Turning To Next Year...

[electricgold]

I'd actually be fine with bringing the entire offense back and just draft 100% defense

We need 2 more stud OLINEMEN tho for sure!
We need a pro bowl DT
We need a workhorse pro bowl RB with the ability to rush for 100 yards per game.
We need a few solid CB's for depth
We need 2 stud LB's

If we just did addressed the above positions and nothing else I would like our chances... we could do this easy in the draft and FA this off season.

[Bolt4Knob]

I doubt that too many teams have the cap space to afford Rogers. Including Denver.

1) Cap Space is a myth the owners like to tell their fan base why they are not spending money

2) the Broncos today have $49m of cap space and if need be, I just looked at OTC.com and they easily can "find" another $20m

Cap space should not be a reason teams do not trade for A-A-Ron (or even Russell Wilson)

[Bolt4Knob]

We need 2 more stud OLINEMEN tho for sure!
We need a pro bowl DT
We need a workhorse pro bowl RB with the ability to rush for 100 yards per game.
We need a few solid CB's for depth
We need 2 stud LB's

If we just did addressed the above positions and nothing else I would like our chances... we could do this easy in the draft and FA this off season.

I am good bringing back Aboushi, Norton, seeing what Pipkins and Jaimes can do but yes, I would like one more option at RT. Hell Schofield too for cheap depth.

I think two interior DT and that includes signing Justin Jones.

RB -agreed. they need somebody who can run the rock not named Ekeler

CBs - for sure one more

White and Dru are fine but I want more depth at the Edge. That could be Nwosu and Reddick for instance

Its a long list but with diligence, prudent scouting and the smart use of cap space - the Chargers can do all of the above between the draft and free agency.

[richpjr]

I think we need another explosive playmaker on offense. We need someone who is a threat to take it to the house ever time he touches the ball and right now that is only Ekeler. I don't care if it is a RB, WR or maybe even a TE - we need someone else.

Allen is the best route running possession receiver in the NFL but is not explosive. Guyton has good speed but has not developed into a legitimate big play WR. MW is great at going and getting some high point deep passes, but is not a great open field runner. None of our TEs is dominant. Jackson is a nice backup when healthy, but is always hurt and is pretty slow. The rest of our RB are guys who probably won't even make a deeper team.

Just a thought as I think our "playmaking" talent is kind of overrated.

[DallasEire]

Like most on the board, not ready to kill Staley before the end of his first year but there are some very disturbing trends for both Coach Smoke and his Gangsta QB. As a fan that has had to fight through Kevin Gilbride, Dan Henning, Anthony Lynn, Norval, and Mike McCoy ( BTW, Coach Smoke reminds me a lot of McCoy with less first year success but a heightened focus on relatability to players ), i want the organization to blindly trip into the right hire one of these days and remain hopefully that Smoke is it.

With that, i see a lot of discussion around the genius defensive mind reputation that seems greatly misaligned with the real world results. I don't think anyone in here believes this roster is Championship level - a lot of discussion on Telesco to that angle. We also all know that ownership is Donald Sterling like bad and the Spanii have very aptly taken the LAC description from the NBA's version of the worst franchise and applied that generously to their own burning bag of shit. All of those factors not fully dismissed, i would like to see Smoke have a game plan that appears to put his players that he has now had over a year with into positions to make a play. The inability to stop a team on third down has me seeing Dale Lindsey and his forgettable defense as opposed to the younger and cooler version of Belicheck.

There has to be a time where he puts his players in a position to make a play and not a single reference to the whiff by #57 ( that certainly does happen when you're playing with back-ups )_ but an overall game plan that demonstrates that he knows how to take away an opposing team's approach ( one way or another ). We cannot always rely on the fact that we don't have eleven pro bowl players on defense. We need some kind of a strategic approach that limits the exposure of the D's flaws and yet week after week we're treated to one long close up of the blemishes.

Speaking of McCoy earlier - when he had a team with far less talent defensively he used Whisenhunt and Rivers to augment their defense by holding the ball and shortening the game. That team had a ridiculous lack of defensive talent and yet won a road playoff game.

