SB Nation - Buster Davis

State of the AFC West

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:57:09 -0000

Hello Bolts From The Bluers. Most of you know me as " 'tec". Now, apparently, I have a real name that appears next to my previous anonymous user-name. Incidentally, good news everyone!

I had the idea to do a weekly write-up on the state of our conference. For those that don't know, the Chargers play in the AFC West. This division consists of the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Denver Broncos. What I will be doing is updating everyone on the status of the division: standings, notable good and bad performances, significant injuries, upcoming match-ups, etc. I'm just going to give it a go the first time around; everyone should add suggestions in the comment field below to make this better since site is for the fans!

Catch the rest AFTER THE JUMP!

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Denver	6	0	133	66
San Diego	3	3	161	143
Oakland	2	5	62	177
Kansas City	1	6	105	181

(updated 10.27.2009 at 1:30 AM PDT)

As we all painfully know, Denver is leading the division at 6-0 while the Chargers are trailing behind in second at 3-3, which is 3 games back. With 10 games to go, and both teams done with their bye, there is still significant time left for the Chargers to catchup. Of course, we all know that we came back from 3 games down with 3 games to go last season, so anything is possible. Oakland is only 4 games back and Kansas City is only 5 games back, but nobody expects them to make any noise in the division. (Sorry AP don't ban me).

DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos were on a bye this week so there isn't much to say except that, if it is even possible, they got even healthier. The Broncos currently have no players on the injury report for their upcoming game against the Ravens. The only downside to their bye is that their schedule get's much tougher from here on out. 5 of their next 7 games are against tough opponents: @Baltimore, vs. Steelers, @Washigton, vs. San Diego, vs. New York, @KC, and @Indianapolis. That is a tough schedule for any team to play, regardless of how well they are playing. It will be tough to get out of that stretch with a winning record and a healthy roster. The Chargers, on the other hand, have a much easier schedule. Here is a look at the Broncos' injury report.

Denver Broncos Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Nick Greisen	knee	08/05/2009

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Another team's recent exploits that Charger fans are familiar with is the Kansas City Chiefs. As we saw, the Chiefs aren't doing anything well. Things aren't clicking on offense or defense. Matt Cassel isn't panning out so far to what the Chiefs had hoped; the argument could be made that the players around him aren't very good, but his play isn't helping matters. It appears as if he is the "system QB" that everyone thought he was, surrounded by excellent players. Only time will tell. The running game, with Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson, isn't doing much either. Add in the "twittergate" message from Johnson criticizing his coach, who knows how much longer he'll be around. This is compounded by injuries to the offensive line. The Chiefs only scored once on Sunday, to WR Dwayne Bowe, the only bright spot on the team it seems. Center Rudy Niswanger was injured during our game last Sunday and looks to be out for week 9. Left tackle Branden Albert had to sit out the game against the Chargers as well. The good thing is, the Chiefs are on a bye this week, so they will have time to rest and heal up. The bad news is, they still have 9 games to play.

Kansas City Chiefs Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rudy Niswanger	knee	10/26/2009
Jarrad Page	shoulder	10/26/2009
Branden Albert	ankle	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Devard Darling	knee	09/01/2009
Jackie Battle	shoulder	10/14/2009
Colin Brown	undisclosed	09/05/2009

OAKLAND RAIDERS

The losers of 11 or more games over the past 6 seasons look like they will continue that streak. The Raiders can look decent one game and then look like absolute crap the next. Their game on Sunday represented one of the later. The Raiders got pasted 38-0 playing at home against the New York Jets in a game that was blacked out because they failed to sell out the game. Raiders fans are usually pretty loyal, so it says a lot that the Raiders are so bad that even Raider fans can't watch them. Most of this has to do with the horrific play of former first round draft pick Jamarcus Russell. In fact, he played so poorly in the first half of the game (2 INTs and a lost fumble), he was benched and replaced by journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. Speaking of first round picks, brilliant selection Darrius Heyward-Bey continued his ho-hum season with 2 catches for 28 yards. It isn't pretty on the defensive side of the ball either; the Raiders gave up 447 yards of offense including a whopping 316 yards on the ground. Chaz Schilens, a SDSU product WR whom the Raiders had high hopes for, has been sidelined the whole season, while other injuries to the offensive line have weakened the run offense. However, the Raiders problems run much deeper than injuries, as it is painfully obvious to everyone in the NFL except for a few lone stragglers.

Oakland Raiders Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cornell Green	calf	10/26/2009
Ricky Brown	ankle	10/26/2009
Chaz Schilens	foot	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Bowie	knee	09/30/2009

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

I don't need to rehash anything about the Chargers so I will focus on our next division match-up which is of course the Oakland Raiders, this Sunday, at Qualcomm stadium. Of the aforementioned games where the Raiders looked decent, the Chargers game on MNF to open the season was one of them. The Raiders played us tough on both sides of the ball which resulted in numerous Charger injuries and a close call in Oakland. Fortunately, I don't think our 13th straight win over the Raiders will be as tough as the 12th. For one, the Raiders always play us tough at home and struggle at Qualcomm. Second, LT and Sproles are both healthy and the Raiders run defense is struggling mightily. The Chargers are going to continue to use the run game, especially since the Raiders have a decent secondary. Third, I don't think the Raiders will play with the same intensity they did the first time around. This team has been beaten down all season, gotten pushed around at home and on the road, and are coming off the Jets game in which they scored zero points and their starting QB was benched. Additionally, the Charger pass rush and defensive line play has looked much improved over the last two games. Raiders coach Tom Cable has said that Jamarcus Russell will start on Sunday; he is terribly inaccurate with all day in the pocket, if the Chargers put pressure on him I expect a game similar to the one Matt Cassel managed against us last Sunday. For the first time in awhile, the Chargers are mostly healthy except for All-Pro center Nick Hardwick, who is expected back in December.

