Official 2026 Chargers Roster Discussion | Roster Build | 2nd Wave Of Free Agency

[sonorajim]

New strategy:
dominant for 3 quarters.
Allow opposing offenses to come back within 1 score in the 4th.

Staley, is that you?

[Velo]

Minter is a great defensive coordinator, it shows not just with the starting squad, but even the scrubs playing the preseason games looked well-coached, like they knew where they were supposed to be at all times. It's impressive.

But we've learned that successful coordinators don't always make successful head coaches. So I'm not sure Minter will be that hot of a coaching candidate in 2026 if the Chargers defense is as good or better than last season. There are a couple of things not working in his favor.

He has more college experience than NFL experience, and he was never a head coach in college. He may not be perceived as being ready to be a head coach in the NFL. He was a college assistant for his first 10 years of coaching, then was a defensive asst for the Ravens for 4 years, then went back to college where he was DC at Vanderbilt for a season followed by 2 years at Michigan. This will be just his 2nd consecutive season as an NFL coordinator.

He's a defensive coach in an offense league where OCs get the majority of head coaching jobs. Five first time head coaches were hired this off-season, four were OCs (Moore, Son of Marty, Johnson, Coen), only one (Glenn) was a DC. If a team hiring a new coach is also drafting a QB high, they want an offensive coach.

I think Minter has a good chance of getting a HC job in the NFL at some point, but I don't know if it will be in 2026.

[Riverwalk]

New strategy:
dominant for 3 quarters.
Allow opposing offenses to come back within 1 score in the 4th.

Opposing team comebacks mean you’re out coached and out conditioned.

That sounds like Charger teams of the past couple of decades.

I hope the DNA this season is the Chargers out score the opposition in the 2nd half which means our coaches know how to make adjustments during the game and players are better conditioned.

[dmac_bolt]

I am rooting for MacDonald to fail in Seattle so that GMs looking for a coach will not be so keen on Minter since they come from the same tree(s) and are so similar in age and demeanor. Am I a horrible person or what?

TG

you are not a horrible person for being honest. I don't like the cut of MacDonald's jib, I could care less if he fails. I'd regret seeing Minter leave but I would be very happy for him and I do wish him ultimate professional success - that inevitably means he's going to leave to be a HC somewhere someday.

[Boltjolt]

If Minter gets a HC offer he’s gone if his goal is to be a HC.

You would be nuts to turn down an offer and stick around for 5 years when a key injury here or there could decimate your defense and make you look like a bad coach.

Here’s a good way of looking at it. If Minter is a hot HC prospect next season it means the Chargers defense was dominant and considering the upgrades to offense this year…..it means Chargers go deep into the playoffs.

Depends. Would you just take any job? I wouldnt. WTF wants to take Clevelands job if Flacco retires.,......even if he doesnt he will be 40 with two mid round rookies behind him with a shit owner?

The shit owner alone is a reason to stay away. I would never want the Cowboys HC job either as long as Jerry is alive. Jets is a bad job too. Their owner sucks.
Id bet Minter would want to the right situation and there isnt anything wrong with doing that.

[sdchrgrboy]

Depends. Would you just take any job? I wouldnt. WTF wants to take Clevelands job if Flacco retires.,......even if he doesnt he will be 40 with two mid round rookies behind him with a shit owner?

The shit owner alone is a reason to stay away. I would never want the Cowboys HC job either as long as Jerry is alive. Jets is a bad job too. Their owner sucks.
Id bet Minter would want to the right situation and there isnt anything wrong with doing that.

Exactly. Look at Ben Johnson, How many years did he wait? Hopefully Minter will see we are close to winning a championship and want to be part of that

[dmac_bolt]

Exactly. Look at Ben Johnson, How many years did he wait? Hopefully Minter will see we are close to winning a championship and want to be part of that

Look at what? he waited for what - a shit job with a shit team that has an absolutely shit coach-killing QB locked in hard and shitty owners?

Great coaching jobs on great teams with great owners of great franchises just almost never open up. but keep waiting out there ...

[Boltjolt]

Look at what? he waited for what - a shit job with a shit team that has an absolutely shit coach-killing QB locked in hard and shitty owners?

Great coaching jobs on great teams with great owners of great franchises just almost never open up. but keep waiting out there ...

But he wanted the Chicago job. Everyone thought he was going somewhere else and never mentioned the Bears.

Wanted our job but is went to Harbaugh so he went back to Detroit. How he is as a HC is TBD but he waited till he liked something.
Vrabel wanted our job too. Didn't get it, so he sat out last season.

Carrol took any job this year because he is 72. And they will be better but they were a mess

[Topcat]

Minter is a great defensive coordinator, it shows not just with the starting squad, but even the scrubs playing the preseason games looked well-coached, like they knew where they were supposed to be at all times. It's impressive.

But we've learned that successful coordinators don't always make successful head coaches. So I'm not sure Minter will be that hot of a coaching candidate in 2026 if the Chargers defense is as good or better than last season. There are a couple of things not working in his favor.

He has more college experience than NFL experience, and he was never a head coach in college. He may not be perceived as being ready to be a head coach in the NFL. He was a college assistant for his first 10 years of coaching, then was a defensive asst for the Ravens for 4 years, then went back to college where he was DC at Vanderbilt for a season followed by 2 years at Michigan. This will be just his 2nd consecutive season as an NFL coordinator.

He's a defensive coach in an offense league where OCs get the majority of head coaching jobs. Five first time head coaches were hired this off-season, four were OCs (Moore, Son of Marty, Johnson, Coen), only one (Glenn) was a DC. If a team hiring a new coach is also drafting a QB high, they want an offensive coach.

I think Minter has a good chance of getting a HC job in the NFL at some point, but I don't know if it will be in 2026.

On the bright side, Minter DOES have a more impressive resume than Staley...

[dmac_bolt]

But he wanted the Chicago job. Everyone thought he was going somewhere else and never mentioned the Bears.

Wanted our job but is went to Harbaugh so he went back to Detroit. How he is as a HC is TBD but he waited till he liked something.
Vrabel wanted our job too. Didn't get it, so he sat out last season.

Carrol took any job this year because he is 72. And they will be better but they were a mess

Who offered Vrabel a job last year?

If Ben “wanted” the Bears job, he’s gonna get a blunt introduction to why that wasn’t a great desire. Just my prediction.

Lots of coaches would want the LA job because of Herbert. That was a rare event.

[sonorajim]

Opposing team comebacks mean you’re out coached and out conditioned.

That sounds like Charger teams of the past couple of decades.

I hope the DNA this season is the Chargers out score the opposition in the 2nd half which means our coaches know how to make adjustments during the game and players are better conditioned.

There was a long stretch where our third quarter offense was almost non-existent. Really bad.

[jamrock]

There was a long stretch where our third quarter offense was almost non-existent. Really bad.

There were stretches in a few games where we didn't get a first down for a quarter and a half or more. That was tough to watch