SB Nation - Lorenzo Neal

MCM's Tennessee Titans Team of the Decade

Jimmy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:06:16 -0000

I made the team!! (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

We are continuing our "of the decade" series today with the Titans team of the decade. This list was compiled by August, Hal, Gramsey, and me. It was a fun exercise. Some of the selections were no brainers that were easily agreed on by all parties, but there were a few that were hotly debated.

The team and some comments on it after the jump.

OFFENSE

QB- Steve McNair
RB- Chris Johnson
FB- Lorenzo Neal
WR- Derrick Mason
WR- Drew Bennett
TE- Frank Wycheck
OT- Brad Hopkins
OT- Michael Roos
OG- Bruce Matthews
OG- Zach Piller
C- Kevin Mawae

DEFENSE

DE- Jevon Kearse
DE- Kyle Vanden Bosch
DT- Kevin Carter
DT- Albert Haynesworth
LB- Keith Bulluck
LB- David Thornton
LB- Randall Godfrey
CB- Samari Rolle
CB- Cortland Finnegan
S- Chris Hope
S- Michael Griffin

SPECIAL TEAMS

K- Rob Bironas
P- Craig Hentrich
RS- Derrick Mason
LS- Ken Amato

A few thoughts:

The first debate we really had was between CJ and Eddie George. It seems somewhat blasphemous to keep Eddie off the team, but you can't include 1999 and without that CJ's numbers in 2 years are more impressive.
We all wanted to come up with a way not to put Drew Bennett on the team because all any of us can think of when we think of Drew is the drop in New England, but when you look at the numbers he had to be there.
Gramsey wants Sarge over Lorenzo, but the thing that gave Lorenzo the nod for the rest of us was the decline in Eddie's career when he left.
Everything else offensively is pretty much a no-brainer.
We cheated a little bit on the defensive line putting Carter in there at tackle. He did play some tackle in his time here, but it really came down to the fact that those four guys are the four that it had to be. Who else would you put at tackle? Tony Brown was close, but Carter's numbers were so good that it was justifiable.
Linebacker was a little bit of a debate between Randall Godfrey and Peter Sirmon, but Godfrey was more dominating so he got the nod.
The safety positions might have taken us the longest. Blaine Bishop was the first thought in everyone's head, but when you look at the numbers from this decade his aren't that good. Griff would have made it a lot easier on us had he not gone in the tank this year, but his season last year was better than any season posted by a safety in the last 10 years- ergo he makes the list.
The returner debate is still going on between the four of us as I am writing this post. The numbers are close enough that I can put Mason on the list and not feel bad about it. Gramsey and Hal are all about he who shall not be named. He was electric, but he only did it for 2 seasons. That is how I am justifying leaving him off. Gramsey says I will close the comments so no one can prove me wrong. He doesn't have that "Hater" title for nothing. Have at it..

Bolts & Dolts: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

John (obviousman) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:06:38 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

about 1 month ago: San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles (43) gets past Kansas City Chiefs safety Jon McGraw (47) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. Sproles ran 58 yard for a touchdown on the play. The Chargers beat the Chiefs 37-7. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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I know it won't come as a surprise, but there won't be many "Dolts" after yesterday's game. It was a well-played game against a weaker opponent, so I'll tone down the positive rhetoric as well.

The one thing that should be noted, though, is that for the first time in a long time the Chargers did not play down to their weaker opponent. This was a game they knew they should dominate and they did. With a weak schedule ahead of them, this is a fantastic sign of things to come.

Onto the best and worst from Week 7's win in KC.

Bolts

Offense

Philip Rivers - 18/30, 268 yards, 3 TDs (122.6 QB Rating). No interceptions and no mistakes. The only way the Chiefs were going to be competitive in this game was if they got a few turnovers, and Philip made sure that wasn't going to happen. His deep ball wasn't perfect (it was raining), but it was good enough. Add on his 2 runs for 18 yards (is that becoming a weapon?) and you have a great all-around game. Everything we'd expect from Rivers when he's given time to throw.