San Diego Chargers Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Burnett	ankle	10/27/2009
Buster Davis	other-illness	10/26/2009
Vaughn Martin	hamstring	10/26/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ryon Bingham	arm	09/05/2009
Jamal Williams	triceps	09/19/2009
Antwan Applewhite	hamstring	10/20/2009
Brandon Hughes	knee	09/02/2009

San Diego Chargers Injuries: Week 7

John (obviousman) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:45:16 -0000

I'm pretty sure the site would crash like a lead zeppelin if I tried to post the entire practice participation report on the home page, so it's after the jump.

Worrisome names that could possibly miss Sunday's game include Kevin Burnett, Antonio Cromartie and Travis Johnson

Player	Injury	Wednesday Participation	Thursday Participation	Friday Participation	Friday Statu
Nick Hardwick, C	Ankle	Out - definitely will not play	Out - definitely will not play	Out - definitely will not play	Out
Kevin Burnett, ILB	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
Antonio Cromartie, CB	Knee		Limited Participation	Limited Participation	Questionable
Buster Davis, WR	Illness	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Jacob Hester, FB	Illness		Did Not Participate	Full Participation	Questionable
Travis Johnson, DE	Groin	Did Not Participate	Full Participation	Did Not Participate	Questionable
Stephen Cooper, ILB	Knee	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
Vaughn Martin, DE	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
Shawne Merriman, OLB	Foot			Did Not Participate	Probable
Mike Scifres, P	Groin	Full Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB	Illness		Did Not Participate	Full Participation	Probable
Jyles Tucker, OLB	Illness	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate	Full Participation	Probable
Louis Vasquez, G	Knee	Limited Participation	Full Participation	Full Participation	Probable

The Argument for a San Diego Chargers Passing Attack

John (obviousman) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Sanchez - AP

3 months ago: San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, left, drops back to pass as Oakland Raiders linebacker Ricky Brown, right, looks on during the third quarter of their NFL football game between the Oakland Raiders against the San Diego Chargers, Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 in Oakland, Calif.(AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez)

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It's time I dig into this issue and get my fingernails dirty. Guessing why Norv Turner prefers a balanced offense to a spread-out, pass-happy offense is not going to get us anywhere. Sure, with one of the greatest RBs of all-time (and one known to almost never fumble the ball), there's temptation to keep handing him the rock and sending him up the middle (since he can't make it outside as easily anymore). However, I'm going to make the argument that switch to a more spread-out, pass-happy offense would benefit the Chargers and make them a more dynamic team.

1. Play to your personnel. Any good Head Coach/General Manager relationship should revolve around this statement. The GM's job is to find good players at bargain prices and hand them to the coach. The coach's job is to build a team that plays to the strengths of his roster. Here are the strengths of the Chargers roster:

Hands - Who on this offense can't catch a ball? You could argue that Vincent Jackson occasionally doesn't make the easy catch, but every other catch is generally made. Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Chris Chambers, Antonio Gates, LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles all have glue on their hands. Michael Bennett, Jacob Hester, Mike Tolbert, Buster Davis, Brandon Manumaleuna, Kassim Osgood and Kris Wilson are all somewhere between "Good" and "Fantastic".
Speed - Need burners? We got 'em. I think VJ and Naanee are probably the two fastest WRs, with Floyd, Chambers and Buster not far behind. Gates may be the fastest TE in football. Sproles is probably the fastest RB in football. This is a team Urban Meyer would drool over.
The Captain of the Ship - So you just made Philip Rivers the highest-paid player on your team. Considering he's also signed to be here just as long as anyone else on the roster, this is his team. Chances are in 5 years from now the team will look very different, but Rivers will still be behind Center. Why not build the team around his strengths? He's the leader, he's accurate and he's smart. In his entire career, only 2.5% of his passes have been intercepted. In his career he's average 7.5 yards per pass attempt and 12 yards per completed pass. Compare that to Tomlinson's 4.2 yards per carry last year and you can see how this may be a more effective way to move the offense downfield.
The Offensive Line - In 2006 and 2007, Kris Dielman was maybe the best Guard in the entire NFL. At that same time, Lorenzo Neal was maybe the best Fullback in football. Those two guys worked magic and cleared some massive holes to help LT break those records. However, Dielman isn't the incredible run-blocker he once was. Nick Hardwick can't seem to stay healthy and the starting Right Guard for the Chargers has very little experience as a run blocker. This is an offensive line that is currently better suited to pass-block than they are run-block.
Jacob Hester - NFL offenses are quite simple in some ways. Do you have a big, bruising RB that can break tackles? He may or may not need a lead blocker to clear the way. Do you have a small RB that can make something happen if you give him space? He needs a lead blocker that can clear the way. For as much as I praise Hester for the progress he's made as a blocker, he will never be Lorenzo Neal. He will never knock LBs five yards back when he hits them. His hands, ability to run the football and intelligence make him a more valuable weapon in a passing offense than in a power running offense.
LT/Sproles - As I just stated, for these guys to succeed they need a big, bruising offensive line and a powerful lead blocker. They don't currently have that, but that doesn't mean they cannot be effective. If you spread the defense out and force them to play with 5 or 6 defensive backs, that will make both LT and Sproles more effective than if you line up 2 TEs and a FB in front of them and send them up the middle against 8 guys. Also, with LT/Sproles constantly being lined up against LBs and Safeties you'd have clear-cut mismatches on every play.

