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

[CanadianBoltFan]

Matt Money Smith talks about this last night on the Chargers Network Podcast.
The Chargers could have Golden and RJ Harvey. Or Hampton and Harris.
Which do you guys like?

Not even close

[Jack Burton]

Not even close

Moneys words exactly. It’s not even close. They absolutely killed this draft.
3 starters and the 4th hasn’t even begun.

[powderblueboy]

Matt Money Smith talks about this last night on the Chargers Network Podcast.
The Chargers could have Golden and RJ Harvey. Or Hampton and Harris.
Which do you guys like?

I really liked Golden, but Tre Harris is a better fit opposite Ladd.

[Lone Bolt]

I really liked Golden, but Tre Harris is a better fit opposite Ladd.

Yea...Tre a true X...physicality for the boundry and contested catches...also like Tre's character and football IQ.

[dmac_bolt]

RB, WR, NT…

I think there’s enough evidence to put the BPA vs PON to bed.

Thus far, I’m envious of the other teams that landed the outstanding TE’s like Loveland, Warren, Arroyo, Taylor, Fanin…. Damn! What could have been!

For draft nicks that say TE’s aren’t coveted as highly as other positions, there sure has been a lot of them taken early.

It’s (looks like) a good TE class at the top 6, hence we have all been drooling here the last month over the 6 that were selected Day 1 and 2. But you didn’t bother to count other positions. Let me help below.

Ferguson is insulted by your omission. And yes - I wish we had gotten one of these 5 guys too, 100%, was hoping Taylor was there at R2 or one was still there at our R3 pick

Picks thru Day2:
Edge: 15
WR: 13
DT: 12
OT: 11
OG: 7
TE: 6
RB: 6
QB: 5
LB: 5

Position frequency lines up exactly as we would expect based on FA contract values. OT should be higher but I’d guess the difference is the relative class depth of DT > OT and that outweighed it on Day 2, Day 1 still showed the OT premium priority/value. There were 2 TEs taken round 1, thats at the upper range over the last decade, which is a consistent 0 to 2 in Rd 1. We normally see twice as many OTs, WRs, Edge in Rd1 and we did again this year, give or take.

The one huge difference this year is QB, but thats not because team’s dont value QB - its just a horrible QB class.

I expect to see Joe will take whoever he rates as his BPA among TE, IOL, Edge, CB over the next 3-4 picks. It’s his way - he doesn’t pick BPA, he takes his BP from within a group of positions he needs to improve. Thats smart GM-ing in my book, the goal is to make the team better. I’d like the ND TE sleeper pick, not sure if he’ll think R4 is too early or he will still be there R5. Or a Gadsden Flex TE - I’d love a flex TE vs yet another in-line blocking ho-hum receiver.

He clearly wanted to improve Herbie’s skills group. So far he has. Chef Joe is gonna sign someone(s?) once he’s all done with the draft too - can’t wait to taste his finished meal.

[Jack Burton]

Matt Money Smith said that Dean Spanos cooled out Hortiz as he wanted to trade up to get Harris. He didn’t think he would make it to 55. Spanos analyzed the picks ahead and said he felt Harris would make it to the Chargers.

[dmac_bolt]

Matt Money Smith said that Dean Spanos cooled out Hortiz as he wanted to trade up to get Harris. He didn’t think he would make it to 55. Spanos analyzed the picks ahead and said he felt Harris would make it to the Chargers.

Dean? Not John, Dean? I did not have that on my bingo card.

[Jack Burton]

Dean? Not John, Dean? I did not have that on my bingo card.

Did he say Dean or was it John? Now I can’t remember.

EDIT. It was John Spanos. Here.

https://www.chargers.com/news/tre-harris-round-2-draft-picks-2025

[Boltnut]

Moneys words exactly. It’s not even close. They absolutely killed this draft.
3 starters and the 4th hasn’t even begun.

So far, so good.

1. Hampton was the player I wanted (didn't think he would be there). Hampton and Najee give us the RB combo we needed to run Roman/Harbaugh offense... a balanced offense that uses the run game to set up the play-action pass.
2. Tre Harris was a WR that fit for us. He is a nice mixture of what MW and Joshua Palmer provided for us years ago. Palmer's route running prowess with Mike's contested catch prowess. Harris' speed isn't elite for the X-WR. But a play-action offense will cause DB's to play fairly, with eyes in the backfield. That gives Harris a split second to get over the top and push the seams. If he gets a step on those DB's, he can get deep and win those contested catches. He did a lot of that at Old Miss. Someone compared him to Anquan Bolden (who thrived for Roman/Harbaugh in SF). I think that's a very good comparison.
3. Jamaree Caldwell wasn't on my radar. But Minter must have a plan for him. I was looking at IDL that could pass rush. Having said that... I noticed that Minter used his DT's to tie up IOL @Michigan in order to allow his LB's to delay-blitz up the middle. Our LB's could be very good at bringing middle pressure... it's something I expected last year, but never really materialized. Maybe Caldwell unlocks that aspect of Minter's defense. Caldwell certainly helps the run defense.