Vincent Jackson - 5 catches, 142 yards, 1 TD. (Yawn) Another average day for Vincent Jackson. He's having a hell of a season. In the offseason I was hoping the Chargers wouldn't try to sign him, because top-flight WRs are extraordinarily expensive, and now I think he should be the team's top priority. Apparently top WRs are so expensive because they're worth it. It should be noted that VJ came about 6 inches away from having 2 TDs yesterday.

Darren Sproles - 5 rushes, 41 rush yds, 3 catches, 58 rec yds, 1 rec TD. Sproles was used to perfection in yesterday's game. This is precisely what I'd like to see from him every week. He wasn't forced to be the focal point of the running attack, and he made one big play catching the ball out of the backfield that put the game out of reach. He was also solid, but unspectacular, in the return game. Can you really argue with a 8.2 yards-per-carry and 19.3 yards-per-reception?

Mike Tolbert - 1 catch, 2 yards. This has nothing to do with stats. Mike Tolbert is developing into the FB that everybody wanted him to become when they saw his Lorenzo Neal-like frame. The running game works much better when he's blocking for LaDainian Tomlinson instead of Jacob Hester. Enough of the FB by committee. Tolbert should be the full-time FB.

Defense

Tim Dobbins - 11 tackles, 1 defended pass, 1 interception. What a game! He looked better than Stephen Cooper out there. Dobbins was all over the place, making tackles and making plays. Would I trust him in coverage against the Broncos or Colts? I don't know. The Chiefs couldn't really test his pass coverage, but everything they threw at him he destroyed.

Defensive Front Seven - You know how every time Eric Weddle ends up the team's leading tackler, nobody is real happy about it? If a Safety is your lead tackler, your front seven didn't do their job....right? Let's look at the Chargers' leading tacklers from yesterday by position:

Dobbins (LB)
Siler (LB)
Phillips (LB)
Merriman (LB)
Gregory (Nickel CB)

Luis Castillo - 2 tackles. Luis was a beast yesterday that the Chiefs could not contain. He stopped running plays in their tracks, got consistent pressure on Matt Cassel and even tackled a WR "over the middle". Although the stats don't show it, and they normally won't if you're the best player on the 3-4 defensive line, this may be turning into the best season of Castillo's career.

Steve Gregory - 4 tackles, 1 sack, 2 defended passes, 1 interception. The most questioned member of the Chargers "re-tooled" secondary had the biggest game. We certainly saw why he was moved to Nickel CB over Antoine Cason. What Gregory lacks in size, he makes up for in physicality, toughness and smarts. He was much better rushing the passer from the nickel spot than Cason has ever been. He took risks that I don't think Cason would've ever taken, and they usually worked out. I still worry about Steve getting burned by a fast receiver, but the Chargers needed desperately to win the short game before worrying about the deep game and Gregory helps them in that regard.

Eric Weddle - 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 defended pass. Eric Weddle has turned into exactly what I thought he would when he was drafted. He is a solid, intelligent player that delivers consistently. Is he a great leader? Not necessarily. Does he have weaknesses? Sure, he can't really cover TEs. Still, what he can do he does very well and he's hardly every out of position. I think one of Eric's best talents is rushing the passer, and Ron Rivera apparently agrees. In obvious passing situations yesterday, Kevin Ellison was taken off the field and Weddle was moved to SS as a sometimes-blitzer (with Paul Oliver playing FS). The Bolts saw plenty of success with that personnel, and I imagine we'll see more of it in the future.

Special Teams

Jacob Hester - 1 blocked punt, 1 fumble recovery, 1 ST TD, 3 rushes, 8 rush yds. For as much as I've been disappointed in him as a FB/HB this year, I've been just as impressed with Jacob on special teams. Which is funny, considering Tolbert was the one who was kept on the roster because of his contributions on special teams. I think he should still be a part of the offense, because he has soft hands and good speed, but I don't know exactly where he fits. Either way, Hester may be the rightful heir to Kassim Osgood's special teams throne in 2010.

Mike Scifres - 4 punts, 49.0 yards-per-punt, 2 punts inside opposing 20 yd line. Yesterday's game included a 63 yard punt from Scifres, which means he's 100% healthy or close to it again. Also, when facing one of the better punters in the league, Scifres had a higher YPP, less touchbacks (0-1) and didn't have any of his kicks blocked (0-1). Although it was a good competition, Mike came out the victor.