That brings me to his "gangsta" QB. I am definitely not sold on Herbert. He appears unable to read basic zone schemes and now has more downright awful games ( NE last year, Balt this year, Houston yesterday, at Denver this year ) than Rivers had throughout his entire career - one that was littered with deadweight coaches and starting offensive tackles the likes of Sam Tevi and Trey Pipkins.

Herbert has unquestionable measureables and has had a significant amount of statistical success but there are the games mentioned above and the situational moments like the home game vs KC (over a minute to play with all timeouts available and at home to get into field goal position and take a giant step forward toward winning the division i find that i wasn't surprised at all that Herbert couldn't get them across mid field). For this same reason, i wasn't surprised that he was massively outplayed by Davis Mills yesterday. I just keep thinking that a quarterback with these types of physical gifts should have accomplished more at Oregon and there is something about him that makes me feel like we're further away than a right tackle, upgraded defensive end / tackle, and two cornerbacks would seem . I want to believe the franchise is close but with a pro bowl left tackle, pro bowl defensive end, pro bowl safety, and should be pro bowl all purpose back it is very difficult to understand how they are so consistently disappointing.

After Houston unceremoniously stomped the life out of the 2021 season for most Charger fans, looking forward to 2022 the question needs to be whether Coach Smoke has any real answers as to what the fuck happened with his defense ( beyond, lack of personnel ) and whether we can actually count on his Gangsta when we need a win. I don't know that anyone can reasonably answer affirmatively to either one of those questions after 2021. This was not a successful season.

[JOJAX85]

Like most on the board, not ready to kill Staley before the end of his first year but there are some very disturbing trends for both Coach Smoke and his Gangsta QB. As a fan that has had to fight through Kevin Gilbride, Dan Henning, Anthony Lynn, Norval, and Mike McCoy ( BTW, Coach Smoke reminds me a lot of McCoy with less first year success but a heightened focus on relatability to players ), i want the organization to blindly trip into the right hire one of these days and remain hopefully that Smoke is it.

With that, i see a lot of discussion around the genius defensive mind reputation that seems greatly misaligned with the real world results. I don't think anyone in here believes this roster is Championship level - a lot of discussion on Telesco to that angle. We also all know that ownership is Donald Sterling like bad and the Spanii have very aptly taken the LAC description from the NBA's version of the worst franchise and applied that generously to their own burning bag of shit. All of those factors not fully dismissed, i would like to see Smoke have a game plan that appears to put his players that he has now had over a year with into positions to make a play. The inability to stop a team on third down has me seeing Dale Lindsey and his forgettable defense as opposed to the younger and cooler version of Belicheck.

There has to be a time where he puts his players in a position to make a play and not a single reference to the whiff by #57 ( that certainly does happen when you're playing with back-ups )_ but an overall game plan that demonstrates that he knows how to take away an opposing team's approach ( one way or another ). We cannot always rely on the fact that we don't have eleven pro bowl players on defense. We need some kind of a strategic approach that limits the exposure of the D's flaws and yet week after week we're treated to one long close up of the blemishes.

Speaking of McCoy earlier - when he had a team with far less talent defensively he used Whisenhunt and Rivers to augment their defense by holding the ball and shortening the game. That team had a ridiculous lack of defensive talent and yet won a road playoff game.

That brings me to his "gangsta" QB. I am definitely not sold on Herbert. He appears unable to read basic zone schemes and now has more downright awful games ( NE last year, Balt this year, Houston yesterday, at Denver this year ) than Rivers had throughout his entire career - one that was littered with deadweight coaches and starting offensive tackles the likes of Sam Tevi and Trey Pipkins.

Herbert has unquestionable measureables and has had a significant amount of statistical success but there are the games mentioned above and the situational moments like the home game vs KC (over a minute to play with all timeouts available and at home to get into field goal position and take a giant step forward toward winning the division i find that i wasn't surprised at all that Herbert couldn't get them across mid field). For this same reason, i wasn't surprised that he was massively outplayed by Davis Mills yesterday. I just keep thinking that a quarterback with these types of physical gifts should have accomplished more at Oregon and there is something about him that makes me feel like we're further away than a right tackle, upgraded defensive end / tackle, and two cornerbacks would seem . I want to believe the franchise is close but with a pro bowl left tackle, pro bowl defensive end, pro bowl safety, and should be pro bowl all purpose back it is very difficult to understand how they are so consistently disappointing.