See the rest of my argument for the Chargers to run a spread-out, pass-happy offense after the jump.

2. It's a proven success for winning. In the past 50 years, there have been plenty of teams that have tried to win through the air rather than on the ground. Some have had more success than others. The key is defense. If you have even an average defense, you can outscore your opponents. Teams like the 2008 Cardinals, 2007 Patriots, 2006 Colts, 2004 Eagles, 2002 Raiders and 2001 Rams (all teams that have made the super bowl) have all had great offenses without having much of a running attack. These teams made it further than any recent Chargers team by spreading the defense out 3, 4 and sometimes even 5 wide.

3. It makes the defense better. The teams mentioned above each had defenses that were able to be much more aggressive than other teams because they were typically playing from ahead. I once heard an interview with the late Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson, a man who Ron Rivera considers a mentor, in which he half-jokingly said something to the effect of "My play-calling is suicide unless we're playing with a lead." Any coach that loves to blitz will tell you that getting an early lead is the key to running an aggressive defense.

4. It slows down the opponent's running game. If the Oakland game showed us anything, it is the the Chargers front seven can get pushed around. Considering the Bolts are facing the AFC North and NFC East this season, meaning they will play at least a handful of teams the win with running and defense, this may be the only option. Do the Chargers really think they can win against the Giants, Ravens or Steelers with the same offense they ran against the Raiders? The way to beat those teams is to make them abandon their gameplan and force them to start playing away from their strengths. I think that quickly getting up by 10 or 14 points by spreading them out, then sending heavy blitzing at their QBs while covering their none-too-impressive receivers, would certainly give the Bolts a better chance at victory. Balance be damned.

5. Rivers or LT. I know LT is the bigger name and the one that shows up in the commercials. I know that when he's on the sideline, I rarely get to see the action on the field. I've made a million cases for taking some of the workload away from LT to save his legs, so I'm not going into that again. However, here is my point: Philip Rivers led the Chargers to 5 come-from-behind victories in 2008. He already has one come-from-behind victory in 2009. When it gets to the 4th quarter and the Bolts are losing, the fans and the team seems very confident that Rivers is going to come through and win the game. Why? Because he's a great player, that's why. So my question is, if it's become painfully obvious to everybody who pays attention to the team that Rivers has become the best player on the team, why would you wait until you're losing in the 4th quarter to hand him the reins of the offense? Wouldn't it make more sense to build a lead with Philip throwing the ball all over the place, then let LT get his carries and burn the clock in the second half while the defense blitzes the hell out of the opposing QB?

Updating the San Diego Chargers Depth Chart

John (obviousman) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:50:16 -0000

by Denis Poroy - AP

San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, left, drills with teammates during the Chargers NFL football practice held in San Diego Monday, Sept. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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Is everyone ready to get back to business? I know I've had enough Tila Tequila for a lifetime.

Since we have been keeping your readers up-to-date to the Chargers depth chart throughout the preseason, I thought it was appropriate to do it one last time after the roster as been cut to 53. Barring injury, this is probably the way it will look for the remainder of the site.

The official Chargers depth chart, plus my thoughts, can be found after the jump.

Offense

WR1

Chris Chambers
Malcom Floyd
Buster Davis

WR2

Kris Dielman
Scott Mruczkowski

Nick Hardwick
Scott Mruczkowski

Louis Vasquez
Scott Mruczkowski

Jeromey Clary
Brandyn Dombrowski

Defense

OLB1

Stephen Cooper

OLB2

LCB

Quentin Jammer

RCB

The special teams you can guess. Nate Kaeding is the only kicker, Mike Scifres is the only punter. David Binn is the long snapper, Sproles is the return man and Cromartie is the backup return man.

Now, I started copying this depth chart from the Chargers weekly game release, but then decided to go off of the depth chart that's listed on Chargers.com. Mostly I went this way because I thought they'd be roughly the same, but with one having Manumaleuna listed as the 2nd TE and the other having him listed as the second starting FB (I know, it's odd). However, there's more differences than that. Let's count all of the differences on the game release from what you see above:

Brandon Manumaleuna is listed as the second starting FB. Kris Wilson listed as 2nd TE.
Tyronne Green is listed as the 3rd string LG and RG.
Osgood is listed as the 3rd WR1, Davis is listed as the 3rd WR2.
Travis Johnson is listed as the backup for Jamal Williams and Luis Castillo. Nwagbuo is listed as the backup to Cesaire. Vaughn Martin is shown as the 3rd DE at both spots.
Shaun Phillips is backed up by Jyles Tucker. Merriman is backed up by Applewhite. English is listed 3rd behind Merriman.

That's interesting, isn't it? There's probably nothing to the inconsistencies. It's probably just a case of two different people putting the depth charts together. Still, I'd like to know who the team really considers to be the backup DT and if English is really ahead of Tucker.

The offensive line looks even thinner on the Chargers' website's depth chart. Why not show Green there as well, so the fans don't get nervous about one guy backing up all three interior-line positions by himself? Also, Dombrowski covering both tackle positions by himself would worry me more if I didn't think that Mooch or even Manumaleuna could handle an offensive tackle spot in a pinch.

What do you guys think? Is there enough depth on this team to fight through injuries in 2009?

San Diego Chargers' Roster: 2009 vs. 2008

John (obviousman) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:02:57 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

3 months ago: San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (21) and quarterback Philip Rivers (17) watch from the sidelines during their NFL preseason football game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Saturday Aug. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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With the San Diego Chargers' 53-man roster set, I want to compare where the team is today compared to where they were one year ago. How do the position groups match up to each other? On talent alone, has the team gotten better or worse?