Dolts

Offense

Chris Chambers - thrown to 4 times, 0 catches. Fans and coaching staff alike have always looked past Chambers' dropped passes because he caught the ball when it mattered. On third down, in the fourth quarter, in a playoff game, etc. When the heat is on, Chris' hands turn to magnets. Not the case yesterday. There were several drives that were stopped dead in their tracks because he couldn't make an easy catch on 3rd down. That's not acceptable.

Brandyn Dombrowski - Before you can win a football game, you need to eliminate mental errors. When you line up as an eligible receiver, you better know it and you better know to report. Especially when you're that close to the end zone. That was a really stupid mistake that ended up costing the Chargers 7 points. In a close games, mental errors mean everything. Thank you lucky stars it wasn't a close game and work on thinking when you're on the field.

Editor's Note. I am not including the offensive line because as poor as they may have been when close to the goal line, they were fantastic otherwise. It was apparent to everybody watching that the Chargers were desperately trying to get LT a running TD, just as it's apparent that LT can no longer get any yards when running to the outside. The Chiefs did the right thing in putting 10 or 11 guys in the box and sending them all at Tomlinson. That's part of what made the Offensive Line's job so difficult down there.

Defense

There are no defensive Dolts this week.

What's Wrong with the San Diego Chargers?

John (obviousman) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:33:53 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner grimaces as a pass interference call was made on his team in the first quarter of the NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. (AP AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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Lets not fool ourselves. This team may be 2-2, and their 2 losses may have come against the Super Bowl Champions and AFC runner-up from 2008, but there are major problems. The Chargers defeated the Miami Dolphins because Chad Henne was not able to take advantage of the holes in the defense. Same issue in Oakland. The Bolts have yet to have a good game, where they took control at the coin toss and never made the fans worry.

In place of a lopsided Bolts & Dolts, this week I've decided to look at all of the things that are going wrong for the San Diego Chargers. The full list, along with a ton of stats to help me seem like less or a crazy person, after the jump.

Philip Rivers - That shocked you a bit, didn't it? I'm investigating everybody who may be a part of this, and Rivers fits into that category. The offense, including Philip, has been unable to get any sort of rhythm going before late in the game. The Chargers are forced to rely on big plays to score. Teams like the Steelers have figured this out, and will play Cover 2 or Cover 3 defense until the Chargers show the ability to move the chains.

Although Rivers has a QB rating of 110.4 in the first quarter this season, he has only one first half touchdown on the season. ONE! He predictably has a good 4th quarter QB rating as well (109.3), but has been very mediocre in the two middle quarters of the game (76.8 in 2nd, 74.8 in 3rd). When Philip is going bad, he gets happy feet and starts forcing the ball to Antonio Gates. His atrocious performance in 3rd & long (21.7 rating) and with goal to go (39.6 rating on 1st/2nd & goal) have contributed to the offense's troubles.

I'm not saying Rivers isn't a great QB, he is. I just wish he didn't have to spend every 4th quarter competing against the clock and trying to make the comeback of the century. He could save himself some trouble if he got it done with the same level of consistency before the 4th quarter. I'm sure a solid running game would help.

Norv Turner - This one is a tad less shocking. I'll say what I've been saying all along. The only way Norv loses his job after this season is if the Chargers do not win a playoff game. Initially, that seemed like a lock. Now, two games behind the Broncos with no defense in sight, it's looking like it may not happen. That being said, it's tough to keep from dreaming about bringing in a coach that would provide the same level of toughness that the Marty Schottenheimer teams had.

I won't criticize Norv as an Offensive Coordinator. As far as I know, he one of the best OCs of all time. Perhaps his play-calling is solid and just not being executed. However, I want to look into Norv as a Head Coach. I don't expect a HC to do anything besides motivate the team and make them tougher. Or perhaps teach the team how to be smart and/or dirty.

When you bring in a coach like Bill Cowher or Bill Parcells, it seems the players want to rip out the other team's throat on every play. As much as I've always been along for the Norv Turner ride, I don't see any of that intensity out of his players. Maybe it's the practice he runs, maybe it's the fact that he doesn't seem to make speeches to his team until December, maybe it's a simple case of the players never buying in completely because a lot of them remember having success with Marty and know that even with a good season their HC could be gone.

