2024 Chargers Roster Build Discussion - Transactions | News

[Icebolt]

Jimbo likes...
"Quebracho Blanco."
"White Axebreaker.".

Native to The Pampas,
it's almost as hard as
Australian Bulloak.

But a much more menacing sounding name...

Quebracho is really hard, I never figured out how they make furniture out of it. You cannot pound a nail into it.
By the way, has anyone seen the Navarro video. You can see why this guy was so good!

[Topcat]

And just like that … BAM, TC, ahem, STICKS the landing!

On a serious note - isnt every aghast that Minter has given away the secrets of RED 88 and GREEN 18? We’re doomed!

on a lighter note - he fell victim to some really unfair camera angles in that vid - making him appear to be a Lilliputian when in fact he’s a giant of a man? Staley watched it and he wants to get in the octagon with Minter. Perhaps that will be the last Brandon miscalculation.

LOL! Oh my, Mac, u r on a roll there! When it comes to Easton puns, u have ahem, a lot of STICK-to-it'v-ness!!!

[Boltnut]

I do too. Williams didn’t play so there is no replacing discussion vs 2023. I am standing tall on my extra sturdy grown ass limb to boldly predict that Ladd = or > Slayer. Write it down, hold me to it later, i am that certain.

I also project that QJ24 is going to be hugely better than QJ23 - hold me to that too.

so now we’re asking if Rice, Johnson, Chark are better than Guyton, Fehoko, Erickson, Doss … are we kidding here?

I confidently project Chargers WR24 > WR23. Doubters can wait to see it with their tired old bitter eyes …

——————
Edit/add - as to RB - are they KIDDING ME? RB24 >>> RB23. No comparison,

Add on OL24 > OL23, HC24 > HC23, OC24 > OC23 - this offense will be much much better - and yet guys predict it will be worse? HA, i say, HA!

I'm not ready to proclaim that Ladd > KA. KA was one of the best route runners ever. But is Ladd the best route runner of the 2024 draft class...? Top-3 IMO... so that's very good news. Obviously very good speed (4.39) so he'll have that aspect of the game that KA did not have.

QJ23 was used incorrectly. His route running technique needed lots of work. That was known pre-draft. He was never given opportunities to catch the ball in space... because assigned routes were not designed that way in KM's scheme. This was the biggest head-scratcher. Let's see how GR can improve upon that. I suspect the play-action will open things up for QJ24. If he's not there yet... DJ Charke possesses a lot of the same characteristics and will be used in that capacity. IMO, Charke will be a good mentor for QJ24.

Joshua Palmer is a sneaky good WR that gets over-looked by most everybody. While not a speed-burner, he is a good route runner and understands where the gaps in zone defenses will be. He's been hidden away behind the greatness of KA. Herbert found him a lot when KA was out. He'll be a realiable #2 read for Herbert this year.

We have 4 WR's that will be elevated by the absence of KA and MW. The running game will get going this year... and that will open things up for the WR's. We'll probably be in 21-personnel 50% of the time... and Hayden Hurst will be my sleeper pick for 2024. He'll be Herbie's security blanket when teams blitz... and a reliable 3rd read for Justin. He already understands GR's offense... and understands the multiple roles of the TE.

Of course the biggest, most important aspect of the offense will be the extra time that Joe Alt will offer Herbie. KM always wanted to stretch the defense both horizontally and vertically. Unfortunately, the RT either always needed help or got beat 1v1 on the outside. Consequently, the vertical aspect of the passing game was non-existent last year. Some posters eroneously put the blame on the IOL last year. But the fact was there was no help inside because of the outside RT deficiencies. I expect Marc Trestman to get the protections right this year.

The WR depth is better... the RB depth is better... the OL depth is better... there will be no need for Easton Stick this year. Hand-wringing is unwarranted.

[Riverwalk]

I never understood the Bolts keeping either Stick nor Daniel as backup QB...they both played mostly poorly...I think the best backup QB we had besides PR backing up Brees was Billy Volek...

Volek should have started Patriot game after that Colt win. One legged Rivers sucked. That was a very bad coaching decision.

[Chargers8491]

Powdah, I think u are underestimating the collective additions of Chark, Our Ladd, Rice and Johnson to replace Slayer and Mike Will. I really don't see a whole lot of dropoff, if any, in the wideout room now. And remember, Mike Will was injured a lot. Now, in regards to Ekkie, his ypc average took a hit last year, not to mention the butterfingers. I think the Bolts let him go at just the right time. With the additions of Gus Bus, Dobbins and Troy, I think we just upgraded out RB room impressively. So, we are at least as good and deeper in the wideout room, and improved in RB committee...

Going to take heat for this but Ladd is an upgrade over KA at this point in their careers. KA is a better route runner at this point, but Ladd is much faster and he is better @ YAC. KA made alot of catches last year but he usually went down with first contact. Key for Ladd is he has to stay healthy which was another problem for KA.

