2023-24 Chargers Season In Review

[Bolt4Knob]

They need to get more speed in the house at WR. Remember when Herbert had KA and MW as his primary guys, but had two young guys who could blow by defenders? That was his phenomenal rookie season and the new regime needs to get back to that. Maybe the new OC will use DD in the vertical passing game more. I would turn over the TE corps. Move on from Everett and Parham. I'd keep Smartt - I think he has potential, give him another season at least to see what he can develop into. If they don't draft Bowers, maybe bring back Hunter Henry on a two year deal.


IMO, they need a complete turnover of the RB corps. Ekeler is probably gone. I might keep Kelley as a 3rd RB. But Spiller needs to go back to the PS and stay there. Maybe sign Derrick Henry to a one-year deal.


I don't want to see Bosa in a Chargers uni again. I don't know that they could get in a trade. Probably not much. Gotta keep Mack, not just for his play on the field but for his leadership and locker room presence. Young players look up to a guy like him and he sets an example. Same with KA, both these guys have value that extends past their performances on the field.

Send Michael Davis packing (so freakin' inconsistent!), let AS play out his rookie contract (one more season), his poor play may be due to the overall dysfunction on the team, find a CB who can be a #1, either through the draft or FA. I have no opinion on Marlowe, Bassey or Taylor - to me they are just guys, but most teams have JAGs at CB deep on the depth chart. As for safeties, bring back Gilman. They are stuck with Derwin, who'll probably improve under a new regime, but he'll never be that elite player he is being paid to be.

I advocate for trading down in the draft as much as possible to acquire 2nd and 3rd round picks (4th too) where the best values can be found, to upgrade at RB, CB and TE.

Allen and Williams were never receivers that blew by defenders.

[Velo]

Allen and Williams were never receivers that blew by defenders.

Did I say that?

[northerner]

I don't want to see Bosa in a Chargers uni again. I don't know that they could get in a trade. Probably not much. Gotta keep Mack, not just for his play on the field but for his leadership and locker room presence. Young players look up to a guy like him and he sets an example. Same with KA, both these guys have value that extends past their performances on the field.

Mack is the cap-related cut that hurts the most, but his cap hit is $38.5M in 2024 (dead cap hit of $15M). Agree on his play making AND leadership. If they can find a way to keep him, that would be great. They might see what happens in the draft and FA and then see what they can do. It is going to be more about the cap numbers than anything else - there is no doubt on his value to the team. the new GM might look at all of the numbers and say there is no way to keep him.

[Bolt4Knob]

Did I say that?

Sorry my mistake -- I misread what you wrote

You are correct -- 100%. Didn't even have one let alone 2

[Bolt4Knob]

Mack is the cap-related cut that hurts the most, but his cap hit is $38.5M in 2024 (dead cap hit of $15M). Agree on his play making AND leadership. If they can find a way to keep him, that would be great. They might see what happens in the draft and FA and then see what they can do. It is going to be more about the cap numbers than anything else - there is no doubt on his value to the team. the new GM might look at all of the numbers and say there is no way to keep him.

But here is the thing - -the 15m is locked in as dead so really - you are playing with the $23m. If he gets all of that $23m - more than likely, some of that will go to the future. Same with Keenan Allen. For both players, if you bring them back - to fill out the roster with any kind of depth - you will have to push $20-25m of cap to the future if they are to get their full $23m. . So at some point, unless they truly take a pay cut - you will have dead cap for Allen &/or Mack that could impact the future because you will have less cap space when you are building your roster hopefully spending at the right time.

I am not looking to be good in 2024. I am looking to be like the Chiefs and good for many years in a row. I am willing to take a leveling out year to try to build the foundation to be good for multiple years. And if I am spending bigger money on a player - I want them to be a part of that core from 2025-2028 - not just one year.

[Eurobolt]

After this year's shitshow that Staley called football team he should never been offered NFL HC position again.

[Cdn Bolt]

I think generally they tend to like and reward their guys to a fault. Pipkins, Mike Davis maybe Ken Murray these guys wouldn't start on most other teams. They get a pass w Bosa and JCJ though Bosa was showing as injury prone so not sure dumping $32m/yr on him was wise. Same for Mike Williams. They also thought Guyton and Derius Davis could bring the needed speed at WR . Guyton never really recovered from his ACL and Davis really did little.

They had faith in Ekeler, who is a 3rd down back, as a #1 RB and he finally wore down but he also has had injuries they overlooked. At least they didn't dump a ton of cash on him.

I think they also just never got Staley's complex system on D. There is no way a D w 3 or 4 pro bowl level players should be this bad. They did need another CB after JCJ left but just stayed, again, w what they had.