This used to be a bruising team. Shawne Merriman was knocking guys out of games, the Offensive Line was pushing everyone back and Lorenzo Neal was looking for somebody to lay out on every play. Similar to Norv's style of coordinating, which is based on technique and finesse, the 2009 Chargers team seem to have taken on the belief that they'll win the game because they're supposed to be more talented. Then, when they're getting punched in the mouth by every team they face, they end up looking foolish. Although this team may believe they're "prepared" for the scheme that's coming at them, they are not prepared to be pushed around on nearly every play. That goes for the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the LBs. And that should be blamed on the Head Coach.

LaDainian Tomlinson - Here's a fun stat: the Chargers have rushed for 215 yards as a team through four games while allowing 604 rushing yards. Not only do the Bolts not have any 100 yard rushing games to this point (that's the entire team), they don't even have a running back on the roster that has 100 rushing yards for the season. Anyone else still think this is a Super Bowl caliber team?

Another awful stat: Tomlinson leads the Chargers with an average of 10 carries per game. Even though he's ended the last two seasons on the sidelines, LT swears he's still a superstar and still the best running back in football. I have been saying since before the first preseason game that I was worried LT was turning into Edgerrin James. Now, I'm almost sure of it. His 2.1 YPC against the Steelers (longest run: 5 yards) is pretty much what I'm expecting out of him at this point. There will be no more 40+ yard runs and not more juking defenders out of their shoes. If the Chargers had a legitimate RB to start ahead of him, he could be a valuable change-up and a weapon for the playoffs. Instead, the Chargers will be similar to the 2008 Arizona Cardinals and will try to win every game by outscoring the opponent through the air.

Darren Sproles - Let me clear one thing up. I'm not blaming Rivers or Tomlinson or Sproles for their performance. I'm just saying perhaps their performance is part of the reason the Chargers are struggling to win games.

It's not Sproles' fault that he got paid a truckload of money and was asking to be a #2 RB behind an injury-prone RB. That's on AJ Smith. However, Darren's 2.4 YPC has not done much to help get the offense into a rhythm. Perhaps the pundits were right when they were predicting the Chargers to take a RB in the first round of the draft. Beanie Wells (4.4 YPC) and Donald Brown (3.5 YPC) are looking like they'd fit in nicely in San Diego.

Antonio Cromartie - I don't know what it is so I won't speculate. I'll just say that Cro is still not living up to his big 2007 season. Not only does he not deserve to be in the same conversation as Quentin Jammer at this point, I think the Chargers might have more success with Antoine Cason being the starter.

Ron Rivera - Oh boy, what an improvement over 2008! All I heard all off-season was that the blitz was going to be epic and the Chargers were practicing intercepting the ball and scoring TDs. Best defense ever? It was on it's way. A quick comparison through Week 4:

	2008	2009
Pts Allowed	112	102
Interceptions	4	4
Sacks	11	6
Fum. Rec.	3	2

Ron Rivera > Ted Cottrell? Not so fast. The lack of a pass rush that Chargers fans blame for the horrible defense under Cottrell in 2008 has gotten worse. Larry English has been average at best and nobody has seemed the least bit surprised or thrown off by Rivera's "creative blitzes".

A.J. Smith - We bought in. We drank the Kool-Aid. We ignored the aging RB who couldn't stay healthy, and the undersized return man getting paid $6 million to play behind him. We ignored the aging DT and the lack of experienced depth behind him. We were certain that Jacob Hester's new "bulk" would turn him into the next great Chargers FB. Not only did we buy in, A.J. Smith bought in as well.

Consider this my first major criticism of A.J. Smith. The team has been poisoned by poor coaching and there's no longer depth behind the aging veterans when they go down with injuries. If he can swing a trade in the next couple of days for someone like Shaun Rogers, it'll give me more hope. Until then, I will continue to look at the lack of foresight in building this roster (the Hester pick is starting to look like a big mistake, considering how much they gave up to get him) and grumble.

For the record, I think Mike Holmgren would want to coach the Chargers when he returns next season and I'd be okay with that. I'd also take Cowher, Shanahan or even Dungy (risky because he loves the 4-3 Cover 2). The key to any potential Chargers hire, for me, has become "Can they get Wade Phillips back?" That should show you where my confidence in Ron Rivera is at currently.

