Offensive Line Discussion

[Boltnut]

Already a member of the executive committee of the N.F.L. Players Association, Okung plans to run for union president to replace Eric Winston, who must step down in March because he is no longer an active roster. More broadly though, Okung’s life-changing diagnosis has spurred him to want to create a far more aggressive union, to disrupt the status quo and reverse what he sees as years of concessions, even if this leads to a lockout or a strike when the collective bargaining agreement expires after next season.

He wants to fight for a greater share of the league’s revenue, and redefine what owners share with the players. He is seeking better health care and bigger pensions for retired players. Okung said the union needs more power to audit the league’s finances and a stronger arbitration system. He wants to overhaul the wage scale and even review the current union structure.

Let's look at the league calendar...

Feb. 2 Super Bowl. 2 teams with great OL's.
Feb. 3 Waivers begin
Feb. 11 Teams can start trying to re-sign their own
Feb. 24 Combine begins
March NFLPA elects new president
March 29 NFL Owners meeting
April 23 Draft
December Everyone one of the current starting OL's contracts ends...

There is urgency. Some within the organization, some external urgency as well... We'll see what happens 8 days from now...

[wu-dai clan]

Let's look at the league calendar...

Feb. 2 Super Bowl. 2 teams with great OL's. Not really.
Feb. 3 Waivers begin Sign somebody to compete with Tyree St. Louis/Trent Scott.
Feb. 11 Teams can start trying to re-sign their own Schofield ? Anybody else ? Bueller ?
Feb. 24 Combine begins Bench press ftw.
March NFLPA elects new president Sure hope Russell wins.
March 29 NFL Owners meeting John will be busy.
April 23 Draft Round 2,3,or 4 Oline.
December Everyone one of the current starting OL's contracts ends...If no extensions occur between now and then.

There is urgency. Some within the organization, some external urgency as well... We'll see what happens 8 days from now...

Trenchers are chewing their fingernails to the nub right now. Goodness gracious.

[Boltgang74]

Rounds 2,3,AND 4 O line FTW!!!!

[ghost]

There exists a false sense of urgency.

Okung will retire for medical reasons,
besides the Chargers will cut him anyway.

This is about predicting what will happen.

The Chargers, IMHO, will retain Okung, bypass the tempting OTs at the top of this draft,
and address other needs @ #6.

Should a quality Olineman be available @ #37 and/or #71, the Chargers will consider picking them.

You really should sip on some chamomile.

The Chargers being taken to the cleaners by a OT by the name of Jared Gaither is too fresh in my mind.

[wu-dai clan]

The Chargers being taken to the cleaners by a OT by the name of Jared Gaither is too fresh in my mind.

Completely understandable.
I actually enjoy the synergy...
all the different ideas swirling around
@TPB.

[Topcat]

The Chargers being taken to the cleaners by a OT by the name of Jared Gaither is too fresh in my mind.

That's what happens when u extend a player with a minimal body of work, who also has a rep for being a slacker...and that one was on AJ Smith...

[Formula 21]

Great news. Our OL will be better prepared next year.
Report: Chargers offensive line coach Pat Meyer expected to join Panthers

[Charge!]

There are 2 major approaches to building an OL........ go with super big, super strong maulers...... or go with a lighter, quicker more mobile OL like the walsh 49ers used to have and the current 49ers have..... and patriots, steelers, and manning colts used to have..... cowboys had a big huge OL that could also move......during Johnson era.......

the mobile guys are usually better pass blockers but they also are better at the screen game and current 49ers running game...... Chargers seem to choose guys who are big but super slow, which is why quick pass rushers run easily by them...........

I think with today's rules, speed and mobility is even more important than brute force...... Ravens are 0-2 i n playoffs using brute force approach...... TEN won a couple of games but eventually lost to the most mobile team in NFL.....

KC and 49ers are probably the quickest, fastest, most mobile teams in NFL.......

[Charge!]

That's what happens when u extend a player with a minimal body of work, who also has a rep for being a slacker...and that one was on AJ Smith...

true..... but there will be some consistently solid OL available in FA...... some will sign with same team but there will be some available.......

I saw someone wrote that the Bills replaced their entire OL.....5 starters using mostly FA and draft...... and ended up with a pretty good OL...... so it can be done...... if you choose the correct players......

[Boltgang74]

Agreed.It doesnt have to be this 5 year long battle to improve our o line if Tommyjohn knew what they were doin.

[dmac_bolt]

That is what FA IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if the guy wasn't just a dude, that is what most of them become. You take some hungry guy dying to prove himself in the NFL and give him a boatload of money and he isn't the same hungry player he was. Add into it that he is on a new team, with a ton of money, few friends to start off, and having to prove himself again. IT is almost impossible to get the same stuff out of a guy. It's just human nature.

You aren't signing the player he was, you are changing him, and money is a horrible motivator for (most) people.

Let's add into it that FA is HISTORICALLY a LOSING BATTLE. Most of the big money FA, and this is EVERY year, end up not working out. Most aren't complete busts, but they do tend to vastly underperform their contracts and get cut. This isn't a recent thing, this goes back to the beginning of FA. It has ALWAYS been that way.

Take a good long look at the list posted above (https://www.thepowderblues.com/forum...926#post902926)
1). All of the players on it have a knock or two (or three) against them. I can live with some of that (depending on the price), but what knocks can you live with?

2). The list is going to start to change. The good players on the list are going to start to disappear, as the teams that still have their rights will sign some of them, so they don't have to get in bidding wars for them, and keep their prices down. Many(most?) won't make it to FA. The only reason that some will is because they feel that the supply of decent players is very low, and the demand is very, very high, so maybe they can get some more money out of someone. It only takes 1 desperate team to overpay, and some of them are willing to overpay to give fans hope while they are selling tickets.

3). Having more money for FA is not necessarily a help. Overpaying for risky players is like piling the money in the street and burning it. Desperate teams (which I now count us as) just continue to overpay and overpay, and it doesn't help on the field, but does limit the team cap in the future. Most of them don't show it too much because they don't have any good players to sign of their own.

I still stand by what I said last year. We didn't sign anyone in FA because there wasn't anyone who was a real upgrade over the guys we had.

I stand by it, even with the putrid performance of our OL. There were no real choices in FA last year. We didn't make a move because there was no move worth taking.

We didn't draft the OL because when we were picking, there were not good OL picks in those slots. We had other needs and we filled those needs (DT, FS, LB....), rather than reach.

I beg to differ. hindsight is 20/20 but practically every OL FA could have upgraded someone on that LAC OL.

[Boltnut]

Rounds 2,3,AND 4 O line FTW!!!!

This is what happens when you begin to accept mediocrity... Unfortunately, we weren't even mediocre last year (29th). People are up in arms when Gaither cost us $9 million, but don't bat an eye when $50 million was wasted last year (Okung, Pouncey, Rivers).