Welcome Coach Butch Barry - Fixing the Offensive Line

[YAC]

Linderbaum would bring an extra dimension we need. He'd be the captain of the o-line, making reads and adjustments, calling out assignments. He's known to be ultra-bright.

We had a ton of wrong reads and assignment failures this season. That needs to end.

[dmac_bolt]

Washington, Wilkerson, Macek, White, Shields ...... how many pro bowlers do you require?

I am not tracking with your point. We had the #32/32 OL. OC #41/41. RG #79/81. LG #51/81. do you not see how far those grades are from just average, before you need to worry about a pro bowl invite?

Did you quote me the 1979 Chargers OL? the irony of how far back you needed to go doesn't say anything? ok - the PB count game: Russ had 6 pro bowls. Doug had 3. Ed had 4. So we need 3 pro bowlers.

Rashawn, Joe and Tyler will also be 3, barring a great OG selection to go with them. Dont you think Slater, Linderbaum and Alt would form the nucleus of a good OL?

Yep - Looks like 3 is the number, per you, and I've got the solution ...

[powderblueboy]

I’ll trust if they decide to upgrade a different way, but I agree. Linderbaum + bookends sets the OL up for a lot of success. I really can’t remember a really good Charger OL in my life. We’ve had a couple decent / good enough ones, but only a couple and never a single really good OL ever.

We also have zero SB trophies. Maybe we go ahead and try this way once just to prove it didn’t matter and we can move on to really important things, like ILB.

Washington, Wilkerson, Macek, White, Shields ...... how many pro bowlers do you require?

[dmac_bolt]

Get a center that’s better than the one we have now, pretty simple cause ours is the worst of them all.

It should be EASY to not be worst. Yet some here oddly continue to resist:

"LAC could never afford a center better than 41st in the league, are you crazy or reckless? it was just coaching - lets run it back in 2026 and find out!"

[Bolts4ever213]

Get a center that’s better than the one we have now, pretty simple cause ours is the worst of them all.

[Bolt4Knob]

I’ll trust if they decide to upgrade a different way, but I agree. Linderbaum + bookends sets the OL up for a lot of success. I really can’t remember a really good Charger OL in my life. We’ve had a couple decent / good enough ones, but only a couple and never a single really good OL ever.

We also have zero SB trophies. Maybe we go ahead and try this way once just to prove it didn’t matter and we can move on to really important things, like ILB.

I don't understand the reticence of people not wanting to pay Linderbaum but sure -biggest position of need on the roster and he is in his prime. Do the Chiefs regret paying for Creed? Do the Chargers regret paying Linsley?

Zion will probably be better with a better OC next to him so maybe thats what you do. Bring back Zion for Becton money, dump Boze and Becton, and sign a big time OC, and for the other guard, have Cleveland, maybe Penning and a draft pick fight it out

[Boltinloudguy]

Linderbaum is worth overpaying for. He’s 25. You would have Linderbaum-Alt-Slater for a decade of dominance.
This is how you build a dynasty

Exactly! You get a stop gap LG for 2-3 years like David Edwards, draft your RG this year and your LG in a year or 2. Boom, line is set.

[dmac_bolt]

Linderbaum is worth overpaying for. He’s 25. You would have Linderbaum-Alt-Slater for a decade of dominance.
This is how you build a dynasty

I’ll trust if they decide to upgrade a different way, but I agree. Linderbaum + bookends sets the OL up for a lot of success. I really can’t remember a really good Charger OL in my life. We’ve had a couple decent / good enough ones, but only a couple and never a single really good OL ever.

We also have zero SB trophies. Maybe we go ahead and try this way once just to prove it didn’t matter and we can move on to really important things, like ILB.

[colorado]

I'd argue we were never tough and/or physical on the offensive side of the ball. Maybe tough in the sense that Herbert withstood all those pressures and sacks, but not tough or physical in a tone-setting way.

I think it the oline were tough, we'd done a better job protecting Herbert. And your right. We would've had a run game, these guys would've created lanes to drive a Mac truck through

[Jack Burton]

Exactly. There is such an extreme between Linderbaum and Bozeman -- Fortner, McGovern, all would be good

And with Bozeman getting a bump in potential pay, nothing guaranteed but the potential for more, pretty easy to release him as, not his fault, but $6m for Bradley Bozeman is too much

Linderbaum is worth overpaying for. He’s 25. You would have Linderbaum-Alt-Slater for a decade of dominance.
This is how you build a dynasty

[Bolt4Knob]

I think loyalty to a team that (1) refused to pick up his option, (2) missed the playoffs and (3) fired his coach and OC is misplaced conjecture. He's got business people on his team too - only a sucker gets swooned by team=family bullshit lines and makes in-kind contributions back to their employer with reduced pay. After 4 years in the league he has seen plenty of guys chewed up, spit out, and tossed in the trash by teams across the league already. He knows its a mortal world and a short career span. This is a business, not an Motorcycle Club. This is his profession, not a hobby.

Linderbaum will hit FA. There will be multiple competitors for his services, and BAL will fall off. There is no guarantee (a) Joe will try to beat them all, and (b) Joe will succeed if he does. I personally doubt Joe goes for him with that entry price. I also think BAL flat out doesn't have anywhere close to the kind of money needed to even compete. If anyone thinks LAC can't afford him with our $110M-$120M of cap space, BAL has effectively no cap space at all - best case they have $30M, worst case they are already negative (Spottrac vs OTC).

As long as Joe targets SOME credible starting OC improvement, its ok. Our choice is not Linderbaum or Bozeman only. Fortner would be a significant upgrade at a very reasonable price for just one example.

Exactly. There is such an extreme between Linderbaum and Bozeman -- Fortner, McGovern, all would be good

And with Bozeman getting a bump in potential pay, nothing guaranteed but the potential for more, pretty easy to release him as, not his fault, but $6m for Bradley Bozeman is too much

[dmac_bolt]

He may feel comfortable in Baltimore but if they offer Creed money and another team offers Creed +8m over 4 years - he might leave Baltimore.

I think loyalty to a team that (1) refused to pick up his option, (2) missed the playoffs and (3) fired his coach and OC is misplaced conjecture. He's got business people on his team too - only a sucker gets swooned by team=family bullshit lines and makes in-kind contributions back to their employer with reduced pay. After 4 years in the league he has seen plenty of guys chewed up, spit out, and tossed in the trash by teams across the league already. He knows its a mortal world and a short career span. This is a business, not an Motorcycle Club. This is his profession, not a hobby.

Linderbaum will hit FA. There will be multiple competitors for his services, and BAL will fall off. There is no guarantee (a) Joe will try to beat them all, and (b) Joe will succeed if he does. I personally doubt Joe goes for him with that entry price. I also think BAL flat out doesn't have anywhere close to the kind of money needed to even compete. If anyone thinks LAC can't afford him with our $110M-$120M of cap space, BAL has effectively no cap space at all - best case they have $30M, worst case they are already negative (Spottrac vs OTC).

As long as Joe targets SOME credible starting OC improvement, its ok. Our choice is not Linderbaum or Bozeman only. Fortner would be a significant upgrade at a very reasonable price for just one example.