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?

Projecting the 49ers 53-man roster #4

Fooch — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:00:18 -0000

As the preseason rolls along, more and more positional battles are won, meaning more and more folks lock up roster spots. For example, yesterday's release of Damon Huard not only locks in Nate Davis's roster spot, but as far as I'm concerned, it removes him from our last 5 on list. I'd imagine it's not a major concern to Nate, but still worth considering.

As you'll notice, I've bumped down Bear Pascoe to last 5 on. Maiocco rolled out his 53-man roster projection (feel free to compare with mine) and actually went with J.J. Finley as the third tight end. He based his decision on the fact that Finley is getting the lion's share of playing time, although he admitted he's not completely sold on that pick. I can see why he might pick Finley, but for now I'm gonna stick with Bear, albeit rather tenuously. I've listed Finley as one of the first 5 off because honestly nobody else really jumps out at me for that list.

Offense
QB (3): Shaun Hill, Alex Smith, Nate Davis
RB (4): Frank Gore, Glen Coffee, Michael Robinson, Kory Sheets
FB (1): Moran Norris
WR (6): Isaac Bruce, Brandon Jones, Josh Morgan, Jason Hill, Arnaz Battle, Dominique Zeigler
TE (3): Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Bear Pascoe
LT (2): Joe Staley, Barry Sims
LG (1): David Baas
C (2): Eric Heitmann, Cody Wallace
RG (2): Chilo Rachal, Tony Wragge
RT (2): Adam Snyder, Alex Boone

Defense
DE (5): Justin Smith, Kentwan Balmer, Demetric Evans, Isaac Sopoaga, Ray McDonald
DT (1): Aubrayo Franklin
OLB (4): Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson, Ahmad Brooks, Marques Harris
ILB (4): Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes, Jeff Ulbrich, Scott McKillop
CB (5): Nate Clements, Dre Bly, Tarell Brown, Shawntae Spencer, Marcus Hudson
FS (2): Dashon Goldson, Mark Roman
SS (2): Michael Lewis, Reggie Smith

Special Teams
K: Joe Nedney
P: Andy Lee
LS: Brian Jennings
KR/PR: Allen Rossum

Last 5 on: Ahmad Brooks, Kory Sheets, Dominique Zeigler, Alex Boone, Bear Pascoe

First 5 off: Jay Moore, J.J. Finley, Curtis Taylor, Ricky Jean-Francois, Micheal Spurlock

After the jump, I include a practice squad projection and some further thoughts...

Practice Squad (8): TE J.J. Finley, OLB Jay Moore, FS Curtis Taylor, DL Ricky Jean-Francois, FB Brit Miller, OLB Diyral Briggs, G/C Matt Spanos, DL Khalif Mitchell

I doubt Crabtree signs when the practice squad is first put together, but if he signs before the season, I'm thinking he gets Zeigler's roster spot and Zeigler gets to use his last year of practice squad eligibility. The Crabtree situation definitely makes the wide receiver decisions a little more difficult...if not now then at some point.

Maiocco's 53-man projection, as compared to my own, is particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. Under running backs he lists six, with the last being "Unnamed Fullback Not on Roster." I find that rather interesting given Michael Robinson's occasional use as a fullback. I'm curious what fullback that is. Lorenzo Neal? Is he considering Brit Miller "not on the roster" at that point? Although fullback isn't a glamorous position, I find myself immensely curious by what Maiocco means with that. I even shot him a tweet about it. Anybody have any thoughts on this?

The other major area where we differed was at offensive tackle. Maiocco had Alex Boone on his practice squad and Barry Sims as the only backup tackle, basically acting as a swing tackle. I know how most people here feel about Barry Sims, and since the retirement of Marvel Smith, I figured Boone had moved into much safer territory. This kind of has me wandering back to his unnamed fullback. Is it necessary to grab another fullback over a second backup offensive tackle? Riddle me that....