QB (2009): Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, Charlie Whitehurst

QB (2008): Rivers, Volek, Whitehurst

Verdict: Equal. There's been no change, but Rivers enters 2009 with no questions about his health (as he did in 2008) and a year of learning how to carry an NFL team on his back. Volek looks more polished as he gets even more comfortable with Norv Turner's offense. Still, any improvements here have more to do with time and chemistry rather than any talent improvement.

See the comparisons and verdicts of the rest of the position groups after the jump.

HB (2009): LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles, Michael Bennett, Gartrell Johnson, Jacob Hester, Mike Tolbert

HB (2008): LT, Sproles, Hester, Tolbert, Andrew Pinnock

Verdict: Better in '09. The Chargers went into 2008 thinking that Hester could fit the role of power RB and backup to LT. He has shown himself to be a fine FB, but not an NFL-caliber running back. So, based on the fact that there is at least one decent backup to LT in 2009 (Bennett) and possibly another (Johnson), 2009 wins.

WR (2009): Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, Buster Davis, Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Kassim Osgood

WR (2008): Chambers, Jackson, Davis, Floyd, Naanee, Osgood

Verdict: Equal. Same players, same result. Jackson, Floyd and Naanee may be better than they were at the start of 2008, but there's really no way of predicting that. The expectations for Chambers and Davis have dropped in the last year.

TE (2009): Antonio Gates, Brandon Manumaleuna, Kris Wilson

TE (2008): Gates, Manumaleuna

Verdict: Better in '09. Kris Wilson offers great blocking and good hands out of the 3rd TE position. Having a player like that on the end of the line (possibly next to Manu), offers a great improvement for goal line packages. Expect a lot of "Off Tackle" runs to his side when the Chargers are inside the opponents' 5 yard line.

OT (2009): Jeromey Clary, Marcus McNeill, Brandyn Dombrowski

OT (2008): Clary, McNeill, L.J. Shelton, Corey Clark

Verdict: Better in 2008. Although I really like Dombrowski, I'd certainly prefer to have 2 legitimate backup Tackles and a veteran mixed in there (like Shelton) makes me more comfortable as well. Shelton did a decent job filling in for McNeill in 2008, and it's always nice to have a proven commodity sitting on the bench should anything happen.

G (2009): Kris Dielman, Louis Vasquez, Tyronne Green

G (2008): Dielman, Mike Goff, Scott Mruczkowski

Verdict: Better in '09. Dielman is healthier than he was going into 2008, Goff was a train-wreck last season and has since flopped in KC, and Mooch is still on the team. Louis Vasquez brings a massive presence to the right side of the line that should eventually help balance it out.

C (2009): Nick Hardwick, Mruczkowski

C (2008): Hardwick, Jeremy Newberry, Cory Withrow

Verdict: Better in '09. Hardwick is healthy, which is the biggest improvement here, and Mooch is a better blocker than Newberry and Withrow combined. The reason the Chargers were able to go with only 8 offensive linemen is because Mruczkowski and Green can both play Center and Guard. Dombrowski can also play either Tackle or Guard.

Defense

DT (2009): Jamal Williams, Ogemdi Nwagbuo

DT (2008): Williams, Brandon McKinney

Verdict: Equal. Both McKinney and Nwagbuo are young and have shown themselves to be capable in the preseason. Regular work in the season will let the team know if Nwagbuo is ready to fill that backup NT slot long-term.

DE (2009): Luis Castillo, Travis Johnson, Vaughn Martin, Jacques Cesaire

DE (2008): Castillo, Igor Olshansky, Cesaire, Ryon Bingham

Verdict: Incomplete. For as bland as Igor was as the Chargers' DE, he stayed healthy and was consistent enough to almost never get bowled over. Cesaire's health will help determine if this group has been improved over 2008, as well as how well Travis Johnson can transition back to the 3-4 and if he's improved work ethic. Since neither is a starter, I'll call Martin and Bingham a tie.

ILB (2009): Kevin Burnett, Stephen Cooper, Tim Dobbins, Brandon Siler

ILB (2008): Dobbins, Siler, Matt Wilhelm, Derek Smith, Anthony Waters

Verdict: 2009, better by a long shot. Cooper wasn't on the initial 53 man roster from 2008 because he was serving a 4 game suspension, so that's a big improvement. Burnett has shown himself to be a major playmaker in the Chargers defense, which puts him leaps and bounds ahead of Wilhelm, Smith and Waters.

OLB (2009): Shawne Merriman, Shaun Phillips, Larry English, Jyles Tucker, Antwan Applewhite

OLB (2008): Merriman, Phillips, Marques Harris, Jyles Tucker

Verdict: 2009 wins. A healthy Merriman (remember, the Chargers knew he was planning on playing 2008 on a bad knee), plus a first-round draft pick, makes this an easy choice.

CB (2009): Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie, Antoine Cason

CB (2008): Jammer, Cromartie, Cason, Cletis Gordon, DeJuan Tribble

Verdict: Tie. Gordon and Tribble don't bring anything to the 2008 group. Figuring that out helped the Chargers to take the risk and go with only 3 CBs in 2009.

FS (2009): Eric Weddle, Paul Oliver, C.J. Spillman

FS (2008): Weddle, Oliver

Verdict: 2009, but just barely. I don't know that Spillman will see a lot of time as a FS in '09, but he should be a force on special teams and could eventually develop into the backup FS or a starting SS.

