Bolts Draft 2015
It was a good San Diego Chargers draft weekend, but it could have been even better, if they had not bypassed people who could have helped them at their positions of most need.
The drafting of Wisconsin Badgers star running back Melvin Gordon was a pro-active GM’s move at its best. He is a diverse talent, a vibrant personality, a quick learner, and a pretty complete player, fumbles not withstanding in the Big 10.
He may be more complete right now than the future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlin was when he came here out of TCU. I am not projecting he will be a 10,000-yard rushing guy, but he has done everything, in a big time program, big time conference, and done it well. I think he is a clone of Kansas City’s big time back Jamal Charles, slash-dash-crash..
And yes they overpaid to get access to him, and yes, I was stunned Cleveland and Miami did not take him, considering the mess they have at running back. And the Bolts had to move quickly, because Houston was lurking out there, looking for someone to be the next guy when Arian Foster is no longer the guy.
Impressed early, a bit disappointed later, when the Chargers went for an undersized inside linebacker, Denzel Perryman of the Miami Hurricanes in the second round. There is no doubt this guy is a hitter, a leader, a football junkie. But he is neither tall, nor very big, nor very fast. Smaller in stature than Mantei Te’o and Donald Butler, and not as fast.
In desperate need of help at defensive tackle, they bypassed a wide variety of D-lineman in that second round. Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips, Iowa’s Carl Davis, and Louisville’s Lornezo Mauldin were there. Maybe San Diego feels Ricardo Mathews and Ryan Carrethers will grow into talents at that position.
The third round choice choice might have been a reach too. Bypassing a pass rusher, they went for a small college cornerback, a hitter, in Craig Mager of Texas State. Another young DB to go with all the young DBs you are trying to develop.
The final couple of picks were a small college linebacker from North Dakota State and a very young defensive tackle from Arkansas.
I wouldn’t have touched Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, a real package of problems, and they evidentally didn’t want to go near LSU’s OT-La’El Collins either, despite police reports that say he was not a suspect in the death of a girl friend last Friday.
And they looked the other way despite working out Sean Mannion of Oregon State, Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson, and even Baylor’s Bryce Petty, some think might be quarterbacks of the future other places..
The national media loves the running back pick, but laughed at the others.
“You picked 4-special teams players with all your other choices? You’ll have to coach em up to become players in the NFL. Is your South Dakota on your schedule” wrote the critics..
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and the Chargers wanted speed and toughness, and that is what they think they got. But with a franchise is such desperate need of defensive help, you have to ask how you can pass big time players from big time programs.
Yes I know Rodney Harrison became a star coming out of Western Illinois, but I also know Kenny Bynum of South Carolina was a disaster of a running back.
They had a really good chance to add more to compliment the Badgers running back. I gave them a letter grade “B” but they really need more A-grade players.
I just cannot get away from the fact, the defense gave up 4.3-yards per carry, had few interceptions, and not many sacks, and the people at the Fortress did not really address those needs.
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