Other than that our 53-man rosters don't differ all that much. That is primarily due to the fact that the 49ers are in a position where they have sufficient talent to actually fill a 53-man roster (unlike a few years back). Following the departure of Damon Huard (making Davis a lock), probably 46 of the roster spots are close to locks. Non-locks on top of the last five on might include Marques Harris and Marcus Hudson. So not exactly a lot there.

San Diego Chargers Links 8/20

John (obviousman) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:52:01 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

4 months ago: San Diego Chargers receiver Malcom Floyd grabs a pass over the coverage of rookie Simeon Castille during practice at the Chargers' training camp Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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Jackson sprains finger, Hochuli revisits Chargers
Ed Hochuli is the referee for Saturday's preseason game against the Cardinals, the first time the Chargers will have seen Hochuli since he blew a call that cost them their Sept. 14 game at Denver last season. Head coach Norv Turner said he will engage in the usual pleasantries with Hochuli before the game. "He's going to officiate a game as we continue in the season," Turner said. "He's a good referee."

Hochuli's mistaken call of an incomplete pass on a Jay Cutler fumble brought the wrath of Turner and many thousands of Chargers fans. The call also prompted a rule change that would allow such a play to be reviewed by replay.

Backup power: Ranking all 32 NFL team's No. 2 quarterbacks - Don Banks - SI.com
7. Billy Volek, San Diego -- Chargers starter Philip Rivers took every snap last season, so we have no fresh reminders of Volek's value in San Diego. But he has played well when given the opportunity, and had a strong start to his preseason Saturday night against Seattle. And who can forget his stellar relief win in the playoffs at Indianapolis in January 2008?

All-Indispensable Team - John P. Lopez - SI.com
All indications thus far are that Tomlinson is on a mission to get better and prove that 30 is the new 25 in the NFL. Still, time is the only thing in the league that is undefeated. If the Chargers say they are not worried about Tomlinson's health, they're lying. Tomlinson had career lows in yards and carries last season and has been on a steady decline since his remarkable 2006 season.

The guy has still got amazing skills and is motivated more than perhaps during any other point in his career. Still, time is undefeated. The Chargers have to do everything possible to keep LT healthy.

Malcom Floyd is humble and healthy
Six years. And yet Floyd was still a restricted free agent this year. Injured and on the practice squad most of his first two seasons, he played in four games his rookie year in 2004. Had it been six games, he would have been an unrestricted free agent this past February and likely would have been guaranteed about five or six times the $1.545 million he received as a restricted free agent. That was an argument he and his agent tried to make to the Chargers this spring, with Floyd even skipping minicamp before deciding on the eve of offseason coaching sessions to take the restricted free-agent tender from the team because, he said, "I didn't see any positives out of missing more time."

Rookie Vasquez is back on the practice field
Third-round pick Louis Vasquez returned to practice yesterday afternoon, working with the second team at right guard. First-rounder Larry English remains sidelined with the hamstring strain that has limited him to working only on the side for much of the past two weeks.

Jay Glazer (Jay_Glazer) on Twitter
heard from my man Lorenzo Neal 2nite. injured his hamstring. figuring out what he wants to do. 1 of the classiest dudes this league has seen (Ed.'s Note: Maybe Lorenzo being released had something to do with this.)

3 Questions For: Luis Castillo
The Chargers defensive end is hoping for a comeback season in 2009. He joins 619 Sports from training camp to answer three questions heading into the second game of the preseason

NFL 101: Rookie English
I was really excited for our practices at Qualcomm Stadium in front of our fans but unfortunately I injured my hamstring the week of our first one. I’ve been working to get back on the field ever since. I also had to miss our first preseason game against Seattle, which was very disappointing. If it were up to me, I would’ve played because I really wanted to be out there, help the team and get my chance to play in my first NFL game. But I realize that in order for this injury to not nag me all year long, it’s important to get it taken care of now.

Chargers Linebacker Merriman Is Back, and Motivated - NYTimes.com
How far Merriman goes in those quests may go a long way toward determining whether he remains in San Diego. In recent years, the Chargers have had one of the league’s most talented rosters, but they have lacked either the coaching, the character or the good health to break through to the Super Bowl.

Horse Tracks 8/20/09 - Are we making too big of a deal over BMarsh?

