Chargers needs: Big departures leave giant holes
The most disappointed team in the AFC last season wasn't Indianapolis. It was San Diego.
The Chargers lapped the AFC West, going 6-0 en route to their fourth straight division title. They finished the regular season with 11 straight victories. And they ran through the always tough NFC East, beating all four teams there -- including the Giants and Dallas on the road.
|
|
| LaDainian Tomlinson, the face of the franchise, is now a Jet. (Getty Images) |
Talk about stunning. It was supposed to be the year the Chargers went to the top, and it was ... if the AFC West penthouse is your idea of a destination. But another disappointing playoffs has disgruntled Chargers fans wondering why this season should be different, and I'll tell you why: Because this San Diego team is unlike any you've seen in years.
For one, running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the heart and soul of the franchise, is gone -- released after a disappointing season. Star cornerback Antonio Cromartie is gone, too. So is former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jamal Williams. The Chargers believe they're better off without them, and you make the call.
All I know is that no one in the division challenges San Diego again, and here's why:
QB: Philip Rivers isn't just the best quarterback in the AFC West; he's one of the best in the league. His 62 touchdown passes the past two seasons rank second only to the Saints' Drew Brees (68), and his 104.4 passer rating in 2009 made him the only quarterback anywhere to surpass 100 the past two years.
Rivers is a franchise quarterback and, as an enormously popular player with fans, the most likely choice to replace L.T. as the face of this franchise. He is accurate. He is successful. And he is tough and resilient, all of which make it difficult for backup Billy Volek to get on the field. Just another reason third-stringer Charlie Whitehurst became expendable.
RB: Tomlinson is gone, and there's an enormous hole at this position. Darren Sproles remains, but he's not an every-down back; he's a return specialist who is invaluable on third downs or with the ball in space. Anyway, Sproles is an asset, but only as a supporting player. Fullback Jacob Hester hasn't been much of a factor, never carrying more than 21 times in a season, but that hasn't been his role. Blocking has been. Backup fullback Mike Tolbert is the more logical choice to carry the ball. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season and could be the short-yardage option this time around. Nevertheless, that doesn't solve the primary problem, which is finding someone to replace Tomlinson. The Chargers will draft a back early, perhaps in the first round, and not because it's a good idea but because it's a necessity.
WR: Never has a collective-bargaining stalemate been more welcome than it is with this team. The Chargers could've lost Shawne Merriman, tackle Marcus McNeill and wide receiver Vincent Jackson to free agency. Instead, all are restricted free agents who have been retained.
| Five possibilities: Chargers |
|
Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State: He's not all that physical and doesn't have breakaway speed but he led the nation in rushing. |
| Draft strategy: Chargers |
| More Draft coverage |
|
Team Needs: All 32 teams |
|
Jackson is an elite receiver with size, hands and speed. The past two seasons he exceeded 1,000 yards in catches, and he is averaging 17 yards a catch for his career, including 17.2 last year. Jackson is the best of a respectable group of wideouts that includes Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee and Buster Davis. The underwhelming Davis has been a disappointment, but the club believes if he can stay healthy he can make a contribution. Their point: When he gets the chance to play, he flashes.
TE: Antonio Gates is one of the premier players at his position, drawing comparisons in San Diego to Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. Remarkably consistent throughout his career, Gates has never scored fewer than eight times in the past six seasons and never caught fewer than 60 passes. He had 79 last season while producing a career-best 1,157 yards and earning yet another Pro Bowl selection. backup Kris Wilson is OK, but the Chargers will miss Brandon Manumaleuna. He was the best run blocker at the position.
OL: When Tomlinson fizzled last season the perception was that while he wasn't the same, neither was his offensive line. In fact, the line was considered a liability, with Tomlinson's dwindling numbers the evidence. OK, so maybe it didn't open as many holes as it had in the past. And maybe it pass protected better than it run blocked. But now we find out just how bad ... or good ... this unit is, and will the next running back please pick your hole? Tackle Marcus McNeill is solid, and so is Pro Bowl guard Chris Dielman.
Center Nick Hardwick missed most of last season with injuries but should be fine -– and that's more than good. He has a Pro Bowl résumé, too. The club is high on guard Louis Vasquez, who started as a rookie, and the line should be better for the injuries that forced it to juggle at center and right tackle. Brandyn Dombrowski finished the season as the starting right tackle, but he'll yield to Jeremy Clarey. Scott Mruczkowski started the first 13 games for Hardwick until he, too, bowed out with an injury. From where I sit, that gives the Chargers plenty of options at key positions.
DL: No position was hit as hard by injuries last season as this one, with the Bolts starting six players, including three defensive tackles. Former Pro Bowl choice Williams bowed out after one game with a season-ending knee injury. Now he's gone, off to Denver after the Chargers released him. The Chargers must replace him, and, no, neither Ian Scott nor Ogemdi Nwagbuo is the answer. Nor is Travis Johnson, brought over in a trade with Houston. To say defensive tackle is a need is an understatement. It's a priority. The club remains solid at the end spots, with Jacques Cesaire and Luis Castillo. Johnson, Nwagbuo, Alfonso Boone and Ryon Bingham provide considerable depth.
LB: San Diego drafted Larry English because it believed it could -- or would -- lose Merriman to free agency. Then the uncapped year arrived, the club exhaled and Merriman returns for another season. Once considered one of the best young linebackers, his star has dimmed -- with Merriman struggling to regain his form of the first three seasons. In those days, he never had fewer than 10 sacks in any year; now he comes off a season with four.
It typically takes players coming off serious knee injuries a year to find themselves, and maybe that's what happened here. All I know is the Chargers aren't nearly as high on the guy as they were a few seasons back. Teammate Shaun Phillips was more productive last season, with a team-best seven sacks, 16 quarterback hits and seven forced fumbles. Inside linebackers Stephen Cooper, Kevin Burnett and Brandon Siler are solid, with Cooper the team's leading tackler and Siler most effective at short-yardage and goal-line stops. The return of outside linebacker Jyles Tucker makes a position of strength stronger.
DB: The Bolts' most talented cornerback, Cromartie, was sent to the New York Jets after the Chargers tired of his underwhelming play and off-field troubles. Look for Antoine Cason to replace him, and, granted, it's a gamble. But the Chargers thought enough of Cason to make him a first-round draft pick before turning him into their dime back, so he has talent and experience. He and Quentin Jammer are fine at the corners, with Jammer a terrific run supporter, while safeties Kevin Ellison and Eric Weddle are adequate.
The midseason switch to Ellison was crucial to the Chargers' defensive rejuvenation, with the then-rookie an improvement over prior starter Clinton Hart. Newcomers Donald Strickland and Nathan Vasher provide depth and experience, but neither should challenge for a starting job. Nickel back Steve Gregory won't, either, but that doesn't diminish his role as the team's nickel back. A reserve safety, Gregory is one of the team's top young defensive backs.
