Chargers Training Camp

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You’re looking for wins…
 
I’m looking for answers beginning today.
 
The sun came up in San Diego…  A morning greeted by eternal optimism.  The Chargers have opened preseason camp.
 
Everyone is excited about the prospects of a playoff season starting in September.  I’m looking to find out things the next six weeks-first.
 
Seattle-San Francisco-the hated Broncos, and all those other tough teams on the schedule will have to bide their time.  We need to sort out fact from fiction on the Chargers, before we consider ordering playoff tickets.
 
Philip and Friends, the quarterback, the 3-running backs, the fast developing tight end LaDarius Green are ready.
 
But can the offensive line hold up, if there is no Jeromey Clary, or if Father Rime starts collecting tolls on the anchor at center Nick Hardwick?
 
Yes, slick and quick Keenan Allen had a very good season as a rookie, but the health of Malcom Floyd is a key, and will Eddie Royal and Vincent Brown be big play receivers?
 
On defense, I love those linebackers, but right now not much else.  There is no depth in the front.  If anything happens to Corey Liuget or Kendall Reyes, this team is in trouble.  The rest of that front are just ‘guys”.
 
You don’t have a legitimate nose-tackle.  Sean Lissimore should not be starting and the kids Gaethers/Carruthers are just that, kids-who have never done it.
 
When the GM had a chance to go get a vet upfront, he bypassed on the likes of the always active Pat Sims of the Raiders, Paul Soliai of Miami, Kevin Williams of the Vikings and Linval Joseph of the Giants.  They might have been difference makers..
 
Yes Brandon Flowers may be a savior in the secondary, but more importantly, how fast does Stevie Williams come at corner?  Does Addae become a solid safety rather than a late-hitter? Is this finally a breakthrough year for Darrell Stuckey? Does Shareece Wright take the next step forward, after getting skewered last year?
 
Playoff team, yes, if there are no injuries, and if the names I just mentioned produce.
 
You go get excited out at the Fortress this morning.  I’ll be looking for answers to be delivered by opening night.

Chargers Running Backs

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They have every type of guy you need to go get the job done.

The Chargers are opening training camp, and the committee is ready to report to work, the committee of running backs.

3-deep with proven performers, it might not be LaDainian Tomlinson-Darren Sproles, but it will be just as dangerous and definitely dynamic.

The Chargers 3-Musketeers at running back are ready-willing-and definitely able.

Ryan Mathews, the slow developing lst round pick, has gone from “China Doll” to “Rock Hard”. Coach Mike McCoy changed the culture of Chargers football last year, and he definitely changed Mathews. No more injuries. Lots of carries. Dependability every week. You will not fumble, you will blitz block.

He did, and he did it consistently. End result, a remarkable season in which he touched the ball 311-times and wound up with 1444-all purpose yards. He was heavy duty tough, reliable, and always there. No more hand-calf-finger-collarbone injuries.

Danny Woodhead became what Darren Sproles was, dangerous, dynamic and tough. When he was done darting-dashing he had 8TDs and 1084-all purpose yards, running people ragged..

And now you add Donald Brown via the Indianapolis Colts. Sometimes runner, sometimes receiver, always trustworthy. The only word I can think of is dependable. He had nearly 3,000 all purpose yards with the Colts.

So now Phillip Rivers, for the first time in a couple of years, has it inside, outside, and on the edge. When he wants to play power ball it will be Mathews. When he wants change of pace, there is Brown. When he wants explosive it is Woodhead.

I don’t care Woodhead is locked up now for 3-years, and Brown got 3-years, and yes Mathews is headed to his walk-free agent year. If Mathews duplicates last season into this season, there would no reason to let him go. He is still young, and has proven he can handle the rock. He now know what it takes to be a pro.

The 3-Musketeers, one for all, all for one, helping out Rivers in a truly balanced Chargers offense.

Chargers Draft 2014

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They have every type of guy you need to go get the job done.
 
The Chargers are opening training camp, and the committee is ready to report to work, the committee of running backs.
 
3-deep with proven performers, it might not be LaDainian Tomlinson-Darren Sproles, but it will be just as dangerous and definitely dynamic.
 
The Chargers 3-Musketeers at running back are ready-willing-and definitely able.
 
Ryan Mathews, the slow developing lst round pick, has gone from “China Doll” to “Rock Hard”.  Coach Mike McCoy changed the culture of Chargers football last year, and he definitely changed Mathews.  No more injuries.  Lots of carries.  Dependability every week.   You will not fumble, you will blitz block.
 
He did, and he did it consistently.  End result, a remarkable season in which he touched the ball 311-times and wound up with 1444-all purpose yards.  He was heavy duty tough, reliable, and always there.  No more hand-calf-finger-collarbone injuries.
 
Danny Woodhead became what Darren Sproles was, dangerous, dynamic and tough.  When he was done darting-dashing he had 8TDs and 1084-all purpose yards, running people ragged..
 