Douglas A. Lee — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:50:57 -0000

DB - Day 20: Marshall - Broncos TV
Brandon says he's not yet comfortable in the offense. He claims to not know what his agent requested from the Broncos. I don't know if it's just me, but this video doesn't make Brandon seem so "disgruntled" in my eyes. Obviously he's not happy with what happened the other day, but I don't know if we've got as much drama playing out as is being portrayed. Try to watch the whole video if you've got time; I'd like to know what you honestly think. Try not to go by snippets of quotes from the articles/columns that follow. I certainly could be wrong, as I was about Cutler; maybe he and McDaniels are just playing things down as they try to work on a trade. I just think BMarsh will be here all year...

DB - Day 20: McDaniels - Broncos TV
McDaniels plays down BMarsh's appearance on the scout team. He also says he's not concerned by Marshall's knowledge (or lack thereof) of the playbook. Also, McDaniels likes Kenny McKinley's work ethic.

DB - Day 20: Donatell - Broncos TV
Our first time hearing from Coach Donatell; he's impressed by the staff Josh McDaniels has put together.

DB - A Work In Progress - Gray Caldwell
A look at Kenny McKinley's performance against the Niners and his progress with the team. Meanwhile, secondary coach Ed Donatell thinks the new defensive scheme will help create more turnovers this year. We've heard that before, so we'll see...

DB - Day 20: A.M. Blog - Chris Gentilviso
The offense worked in two-TE sets a good amount, which I hope we'll see this season. Plus, big plays from Lee Robinson and Josh Bell.

DB - Day 20: P.M. Blog - Chris Gentilviso
The evening brought 5-wide formations. Britton Colquitt worked on FGs, presumably to show his dual value as a backup place kicker.

DP - Marshall rift with Broncos getting bigger - Lindsay Jones
More on Brandon's presser; a quote from Eddie Royal at the end.

CSG - Marshall's relationship with Broncos remains strained - Frank Schwab

GD - My Game: John Elway
The Greatest Ever writes of his love for golf and how his years in Denver didn't help his game.

AP - Marshall Says There's Trust Issues With Broncos - Arnie Stapleton

DP - Krieger: Broncos' new slogan: We know drama
Krieger says Josh McDaniels brought the "inner drama queens" out of BMarsh and JC.

LTC - Scheffler settling into new role - Brian Howell
Tony Scheffler says he's being asked to do more as a player this year (read: blocking) and that it's time for him to "step up as an every down tight end" rather than just a receiver.

NFP - DMN: The Jets need a wide receiver
Lombardi doesn't see the Jets sending enough Denver's way for BMarsh. But he could see them overpaying for Dwayne Bowe of the Chefs.

DP - Dove Valley Days: Broncos rookies seeing lots of action - Jeff Legwold
Legwold considers the idea of Brandon Stokley and Jabar Gaffney both playing the slots in 4-WR sets. Meanwhile, Darcel McBath and Alphonso Smith have practiced in place of Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey, respectively.

DP - Despite his cast, safety Dawkins still making plays - Jeff Legwold
Yesterday concluded two-a-days for the preseason.

DP - Smith goes from tense to traded - Jeff Legwold

KDVR - Preseason Week 2: Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Preview - Chris Tanaka
What to watch for on Saturday

CSG - Broncos notes: Brandstater isn't worrying over playing time - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos camp glance for Wednesday - Frank Schwab

9NEWS - Karl Mecklenburg lends his experience to student athletes

PFW - Ex-NFL punter Sauerbrun signs with UFL's Florida Tuskers
What is there to say? Man...

AFC West News

SFC - Awful practice shows Oakland's glaring absences

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Lorenzo Neal gets cut

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : JaMarcus: Cool or clueless?

