Bolts Draft Day

Posted by on May 1st, 2015  •  0 Comments  • 

I said he was the one of the best on the draft board, and I felt they had to have him.  And the Chargers GM-Tom Telesco and Coach Mike McCoy felt the same.

 
In an NFL draft they had to hit the jackpot on, the Bolts, drafting Wisconsin star running back Melvin Gordon, did just that.  They paid a price to get the right to pick him, shipping a lst, a 4th and a future 5th round choice to San Francisco to move up.
 
Expensive price to move up a couple of slots, but they got an explosive player.
 
Telesco gushed about what he saw scouting the Badgers running back.  Fast, physical, slash and dash, explosive, tough, glides and slides.
 
All that wrapped around a season in which he ran for (2,587Y), averaged a wild 7.5 YPC, caught passes, blitz blocked, and had a nose for the end zone.
 
Scout compared him to Kansas City'[s Jamal Charles, a dangerous runner, hitting people, making people miss and bursting away from tacklers once he hits the 2nd level.
 
It looked like the Chargers would never get the chance to draft him, not after the Rams took Georgia back Todd Gurley with the 10th pick.  They knew Cleveland and Miami just ahead might take him.  And they feared Houston would move on him, thus the trade to leap frog the Texans.
 
Today will be a different day for the Bolts.  They have to wait 15-more picks into the 2nd round before they can hope to get a defensive tackle, maybe Carl Davis of Iowa.  
 
Maybe in the 3rd round they take Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion, the heir apparent once Philip Rivers leaves.
 
But for 24-hours, feel good about what they did, for there has been little to feel good about recently about this franchise.
 
Maybe he is the next LaDanian Tomlinson, and by the way, Gordon broken LT’s single game NCAA rushing record, when the Badger went for (408-yards) rushing in a mid-season game in just 3-quarters.
 
The Bolts offensive line is better this morning than it has been.  The running game will be even more explosive thanks to this pick. The defense remains weak however.
 
Yes they paid a high price, but if this team misses the playoffs again, Telesco and McCoy might not be around to conduct another draft.
 
Good nite at the Fortress.  We’ll see if today can be just as productive.

You be the GM!

Posted by on April 30th, 2015  •  0 Comments  • 

NFL Draft Day is upon us, and your team, my Chargers, have needs everywhere.  Lucky for you, this 2015 draft board is deep in the areas your team-my team has the most needs.
 
You’re not trading quarterback Philip Rivers to get the chance at Marcus Mariota.  But you might make a trade, to jump higher into the second round of the draft.
 
With the 17th selection, you have a choice, dependent on what happens just above you.  Your Chargers definitely need a heavy duty running back, and both Todd Gurley-Georgia, and Melvin Gordon-Wisconsin are legit first rounder’s.  But Gurley may be gone, if the the rumors are right, maybe as high as pick 15-to Miami, despite the late season knee surgery.  Gordon would be there then for you at the 17th slot, and I would take him for my team..
 
But if both running backs are gone, you are going to get a shot at a pretty good offensive lineman.  There will be a run on the grunt guys probably in spots 8-thru-15.  Even if there are, you probably get a shot at nasty offensive center Cam Erving-Florida State, or Ereck Flowers, the thick tackle-guard out of Miami.  It would solidify your offensive line for years.
 
The other side of your line is woeful, and though it is not a sexy pick, your team might get an opportunity at a defensive tackle.  Florida State massive defensive tackle Eddie Goldman is not a national name, but he is a wide-body, take up space, tough to block nose tackle.  So is Arik Armstead, a very active nose tackle from Oregon, though his stock has gone up the board.  And a third one might be there, Malcom Brown, under-rated but versatile from Texas.
 
And once you get done picking a player who comes in and plays immediately, you should think about packaging your 2nd round choice (48) and your third round pick (83) tomorrow and trading higher to the top of the second round.  That second tier of players is pretty good, and you can fill a need there too.  
 
