2024 Chargers Roster Build Discussion - Transactions | Post Draft Discussion

[charger1_sj]

I've told you before. You don't like it.

Heading into the silly season my top pick was Laiatu Latu. If the mock draft nerds know what they're talking about, we can get him much later. So my dream is to trade down with Minnesota and get Latu at #23 after taking Fuaga at #11. If Latu's neck is a major concern, I hope he is taken off of every draft board. I believe the concern with his neck is why he is being selected in the twenties by the mock draft nerds.

I'm open to other options, though. Yes, I like Alt a lot and would be happy with him at #5. Not the mauler Fuaga is, but I believe Alt is the better athlete and possesses superior technique. A little time with Herbert will also be tremendous for his development. I'm not concerned at all with Alt transitioning to right tackle.

I also love Jared Verse (almost as much as Latu) and Dallas Turner. They're not projected to go in the top five, but I would not be disappointed whatsoever if we took one of them there. If we could get either in a trade down...great.

This all gets thrown out the window if Marvin Harrison is there at #5. After Harrison is likely gone at #4, there are too many options at #5 to speak in the absolutes you have--"We have to draft a receiver..."

I will be happy with whomever Harbaugh and Hortiz select, even if it's your boy Nabers, because I recognize they're much more qualified than I am.

Those aren't bad picks. If we didn't have a void at #1 receiver I would believe Harbaugh would go with a OT @5. If we do trade down I would most likely go for CB
with our 2nd pick. We are thin at the position. Since we just brought back Bosa, and Mack and have Tuli probably would not draft edge that high this year.

[wu-dai clan]

Roman will run the football, so we might as well be successful at it.

MinterD will have hallmarks of run defense, setting the EDGE, relying on stunts and disguised blitzes, and sure tackling from DBs, all playing the system.

Mock predictive.

Rather than pretending we hired Dave Canales as HC.

[Leslie Grossman]

This is a great post.

Winning TOP will be huge too, that takes opponents points off the board.
Im ready for some lower scoring smash mouth football.

[Critty]

I wouldn't describe anything as panic but an issue to address.

I agree that Gus looks like an upgrade over an unmotivated or aging Ekeler. Before last season he was the leading TD maker at his position in 2 consecutive years.

You're right about MW last season but counting on a quantum leap for QJ. Remains to be seen. Likewise with Palmer who has shown ability but not Keenan ability. Are you good with the WR room as it stands?

Yes. I am okay with WRs because the culture is kick the other teams ass. Run the ball at will. Play great defense and special teams. They will run a lot of 2TE sets and also Hback, so many of the formations will only have 2 WR. If they were running a strategy system where they planned to have 3WRs and 4WRs often, then roster construction should be more WR focused. This ain't that type of roster. They may still draft WR. And if Harrison Jr is there at #5. I'm okay if they take him. But as Joe Hortiz said, you are never one player away. So adding an Edge rusher or OL supports the foundation of bully ball. But right now, if they can get #11 and #23 for pick #5, that would amazing because there are only 18-20 non QB players really worth a 1st Rd pick. And Chargers can get 2 of them if they were able to trade with Vikings.

Often WRs struggle year 1. He doesn't need to make any quantum leap. Just keep working. He is talented.

One thing I really hope Jim Harbaugh does, that I was unhappy with last HC about is not playing starters in pre season for a half and into 3rd quarter. I know a lot of HCs do it to avoid injury in meaningless game. But when he brought in a new OC, I think he should have played his starters to get them game time and game film to be more prepared. I hope Harbaugh and Roman play the starters and get them in a rhythm during pre season. Hit game 1 of season with engine warm.

[wu-dai clan]

LOL.

I have to post this goofiness, for title of the channel alone.

Does this guy know ball ?
You decide.

[Boltjolt]

How do you know Bryce Young isn't good, if you didn't watch the Carolina Panthers last year? He struggled, but it doesn't help that half of their team's rosters just isn't good. Anthony Richardson of the Colts is worse IMO.

He wasnt good last season and thats what i said. Highlights of their games and stats. Rookie QBs tend to hold the ball longer and i said it could be on him. He was sacked a high number of times in games last season. And Young is only 5'10". Those shorter QBs have a hard time seeing the field. They still say Murray cant see the middle of the field very well. Youngs QB rating was only 2.1 higher than Tyler Bagent. Granted Bagent only played in 4.5 games but still. Young was not good.