After Houston unceremoniously stomped the life out of the 2021 season for most Charger fans, looking forward to 2022 the question needs to be whether Coach Smoke has any real answers as to what the fuck happened with his defense ( beyond, lack of personnel ) and whether we can actually count on his Gangsta when we need a win. I don't know that anyone can reasonably answer affirmatively to either one of those questions after 2021. This was not a successful season.

I'm just going to agree to disagree with the Herbert view for the sake of not going through this again, but the "now has more awful games than Rivers' entire career" is just utter nonsense.

[DallasEire]

I'm just going to agree to disagree with the Herbert view for the sake of not going through this again, but the "now has more awful games than Rivers' entire career" is just utter nonsense.

I can understand the hesitancy to make a sweeping judgement on Herbert but i don't remember many games, that debacle down in Miami under McCoy comes to mind, where Rivers was confused by a defensive scheme or was simply horrible. Rivers may have suffered from having to push the ball down the field but he never shit his pants in this league like Herbert has. I am not saying the Gangsta won't turn out to be a great QB - i just have more doubts than i would like to at this time. There are still far too many issues understanding what opposing defenses are doing to him and i would question how anybody would have confidence in him to take the team down the field late in a tight and meaningful game.

[JOJAX85]

I can understand the hesitancy to make a sweeping judgement on Herbert but i don't remember many games, that debacle down in Miami under McCoy comes to mind, where Rivers was confused by a defensive scheme or was simply horrible. Rivers may have suffered from having to push the ball down the field but he never shit his pants in this league like Herbert has. I am not saying the Gangsta won't turn out to be a great QB - i just have more doubts than i would like to at this time. There are still far too many issues understanding what opposing defenses are doing to him and i would question how anybody would have confidence in him to take the team down the field late in a tight and meaningful game.

If completing 77% of his passes for 330+ against a Defense that knew we could not run the ball is shitting his pants then we need to fill up his water bottle with Ex-Lax every damn game.

[DallasEire]

He shit his pants against Baltimore, New England, and up in Denver. Yesterday would qualify in the same manner because he was summarily out-played by Davis Mills. Houston was 3-11 with 18 players out for Covid and Gangsta through two picks including another Pick Six. I would say being outplayed in a game where the better quarterback ought to be able to get the win in a must win for sake of playoffs against a very bad and further undermanned team qualifies as a shitting of the pants. He wasn't vs Baltimore bad but he definitely did not demonstrate that he was the gangsta on the field yesterday. The gangsta was Davis Mills yesterday and maybe that was more to do with Coach Smoke but again, i am not sold that Herbert will be following Fouts and Rivers into the HOF.

I don't want to kill Herbert - i think the franchise got very lucky that he was there at six. I just want to see more to where i know he is going to get us a win when we shouldn't be there in the game or that he is going to keep us in games where we don't deserve to be in.... Like Rivers did for his entire career. I do think 2021 is more on Smoke but i don't believe Gangsta is a pro-bowl QB yet. I see a .500 season and i don't think that is a success in a league where every team is .500. Having a pro bowl player at QB should yield more results and should certainly deliver a win against a team that couldn't win the WAC this year.

[Boltjolt]

He shit his pants against Baltimore, New England, and up in Denver. Yesterday would qualify in the same manner because he was summarily out-played by Davis Mills. Houston was 3-11 with 18 players out for Covid and Gangsta through two picks including another Pick Six. I would say being outplayed in a game where the better quarterback ought to be able to get the win in a must win for sake of playoffs against a very bad and further undermanned team qualifies as a shitting of the pants. He wasn't vs Baltimore bad but he definitely did not demonstrate that he was the gangsta on the field yesterday. The gangsta was Davis Mills yesterday and maybe that was more to do with Coach Smoke but again, i am not sold that Herbert will be following Fouts and Rivers into the HOF.

I don't want to kill Herbert - i think the franchise got very lucky that he was there at six. I just want to see more to where i know he is going to get us a win when we shouldn't be there in the game or that he is going to keep us in games where we don't deserve to be in.... Like Rivers did for his entire career. I do think 2021 is more on Smoke but i don't believe Gangsta is a pro-bowl QB yet. I see a .500 season and i don't think that is a success in a league where every team is .500. Having a pro bowl player at QB should yield more results and should certainly deliver a win against a team that couldn't win the WAC this year.