But first things, first.  What are you going to do tonite in the 7pm hour when your pick comes up?. 
 
Protecting Rivers (OL), helping Rivers (RB), and fixing a defense to go get the ball back for Rivers (DT) all seem like priorities.  At least on my team they would be.  
 
How about yours, since you are the General Manager, making the pick for the Chargers this evening.  You are on the clock.

Draft Report Card – Chargers GM

Posted by on April 29th, 2015  •  0 Comments  • 

Tom Telesco will sit in the Chargers War Room, encamped there Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  
 
The clock is ticking on him and Coach Mike McCoy, as well as his aging quarterback Philip Rivers.  The Chargers have missed the playoffs 4-times in the last 5-seasons.  They have just 1-playoff win in the last six years.
 
Roster-wise, they right now look to be a team sitting on the outside of the playoffs again.  They lost a host of veteran free agents, including their power running back, two starters in the secondary, plus the retirement of four other veterans.  Years of experience have departed, in addition to the talent gone on the field.
 
You cannot rate an NFL draft crop till a couple of years in.  Telesco’s track record when with the Indianapolis Colts, was to build thru the draft, with an occasional free agent acquisition.
 
Ranking his first two drafts is easy, based on who is playing, and who has not yet.  
 
The 2013-draft and its letter grades:
(1) DJ Fluker (A)…has been everything you would want as a young player.  Has missed only 1-game, has taken virtually every snap.  Has shown ability to play guard and tackle.  A cornerstone, an anchor, a leader.
(2) Mantei Teo (C)…twice has been injured with foot issues.  Showed some improvement late in his sophomore season, but still seems too small to be a force at inside linebacker, and a step slow.  Definitely not a difference maker, considering the price they paid to trade up to get him.
(3) Keenan Allen (B)..a pleasant surprise as a rookie, a bit of drop-off in production his second year, but a player at this next level.  Must have quality on the other side though to be the big play receiver they need.
(5) Stevie Williams (D)..injuries wrecked his rookie season, learning curve second year steep.  Good athlete but hasn’t show ability to make plays.
(6) Tourek Williams (C)..can play special teams, but has not done much as an every down player.  Just a guy.
 
The 2014-draft grades:
(1) Jason Verrett (B)..enormously gifted athlete but has had surgeries on both shoulders.  Potential seems spectacular with all his athletic abilities. Might be best corner they have drafted since the days of Gil Byrd.  Can be a star if he stays on the field.
(2) Jerry Attaochu (C)..has shown flashes as a pass rusher, but not not much, and had nagging injuries as rookie.  Will need to play and contribute this year.
(3) Chris Watt (B)…will be the starting center, hoping to follow long line of centers (Macek-Hall-Hardwick) the franchise has had.  Versatility important in that he could play guard if team drafts another center.  Future front and center.
(5) Ryan Carrethers (D)..big transition from 1AA football to NFL.  Had to play last year because of injuries, but did not do much.  Unproven.
 
So Telesco enters the draft on Thursday night with a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 2.3 on the 4-point scale, surely not good enough.  He drafts 17th, 48th and 83rd in the opening three rounds.  He could get a couple of “A” players with his first two picks.
 
He needs to get a couple of “A” players, because with a 33-year old QB, and holes on the roister, the GM and the Coach cannot afford too many more years of non-playoff football.

The Future Begins Now

Posted by on April 28th, 2015  •  0 Comments  • 

Today is pretty important to the San Diego Chargers, but then again so will be tomorrow and the years after tomorrow.
 
Thursday’s NFL draft holds lots of intrigue for a Bolt team, desperate to make itself back into a playoff team, but realizing too, they have to begin preparing the the ‘life after’.
 
No one is going to die, but somewhere down the road, quarterback Philip Rivers will no longer be part of this franchise, and teams with aging starts QBs, at some point, have to begin the retro fit project to fill the position.
 
