2024 Chargers Roster Build Discussion - Transactions | News

[sonorajim]

Sad that’s the level he’s at after five years. But moving on..

I believe Pipkins is a decent average starting RT and will be fine as a pass blocker with the TE help we signed. He can be upgraded at run blocking. Not sure if H2 wants to draft a RT this year ahead of C/G. Not sure how they feel about C/G either.
We can play good football with the current OL roster. Better probably with a quality rookie. Flip a coin.
My OL draft would be C/G Zak Frasier at top of 3rd.

[powderblueboy]

I would. Those two particular players, specifically. Both are very good run blockers.
Run blocking (and the accompanied landmarks) can be taught almost immediately.
Fuaga, in particular, has already shown his skillset there. He is already better than Plumpkins in that area.
Zinter has 3 1/2 years of experience @RG. That's 2 1/2 more years than Salyer has @RG.
Salyer looked lost @RG last year. I'm not surprised... he'd never played there before. Plumpkins play did him no favors.
Can he be coached up @RG with the new coaches...? TBD. His play @LT was much better.
Maybe Salyer becomes our swing tackle after 2024.

OT's for 2024: Slater, Fuaga, Plumpkins. Let them compete... but we all know who starts. Let Pippy provide depth @OT.
OG's for 2024: Zion, Zinter, Salyer. Again, let them compete. Good depth @OG.
OC's for 2024: Bozeman, McFaddem, Jaimes. McFadden and Jaimes compete for the backup role @OC.

No FA OG needed. Locked, cocked, and ready to roll in 2024.
In 2025, they save themselves $6.75m in cap space by letting Pipkins go. Salyer becomes the swing tackle.

Its not necessarily the run blocking that frightens me ... its the complete inability to work together and pick up blitzes without being continuously confused throughout a big game.

Zinter has played zero downs in the NFL so far ... he's a 4rth rounder for a reason & there will be a ton on his plate.

[Boltnut]

if we stay at 5, and Harrison is gone..... we have to take Bowers. MHJ and Bowers are the 2 best non-QB's in this draft and both are generational cant miss talents at 2 great positions of need.....

I personally think Bowers is the harder one to defend against and will have bigger impact on Chargers helping both running game and passing game and actually can play FB too..... a tough physical beast with relentless attitude.... and Harbaugh will be using 2 TE's most of the time....

WR's can be found all through the draft..... and RT's are not taken at top of draft.... they can be foud late first round and 2nd round

IMO, MHJ is in a tier by himself. After him, I have the next 6 or 7 players ranked even (some of that being a consideration of our offensive scheme).

I certainly recognize Nabers' and Odunze's skills and traits... but I also believe that OL-centric teams will value Alt, Fashanu, and Fuaga just as much. I also recognize that Bowers is one of the best TE prospects to come out in a long time. If we don't trade back (and make our selection @#5)... I will understand (and support) any of those 6 selections... know that they have a specific plan for each of them within our offensive scheme.

However, I understand that a WR or TE @#5 will have to share touches with the current WR's and TE's already here. I find it hard to believe that Dissley, Hurst, JP, or QJ will be on the bench 50+% of the time. I think the 21-personnel looks pretty promising as is right now.

If the whole offense relies on running the ball well and being balanced... I just have a hard time envisioning us rolling with what we had along the right side of the OL. Adding Dissley was great. Changing coaching and blocking scheme will help. But after studying Roman's running scheme, it's hard for me to believe that a late 1st round RT or 2nd round RT will be good enough to execute the landmarks in the ground game... especially if said RT is a rookie. Having said that, I have confidence that either Fuaga or Latham could fulfill those duties... even as rookies. My opinion is based on film study... not "experts" rankings.

And yes, RT's do go early in the draft. The 2 best examples are Lane Johnson and Penei Sewell. Here is film study done by a guy who studies OL coming out of the draft every year. See if you believe Plumpkins can do any of this. I can also provide a link of Roman's running scheme if need be. You'll see how closely they fit... and why Pipkins isn't really the answer @RT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3aLWZVfoEU

[Boltnut]

Everybody talks about the value that Mike Goff brought to the Chargers (one of my favorite FA pickups of all time).
His downfield blocking was epic! He cut guys off on the backside consistently. The cutback lanes during those years were the best we ever saw. Take a look at that Fuaga link I just posted. Tell me that doesn't look like Goff...