[wu-dai clan]

Going to take heat for this but Ladd is an upgrade over KA at this point in their careers. KA is a better route runner at this point, but Ladd is much faster and he is better @ YAC. KA made alot of catches last year but he usually went down with first contact. Key for Ladd is he has to stay healthy which was another problem for KA.

I agree with this hot take.
And find it much preferable to the shit post motor mouth stuff we see daily.

[Boltnut]

Going to take heat for this but Ladd is an upgrade over KA at this point in their careers. KA is a better route runner at this point, but Ladd is much faster and he is better @ YAC. KA made alot of catches last year but he usually went down with first contact. Key for Ladd is he has to stay healthy which was another problem for KA.

KA had 108 receptions for 1200+ yards in 13 games last year... 13 games!
Extrapolated out over a 17 game season = 140 receptions for 1600 yards.

I'm not down on Ladd... I really like the pick. I'm just pumping the brakes on Ladd > KA right now.
Let the kid show us what he can do first. Don't put that kind of pressure on a young player.

[dmac_bolt]

I'm not ready to proclaim that Ladd > KA. KA was one of the best route runners ever. But is Ladd the best route runner of the 2024 draft class...? Top-3 IMO... so that's very good news. Obviously very good speed (4.39) so he'll have that aspect of the game that KA did not have.

QJ23 was used incorrectly. His route running technique needed lots of work. That was known pre-draft. He was never given opportunities to catch the ball in space... because assigned routes were not designed that way in KM's scheme. This was the biggest head-scratcher. Let's see how GR can improve upon that. I suspect the play-action will open things up for QJ24. If he's not there yet... DJ Charke possesses a lot of the same characteristics and will be used in that capacity. IMO, Charke will be a good mentor for QJ24.

Joshua Palmer is a sneaky good WR that gets over-looked by most everybody. While not a speed-burner, he is a good route runner and understands where the gaps in zone defenses will be. He's been hidden away behind the greatness of KA. Herbert found him a lot when KA was out. He'll be a realiable #2 read for Herbert this year.

We have 4 WR's that will be elevated by the absence of KA and MW. The running game will get going this year... and that will open things up for the WR's. We'll probably be in 21-personnel 50% of the time... and Hayden Hurst will be my sleeper pick for 2024. He'll be Herbie's security blanket when teams blitz... and a reliable 3rd read for Justin. He already understands GR's offense... and understands the multiple roles of the TE.

Of course the biggest, most important aspect of the offense will be the extra time that Joe Alt will offer Herbie. KM always wanted to stretch the defense both horizontally and vertically. Unfortunately, the RT either always needed help or got beat 1v1 on the outside. Consequently, the vertical aspect of the passing game was non-existent last year. Some posters eroneously put the blame on the IOL last year. But the fact was there was no help inside because of the outside RT deficiencies. I expect Marc Trestman to get the protections right this year.

The WR depth is better... the RB depth is better... the OL depth is better... there will be no need for Easton Stick this year. Hand-wringing is unwarranted.

Nobody but me is ready to proclaim it. I completely understand that, fully accept that difference. Can't blame anyone. But I can see into the future on this one

good analysis - I think worries about our WR group are wrong. Better OL is going to let all of them develop routes more. Ladd is a special quick-open guy, in that sense he "replaces" Slayer but he's actually a LOT faster so we will find him short, intermediate, and long on occasion. He will ge a lot more YAC, hence "better" than Slayer in that regard.

QJ2 ran bad routes, that was his bigger 2023 flaw. He didn't change speed or cadence to throw off DBs, was sloppy in turns, and he telegraphed where he was going to turn - there was a lot unprofessional about his route running that made him far too easy for smart pro CBs to cover. He spent the off season primarily working on exactly these required pro techniques. I won't say he didn't also work on hands because he did, but he was not blind to think just "hands" would elevate his game. I am very excited to see the New Q. He is going to make a bigger jump than the world expects.

Josh is sneaky good as a 2 or 3, he just can't carry a team as a 1. We need 2s and 3s, he's a solid part of the starting group but I expect one of the 2024 fresh faces replaces him when its time for him to have a real contract. Rice, Johnson, or who knows if one of the UDFAs is a magic find. One of those guys will be Palmer 2025.

Chark is a solid add, another fast receiver. This group got a lot faster this off-season with Ladd, Chark, Johnson.

[electricgold]

Harbaugh loves Tuli and what he's been seeing from him so far!

[Boltnut]

Nobody but me is ready to proclaim it. I completely understand that, fully accept that difference. Can't blame anyone. But I can see into the future on this one

good analysis - I think worries about our WR group are wrong. Better OL is going to let all of them develop routes more. Ladd is a special quick-open guy, in that sense he "replaces" Slayer but he's actually a LOT faster so we will find him short, intermediate, and long on occasion. He will ge a lot more YAC, hence "better" than Slayer in that regard.