We are getting more results. We have 8 wins which is better than last year with 2 to go.

The bigger problem is our defense is last in a couple of catagories one of which is on third downs which is huge.
If you cant get off the field that makes it harder for the offense and wears down your defensive players.
The defense is also 3rd to last in points given up and that includes taking off both of Herberts pic 6's. Only teams giving up more are the Jets and ironically the Texans.

[WindsorUK]

I guess we just need to compare where Rivers was towards the end of his second season, and where Herbert is towards the end of his second season?
I'm thinking JH is a little further ahead.....and he certainly has a great deal more experience at this point.
In JH we trust!

[FoutsFan]

Like most on the board, not ready to kill Staley before the end of his first year but there are some very disturbing trends for both Coach Smoke and his Gangsta QB. As a fan that has had to fight through Kevin Gilbride, Dan Henning, Anthony Lynn, Norval, and Mike McCoy ( BTW, Coach Smoke reminds me a lot of McCoy with less first year success but a heightened focus on relatability to players ), i want the organization to blindly trip into the right hire one of these days and remain hopefully that Smoke is it.

With that, i see a lot of discussion around the genius defensive mind reputation that seems greatly misaligned with the real world results. I don't think anyone in here believes this roster is Championship level - a lot of discussion on Telesco to that angle. We also all know that ownership is Donald Sterling like bad and the Spanii have very aptly taken the LAC description from the NBA's version of the worst franchise and applied that generously to their own burning bag of shit. All of those factors not fully dismissed, i would like to see Smoke have a game plan that appears to put his players that he has now had over a year with into positions to make a play. The inability to stop a team on third down has me seeing Dale Lindsey and his forgettable defense as opposed to the younger and cooler version of Belicheck.

There has to be a time where he puts his players in a position to make a play and not a single reference to the whiff by #57 ( that certainly does happen when you're playing with back-ups )_ but an overall game plan that demonstrates that he knows how to take away an opposing team's approach ( one way or another ). We cannot always rely on the fact that we don't have eleven pro bowl players on defense. We need some kind of a strategic approach that limits the exposure of the D's flaws and yet week after week we're treated to one long close up of the blemishes.

Speaking of McCoy earlier - when he had a team with far less talent defensively he used Whisenhunt and Rivers to augment their defense by holding the ball and shortening the game. That team had a ridiculous lack of defensive talent and yet won a road playoff game.

That brings me to his "gangsta" QB. I am definitely not sold on Herbert. He appears unable to read basic zone schemes and now has more downright awful games ( NE last year, Balt this year, Houston yesterday, at Denver this year ) than Rivers had throughout his entire career - one that was littered with deadweight coaches and starting offensive tackles the likes of Sam Tevi and Trey Pipkins.

Herbert has unquestionable measureables and has had a significant amount of statistical success but there are the games mentioned above and the situational moments like the home game vs KC (over a minute to play with all timeouts available and at home to get into field goal position and take a giant step forward toward winning the division i find that i wasn't surprised at all that Herbert couldn't get them across mid field). For this same reason, i wasn't surprised that he was massively outplayed by Davis Mills yesterday. I just keep thinking that a quarterback with these types of physical gifts should have accomplished more at Oregon and there is something about him that makes me feel like we're further away than a right tackle, upgraded defensive end / tackle, and two cornerbacks would seem . I want to believe the franchise is close but with a pro bowl left tackle, pro bowl defensive end, pro bowl safety, and should be pro bowl all purpose back it is very difficult to understand how they are so consistently disappointing.

After Houston unceremoniously stomped the life out of the 2021 season for most Charger fans, looking forward to 2022 the question needs to be whether Coach Smoke has any real answers as to what the fuck happened with his defense ( beyond, lack of personnel ) and whether we can actually count on his Gangsta when we need a win. I don't know that anyone can reasonably answer affirmatively to either one of those questions after 2021. This was not a successful season.

Agreed, we should cut Herbert, fire Staley and get back the real Charger way. Maybe Mike Riley is available to come and coach? If we cut Allen as well we can save even more cap money, that way we can at least win the cap super bowl next year.