“Thursday Thought”

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Chargers….They can talk about NFL free agency all they want…but they don’t have much cap space once the bidding opens up on March 9th right after the NFL combines in Indianapolis. The Chargers have 19-veteran free agents to deal with and have just 23M-cap space looking towards 2017.

Chargers…How do you spend your money? Melvin Ingram is not a franchise tagged linebacker, not with the tag worth (14M). The Bolts must also re-sign Jahleel Addae, Danny Woodhead, Manti Te’o amongst others. And if you take care of your own, how do you go out and get players from other clubs. Hard to believe, as wretched as the Chargers have been, they hardly have any cap space to improve the roster.

Chargers..Who stays-who goes….They have a ton of money tied up in the offensive line, the group that is always hurt. King Dunlap is due nearly 6M next year. Ditto for Orlando Franklin. DJ Fluker has an 8.8M- cap figure. Maybe you restructure some of those deals, but that’s an awful lot of money for a group that got its quarterback pounded last year.

Chargers…A choked up Philip Rivers, speaking from the hear he always wears on his sleeve, saying “I’ll always be a San Diego Charger” brought him a standing ovation. Most honest player-person we have had here representing a team, this side of Tony Gwynn. Sure is beloved, unlike the coward owner Dean Spanos.

Charges…The coach says he feels so good about the experience his staff has….Gus Bradley and Ken Whisenhunt bring 11-combined years of head coaching eperience to Anthony Lynn’s staff…all well and good till you release Bradley was (14-48) in Jacksonville…and Whisenhunt got dumped after his Titans went (3-23)….that’s not much of a calling card for success is it?

Padres…What a traffic jam, fighting for spots in the starting rotation. Don’t understand the statement that if Luis Perdomo is not in the rotation on opening day, he goes to El Paso. How could he not be in the opening day rotation?

Padres..No traffic jam.in the bullpen, just waiting for them to define roles. Carter Capps could be the steal of the year, if he can recapture his his health. That was nasty101mph gas he was throwing out of the bullpen with Washington before he had elbow surgery. He, Brad Hand, Brandon Mauer, that’s a pretty good start to a back end of the pitching staff. Now about those starters.

Aztecs…Hard to believe what has happened to former SDSU football coaches. Brady Hoke heads to Tennessee as Defensive line coach, this after one horrid year as defensive coordinator at Oregon. He was hired by the Ducks after getting fired as Michigan head coach. Tough news out of Tennessee also, where former Aztecs defensive line coach Osia Lewis has left the Vanderbilt staff for treatment of liver cancer. And Kevin O’Connell, who wanted into coaching, is now on his 3rd job in three years, going to the 49ers, Browns and now as QB-coach with the Redskins.

USD…Interesting basketball matchup tonight when the Torerors hosts #1-ranked Gonzaga, the ones with a (28-0) record atop the college polls. I know USD’s new incoming AD, Bill McGillis, said his goal was to build Toreros basketball into a West Coast Conference power, but the 3-worst losses in USD history have come the last couple of years against the Zags, St-Mary’s and BYU. Lots of work to be done at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Aztecs…They were playing complete basketball right now after an awful start, till last night, then another setback loss at home to Frenso State…Ice cold from the floor, and it wipes out some of the good feelings you have heading towards the conference tourney….The struggles this year, it has more to do with health than anything else. Getting shooting forward Malik Pope back on the floor healthy is huge. The same for getting Zy Cheatem back at forward for valuable mnutes. Not much of a contirbution from Teke Caesar-Gill. Of course the challenge will be to put together strong outings on the road in the MWC-tourney in two weeks. But at least they have some firepower now, and they are playing much better team defense.

Gulls…Roaring from 7th place to 2nd place has been impressive. More impressive, the Gulls of Dallas Eakins have done this with a turnstile at the dressing room door. They have now gone thru 42-players this season so far. That’s alot of turnover, and yet, new faces most every night, they are (17-3-1) since Christmas week. Of course they are trying to chase down the San Jose Barracudas, who had an 11-game win streak while the Gulls were rolling. The 2-NHL goalies, Dustin Tokarski and Jhonas Enroth have carried a strong workload.

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