SB Nation - Sammy Davis

Do the San Diego Chargers Have a Problem Signing Draft Picks?

John (obviousman) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:27:52 -0000

8 months ago: San Diego Chargers' first-round draft pick Larry English, second from right, holds up his new jersey as, from left to right, general manager A.J. Smith, president-CEO Dean Spanos and head coach Norv Turner look on during a news conference Sunday, April 26, 2009, in San Diego. English, a linebacker, is from Northern Illinois. (AP Photo/Jack Smith)

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An odd question to be asking right now, with all of their draft picks signed, but you have to realize that I have zero memory. I have to write these things before I forget to.

Anyways, everyone knows what I'm talking about. A couple of days before Training Camp, when the Chargers had nobody but Brandon Hughes signed, the worrying came out. Complaining about the front office. Stating that the team always did this. They were unwilling to negotiate and it had hurt us in the past. Right?

The example that always stands out in my mind is Quentin Jammer. He was drafted with the #5 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft because the team desperately needed a cornerback. He was big and played physical, so his transition to the NFL was expected to be an easy one. However, because his agent and the team could not come to an agreement until late in training camp, Quentin was far behind the defense and didn't see the field until late in the season.

Now, after the jump we're going to go year-by-year to see if this is really a major problem with the Chargers front office or if it's just a concern the fans have creates themselves.

First, everyone realizes that Kevin Ellison showing up a little bit late was an oddity. Right? The only picks that should feel comfortable enough in their roster position to show up late are first round picks. So we're going to be focusing on them only.

San Diego Chargers Training Camp generally starts around the 1st of August. Rookies and players that were on injured reserve the previous year will show up a week before, to knock some rust off or put some polish on their knowledge of the playbook. However, generally speaking, if a rookie shows up on August 1st or before he'll be just fine. Keep that in mind.

2009: Larry English, signed on 7/31/2009

2008: Antoine Cason, signed on 7/24/2008

2007: Craig "Buster" Davis, signed on 7/23/2007

2006: Antonio Cromartie, signed on 7/25/2006

2005: Shawne Merriman, signed on 8/01/2005

2005: Luis Castillo, signed on 7/26/2005

2004: Philip Rivers, signed on 8/23/2004

2003: Sammy Davis, signed on 7/24/2003

2002: Quentin Jammer, signed on 9/10/2002

2001: LaDainian Tomlinson, signed on 8/22/2001

Okay. I've figured this out. Do the Chargers have a problem signing first round draft picks? No. Not at all. Getting 70% of your draft picks into camp on time is probably close to the league average. The problem the Chargers have, and it's one shared with the rest of the NFL, is getting Top 5 picks into camp on time. If you look at that list again, the only picks that came in late (Rivers, Jammer, Tomlinson) are also the only Top 5 picks made by the team. This is not rare.

Top 5 picks typically ask for a lot of money because the teams that drafted them know they need them in camp. This season, both the Lions need their first round QBs in camp to both save face and get them up to speed to be starters. The Rams need Jason Smith in camp because, with the loss of Orlando Pace, they don't have any other option at LT. It's not like they could manage without him. However, Tyson Jackson still has not signed with the Chiefs and Aaron Curry has yet to sign with the Seahawks. Both players will help make the defense of each team better, but they're also not necessary. The team can survive without them in the meantime, and time lost in camp isn't as important as it would be for a QB. So KC and Seattle will sit back and wait until the player accepts a more reasonable offer.

In the Chargers case, they were smart. They had crippled themselves with the Ryan Leaf contract, one that was too high because they needed him in camp, and were not going to do it again. They knew they weren't about to win the Super Bowl, so why not be patient and get a more reasonable deal done? In Rivers case, it would've been great to get him in on time, but I'm sure the coaches saw Drew Brees lighting up Training Camp and knew that Rivers would sit for at least a season anyways.

In summary, the Chargers do not have a problem signing draft picks. No more of a problem than the rest of the NFL has anyways. So put away that rookie contract slotting idea you have. Unless the Chargers turn into one of the worst teams in the NFL, our rookies will be reporting to camp on time.

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.

Chargers By The (Jersey) Numbers: #22

John (obviousman) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:28:37 -0000

Yikes. These common numbers are killers. A whopping eleven players have worn the #22 for the San Diego Chargers, but a large number of them haven't left much of a mark on the team. In fact, only three of them have spent more than three seasons with the team. However, those three guys were all quite memorable and will battle it out after the jump and in the poll below. Click the link to see their stories and stats before voting.