SS (2009): Clinton Hart, Steve Gregory, Kevin Ellison

SS (2008): Hart, Gregory

Verdict: 2009, but just barely. Ellison brings something to the table in goal line situations (where he can't get burned deep), and I hope he can do something for special teams, but that's about it right now. If he continues to develop, keeping him this season will pay dividends in the future.

Special Teams (LS/K/P): David Binn, Nate Kaeding and Mike Scifres are rocks in this group. The Chargers, and their fans, are hopeful that this trio stays together for another five seasons.

Do you have a question for next week's mailbag? Don't hesitate to e-mail me directly with your question and I'll make sure to answer it before next week's game.

The Entire San Diego Chargers 53 Man Roster (Michael Bennett makes the team!)

John (obviousman) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:52:15 -0000

Offense

QB - Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, Charlie Whitehurst

RB - LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles, Michael Bennett, Gartrell Johnson, Jacob Hester, Mike Tolbert

WR - Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, Buster Davis, Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Kassim Osgood

TE - Antonio Gates, Brandon Manumaleuna, Kris Wilson

OT - Jeromey Clary, Marcus McNeill, Brandyn Dombrowski

OG - Kris Dielman, Louis Vasquez, Tyronne Green

C - Nick Hardwick, Scott Mruczkowski

Defense

DT - Jamal Williams, Ogemdi Nwagbuo

DE - Luis Castillo, Travis Johnson, Vaughn Martin, Jacques Cesaire

ILB - Kevin Burnett, Stephen Cooper, Tim Dobbins, Brandon Siler

OLB - Shawne Merriman, Shaun Phillips, Larry English, Jyles Tucker, Antwan Applewhite

CB - Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie, Antoine Cason

FS - Eric Weddle, Paul Oliver, C.J. Spillman

SS - Clinton Hart, Steve Gregory, Kevin Ellison

Special Teams

LS - David Binn

K - Nate Kaeding

P - Mike Scifres

A Proposed 53 Man San Diego Chargers Roster

Stephen (shaynes41) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:47:14 -0000

We've gone through some of the position battles and depth chart at several of our key positions. While those discussions are fruitful for who is starting and who is backing up, it is always difficult to figure out who might stick around from that group as a 3rd guy or special teams guy. Those sorts of decisions tend to be made in the context of the entire roster rather than a specific position group.

We will know the real answer by Saturday, but I thought we might take a cut at it now in light of how the preseason has progressed so far. Outside of wasting some of your time, it can't really hurt to take a preliminary cut at who is going to be on the 53 man roster once Saturday evening rolls around.

So if you're interested read on!

First of all, let's review some roster size basics. By the time the regular season starts, the Chargers will have 53 players on their roster. On game day, the coaches will pick 45 players to be "active." These active players will suit up and can play. The inactive players will be on the sideline in street clothes. The exception to this is the 3rd string QB who is labeled as the emergency QB. He is technically inactive, but is still suited up. He can be activated during the game if the first two QBs get injured. If he comes into the game, the first two QBs are not allowed back in. You don't have to have an inactive emergency QB. Theoretically, you could have 3 active QBs (no one does this) or you could only have 2 QBs on your 53 man roster and have a WR or RB effectively be your third QB (I know Marty did this a few years and the Colts have done it forever). No other inactive player can be activated during the game.

They will also have a practice squad of up to 8 additional players. The practice squad is composed of players who have been cut and gone through waivers without being signed by any other teams and are then signed to the practice squad. Not every player is eligible for the practice squad. The eligibility rules are:

No more than 3 years on the practice squad.

No more than nine games on the active list in a previous season.

- from the Collective Bargaining Agreement p.170 (interesting read if you are into this kind of stuff)

If the guys who are cut get cut Saturday around noon, they can be resigned to any team's active roster or practice squad on Sunday afternoon. All right, so you know the basics, so let's start counting!

First of all, the starters who we all agree will be starting opening day (injuries excepted of course)

#	Name	Pos.	Yrs.
1	Mike Scifres	P	7
2	Nate Kaeding	K	6
3	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	9
4	Kris Dielman	G	7
5	Antonio Gates	TE	7
6	Nick Hardwick	C	6
7	Vincent Jackson	WR	5
8	Marcus McNeill	T	4
9	Philip Rivers	QB	6
10	Luis Castillo	DE	5
11	Stephen Cooper	ILB	7
12	Jamal Williams	DT	12
13	Antonio Cromartie	CB	4
14	Quentin Jammer	CB	8
15	Shawne Merriman	OLB	5
16	Shaun Phillips	OLB	6
17	Kevin Burnett	LB	5
18	Chris Chambers	WR	9
19	Jeromey Clary	T	3
20	Jacob Hester	FB	2

Now, the backups, critical specialty guys (Sproles, Cason, etc.), and guys in position battles where they are sure of making the team even if they aren't starting.

#	Name	Pos.	Yrs.
21	Malcom Floyd	WR	4
22	Kynan Forney	G	9
23	Brandon Manumaleuna	TE	9
24	Scott Mruczkowski	C	5
25	Legedu Naanee	WR	3
26	L.J. Shelton	T	11
27	Darren Sproles	RB	5
28	Billy Volek	QB	10
29	Charlie Whitehurst	QB	4
30	Ryon Bingham	DE-DT	5
31	Antoine Cason	CB	2
32	Jacques Cesaire	DE	7
33	Jyles Tucker	OLB	3
34	Eric Weddle	FS	3
35	Travis Johnson	DE	5
36	Buster Davis	WR	3

Let's throw in our top 3 draft picks and assume they are making the team no matter what.