I'm expecting edge-rusher today.
Hoping for a sneaky-good TE.
Maybe some more depth @IOL and CB.

2 of my sneaky-good players (Justin Walley and Nick Martin) got drafted yesterday. Back to the lab....

[dmac_bolt]

So far, so good.

1. Hampton was the player I wanted (didn't think he would be there). Hampton and Najee give us the RB combo we needed to run Roman/Harbaugh offense... a balanced offense that uses the run game to set up the play-action pass.
2. Tre Harris was a WR that fit for us. He is a nice mixture of what MW and Joshua Palmer provided for us years ago. Palmer's route running prowess with Mike's contested catch prowess. Harris' speed isn't elite for the X-WR. But a play-action offense will cause DB's to play fairly, with eyes in the backfield. That gives Harris a split second to get over the top and push the seams. If he gets a step on those DB's, he can get deep and win those contested catches. He did a lot of that at Old Miss. Someone compared him to Anquan Bolden (who thrived for Roman/Harbaugh in SF). I think that's a very good comparison.
3. Jamaree Caldwell wasn't on my radar. But Minter must have a plan for him. I was looking at IDL that could pass rush. Having said that... I noticed that Minter used his DT's to tie up IOL @Michigan in order to allow his LB's to delay-blitz up the middle. Our LB's could be very good at bringing middle pressure... it's something I expected last year, but never really materialized. Maybe Caldwell unlocks that aspect of Minter's defense. Caldwell certainly helps the run defense.

I'm expecting edge-rusher today.
Hoping for a sneaky-good TE.
Maybe some more depth @IOL and CB.

2 of my sneaky-good players (Justin Walley and Nick Martin) got drafted yesterday. Back to the lab....

My target list for Rds 4-5 look the same. I think Minter values the 2-down immovable DT that consumes OL doubles. Henley and Colson are both on the undersized and quicker, keeping them clean(er) to shoot gaps would seem a good approach to me for inside pressure.

[Boltjolt]

Dean? Not John, Dean? I did not have that on my bingo card.

They said John Spanos, not Dean.

[Jack Burton]

So far, so good.

1. Hampton was the player I wanted (didn't think he would be there). Hampton and Najee give us the RB combo we needed to run Roman/Harbaugh offense... a balanced offense that uses the run game to set up the play-action pass.
2. Tre Harris was a WR that fit for us. He is a nice mixture of what MW and Joshua Palmer provided for us years ago. Palmer's route running prowess with Mike's contested catch prowess. Harris' speed isn't elite for the X-WR. But a play-action offense will cause DB's to play fairly, with eyes in the backfield. That gives Harris a split second to get over the top and push the seams. If he gets a step on those DB's, he can get deep and win those contested catches. He did a lot of that at Old Miss. Someone compared him to Anquan Bolden (who thrived for Roman/Harbaugh in SF). I think that's a very good comparison.
3. Jamaree Caldwell wasn't on my radar. But Minter must have a plan for him. I was looking at IDL that could pass rush. Having said that... I noticed that Minter used his DT's to tie up IOL @Michigan in order to allow his LB's to delay-blitz up the middle. Our LB's could be very good at bringing middle pressure... it's something I expected last year, but never really materialized. Maybe Caldwell unlocks that aspect of Minter's defense. Caldwell certainly helps the run defense.

I'm expecting edge-rusher today.
Hoping for a sneaky-good TE.
Maybe some more depth @IOL and CB.

2 of my sneaky-good players (Justin Walley and Nick Martin) got drafted yesterday. Back to the lab....

Another aspect of how Harris helps is he keeps teams from being able to stack the box. That safety is stuck. Or it’s 7. And he keeps teams from being able to put their best resources onto Ladd. It’s why we were so adamant that X absolutely had to be addressed or a pass catching inline TE had to be drafted to offset opposing teams defenses from jamming and crowding everything up at the LOS. If Harris gets that half step it’s over. Especially with Herbert and that arm. I am amazed they drafted Harris. I wanted him but didn’t see them targeting him.

As for Caldwell, I watch a lot of PAC12 football (alum) instead of anything else and the more I watched Oregon and Harmon the more I noticed Caldwell and his similarities to Poona Ford. You watch Harmon and then you just naturally say, “Damn, that guy next to him is a beast too!!” So I’ve wanted him and mocked him endlessly to the Chargers for obvious reasons. It’s easy as he fits perfectly what they just lost. It’s plug and play and Minter doesn’t need to even look at DT now. He’s as of today right back where they were last year but they also have Hand-Jones-Eboigbe, that improves them into an even better unit. Get another DE and a late round DT and the rotation gets really good.