And now you add Donald Brown via the Indianapolis Colts.  Sometimes runner, sometimes receiver, always trustworthy.  The only word I can think of is dependable.  He had nearly 3,000 all purpose yards with the Colts.
 
So now Phillip Rivers, for the first time in a couple of years, has it inside, outside, and on the edge.  When he wants to play power ball it will be Mathews.  When he wants change of pace, there is Brown.  When he wants explosive it is Woodhead.
 
I don’t care Woodhead is locked up now for 3-years, and Brown got 3-years, and yes Mathews is headed to his walk-free agent year.  If Mathews duplicates last season into this season, there would no reason to let him go.  He is still young, and has proven he can handle the rock.  He now know what it takes to be a pro. 
 
The 3-Musketeers, one for all, all for one, helping out Rivers in a truly balanced Chargers offense.

LA Stadium Situation

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Somebody is going to pay for this…it’s always this way in the NFL.
 
It’s the 20th Anniversary of the last time the NFL played in Los Angeles.  You remember the Rams and the Raiders-the LA Coliseum and the Big A were their homes.
 
The struggle has continued for over a decade.  Build a stadium.  Where.  How much.  Who plays in it.  And at what cost.
 
Is it at Farmers Field next to Staples Center?  Is it in the rock pit-east of LA?  Is it at the Hollywood Park locale?  There are always new ideas, new schemes, some scams, rumors  here-there-everywhere.
 
There is now pressure being brought to bear from the Networks and the Union, who both want in the number two market in the nation, for the amount of money it would generate.  All about growing the pie.
 
The NFL, always looking for the best deal, doesn’t seem to have many bidders, or at least people who want to pay a king’s ransom to do this.  They never got a deal done with the Anschutz or Roskie groups, and those people are “doers”.
 
Now the NFL has the novel idea.  They the league would build the stadium, rent it out to a team, and turn the Los Angeles experience into something special.  
 
4-Super Bowls with PSL ticket prices over the next decade.  Move the NFL combine there from Indianapolis.  Transfer the Pro Bowl from Hawaii permanently.  Erect a West Coast version of the Hall of Fame.  Bid on the BCS championship games.
 
Thinking outside the box for sure.  Of course you need to read the fine print.
 
If the NFL funds the stadium, whomever the tenant going in, won’t get all the profits.  Those will go to the 32-owners who are financing this majestic stadium.  The crumbs left beneath the table will go to the city of LA, who will reap tax benefits on sales of food and gear.
 
And whoever goes in there, attention Chargers-Rams-Bills-Jaguars, be prepared to pay a 400M-territorial fee, to be split amongst your fellow owners too.
 
The NFL is a 10B-a year business model..  This makes great sense.  Maybe this is the only way to get back into LA, with the NFL paying the initial freight, and reaping the lions share of profits.
 
The Tagliabue-Goodell reign has seen the NFL-G3 fund loan money for construction in the past..  But this is not some 200M-load that Pittsburgh or Minnesota got.  This is probably a 1.1-billion as an investment. 
 
Schematics, blueprints, fancy brochures and artist renderings are all glitzy.  Using the NFL money is the guts of the deal.
 
Time for the NFL rich to do something for a city, and make the investment.  Time to foot the bill for football back in LA.  It won’t get done any other way.

Padres Trade

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You had to make the deal, didn’t you?  Subtract a star, add more kids.
 
So the deal is done, and from where you are sitting, it looks like another San Diego fire sale in a city besieged in recent years by raging wildfires.
 
Huston Street-the dominant relief pitcher, goes to the Angels for 4-top young prospects.  Depending on who you talk to, the Angels paid a steep price to get the closer for their World Series hopes, or the Padres just did what they had promised they would no longer do, dealt away veterans making big money for younger players.
 
Younger players, RJ Alvarez a hot young minor leaguer; Taylor Lindsey-a 2nd baseman with some power; young shortstop Jose Rondon-who can hit in Class A; and young pitcher Ev Morris.
 
That’s the issue, trading a proven major leaguer for 4-kids you hope will get to the majors.
 
Asking today, what is the Padres biggest need?  An outfielder with some power?  Needed today or for tomorrow (2015).  Did San Diego get one?  No.  Did the Angels have some to deal? Yes.
 
And that’s the issue.  The Halos desperately needed a relief ace.  San Diego had the leverage.  The Angels are loaded with outfield bats.  You know about Mike Trout-Josh Hamilton.-Kole Calhoun.  But the Halos had extras, CJ Cron, JD Schuck, Grant Green.  Any one of them could have helped today and tomorrow.
 
This deal may sentence San Diego to a 100-loss season, this year, and maybe next year.  You’re just hoping these kids work out, but more times than not they all  don’t pan out.
 
Next up, they’re going to move veteran 3rd baseman Chase Headley and outfielder Chris Denorfia for prospects.  People are calling about starter Ian Kennedy too.
 
The Padres just dealt away a valuable bargaining chip, and didn’t get anything to help this paralyzed offense.  How is that good in San Diego.
 
Who got the better of the deal?  San Antonio is going to have a really good team next year in the Padres  farm system.