#	Name	Pos.	Yrs.
37	Louis Vasquez	G	R
38	Larry English	OLB	R
39	Vaughn Martin	DE	R

We are through 39 spots on the roster and now we are to the spots where guys might need to worry about not making the roster. The veterans have the inside track on making the team, but could be dislodged by someone else, or even squeezed because of roster pressures elsewhere (For instance, what if Bignham isn't going to play until week 5, we would need to keep an additional DL until Bingham comes back. That could squeeze someone at a different position). First of all, here is where we stand depth-wise at all the positions (needed starters in parenthesis)

K/P (2) - 2
QB (1) - 3
RB (1) - 2
FB (1) - 1
TE (1) - 2
OT (2) - 3
OG/C (3) - 5
WR (2) - 5
DL (3) - 6
OLB (2) - 4
ILB (2) - 2
S (2) - 1
CB (2) - 3

Here is how I see the rest of it shaking out. I've added in a practice squad eligible (pse) column to mark guys that can be placed on the practice squad. If a guy is practice squad eligible, the team may be inclined to cut him and keep the non-eligible guy (all other things equal). Then they hope the guy makes it through waivers and they sign him to the practice squad and essentially keep both. The guys without a number by their name are the guys who don't make the team.

#	Name	Pos.	Yrs.	pse
40	Antwan Applewhite	OLB	2
41	Tim Dobbins	ILB	4
42	Clinton Hart	SS	7
43	Brandyn Dombrowski	G/T	1	X
44	Gartrell Johnson	RB	R	X
45	Ian Scott	DT	7
46	Brandon Siler	ILB	3
47	Kris Wilson	TE	6
48	Steve Gregory	DB-S	4
49	Paul Oliver	DB-S	3
50	Kassim Osgood	ST	7
51	Michael Bennett	RB	9
52	Kevin Ellison	S	R	X
53	David Binn	LS	16
	Darry Beckwith	ILB	R	X
	Mike Tolbert	FB	2
	Tyronne Green	C	R	X
	Ogemdi Nwagbuo	DT	1	X
	C.J. Spillman	FS	R	X
	Simeon Castille	CB	2
	Charly Martin	WR	R	X
	Corey Clark	OT	2	X
	Sam Allen	G	R	X
	Eric Bakhtiari	LB	1	X
	Ramarcus Brown	CB	R	X
	Jeremy Childs	WR	R	X
	Andre Coleman	DE	1	X
	James Holt	OLB	R	X
	Rashaad Jackson	DT	R	X
	Billy Latsko	FB	1	X
	Ryan McDonald	C	R	X
	Kory Sperry	TE	R	X
	Keith Grennan	DE	2	X

If the numbered guys at left make the roster, our position counts look like this:

K/P/ST (2) - 4
QB (1) - 3
RB (1) - 4
FB (1) - 1
TE (1) - 3
OT (2) - 3
OG/C (3) - 6
WR (2) - 5
DL (3) - 7
OLB (2) - 5
ILB (2) - 4
S (2) - 5
CB (2) - 3

QB(3) - Rivers, Volek, Whitehurst

RB/FB(5) - Tomlinson, Sproles, Hester, Bennett, Johnson

C/G/T(9) - Hardwick, Dielman, McNeill, Clary, Forney, Vasquez, Mruczkowski, Dombrowski, Shelton

TE(3) - Gates, Manumaleuna, Wilson

WR(5) - Jackson, Chambers, Floyd, Naanee, Davis

DL(7) - Castillo, Williams, Cesaire, Bingham, Martin, Scott, Johnson

OLB(5) - Merriman, Philips, English, Applewhite, Tucker

ILB(4) - Burnett, Cooper, Siler, Dobbins

S(5) - Weddle, Hart, Gregory, Ellison, Oliver

CB(3) - Cromartie, Jammer, Cason

ST(4) - Scifres, Kaeding, Binn, Osgood

There are plenty of debatable items above. Does Dombrowski beat out Green? Scott beat out Nwagbuo? Siler beat out Beckwith? I really don't know. I intentionally leaned the roster towards the vets, but that could shake out differently. Having Bingham injured but still on the roster means we have more DL than we might normally want. Three CBs seems like a bad idea, but maybe Oliver and Weddle can play it in a pinch.

Cutting the list of players down to 53 players leaves some good players on the street. I'm pretty sure I won't be right, but this is as good a place as any to start from.

San Diego Chargers lose to Atlanta Falcons 27-24 on last second TD

John (obviousman) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:45:20 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

3 months ago: San Diego Chargers wide receiver Buster Davis (84) hauls in a pass in front of Atlanta Falcons cornerback Chevis Jackson (22) during the first half of their pre season NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Browse more photos »

The third preseason game is always a fun one to watch and last night's game did not disappoint. There were very promising signs from both the first and second stringers for the Chargers.

As for that last-second TD...who cares? It's a preseason game! If the Chargers had played poorly with their first stringers, but Charlie Whitehurst brought them back for a last-second TD...would you be happy! Of course not! Chris Redman and Eric Weems will barely see the field in the regular season, if at all. So this week, for the Bolts & Dolts, we'll keep our focus mainly on the first-stringers.

Bolts

Offense

Philip Rivers - 10-for-15, 185 yards, 1 TD in less than a half of play, against a good defense that was bringing the heat consistently. If Phil can go 20-for-30 for 370 yards and 2 TDs every week, wins should come easily. I think Dan Fouts said it best when he said that both Rivers and Matt Ryan looked to be in mid-season form already.

