“Chargers Draft-Good-Could Have Been Great”

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This has been a positive off season for the Chargers, considering the last year of negativity we have had to live thru, off the field with the owner, and on the field with the product.

The Bolts came out of NFL draft weekend with a letter grade of “B”, the exact same grade I gave them for their deals in free-agency.

Whereas they got steady and serviceable free agents for their porous defense, they got speed and explosiveness for that defense in the draft.

The Chargers did not go outside in free agency to address the chronic offensive line injury issues. And in the draft, they bypassed 4-established offensive lineman they could have had in the 2nd round, this despite the fact 7-offensive lineman went in the opening round.

Joey Bosa is a 100%-effort guy all the time. Fast, physical, smart, fearless and diverse. Letter grade (A).

Hunter Henry was the tight end of the year in college football. Those 116-receptions, that 14-yard per catch stat, pretty impressive. he can block, he can run, he can be moved all over the place in formations. Maybe a bigger version of the Chiefs Travis Kelce. Letter grade (A)

Max Tuerk started for 3-and-a half years at USC. Fast, physical, but has hand injury problems. A multi-position guy. Big question, can he hold up physically and stay on the field. The Chargers had the worst rated centers in the NFL last year. Letter grade (B)

Joshua Perry becomes a young backup at inside linebacker. He is big and physical and will have to learn the game, as the replacement for the departed Donald Butler. Great size, so we will wait to see if he plays big….Letter grade (B)

Jatavis Brown was an OLB at Akron, who could wind up as a tough guy safety. Was the defensive player of the year in the Mid American Conference, where they throw the ball alot. Has some quicks…but this isn’t Akron and they won’t be playing Kent State….Letter Grade (C)

Drew Kaser is a bomber of a punter coming out of Texas A&M, where he averaged (46.6Y) per punt and did drops kicks inside the 20. He comes as the popular Mike Scifres departs.. Letter Grade (B).

Derek Watt reunites with Melvin Gordon, putting the Wisconsin band back together from Big 10-days. Strong, powerful, runs well, catches the ball, and is tough as cement, like his brother JJ Watt. it took a year of wasted time trying to make Melvin Gordon a 1-back guy. Now how much do they change the offense to help Gordon….Letter Grade (A).

Donavon Clark started two years at Michigan State, so you know he has a road grader mentality. Now the question, is he quick enough to handle everything the NFL upfront is all about. He was a 7th rounder…Letter Grade (C)

But now the burning question. Why did the Chargers bypass highly rated 2nd tier offensive lineman, considering the mass of injuries to 6-of their top 7-lineman last year?

Indiana’s 4-year starting OT-Jason Spriggs was there. The top OC in the Big 10-Michigan’s Graham Glasgow was available. Cody Whitehair of Kansas State, the best in the Big 12, was on the board too.

The Chargers could have, should have seriously considered ULCA’s do everything star Myles Jack. Yes coming off knee surgery, yes concerns about what would happen down the road with his knee, but the potential of an impact player immediately.

Can you imagine Myles Jack lining up with Joey Bosa, coupled with the arrival of those 3-veteran free agents, and the personality of this defense would be drastically changes.

Yes that Arkansas tight end will add bullets to Philip Rivers’ gun, but wouldn’t a quality young offensive lineman to protect that quarterback be equally important.

Sometimes you need to bold, Jack would have been a gamble worth taking. Drafting another offensive lineman would have been a good investment.

So I add up the Chargers picks, I give GM-Tom Telesco a (3.1) GPA for this draft, on proven talent and on potential. But it might have been even higher if he had made a different pick in the 2nd round or at the top of the 3rd.

Good draft. Wish they had dared to be great.

“Chargers Draft–Win-Win Decision”

Everybody thinks they won on the lst day of the NFL draft.

It’s like the first day of spring, you feel invigorated, excited, energized. Same thing in the NFL, whether your team went (12-4) or as the Chargers did (4-12).

Within the Media Center at Chargers Park, the general feeling was “Wow”, at what the Chargers did atop the NFL draft board, choosing 3rd, but actually getting thier pick of the top every-down players on the board.

1-thing is for certain; everytime the Bolts draft a player, he brings speed in the front door with him. Such the case with the blazing fast, but bulked up Joey Bosa, the hybrid defensive end-linebacker from Ohio State.