Russel Wilson, a shorter QB still is always one of the most sacked QBs in the league because he holds the ball too long because id guess he cant see the whole field very well.His biggest knock.

And i agree...Richardson is worse and dont think he will be a very good NFL QB.

[wu-dai clan]

I don't understand the panic about WRs or scoring points.

Mike Williams missed most of the year last year.
So cutting him was not cutting points, he was unavailable to score anything. And isn't someone I would rely on to be available.
With play action and run game, even with a couple drops, QJ should be good for 8-10TDs. That replaces the unavailable MW. That points. IMV.

Allen has always been great, but never a big TD scorer or threat to take it to house. And at his age and unwilling to take a pay cut. Getting pick #110 was a great move. You are not replacing that many TDs. And although he can help move the chains to keep the drive going.
I think Palmer is a very solid route runner. Knows how to get open. And can be that possession receiver. JH and him have some chemistry already.

Ekeler not only had a down year for him but he fumbles too much. 10 over past 2 seasons. They didn't score as many points because of these turnovers. A couple goaline fumbles as well, a bit of a Melvin Gordon impression. And Ekeler is beginning to look a bit beat up at 5'8 200lbs. Gus Edwards at 6'1 238lbs will beat the other team up and wear them out in a way Ekeler never could. And will score those redzone TDs smash mouth into the end zone. That is points. IMV.

If you running it better, the play action and redzone scoring gets easier because the other team is struggling to stop the run and then TE easily leaks out for wide open TD toss in redzone.

I just don't view MW, Ekeler, Allen as losing points that are hard to find. With a better OL, run game and defense. There are many points that will be added by being better at the line of scrimmage.

When Roman said can you imagine Justin Herbert with a run game.....IMV, he was imagining play action and wide open TD passes off of that run game. POINTS. Lots of POINTS.

Critty, I have long been frustrated by our Red Zone offense.

We should now be money 99.9% of the time with TE releases, Herbert bootlegs, and GusBus.

QJ should not be declared a bust yet, and that supports the idea of WR @ #5 as redundancy.

Palmer with stay healthy with BenH training, and his production will go up out of necessity, ie that is who there is to throw to.

[Boltjolt]

Yes. I am okay with WRs because the culture is kick the other teams ass. Run the ball at will. Play great defense and special teams. They will run a lot of 2TE sets and also Hback, so many of the formations will only have 2 WR. If they were running a strategy system where they planned to have 3WRs and 4WRs often, then roster construction should be more WR focused. This ain't that type of roster. They may still draft WR. And if Harrison Jr is there at #5. I'm okay if they take him. But as Joe Hortiz said, you are never one player away. So adding an Edge rusher or OL supports the foundation of bully ball. But right now, if they can get #11 and #23 for pick #5, that would amazing because there are only 18-20 non QB players really worth a 1st Rd pick. And Chargers can get 2 of them if they were able to trade with Vikings.

Often WRs struggle year 1. He doesn't need to make any quantum leap. Just keep working. He is talented.

One thing I really hope Jim Harbaugh does, that I was unhappy with last HC about is not playing starters in pre season for a half and into 3rd quarter. I know a lot of HCs do it to avoid injury in meaningless game. But when he brought in a new OC, I think he should have played his starters to get them game time and game film to be more prepared. I hope Harbaugh and Roman play the starters and get them in a rhythm during pre season. Hit game 1 of season with engine warm.

I dont think that matters much. They practice their offense everyday and scrimmage but it isnt the same as going against another team. But they usually have a week practicing with another team and they scrimmage them.
Maybe they can give the starting unit a series in every preseason game but i wouldnt play them much either.

And you know damn well some will say let them play in preseason and as soon as one of the starters gets hurt, they will get called idiots for not taking them out sooner.

The coaches will never win with fans.

[Fouts2herbert]

What Hortiz is doing is brilliant! 30+ years as a Chargers fan I have never seen a front office work like this. Signing older vet players to a one-year contracts while you build your team through the draft is brilliant! Next year they can release the players and then reload with signing new players to one-year contracts or if the players workout you can resign them to another one-year contract. If they are younger and a good fit you can sign them to a 3-year contract. So much easier to stay under the cap that way. Did I mention this is brilliant? ....lol

I agree, it's been targeted and common sense signings, nothing sexy but the kind of stuff that will allow them to add quality depth while they buy time to rebuild thru the draft...I honestly don't think Hortiz had much choice, this roster is getting cobbled together after years of neglect, TT mysteriously letting young talent walk while investing on expensive has been free agents, and creating a ridiculously old and top heavy roster with high priced non QB players just to say, LOOK we have all these big name BIG money guys, LOOK at us we have talent, LOL...