[Kellyb72601]

The team simply showed what they were. They had a lot of people fooled going into this season but even going back to last season they only had 1 win against a winning team and won several games they got lucky & should have lost (cleveland, atlanta, arizona) so even being in the playoffs last season was a level above their heads. Lots more winning teams on the schedule this year, a reversion to mean of luck, then they lose Herbert, so 5-12 is about right for their talent level.

Take Herbert off the roster and they're probably 2-15, the same as Polian & Telesco finished in Indy without P. Manning.

Take every chargers team since Telesco got here, take the starting QB off the roster, and they're likely around 2-14 every year.

It was futile ever expecting anything more from a Telesco (Polian) built football team.

[northerner]

WR: bring in some playmakers. I think Williams is gone and Allen will be back - but who knows. They need more playmakers from WR and RB. I would probably bring back Erickson for the vet minimum

TE: Everett runs hard but just not there. Bowers would be awesome and add a blocking TE; Parham, see you later -- too many drops

If you can get draft picks for Williams, Bosa and Mack - would be ideal. I am ready to suck it up buttercup, take the hits this year and build new.

Erickson made only $1M in 2023 but he made some nice catches in only a handful of games (he was sigrend from the practice squad on Dec. 2). the line is sometimes very thin from a guy making $20M in the NFL to the guy making $2M.

Agree on Parham - the wait is over and he had some horrible drops.

Williams, Bosa and Mack - agree. they might see what they can do with Mack, but I have a lot of doubt.

[Velo]

Two things...

1. The high point of the Staley era was Oct. 10 2021, five games into his coaching tenure, when the Chargers beat Baker Browns in a shoot-out to improve to 4-1. The Chargers had beaten an undefeated Raiders team in prime time the previous week. The one loss coming against the Cowboys by 3 pts, after the refs had taken two Charger TDs off the board on dubious calls. Staley looked like a really good hire at that point. But then they lost back-to-back games to the Ravens and Patriots and lost 7 of their final 12.

2. One reason I advocate for trading down to acquire multiple value picks in rounds 2-3 is because with a good draft and the right roster turnover, I believe a good coaching hire (Harbaugh hopefully) can have this team in the Super Bowl mix next season. I believe the Chargers could win the division and compete for the No. 1 seed. I believe that veterans Keenan Allen and Khalil Mack need to be a part of that, for their veteran leadership, because this roster could have a lot of young players on it next season.

[Bolt4Knob]

The team simply showed what they were. They had a lot of people fooled going into this season but even going back to last season they only had 1 win against a winning team and won several games they got lucky & should have lost (cleveland, atlanta, arizona) so even being in the playoffs last season was a level above their heads. Lots more winning teams on the schedule this year, a reversion to mean of luck, then they lose Herbert, so 5-12 is about right for their talent level.

Take Herbert off the roster and they're probably 2-15, the same as Polian & Telesco finished in Indy without P. Manning.

Take every chargers team since Telesco got here, take the starting QB off the roster, and they're likely around 2-14 every year.

It was futile ever expecting anything more from a Telesco (Polian) built football team.

Totally agree. Other than the Tyrod Taylor start and the four Herbert missed this year, Tom Telesco had Rivers or Herbert every year as a Starting QB. His rosters were terrible. Overreliance on the QB position. Never had the consistent complimentary running game or a defense to bail out the QB. And speed - or lack of - was a Telesco given.

[northerner]

But here is the thing - -the 15m is locked in as dead so really - you are playing with the $23m. If he gets all of that $23m - more than likely, some of that will go to the future. Same with Keenan Allen. For both players, if you bring them back - to fill out the roster with any kind of depth - you will have to push $20-25m of cap to the future if they are to get their full $23m. . So at some point, unless they truly take a pay cut - you will have dead cap for Allen &/or Mack that could impact the future because you will have less cap space when you are building your roster hopefully spending at the right time.

I am not looking to be good in 2024. I am looking to be like the Chiefs and good for many years in a row. I am willing to take a leveling out year to try to build the foundation to be good for multiple years. And if I am spending bigger money on a player - I want them to be a part of that core from 2025-2028 - not just one year.

agree on the true pay cut. Mack would have to come to the table and negotiate. if not, a cut is likely. i am not a cap expert, but here is what I put together from Sportrac.com:

if we cut Mack, Bosa, MW, SJD and Kendricks: 2024 salary would have been $127M. dead cap hit of $55M and cap savings of $72M. so if we are $40M over the cap, we would have the remaining $32M to replace those guys. plus the draft, but this high level.

Corey Linsley is another possible cap savings of $9M if he retires, but that is wait and see.

Could we add a couple of years to Keenan Allen, but have him take a pay cut in 2024? his cap hit is $35M in 2024, with a dead cap hit of $12M