The team kept its interest in him quiet all thru the draft evaluation process. The last time they talked to him was at the Buckeyes Pro Day. Before that, one converaation and dinner around Combine time. Everybody else was speculating he wasn’t a perfect fit for the ‘3-4’ defense San Diego runs. Maybe not hefty enough. Maybe a pretty good smoke screen.

But at 6-6, and 270-pounds, with long arms, an explosive burst, sideline-to-sideline speed, and a motor that burns high octane fuel, you come away impressed. Maybe this has the potential to be a JJ Watt type player.

The Chargers did due dliigence. They talked extensivley to Urban Meyer, his coach. They talked to coaches at Michigan State ande Michigan and Penn State. People raved. The Chargers kept the info under their hat.

They didn’t actually lie, because few asked them about him. Maybe that’s because the Cowboys and Jerry Jones were dropping hints everywhere, he was the guy they wanted. That was confirmed when you looked at the sad faces in the Dallas war-room as the pick was being announced.

Jacksonville wanted to trade up, but San Diego wanted more than the Jags were willing to give. But that’s not a problem because the Jaguars wound up with Jalen Ramsey, the Florida state safety.

Yes, DeForest Buckner was much bigger and had some of the qualities of Bosa, but San Diego felt he fit best what they want to do. Every year, they add speed and guys who ‘get after it. Just remember Denzel Perryman and Jason Verrett amongst others. They all fly, they all lay the leather out on you.

Yes, they needed offfensive line help because Philip Rivers has been sacked 155-times in the last four years. And yes Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley came with great credits. He wound up in Baltimore, after the other top tackle Laremy Tunsil tumbled down the board like a brick falling from the sky, with his off-field issues.

Yes Ramsey would have been a great secondary addition to team with Jason Verrett, another flyer who can hit.

But somewhere along the way you got the sense if John Pagano has more people to go get the quarterback, there would be less time in the pocket, more pressure, lots more hits, probably deflections, sacks, and a secondary that would hold up better.

You Tube Joey Bosa and you will come away impressed. The son of ex-Miami Dolphins pass rusher John Bosa, this kid looks legit. Maybe a truly two way player, a beast coming out of a 3-point stance, and the blow-by-you guy standing up and blitzing..
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1-thing for certain, QB’s won’t be able to get the ball down field if Bosa and the Boys amp up that pass rush, complemented by John Pagano’s blitz package.

Don’t know what today brings. 7-offensive linemen went in the lst round, a high number. Not too much left there, and the Rivers protection issue still remains. As does the inabillity to run the ball Sunday-by-Sunday.

But with the arrival today of Buckeyes defensive end Joey Bosa, all football all the time, a good choice on a team with a great need-defense.

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What are the Chargers going to do today as the NFL draft approaches?

Keep the pick and take a blue-chip, can’t miss prospect? Trade down a couple of slots, get an additional pick by dropping back? Or pull off a mega deal, drop way back, and get lots of picks in an extraordinarily deep draft

Chargers history, in case fans forget, has involved 3-big draft day trades of recent vintage.

The Chargers downward spiral may be pinpointed by the acquisition of Ryan Leaf, but the downturn of the franchise, was really a by product of age and injuries years before. The end of the Dan Fouts era, great offense-little defense, brought on a terrible malaise.

The team went thru 18-different quarterbacks on their roster from the day Fouts retired, till the day then GM-Bobby Beathard made a daring deal to acquire young quarterback Stan Humphries of the Redskins. Humphries would lead the Chargers to the Super Bowl, but his career was ended by a serious concussion a couple of years later in Cincinnati.

From Fouts last pass to Humphries first, the Chargers QB roster included Jim McMahon-Billy Joe Tolliver-David Archer-Mark Malone-John Friesz-Babe Laufenberg-Mark Vlasic-Rick Neuhisel-Mike Kelly-Mark Herrmann-Tom Flick-Bob Gagliano. That is some cross-section of desperation.

The post-Humphries list included Gale Gilbert-Sean Salisbury-Jim Everett-Craig Whelihan and Todd Philcox, and the misery was gruesome, but then got worse..

It brought San Diego to a big trade, the deal up to acquire the 2nd pick in the 1998-draft, with hopes they would get either Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf.

The blockbuster trade blew up in the face of both the Bolts and the Arizona Cardinals. Manning went number one to the Colts, and you know that history, Leaf was number two, and the Cardinals got decked by injuries and attitudes. The two first round picks Arizona got in the deal, bombed. Pass rusher Andre Wadsworth suffered two knee injuries, and was done within two years. And wide receiver David Boston became an off-field drama distraction with drugs and attitude, and never lived up to his hype.

