Clary, why is he still here???

[sandiego17]

But he goofed of and was out of shape.

And Shaq produced at a HOF level. If Phillips produced like Lawrence Taylor maybe I could see the comparison, but Phillips is no Shaq.

I do agree that his locker room presence was not a major distraction, I'm sure he was well liked, etc. IMO, his off the field stuff got to the point where his value wasn't worth dealing with all the lawsuits and the champagne bottle tosses that come with Phillips as a Bolt. Good time to move on for both sides.

[Fleet]

For a team that was clearly rebuilding and trying to move on from the AJ era we needed a new philosophy. So those that were viewed as near the end of their careers and possibly poor influences might have been viewed as players to let go. Especially if they were free agents. If i had to pick between Phillips 10 sacks and Keiser getting crucial experience...who also has a chance to be a gem id go with Keiser. Freeney although aging is a huge positive influence on his teammates. Didnt Phillips have a reputation for throwing huge parties? Could have sworn i saw McNeil mention it before. Do we need our vet/leader pass rusher having that sort of influence on Ingram or any of the other young defenders we have?

I dont think Phillips would have taken the deal that Denver gave him had we offered it. He would have considered that a slap in the face most likely. But again i think it was more about moving on from the older vets and changing the work habits for the team as a whole.

No doubt Phillips had a pretty good year based on sacks alone. But he was also criticized for his per snap production. Meaning its possible that for every sack he had he also didnt do so well in his overall game.

The other thing is the last 6 weeks of the season we ranked 3rd in points allowed as a defense. Thats with the original expected starting unit on the field other than Cox. So its possible over the course of the season that the last 6 weeks was a sample of what TT expected of us on defense.

No doubt we need more sacks but if we are overbearing on offense and can be a top 5 team in points allowed for the season i have to think that our win totals will continue to rise. 2015 is the year we are locked and loaded imo as far as really getting those key components on defense. I expect us a to get a couple in the draft on defense and offense this year but i still view 2015 as that big year for free agency.

[Steve]

I think there is a good chance of that. D looks like it should pick up where we left off last year, and if we get a strong rookie class, could get better throughout the year.

Offense was good, and with the development of players like Green, and the added depth at RB, it could be even more explosive. I love the addition of Johnson, as that fills a real need in goalline, and adds a strong run blocker, and with the return of Phillips makes us a much better run blocking group on the perimeter.

Better on O (more points scored), better on D (fewer points allowed), means that our point differential could be a lot better. And historically, teams that do well on that tend have better records, especially if you do it like we do, and tend to consistently do things.

[SDFan]

Nope. But how his ass taste?

Anyhow, Shaq was an all timer, hall of famer, etc. Phillips? Not really analogous, IMO.

weird question, but if he actually used the products he pitched on TV- 1 might answer IcyHot...

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

So does Shaq have ass canser or does he shit a Shawn Phillips???

[Beerman]

Scout's take: Chargers offensive line
March, 31, 2014
By Eric D. Williams | ESPN.com

ESPN NFL Insider Matt Williamson, a former college and pro scout for the Cleveland Browns, was gracious enough to provide his perspective on the San Diego Chargers roster overall, along with how the team can address specific areas of needs.

Although the Chargers snuck into the playoffs for the first time since 2009 last season, Williamson is not impressed with the overall talent and depth on San Diego's roster.

"They have a lot of areas of need," Williamson said. "They're talent deficient throughout the roster. The schedule helped them last year. I thought Mike McCoy or Bill Belichick should have been voted the coach of the year last year. They got the most out of their roster."

Williamson said he liked the scheme change on offense by McCoy and former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, emphasizing Philip Rivers getting the ball out quick, and the Chargers' reliance on the run game.

"I think they are very well coached," Williamson said. "And that goes a long way. But sometimes Guy A has to beat Guy B across from them, and they don't have a lot of guys that can do that."

Williamson also believes the Chargers benefited from a soft schedule. That won't be the case in 2014, with the AFC West playing the NFC West.