Now with Hortiz and Harbaugh there will be fewer higher paid folks at the top and more intermediate salary guys spread throughout the roster meaning that they will be keeping guys that they hit on at a decent price and letting others that don't fit the culture or are getting older bring in comp picks as they go to other teams..

Hortiz is definitely wheeling and dealing right now, the Bozeman signing is particularly important, not only is Bradley experienced in the system that the new staff is installing, but he excels at what they want to do going forward which is running the football...I'm not saying that he's the center for the foreseeable future but that door is definitely open, by signing him to a low $ 1 year deal the Panthers are basically paying most of his salary for 2024 like what Pittsburg did with Wilson AND if they find their center of the future in this coming draft he walks and nets a comp pick in 2026 OR if they can't get their guy early in the draft there is still a chance that Bozeman has a bounce back year playing in the system that he enjoyed his biggest success and they can resign him in house in 2025 without upsetting the comp formula for another year or two...this move improve flexibility in the draft by allowing the chargers to perhaps draft center at a lower round where they can take their time and groom the player and get him ready to start in 2025...the center class is top heavy but there are some good prospects though the 4-5 rounds so no need to panic if the team focuses on WR, CB, EDGE, IDL or OT early...THAT'S why this signing is so key...low cost quality starter with potential to stick around further than 2024...

I thought Hortiz could've shown more patience in waiting to sign guys like Edwards and Perryman perhaps after the draft so that they wouldn't affect the compensatory picks formula, but I can't get mad at him for targeting 'his' guys especially if he felt that they would sign elsewhere before then, now they have several guys on offense that know how to play in Roman's scheme, Hurst, Bozeman, and Edwards...it's hard to put a value on that because of the effect that it will have getting everyone else up to speed...

[ChargerTrader]

Those aren't bad picks. If we didn't have a void at #1 receiver I would believe Harbaugh would go with a OT @5. If we do trade down I would most likely go for CB
with our 2nd pick. We are thin at the position. Since we just brought back Bosa, and Mack and have Tuli probably would not draft edge that high this year.

Although we are weak at many positions, as I write down our current starting O and nickel D, it becomes really obvious how our top three needs are CB, WR, and IDL.

But we also want to run the ball... One may have to give for the other.

[Fouts2herbert]

Agreed. Edwards Dissly and Gilman signed for multiple years - but those are solid deals

The rest like you stated -one year deals, if they work out, good. If they outplay the market and move on, thats fine If they suck, at least its a one year deal and you figure out next year

This allows JH2 to analyze and assess the roster and next spring, will have an even better idea of what the team needs. Good work

It doesn't matter if some or most of these guys aren't long term solutions, although I think Bozeman could be a longer term guy depending on how the draft shakes out for the Chargers, if the right center drops on their laps they will draft him but now with Bozeman they don't need to reach for another guy...Bradley is about the age Linsley was when we picked him up plus Bozeman was in a system that didn't play to his strengths on a team with bad coaching and lackluster talent...he might surprise this year

Edwards is going to be solid as well, Perryman will mentor our young linebackers, Dye is probably just STs guy, I honestly don't know much about him but if Ficken wanted him over Amen he must be very good on STs...Hurst is coming off a scary concussion on par with the one that Parham suffered a few years back, I don't think he signed for much money, I think he's like Bozeman, he's playing on low $ while still drawing cash owed to him from the Panthers...Dissly will be a great add for the run game especially in short yardage situations which were a problem on this team...

[Fouts2herbert]

Need to add some weapons to replace the production lost on the offensive side of the ball.

right now they are poised to add one of the group of better offensive weapons available in the upcoming draft, whether they stick and pick one of the top WRs or if a trade down materializes and they take Bowers or still one of the better WRs remains to be seen...there are still some veteran WR options out there too plus a small chance that they resign MWs, and to be honest there are some really good WRs that will go into the early parts of day 3 in this upcoming draft...