Leaf was the epitome of non-professionalism, the spoiled-brat syndrome. His career highlite, the (1-15) passing day with all those turnovers in Kansans City. That or the day he and Craig Whelihan combined for 6-interceptions at the Kingdome in Seattle.

The post-Leaf era included Doug Flutie-Jim Harbaugh-Eric Kramer and Moses Moreno. It led to the arrival of Drew Brees and the onset of two sigfnicant trades that would forever change the face of the franchise.

The Chargers engineered a blockbuster, dealing out of the top slot, thanks to that (1-15) record, and bypassing the chance at Michael Vick. The pick went to Atlanta in 2001. The Bolts got the 5th choice that would become LaDainian Tomlison, along with a 2nd, 3rd and receiver Tim Dwight. The rest is history about our version of LT.

As the franchise grew, came another quarterback, and a week full of controversy. The Chargers, still building, flipping the lst pick they had made to the Giants, for the 4th pick, New York had just taken. Swap the name plates on the lockers, Eli Manning went to the Giants, Philip Rivers came here, along with draft picks that became Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding. A superb deal, with guys that will wind up in the Hall of Fame.

So as we await the start of today’s draft, we won’t see a blockbuster type package like the Rams-and-Eagles just engineered, but we might see a trade down.

If the Bolts stay at #3-I’d take DeForest Buckner of Oregon. If they trade back, they take OT-Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame. I think they stay away from Joey Bosa-Ohio State and Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss. If someone wants S-Jalen Ramsey, they’ll have to pay a good ransom to get San Diego’s pick.

The Chargers have played a part in draft day deals, some that worked, some that didn’t. What are the Bolts going to do? We find out in the 5pm hour.

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“Report Card Grade-Tom Telesco-Chargers GM”

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It is a tough, pressurized and demanding job.

Be the General Manager of an NFL team. The glory, when it works out well, the gore, when it goes bad.

Meet Tom Telesco, heading into his fourth year as the leader of the Chargers. You know them, the franchise that gave us Sid Gillman, Don Coryell, Bobby Ross and Marty Schottenheimer.

The franchise that won an AFL-title, was ahead of its’ time in the world of the passing game, and the team that went to the Super Bowl.

Telesco is trying to build the Bolts into something good for the long-term, but like anything else, once your quarterback is gone, the job gets tougher. The favorite NFL phrase, ‘you’re on the clock’ certainly pertains to the star quarterback Philip Rivers, age 35, and definitely is linked to the very high third choice the Bolts have on opening day of the draft,come Thursday.

The GM inherited a fractured franchise, where age, attitude issues, a player-agent feuds eroded what many thought would be a good era, starting with prior GM-John Butler, continuing thru the early years of the AJ Smith regime. But if you screw up the draft if you lose players to age, injury and contract disputes, you make mistakes on coaches, then it is tough to put a run together. Feel free to google Norv Turner, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles and so many others.

Alex Spanos,senior owner, did poorly, in the handling of the Coryell exit. Son, Dean Spanos, wrecked the momentum twice with the ugly divorces involving Bobby Beathard and his coach Bobby Ross, then Smith and Schottenheimer.

Hard as it is to believe, the Chargers have won 1-playoff game in the last 7-years, with future Hall of Famer Philip Rivers in the huddle. Almost as insidious as never getting to the Super Bowl while Dan Fouts was at the controls.

So how has Telesco done as he heads for his fourth draft? Here’s a report card, player and draft grade, on the picks he has made. And a look-see at who he passed up, who became instant starters elsewhere from rounds 1-2-3 of each year.

(2013-Draft)

DJ Fluker…(Grade A)..A strong right tackle, now moved into right guard. A real warrior-gamer
….Bypassed DT-Sheldon Richardson, OT-Kyle Long, DT-Sylvester Williams, LB-Alec Ogletree.
Mantei Te’o..(Grade C)…Hasn’t really stayed healthy…might be heady..not real quick
….Bypassed DT-Kawaan Short..RB-Le’Veon Bell..LB-Jamie Collins..TE-Travis Kelce..S-Tyrann Matthieu.
Keenan Allen..(Grade A)…Sleek and quick…Strong route runner-burst after catch
….Bypassed TE-Jordan Reed..OG-Larry Wartford.

Stevie Williams..(Grade C)..Special teams guy-part-time DB-still not consistent.
Tourek Williams..(Grade C)..Someone has to play gunner on special teams.
Brad Sorenson..(Grade F)..Released 3X.