Billy Volek - I feel like Philip and Billy Volek are having a weekly competition to see who can play better. The difference, of course, is that Volek is usually going up against the second string defense. Last night, however, he played most of his snaps against Atlanta's first-team defense and still matched Rivers. 7-for-9, 102 yards and 1 TD. Best backup quarterback in the league? Let's hope we never have to find out.

The Offensive Line (passing) - Well, at least they moved up here in pass protection. Only 1 sack was given up the entire game, and it could be argued that Rivers held onto that ball too long when he should've just gotten rid of it (the sack was made by a cornerback). Although John Abraham was flying all over the field and consistently needed to be double teamed, he was kept to only 2 tackles and zero sacks. Also, in that first half Atlanta seemed to be trying a lot of blitzes (which led to the Chargers running a lot of successful screens) and everyone on the line seemed to hold strong.

Louis Vasquez - If you're looking for a nickname, this one is easy. "Big Lou" didn't just go from bad to good in one game, he went from bad to dominant. Who knows if the game against Arizona was a case of him not be mentally ready, physically ready or just being nervous. Whatever it was, he was past it against Atlanta. Not only did he not let anybody through when pass-blocking, he was an absolute beast in blocking on screen passes. I can understand why the Chargers saw a guy as big and strong as Louis that could move like that and said "He can start in the NFL right now." I saw very minimal push from him in run-blocking, but having to run to the left side of the line is something the Bolts are used to.

Gartrell Johnson - He almost didn't make this list, but what he needed last night was a big run and he got it. A 42-yarder right up the gut, in which he had to jump over a body at the line of scrimmage and rumble his way through the secondary. Did he show off a complete lack of top-end speed? Yes. Was he drafted for his speed? No. I'm constantly looking for examples of players that were used in the role that I think Gartrell is suited for, so that Chargers fans stop worrying about his footspeed and lack of jukes. Brandon Jacobs is a good example, especially since they have similar speed (40 yd dash: Gartrell: 4.51, Jacobs 4:59) and Jacobs is always switched in with some speed backs. However, the better example for right now may be Jerome Bettis after he became Willie Parker's backup. He could be the goal-line RB and also the backbreaker in the 4th quarter. He'll need to earn the spot during the season though. I think he'll get chances.

Michael Bennett - Bennett would make the Preseason Pro Bowl if there was one. 3 TDs in 3 games, and showing himself to be a versatile weapon out of the backfield. When the running game was sputtering, he caught 3 passes for 84 yards (including a 48 yard screen pass that went for a TD). As I was saying in the open thread last night, some guys were earning a roster spot or a starting spot, Bennett was earning more time on the field during the regular season.

Malcom Floyd - If he can stay healthy, I have high hopes for what he can do for the Chargers in 2009. 4 catches for 56 yards and a very "headsy" touchdown in last night's game.

Buster Davis - Has he blown me away? No. Has he taken the slot WR spot away from Floyd (or Naanee)? No. Has he shown enough to ensure that he won't be cut? Yes. 2 catches for 28 yards, including a pretty 22 yarder, in last night's game.

Vincent Jackson - What can really be said? The first catch was probably the result of a push-off, but it didn't get called so instead we'll just call it fantastic. The second catch, the one-handed-while-turning-around catch, would be legendary if it weren't just a preseason game. If you couldn't see the game, the video of the catch is below. VJ and Malcom Floyd have consistently proven that they are able to, and most times will, catch even inaccurately thrown balls by Philip. That's big.

Defense

Kevin Burnett - If there were a Preseason Pro Bowl, Burnett would be the Preseason MVP. He's an absolute beast. He missed being the top tackler in 3 straight games by one tackle. I would put down a lot of money right now that says that Burnett will rack up 100+ tackles in the 2009 regular season. Strength, speed, grace, coverage, technique....he really does seem to have it all. With a good enough year from him, Vasquez, and English, A.J. Smith could be in line for another Executive of the Year award.

Quentin Jammer - Shutdown corner, hits like a Safety. What else could you possibly want?

Eric Weddle - Was flying around the field, looking very healthy. Sometimes he appeared to jump in on a tackle even when it wasn't necessary, it looked like he was doing it because he was having so much fun. Eric's ready for this season to get started and I see big things from him in 2009.

Health - Big bolt for health! The only injury to speak of was Dielman's bruised shoulder, which he has been quotes as saying "If it was the Raiders game I would've been back in there". So he's fine. With more playing time for the first team, and on turf, I was a little worried. However, the Chargers are still on track to go into the Raiders game as one of the healthier teams in the league.

Dolts

Offense

The Offensive Line (running) - Ugh. Let's take away the longest run of the night from each of the 3 RBs and see what they leaves us.

Johnson - 11 carries, 17 yards (1.54 YPC)
Bennett - 6 carries, 11 yards (1.83 YPC)
Darren Sproles - 2 carries, 6 yards (3 YPC)

Vasquez and Jeromey Clary provided zero push from the right side. McNeill couldn't do much better and Mooch was the weakest link on the line after Dielman left with a shoulder bruise. As I said last week, the offensive line is all about chemistry. The more they play together, the better they'll get, so I'm not too worried about it. Running against Oakland should be no problem.

Defense

Clinton Hart - He's going to give 'Tec a stroke by the end of the season. He finished the night with 1 tackle and no other stats, but he did miss two tackles near the line of scrimmage and was behind in coverage more than once as well. I'll say this, he's lucky to have such a good secondary around him. I think Steve Gregory outplayed him, but that was against Atlanta's second-stringers (mostly).