"I think the AFC was so putrid, that wasn't a playoff-caliber team," Williamson said. "Don't me wrong, they won games and got hot at the right time. But all of those teams that were fringe playoff teams in the AFC, none were quality options. None of them had a chance to contend for a title. I thought the Cardinals were way better than the Chargers, or any other fringe playoff team in the AFC.

"They have a 6-10 kind of roster. But they did win games."

With the help of Williamson, we take a closer look at San Diego's top five positions of need: interior offensive line, receiver, defensive tackle, outside linebacker and cornerback. We start with interior offensive line first.

Chargers O-line depth: Projected starters -- LT King Dunlap, LG Chad Rinehart, C Nick Hardwick, RG Jeromey Clary, RT D.J. Fluker. Reserves -- T Mike Harris, G Johnnie Troutman, T Willie Smith, T Kenny Wiggins, T Nick Becton, C Nick McDonald.

What's your evaluation of San Diego's talent level at offensive line?

Williamson: "I don't see any Pro Bowlers. Fluker's the best of the bunch. He's a good run blocker, and played well at right tackle for a rookie. If you move him to guard he would be a Pro Bowler. You can run behind him.

"Dunlap is good. I thought he would be a stop gap guy. His play was surprising. Starting left tackles in the NFL don't grow on trees, and he's a starting left tackle. Rinehart is solid at left guard. Hardwick and Clary are concerns. I don't see any young guys riffling up depth chart."

Williamson sees Clary and Troutman as backups or swing guys on the interior offensive line, and not long-term starters at right guard.

What do they need to accomplish this offseason to improve?

Williamson: "I would draft some sort of interior offensive lineman that can play center and guard pretty high. They need somebody there with upside.

"I definitely think the whole was much greater than the sum of the parts. And to me that lends itself to coaching. They have proven that they can get by with some deficiencies, but just imagine if they didn't have to?"

One player the Chargers could consider in the first two rounds is UCLA offensive lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo. Chargers offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris worked Su'a-Filo out at his pro day.

He measured in at just over 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds at the scouting combine, so Su'a-Filo has decent size. He played left tackle his freshman season, and switched to guard for his final two seasons with the Bruins, so he brings versatility.

Su'a-Filo has played in zone and man blocking schemes -- the Chargers run a mix of both. Su'a-Filo is agile for his size, able to get out and pull around the edge in the run game.

Good a place as any to post this about the O line. Not all that surprising that he thinks coaching more than anything was the key to our success last season. It's a fair assessment IMO. I didn't agree with his assessment of Hardwick though, thought he was nails last year.

[Mister Hoarse]

Is there more to this article? Its a good analysis so far.

[Beerman]

Not yet, the ESPN blog is putting it out in pieces.

[Mister Hoarse]

Time to put out this pieces

[oneinchpunch]

Good a place as any to post this about the O line. Not all that surprising that he thinks coaching more than anything was the key to our success last season. It's a fair assessment IMO. I didn't agree with his assessment of Hardwick though, thought he was nails last year.

I thought he was right on with his evaluation of the OL other than Hardwick. Maybe he doesn't like his age.

[Beerman]

I thought he was right on with his evaluation of the OL other than Hardwick. Maybe he doesn't like his age.

I'm sure that is a concern, as it should be. To be honest, we all collectively said before last year that the line was the biggest weakness. We all thought the line was going to be a complete disaster and they ended up being a top 10 group after being arguably the worst in the league in 2012. Not acquiring a LT last offseason was a massive failure in the eyes of most posters - with good reason.

The biggest improvements came on the edges though with Dunlap and Fluker. Everything else just seemed to fall in line and work. I do think he makes a point that we don't have many players that can flat out win 1 on 1. That's the key though, it's a team sport. The sum is greater than it's parts. No point holds more true than in the O line play.

Just gotta keep adding to the group.

[Beerman]

I thought of this thread when I saw this video today. I had two thoughts. First, Backside penetration kinda wrecks running games (keep it clean you dirty bastards ) Second, is that Jesus we could really use someone that even comes close to what LT used to be able to do.