There will be no Jameis Winton nor Marcus Mariota press conferences with the Chargers.  But there very well could be a quarterback of the future arriving at Chargers Park sometime before Sunday night when the draft is done.
 
Much depends what happens with the Bolts lst round draft pick, whether it is a running back, or a star lineman.
 
The 2nd and 3rd round choices carry importance to this franchise, especially if one of those choices is spent on a quarterback for the future.
 
Brett Hundley of UCLA is a big rangy-raw athlete.  He put up great numbers as a virtual 1-man show with the Bruins, but lived in a lifetime shotgun alignment.  There will be a real learning curve for him under center, and you can ask Cam Newton, RGIII or even Michael  Vick about that.  He is big, rangy, and dynamic, but nowheres near ready.
 
Garrett Grayson may be the best pocket passer in  the group after carrying the Colorado State program for 3-years, is big, physical, with a strong pocket presence, intelligence and fire, somewhat of a throwback guy.
 
The great unknown is Baylor’s Bryce Petty, who put up huge numbers in the Bears spread formation.  But does he have strength of arm,can he learn to play under center, is he the next Sonny Cumbie or Kliff Kingsbury, who came out of similar offenses, but did not make it in the NFL.
 
And then there is Oregon State’s Sean Mannion, a (6’6) pocket passer, built much along the lines of Rivers, even with a slingshot delivery.  Strong arm, tremendous smarts, big in the pocket but apt enough to move around a bit, and has started for almost 4-years for the Beavers.
 
Sometime late Thursday or maybe first thing Friday, these quarterback’s come off the draft board.  The Chargers need to win now, but really need to win in the future and one of these quarterbacks, linked to Mike McCoy and Frank Reich, might be the best pick the team could make this week, to guarantee a good future in weeks-years to come.

Chargers at the Crossroads

Posted by on April 27th, 2015  •  0 Comments  • 

This is a big week for the Chargers football franchise, on the field at least, and also in the community.  Talking about the team for once, not the stadium situation, though both are linked and critically important.

 
There will be no Philip Rivers trade to the Tennessee Titans, if you buy as truth what Tom Telesco says.
 
And though others, the UT, believe the Chargers lost in free-agency, I think they filled enough holes to help themselves in the offensive line, special teams, and at wide receiver.
 
Now the Thursday-Friday days at the draft table are going to be huge, and the Bolts are going to get access to quality in the opening three rounds.
 
There are 26- big names available in the opening round, and regardless of what happens above them on the draft board, they will get immediate help.  The draft is deep where the Chargers have the most needs.
 
NFL people say 2-quarterbacks, 2-running backs, 2-wide receivers, as many as 7-offensive lineman, 6-defensive line, 5-linebackers and 2-defensive backs are all likely to be taken in that opening round.
 
Telesco needs a power running back; he needs more bulk in the defensive line; he needs another  young offensive lineman, and a pass rusher.
 
They draft 17th, 48th and 83rd in the opening three rounds.
 
If there is a run on the offensive lineman early, that means the running backs and defensive lineman will fall.  If teams take the top two backs, the 2-quarterbacks and the 2-wideouts, then the OL-DL crops will be pushed down the board.
 
It adds up as a win-win for the people at the Fortress.
 
Yes I wanted them to ‘rent-a-vet’ like Vince Wilfork or the likes, and yes I wish that had been able to hold onto a Marcus Gilchrist or a Shareece Wright, but I do think Orlando Franklin-Patrick Robinson-Jacoby Jones and Stevie Johnson will be big time contributors.
 
They need to do what they did the first two April’s Telesco was on the job, draft guys who can play immediately, a Keenan Allen or a Jason Verrett.  I think they will, and I think they need five more young players out of this draft and undrafted signing period, to make the team a contendor.
 
Thursday and Friday will be important days for the coming season if not the long term future of the team.
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