Pass-Rush - I was really hoping that this would be the game that Rivera sent everybody. How could he be screaming at his second and third-stringers on the sidelines when they know he's calling such a vanilla defense? Larry English came in and blitzed on every play he was in on, and looked pretty good too, but again there was only 1 team sack (it was attributed to nobody because it was Chris Redman running out of bounds on his own). The only reason I keep complaining about this is because I think it's hard to convince the players that they're mean pass-rushing machines unless they've felt it themselves first.

Antoine Cason - He was the leading tackler on the team, but part of that was because he was missing opportunities in zone coverage. He also missed a tackle that lead to a Falcons touchdown. He's still a great player, but this was not his best game.

Do you have any thoughts about Bolts From The Blue? Any tips you want to send our way? Whenever you have something to say, don't hesitate to e-mail me directly.

An Updated San Diego Chargers Depth Chart

John (obviousman) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:59:58 -0000

Last week, prior to the Cardinals game, I was going to make a post showing the differences in the Chargers Week 1 and Week 2 depth charts. The problem was that there was only one tiny change, Tim Dobbins and Kevin Burnett switching places. This week there still aren't a ton of changes, but I'd like to take this opportunity to go back over the entire San Diego Chargers depth chart.

The starters and backups at every position (including the backup holder for kicks!) lie after the jump.

Offense

WR (1)

Vincent Jackson
Legedu Naanee
Buster Davis
Kassim Osgood
Rodgeriqus Smith

WR (2)

Nick Hardwick
Scott Mruczkowski
Ryan McDonald

Defense

DE (1)

DE (2)

OLB (1)

OLB (2)

ILB (1)

ILB (2)

Kevin Burnett
Tim Dobbins
Anthony Felder

LCB

RCB

Special Teams

Nate Kaeding

Holder

Mike Scifres
Eric Weddle

Long Snapper

David Binn
Brandon Siler

Darren Sproles
Buster Davis
Jacob Hester
Antonio Cromartie
Cletis Gordon
Charly Martin

Darren Sproles
Buster Davis
Antonio Cromartie
Cletis Gordon
Charly Martin

Notes

English moved from 2nd to 3rd on the depth chart, with Applewhite moving over to that side. A message from the team?
Ben Muth and Wopamo Osaisai have been waived.
Contrary to what some people think, Buster Davis will not be getting cut. Look at him all over this depth chart, and usually fairly high up.
Anyone else curious as to why the Chargers didn't bring in another Kicker to save Kaeding's leg? This is a common practice and the only reason Truman Spencer is on the team as a Punter.
Tyronne Green still not listed as a Center. Is this going to be like Naanee, where they try to change his position and eventually give up?
Before you ask, the Fullbacks are listed like that. I didn't do that. There are literally two starting FB spots on the depth chart, one has Hester (and the 2 backups) and the other simply has Manumaleuna (no backups). I don't get it either.

Do you have any thoughts about Bolts From The Blue? Any tips you want to send our way? Whenever you have something to say, don't hesitate to e-mail me directly.

bfd's First Take at the 53-Man Roster

bigfatdrunk — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:31:53 -0000

Great discussion last week on the possible composition of the 53-man roster started by Texans-Brocos. Here's my take with a little bit of background.

Last year, the Texans' opening roster consisted of:

2 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
5 WRs
3 TEs
5 OTs
5 Gs (1 C/G)
1 C
3 Special Teamers (P, K, LS)
6 DEs
5 DTs
6 LBs
4 CBs
5 Ss

I think it's reasonable to believe the 2009 roster will be similarly composed. After last night's game, here's my guess as to how the 53-man is shaping up:

2 QBs: Matt Schaub and Dan Orlovsky
3 RBs: Steve Slaton, Chris Brown, Ryan Moats (depending on his injury)
1 FB: Vonta "Human Coke Machine" Leach
5 WRs: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis, David Anderson, Jacoby Jones (almost by default)
3 TEs: Owen Daniels, James Casey, Anthony Hill (no Joel Dreessen, which is our loss)
4 OTs: Duane Brown, Cliff Washburn, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler
5 OGs: Antoine Caldwell, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, Mike Brisiel, Chris White. Last year, there were 5 OTs and 4 OGs.
1 C: Chris Myers (depending on his health, obviously)
3 Special Teamers: P - Matt Turk, K - Kris Brown, LS - Clark Harris
5 DEs: Antonio Smith, Mario Williams, Connor Barwin, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading
5 DTs: Amobi Okoye, DelJuan Robinson, Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina (no Travis Johnson)
6 LBs: Zac Diles, Xavier Adibi, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Buster Davis (depending on Cato June's health), Kevin Bentley
5 CBs: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden (no Dunta Robinson...just in case)
4 Ss: Dominique Barber, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, John Busing

Several differences from last year, though nothing crazy. Last year, we carried 6 DEs and 5 DTs, whereas I have us carrying 5 DEs this year. Sadly, I still have us carrying Jeff Zgonina as I just don't see anybody on the roster otherwise. There's the difference in OGs and OTs, and I have us keeping 5 CBs and 4 Ss, where that was swapped last year.

Also, and I doubt you noticed, but I have listed only 52 players for 2009. If Dunta signs, I do believe we'll keep 6 CBs on the roster as I believe the Texans, rightly so, would be afraid to release either McCain or Molden, who are the two I believe to be most on the bubble. I also believe that one of the CBs will be in line for a position change to S.

One guy who really intrigues me is Glenn Martinez, as he was the most "on" last night. He can return punts and kickoffs and looks like an excellent gunner on special teams. As I said in the game thread, he reminds me of Steve Tasker in the way he plays. There's a chance he overtakes Jones, but because we're carrying extra CBs, it'll make it tougher for Martinez to win a job.

What do y'all think?