[ChargersPowderBlue]

Early or late doesn’t matter, we’re talking a UDFA level guy. I’m sure JH2 are aware, and have multiple solution scenarios cuz not hard to fix - for them, rocket science for TT/Staley apparently lol.

Pipkins is a third rounder. He's not great, but he's shown he can be good. Foster Sarell is worse than Pipkins. The OT they find has to be better than Sarrell. If they want to push Pipkins.

[blueman]

I believe Pipkins is a decent average starting RT and will be fine as a pass blocker with the TE help we signed. He can be upgraded at run blocking. Not sure if H2 wants to draft a RT this year ahead of C/G. Not sure how they feel about C/G either.
We can play good football with the current OL roster. Better probably with a quality rookie. Flip a coin.
My OL draft would be C/G Zak Frasier at top of 3rd.

Agree about Pip - for 58 minutes. It’s that last two minutes in a tight game when he won’t get any help and the D is coming for Herbert when Pip drops from average to abysmal. Do other RTs similarly struggle? Sure. But many struggle less.

Still like Salyer for RT and draft a mid round OG for competition at the guard spot. If Harbaugh is the trench guy he claims to be Pip won’t be the starter.

[charger1_sj]

Agree about Pip - for 58 minutes. It’s that last two minutes in a tight game when he won’t get any help and the D is coming for Herbert when Pip drops from average to abysmal. Do other RTs similarly struggle? Sure. But many struggle less.

Still like Salyer for RT and draft a mid round OG for competition at the guard spot. If Harbaugh is the trench guy he claims to be Pip won’t be the starter.

You should probably review the last possessions we had against Miami and Dallas. Against Miami Pipkins takes the DE pushes him out. Pressure comes from the inside and Herbert has no pocket to step into, sack.

Against Dallas Pipkins gets help from Sayler on Parsons. Pipkins takes the outside, Sayler get beat inside and Herbert has no where to go.
So he gets help but the OG doesn't do his job. And by the way that was the only sack by Parsons one of best past rushers in the NFL the whole day.

So much for blaming Pipkins in the last two minutes.

Can we use a RT upgrade absolutely. But we also need upgrades at OG and lets not forget about center. We absolutely can take an OT in 2nd or 3rd round that may turn out better than Pipkins. No need to waste the #5 pick on a RT.

[blueman]

Wow, two games, and one he had help, okay you convinced lol.

Now convince Harbaugh.

[powderblueboy]

Agree about Pip - for 58 minutes. It’s that last two minutes in a tight game when he won’t get any help and the D is coming for Herbert when Pip drops from average to abysmal. Do other RTs similarly struggle? Sure. But many struggle less.

Still like Salyer for RT and draft a mid round OG for competition at the guard spot. If Harbaugh is the trench guy he claims to be Pip won’t be the starter.

Sounds like an ultimatum blueman.

[Topcat]

I believe Pipkins is a decent average starting RT and will be fine as a pass blocker with the TE help we signed. He can be upgraded at run blocking. Not sure if H2 wants to draft a RT this year ahead of C/G. Not sure how they feel about C/G either.
We can play good football with the current OL roster. Better probably with a quality rookie. Flip a coin.
My OL draft would be C/G Zak Frasier at top of 3rd.

If we do draft Bowers @#5, I'd at least like us to pick up another RT by round 4-5 or so, for depth. In the meantime, give Salyer a real shot at competing with Pip for the starting job, along with the draft pick...may the best man start...loser goes to the bench for depth...
(And I don't want Salyer at G...draft a REAL G...)

[Topcat]

When Staley let Steichen walk I had bad feelings about the whole regime under Staley. After Kellen Moore completely failed I realized Staley had zero clue about fixing the offensive side of the ball.

That's because Staley didn't want to fire his old buddy Lombo...

[charger1_sj]

Wow, two games, and one he had help, okay you convinced lol.

Now convince Harbaugh.

You're the one that brought up the last 2 minutes. None of which I can see were the fault of Pipkins. The pressure is coming from
the inside as the pocket is getting pushed back into Herbert. That is the domain of the OGs not the OTs. If you tell me Pipkens is not
a great run blocker I would agree with you. But you're blaming the guy for every time Herbert gets sacked, which is wrong.