The Elephant in the Room: Kenneth Murray.

[sonorajim]

Murray led the team in tackles as a rookie, only played 3 games healthy his 2nd year.
I have no doubt that he's a decent starting ILB when he's not on IR or playing limited snaps in a bad ankle.

[Boltjolt]

He could join the lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggggggggg list of players who were great in college but did not make it in the pros.

I hope he comes alive this year, he is on the Chargers so I root for him, he just needs to get it together, like now.

Exactly. Hopefully this is the year it clicks for him.

[Bearded14YourPleasure]

Even as a rookie it took Murray most of the season to really figure it out and produce consistently. Last season he didn’t have time to really find his place in the defense with the injuries and then being forced to play edge due to lack of depth there. The guys is 1 injury-filled season past setting a team rookie record in tackles, I don’t feel the same disappointment in him as a player that most of you seem to.

[Leslie Grossman]

I agree that the 5man front may best serve Murray and Tillery the best, but is what is best for 2 very marginal players what is best for the Chargers D overall? Players like James are worth scheming the rest of the defense around, but you do it around the best players, not fringe players.

And it depends on what you mean as starting? If by starter you mean have a spot in the base 34 D, then I agree. But if you mean the personnel groups that will be on the field the majority of the time, then I'm not sure. They didn't pay SJD and Johnson millions to sit on the sidelines.

On first down with the roster as is I am kind of expecting a 5 man front with Tillery in there(subject to the draft). Should be be stout against the run now with the new additions.
Tillery plas 5 man fronts and passing downs only.

[jubei]

I dont like his tackling technique...he goes too high on too many tackles and it's just gonna lead to guys ducking under his arm and using his momentum to throw him aside.

[gzubeck]

I dont like his tackling technique...he goes too high on too many tackles and it's just gonna lead to guys ducking under his arm and using his momentum to throw him aside.

Any guy he gets a hold of at 200 lbs or less he just treats them like a ragdoll!

:2cents:

[SuperCharged]

I dont like his tackling technique...he goes too high on too many tackles and it's just gonna lead to guys ducking under his arm and using his momentum to throw him aside.

I got that as well. Hopefully this will be his breakout. I would to see him shoot a gap and drop someone in the backfield.

[Steve]

On first down with the roster as is I am kind of expecting a 5 man front with Tillery in there(subject to the draft). Should be be stout against the run now with the new additions.
Tillery plas 5 man fronts and passing downs only.

Tillery has to learn to use his hands and strike out against the OL and stop letting the OL hit him first. It's not an even vs odd front thing, it is a stop sucking thing. He is ineffective vs OL because he is either unable to strike out and unwilling to. Put him in whatever front you want, unless he starts playing with better technique, he is still going to suck. He is not getting blown off the line and pushed into the secondary because he is getting double teamed, which is the big advantage of the 5 man front.

Tillery has a lot of physical skills, but he has to suck it up or he will be looking for a new team this time next season. His 5th year option is close to $11 mill for the following season, so I can't see the Chargers picking his option up. They can still re-sign him, but he has to play well, which he just seems unable to do (consistently). Hopefully having 2 good DT and 2 all pro DE/OLB around him will convivence him to really work on his technique and help him in his film work. He does a poor job of reading plays as they develop, but if he was in the middle of the action he can and does make some plays. But mostly he gets knocked back into the LB and gets in the way. For a big guy who plays with such good pad level, it is pretty disappointing.

[Velo]

I'm reading chatter about Murray having surgery NOW???

Yeah, Murray apparently had surgery today for something, maybe not too severe and nothing worth writing about?

[Caslon]

I don’t see him improving this season. So many of his gaffes last season were so damn obvious. The gaffe to stellar play ratio wasn’t impressive. Switching him to the other side during games, he was just as laughably ineffective. TT keeps him based on his relatively high selection and his “supposed” monster physique, nothing else. TT should cut bait and take the hurt to his reputation. I guarantee you that if he’s gotten rid of and picked up elsewhere, he will not have some kind of miraculous transformation.

[jamrock]

Let the record show that Kenneth Murray waits until April 7 to have ankle surgery. The guy who probably needed OTA’s and camp most will now probably be held out or less than full speed. Smh

[Air Coryell]

Had ankle surgery today. Pretty puzzling that this procedure wasn't done 2-3 months ago. Not a good look for him or the Chargers.