Not in the competition:

Jacob Hester - The current #22 for the Chargers, Hester has an unique skillset that could make him an effective player for a long time. Unfortunately for him, being a decent fullback for half of a season does not get you anywhere near a victory in this competition. Now while we're in the 20s anyways.
Rodney Culver - Culver was a big boy, at 5'9" and 224lbs, and had potential as a short-yardage back in the NFL. He was signed in 1994 by the Chargers after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, he wound up the 4th running back on the depth chart behind Means, Bieniemy and Harmon. Although he was a part of the AFC Championship team, he did not touch the ball in the Super Bowl game.
Sammy Davis - A former 1st round draft pick of the Chargers, Davis was a bust in the NFL. Davis played three seasons in San Diego, playing cornerback in 44 games and starting 30. In those games he managed just 3 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. After one season with the 49ers and one with the Buccaneers, Davis retired and has become a successful businessman. He is now the owner of the ABA's Austin Capitals.
Tim Denton - You may not know the name, but he's a fairly recent member of the Bolts. Signed out of Oklahoma by the Redskins in 1998, Denton had two disappointing seasons with Washington before finishing his career with a subpar season in San Diego. In 5 game appearances, Denton collected 5 tackles and no other stats.
Lloyd Harrison - Harrison was only slightly different from Tim Denton. He was drafted in the 3rd round by the Redskins in 2000, but was released after one season. He then spent a season with the Chargers, appearing in 12 games and starting 1, in 2001. He finished that year with 17 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 sack. The next year he moved on to the Miami Dolphins.
Tom Hayes - An SDSU graduate, Hayes had five productive seasons in Atlanta after being drafted by the Falcons in 1971. He came to San Diego in 1976 and had a productive half-season, intercepting 2 passes and scoring 1 defensive touchdown in 8 games, before his NFL career was ended. Since he was only 30 years old, I'm assuming that a major injury ended Hayes' career.
Jimmy Spencer - Spencer led a long, successful NFL career as both a starting and nickel cornerback. Before spending his last four seasons with the Broncos, Spencer spent two seasons in San Diego. In those two seasons he appeared in 29 games, and was a starter in 11 of them. He intercepted 5 passes in that time and collected 77 tackles.
Mike Thomas - Thomas was drafted in the 5th round of the 1975 Draft by the Washington Redskins (lots of ex-Redskins on this list, huh?). He spent four seasons with them, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1975 and going to the Pro Bowl in 1976. He signed with San Diego in 1979, but spent his two seasons with the Chargers splitting carries with out talented tailbacks. After those two seasons he did not appear in another NFL game. His final stats as a Charger: 209 carries, 837 yards, 4 TDs.

Contenders:

via espn.go.com

Dickie Post, RB. Post was drafted in the 4th round of the 1967 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. Dickie came flying out of the gates, winning the AFL Rookie of the Year Award and making the Pro Bowl in his first season. An elusive runner of comparable size to current Chargers RB Darren Sproles (Post was 5'9", 190lbs), Dickie followed up his first season with two more with similar success. In his third season he made the Pro Bowl again, but in his fourth season durability became a concern and he was sent packing. He spent his final season trying to find a spot with the Houston Oilers and Denver Broncos, but failed on both teams and retired.

via i109.photobucket.com

Keith Lincoln, RB. An incredible football player. Lincoln was drafted by the Chargers in the 1961 AFL Draft and by the Chicago Bears in the 1961 NFL Draft. Luckily for San Diego fans, this incredibly-versataile player decided to sign with the Bolts. In his first season, Lincoln was mostly a backup but did return punts. In 7 returns, he collected 150 yards and 1 touchdown. The team quickly realized they needed to get the ball in Keith's hands more often.

In 1963 he led the team in rushing, punt return and kickoff return yards. In the 1963 AFL Championship game, Lincoln accounted for 329 yards of total offense as the Chargers defeated the Boston Patriots 51-10.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Lincoln produced unforgettable plays virtually every season. In 1961 he caught a record-setting 91 yard TD pass; in 1962, he ran a kickoff back for a Chargers' record 103 yards. Lincoln had three games in which he gained 100 or more yards on 14 or fewer carries, and in both 1963 and 1964 was the AFL All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.

Lincoln is a member of the San Diego Chargers and Washington State University Athletic Halls of Fame.

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

Gill Byrd, DB.

After looking through everything Keith Lincoln did for the Chargers, I thought he was the sure-fire winner. I mean, the guy is in the Chargers' Hall of Fame! How can you get better than that? Then Gill Byrd's stats blew my freaking mind.

10 seasons, all with the Chargers. 42 interceptions, including a stretch of four seasons with at least 6 picks. 1 forced fumble, 4 fumble recoveries and 2 defensive touchdowns (both off INTs). He only made the Pro Bowl twice, during his last two seasons, but it may have been a case of being on a small market team that didn't win a lot of games. During his tenure, the Chargers won more than 8 games only once (his final season). They were below .500 seven out of his ten NFL seasons. Those two Pro Bowl selections were recognition of his outstanding play throughout his career and were also part of the Chargers success in 1992.

Great player? Check. Great guy? Check. Under appreciated? You betcha. Better than Keith Lincoln? Maybe. You know what that means.....BATTLE ROYALE TIME! Time to vote for your favorite #22 to represent the number for the San Diego Chargers. Vote early, vote often!

Poll

Who should represent #22 for the San Diego Chargers?

Dickie Post

11 votes

Keith Lincoln

100 votes

Gill Byrd

134 votes

245 votes | Poll has closed