QJ2 ran bad routes, that was his bigger 2023 flaw. He didn't change speed or cadence to throw off DBs, was sloppy in turns, and he telegraphed where he was going to turn - there was a lot unprofessional about his route running that made him far too easy for smart pro CBs to cover. He spent the off season primarily working on exactly these required pro techniques. I won't say he didn't also work on hands because he did, but he was not blind to think just "hands" would elevate his game. I am very excited to see the New Q. He is going to make a bigger jump than the world expects.

Josh is sneaky good as a 2 or 3, he just can't carry a team as a 1. We need 2s and 3s, he's a solid part of the starting group but I expect one of the 2024 fresh faces replaces him when its time for him to have a real contract. Rice, Johnson, or who knows if one of the UDFAs is a magic find. One of those guys will be Palmer 2025.

Chark is a solid add, another fast receiver. This group got a lot faster this off-season with Ladd, Chark, Johnson.

I'm hoping that Harbaugh/Roman envision QJ's routes to be completely different than what KM had him running last year.
Once his long strides start eating up cushion in a hurry... I expect him to get over the top of a lot of #2CB's.
If safeties are worried about the run (and they should)... they're gonna start cheating up and leave no help over the top on QJ.
That's where QJ will be deadly. Once that happens, the CB will have to give cushion and play farther off.
Once that happens, Q's gonna start breaking routes off and getting catches in space. We'll get to see some of that YAC.

100% he'll have to stop telegraphing his routes. Start simple (go routes and slants) then add to the arsenal later.
An effective run game will open things up for QJ, IMO. Got to believe that drag routes will be employed more often, too.
These coaches are no dummies. That will be refreshing.

And I agree... Ladd will be used in multiple patterns and in multiple levels of the field.

[dmac_bolt]

I'm hoping that Harbaugh/Roman envision QJ's routes to be completely different than what KM had him running last year.
Once his long strides start eating up cushion in a hurry... I expect him to get over the top of a lot of #2CB's.
If safeties are worried about the run (and they should)... they're gonna start cheating up and leave no help over the top on QJ.
That's where QJ will be deadly. Once that happens, the CB will have to give cushion and play farther off.
Once that happens, Q's gonna start breaking routes off and getting catches in space. We'll get to see some of that YAC.

100% he'll have to stop telegraphing his routes. Start simple (go routes and slants) then add to the arsenal later.
An effective run game will open things up for QJ, IMO. Got to believe that drag routes will be employed more often, too.
These coaches are no dummies. That will be refreshing.

And I agree... Ladd will be used in multiple patterns and in multiple levels of the field.

I'm no scouting expert or WR coach, and I would welcome/defer to true expert opinions here. but it looked like he was working on that in the several drill video tapes we've seen since last season ended

[wu-dai clan]

Nobody but me is ready to proclaim it. I completely understand that, fully accept that difference. Can't blame anyone. But I can see into the future on this one

good analysis - I think worries about our WR group are wrong. Better OL is going to let all of them develop routes more. Ladd is a special quick-open guy, in that sense he "replaces" Slayer but he's actually a LOT faster so we will find him short, intermediate, and long on occasion. He will ge a lot more YAC, hence "better" than Slayer in that regard.

QJ2 ran bad routes, that was his bigger 2023 flaw. He didn't change speed or cadence to throw off DBs, was sloppy in turns, and he telegraphed where he was going to turn - there was a lot unprofessional about his route running that made him far too easy for smart pro CBs to cover. He spent the off season primarily working on exactly these required pro techniques. I won't say he didn't also work on hands because he did, but he was not blind to think just "hands" would elevate his game. I am very excited to see the New Q. He is going to make a bigger jump than the world expects.

Josh is sneaky good as a 2 or 3, he just can't carry a team as a 1. We need 2s and 3s, he's a solid part of the starting group but I expect one of the 2024 fresh faces replaces him when its time for him to have a real contract. Rice, Johnson, or who knows if one of the UDFAs is a magic find. One of those guys will be Palmer 2025.

Chark is a solid add, another fast receiver. This group got a lot faster this off-season with Ladd, Chark, Johnson.

Agreed...I would like to add a little to this discussion though.

Why not proclaim Ladd an upgrade from Slayer ?
Herbert forced the ball to Keenan, elevating his stats. Caleb is starting slow. This has a good chance of not being so good in Chicago for KA.

We definitely have more speed as desired. Even QJ can be considered fast, due to his capabilities as a long strider.

QJ did make tough catches at TCU. The Pro Day was a disaster of drops.

Dude needs to relax and work. Practice and route refinement should yield better results.

The 2024 OL changes everything, yes !