(2014-Draft)

Jason Verrett..(Grade A)..Has proven he can play-hit-cover-needs to stay healthy
….Bypassed WR-Kelvin Benjamin..QB-Derek Carr..DE-Steven Tuitt.
Jerry Attaochu..(Grace C)..Still to fully develop-just a guy right now-but upside
….Bypassed WR-Davante Adams..OG-Jack Mewholt..WR-Jarvis Landry..WR-Alan Robinson
Chris Watt..(Grade C)…Injured-not proven big enough to hold up
….Bypassed WR-John Brown..TE-Rich Rodgers..C-Bryan Stork..WR-Martavis Bryant.

Ryan Carrethers..(Grade C)..Plays as backup-not much impact
Marian Grice..(Grade F)…Washout
Tavis Reese..(Grade F)..Released also

(2015-Draft)

Melvin Gordon..(Grade B)..Shows tremendous flash..yes fumbles..no help offensive line..Star in making
….Bypassed DT-Arik Armstead..CB-Marcus Peters.
Denzel Perryman..(Grade B)..Tough guy-run stuffer-not good in coverage-good first year-bad team
….Bypassed DE-Frank Clark..OT-Ty Sambailio
Craig Mager..(Grade C)..Injured-played some towards end of season-more snaps coming
….Bypassed RB-David Johnson.

Kyle Emanuel…(Grade C)…Made 1-play early in season…steady not spectacular…not much impact
Darius Philion…(Grade C)…Might turnout okay-played lots after coming off injury..see if he makes big jump this year.

Grading Telesco with an (A) worth 4 points..(B)-3-points…(C)-1 point….(D) 0-points…his GPA thru 3-drafts is …(2.11) for the 17-players drafted over three years. That just a shade over a (C) grade. Sure seems like the iffy drafts, and the free agent mistakes, are leading to this franchise, wasting away the career of that guy, QB-Philip Rivers.

Lots of work to be done. Invoking another NFL phrase….”you need to step up your game-Tom” now that you are on the clock.

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Here comes the NFL Draft.

And here comes the scramble to find the most important position player in the NFL, a quarterback, in a quarterbacks league, where offense is eveything, an defenses are always trying to catch up.

And NFL teams are always trying to find a way to find the right guy.

Sometimes is comes via a trade. Mention Brett Favre and you get smiles in Green Bay, and scowls in Atlanta. Mention Kurt Warner, and you think back to the Rams and their Super Bowl run. Depending on what day of the week it is, mention Eli Manning, and you get the importance of that Giants trade and the Super Bowl rings that followed.

The NFL draft can deliver greatness too. The modern day icon is Tom Brady, the 6th round draft pick with a chip on his shoulder.

But for every Brady, there are the failures, Vince Young, JaMarcus Russell, Johnny Manziel.

There are those struggling like Robert Griffin and Blaine Gabbert. There are those you are waiting for to blossom like Blake Bortels or Derek Carr or Ryan Tannehill…

Not everyone becomes Cam Newton nor Russell Wilson nor Ben Roethlisberger.

And now 48-hours before the draft, the quarterback quandry is there again.

Colin Kaeperneck wants out of San Francisco. What is his real value? I know his contract reads 13.9M this season. But what about the talent he showed early on? What about what has happened to him recently, injuries, feuds, leadership questions.

Houston is spending alot of money Brock Osweiler, he who won 5-games down the stretch, but got benched in Denver, and then let go when the Broncos refused to overpay him.

Yes there are ‘rent-a-vet journeyman out there, but Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown, Brian Hoyer, Mark Sanchez can only make you competitive up to a point, and then history repeats itself, not good enough to get you there.

There are no guarantees at the top of this draft board, despite the fact the Rams appear ready to select Cal Golden Bears star Jared Goff and the Eagles will then take North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz.

Who knows what happens beyond that?

The Saturday college stars you all recognize. Paxton Lynch of Memphis State; Connor Cook of Michigan State; Cody Kessler of USC; Kevin Hogan of Stanford; Dak Prescott of Mississippi State. Somewhere in all that mix, maybe there is somebody who becomes a solid star. But Saturday’s stars don’t necessarily become Sunday’s super stars.

Quarterbacks. If you got one (San Diego) you’re lucky. If you don’t have a quality one (LA Rams) you’re in trouble. You better get one and hope it’s the right one.

Thursday-Friday, days 1-2, rounds 1-2-3 are going to be fun to watch.