucking hell, bh, post of the offseason.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

San Diego Chargers 2015 Projected Starters
 SHANE THEODORE MAY 30, 2015


When prominent assistant coaches in the NFL earn their first shot at a head coaching position, more often than not they’re given a couple years of leeway to build and shape their new team. End your first season with below a .500 record? No worries, you’ll be cut some slack. Reach .500 or higher in your first year? You’re now the city’s newest superhero.

The latter situation is the one Mike McCoy experienced in his first season as head coach of the San Diego Chargers, going 9-7 and winning a road playoff game. McCoy earned Coach of the Year attention, and going into 2014 his Chargers were projected as a dark horse contender for the AFC crown. Well, they equaled their 2013 win total in another 9-7 season, but missing out on the postseason on the last day of the year left a bitter taste in the collective mouth of San Diegans.

San Diego won’t have the chance to put the disappointing Week 17 loss in Kansas City behind them until Week 1 of 2015, but that hasn’t stopped the Chargers from making significant improvements in the offseason. Many of San Diego’s offseason acquisitions will see the playing field for the Chargers in 2015, with some of them stepping into starting roles. Here’s how the San Diego lineup shakes out.

Projected Starting Offense

QB Philip Rivers

RB Melvin Gordon/Danny Woodhead

WR Malcom Floyd

WR Keenan Allen

WR Stevie Johnson

TE Antonio Gates

LT King Dunlap

LG Orlando Franklin

C Chris Watt

RG D.J. Fluker

RT Joe Barksdale

San Diego’s offensive production as whole wasn’t poor in 2014, but injury issues greatly hindered the unit’s ability to reach its potential. San Diego’s leading rusher in 2014 was undrafted rookie Branden Oliver, who had to step in for the three backs ahead of him on the depth chart that went down with injury. Oliver performed valiantly, but the 582 yards he contributed aren’t enough for a RB 1.

Enter Gordon, San Diego’s first-round pick in April and the 2014 Doak Walker Award winner for the best running back in college football. Gordon immediately fills the hole that Ryan Mathews left, and could even be considered an upgrade over the oft-injured Mathews. Danny Woodhead returns after missing the majority of 2014, and the scat back serves a different, yet equally valuable purpose for the San Diego offense.


Keenan Allen wasn’t as productive in his second season, but the San Diego Chargers are hoping he’ll bounce back in 2015.

Floyd and Allen are proven receivers who had many noteworthy performances in 2014, but the departure of third banana Eddie Royal left a spot open for a slot receiver. Johnson, who has rarely played the slot in his career, was signed to transition into the every-down slot guy. Rivers is easily the best quarterback Johnson’s had in his career, and a revival could be in store for the former Buffalo star. Jacoby Jones, a castoff from Baltimore after winning a Super Bowl with the Ravens, was also added to San Diego’s wide receiving corps and he provides a new deep threat off the bench for Rivers.

San Diego’s biggest upgrade of the offseason came on the offensive line, re-signing 6’9″ King Dunlap and signing 6’7″ Orlando Franklin away from Denver to create a monstrous left side of the line. Watt, the second-year swingman out of Notre Dame, is the likely long-term solution for San Diego at center after the retirement of Nick Hardwick. Meanwhile, Fluker has played right tackle in his first two seasons for San Diego, but he struggled with speed rushers and his talents are best used as a mauling right guard. The recent signing of Barksdale allows the Chargers to do that, and San Diego’s assembled a Top-10 offensive line.

Projected Starting Defense

DT Corey Luiget

NT Sean Lissemore

DE Kendall Reyes

OLB Melvin Ingram

ILB Manti Te’o

ILB Donald Butler

OLB Jeremiah Attaochu

CB Brandon Flowers

CB Jason Verrett

FS Eric Weddle

SS Jahleel Addae

San Diego’s defense in 2014 wasn’t particularly bad and it rarely was the reason behind a Chargers loss, but it wasn’t particularly good either and failed to make many game-changing plays over the course of the season. San Diego added pieces to its defense with its second and third-round picks this year, but the drafting of Denzel Perryman and Craig Mager won’t result in either of the rookies breaking into the starting lineup.

Rather, San Diego will rely on all returning players from 2014, hoping for a season that doesn’t see the injury bug latch onto the team. Corey Liuget is a Pro Bowl talent whose impact on the game is rarely shown on the stat sheet. While San Diego has high hopes for 2014 fifth-rounder Ryan Carrethers and 2015 sixth-rounder Darius Philon, Lissemore’s experience leaves him as the best immediate option at nose tackle. Reyes enters a contract season, needing a strong campaign to warrant top dollar offers in the 2016 free agency market.

Ingram and Attaochu are San Diego’s prized outside linebackers, and both have shown game-changing ability when healthy. That’s been the issue for the two players though, as Attaochu missed much of his rookie season with ailments and Ingram’s suffered multiple significant injuries in his short career. The departure of veterans Jarret Johnson and Dwight Freeney leave a void to be filled, and the two young pass-rushers have the talent to do that well. Whether they stay on the field or not is the main question, more so with Ingram than Attaochu.


Manti Te’o is growing more and more comfortable with the San Diego Chargers.

At inside linebacker, Te’o enters his third NFL season with the most confidence and comfort he’s had since the tumolutous way his college career ended. Te’o played well in 2014 but his play was often overshadowed by the poor play of his counterpart Butler, who was benched multiple times by defensive coordinator John Pagano in his first year of a new contract. The Chargers believe in Butler and with the money they’re paying him one would hope they do, but San Diego’s selection of Perryman in the second round shows they’re willing to bench Butler if he doesn’t improve.

At the cornerback position, San Diego is the strongest they’ve been since Quinten Jammer and Antonio Cromartie manned the secondary. Verrett missed most of 2014 with injury, but the second year pro impressed in his rookie season and should be a lockdown corner for the Chargers. San Diego’s lockdown corner from 2014 resigned with the team in the offseason in Brandon Flowers, and his veteran presence will help the still-learning Verrett.

First-team All-Pro Eric Weddle is arguably the best safety in the league, but he’ll have to work alongside a new strong safety after Marcus Gilchrist’s departure. Jahleel Addae has established himself as a banshee strong safety, bringing powerful hits regardless of physical repercussions. His recklessness is part of what makes the 2013 undrafted safety a polarizing player, but the Chargers don’t have anyone else with his combination of skill and system knowledge

[Bolt-O]

First-team All-Pro Eric Weddle is arguably the best safety in the league, but he’ll have to work alongside a new strong safety after Marcus Gilchrist’s departure. Jahleel Addae has established himself as a banshee strong safety, bringing powerful hits regardless of physical repercussions. His recklessness is part of what makes the 2013 undrafted safety a polarizing player, but the Chargers don’t have anyone else with his combination of skill and system knowledge

I think the author should check his metaphors.

[Boltjolt]

I think the author should check his metaphors.

And his info. Says Weddle will need to work with a new SS then mentions Addea who is going on his third season back there and played SS.

Good job dude!

[blueman]

Where's the nickle back? And the rush line? No mention even?

[Boltergeist]

I think the author should check his metaphors.

https://youtu.be/W2WeFy8_0gs

[Sec-E4]

Where's the nickle back? And the rush line? No mention even?