CCT - Inman: Painful lessons for JaMarcus Russell

SDUT - Malcom Floyd is humble and healthy

SDUT - Jackson sprains finger, Hochuli revisits Chargers

KCS - Chiefs camp buzz: Haley explains Cassel comment

KCS - As Zach Thomas continues to recover from an injury, Corey Mays is making most of his chance

NFL News/Columns

PFW - Owners discuss ramifications of cap-less season - Eric Edholm

NFL - Mora expects Seahawks to open season without LT Jones, CB Trufant

NFL - Rams bring in veteran RB Ahman Green for workout

NFL - AP source: Tennis-playing Williams sisters to be part owners of Dolphins

NFL - Entering second season as the starter, Rodgers comfortable as team leader - Vic Carucci

NFL - Giants' revamped defensive line can set tone, but Manning must finish job - Tomas George

CBS - Giants camp report: Season depends on receivers stepping up - Clark Judge

CBS - Browns camp report: Anderson working to regain job, personality - Mike Freeman

NFP - Tavern talk: blue-chip players, part 6 - Mike Lombardi

NFP - NFL Notes: Will Jets now look to trade Jones? - Matt Bowen

Y! - Steelers RB ready to dance on the field - Jason Cole

NFP - How players can avoid going broke - Jack Bechta

ESPN - OTL: Lion Flub - Jemele Hill
The rapid fall of Charles Rogers.

NYT - Q. & A. With John Madden: He’s Still on the Bus - RIchard Sandomir

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: UCLA - Wes Bunting

Favruhhhhhhhh

ESPN - Fran Tarkenton expresses disdain over Brett Favre and retirement indecision

FOX - The world according to Favre - Mark Kriegel

Y! - Favre's rock opera strikes familiar chord - Charles Robinson

SI - Brett Favre's signing sends bad message to Minnesota Vikings players - Ross Tucker

NFP - Wednesday whys: It's all about Brett - Andrew Brandt

NFP - It Didn't Have to be That Way - Robert Boland
Boland on drug suspensions and the Favre drama

Poll

Is there truly a major rift between the Broncos and WR Brandon Marshall?

Yes. He wants out and cannot be happy with Denver in '09.

165 votes

No, he'll be fine once he learns the playbook.

157 votes

Not sure. It could go either way...

273 votes

595 votes | Poll has closed

Ravens Training Camp: Monday PM Edition

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:41:48 -0000

The Baltimore Ravens were right back out in the oppressive heat this afternoon after a spirited morning session. With temperatures in the '90's, the team kept a close eye on the players' hydration, with water boys everywhere and frequent breaks.

Special Teams were part of the afternoon drills, with even TE L.J. Smith taking part on the return team, along with outside blockers, safeties and roommates Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski. I notice that on all the kickoffs, placekicker Graham Gano runs hard down the field and then back upfield to do it again and again. He is making the hard effort to impress the coaches any way he can.

The linebackers and defensive backs are practicing in separate areas dropping back into coverage then intercepting passes thrown by the coaches. In 11-on-11 non-contact drills, the offensive line shows a powerful overloaded line with Michael Oher at left tackle and Jared Gaither at right guard and then they reverse positions. Either way, that's a massive force to run behind.

The offense runs drills up the field in five yard increments, practicing their running game against the defense. Once they reach the goal line they go back and do it all again, this time with the short passing game. Lots of reps for everyone, especially in this heat.

In their goal line offense, they come out in a variety of sets, including one with Haloti Ngata in the backfield. He got a chance to carry the rock and scored, but then raced over to his defensive line coach, Clarence Brooks, and in his excitement accidently pushed him to the ground! In another goal line drill, he led LeRon McClain into the end zone. who needs Lorenzo Neal when you have a 340 pound fullback? When faced with Ngata running at him as a blocker, defensive back, Derrick Martin backed off yelling in jest, "whoa, whoa!"

WR Jayson Foster took a few snaps in the Wildcat formation, either handing off or running the ball, with reserve QB Drew Willy split out as a wide receiver.

Practice lasted about 90 minutes and due to the morning session in this heat, that was long enough for the players to be drenched in sweat and they headed right to the locker room as quick as I had ever seen them clear the fields.

The Washington Redskins Ten Most Irreplaceable Players In 2009

Ken Meringolo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:00:20 -0000

Everyone loves a good list. But all too often, these kinds of lists turn into a ranking of the team's best players. In today's Top Ten list, the criteria is simple: Who can we simply not afford to lose to injury this season? Better put, who are the top ten players that are central to the success of THIS YEAR'S team--taking into account depth at each position and potential contributions from each player? I have taken some creative liberties with the presentation of the list, and I have made a few judgement calls that I expect some of you will disagree with--I expect you all will not hold back in the comments section.

#10 - Hunter Smith - When I heard the news that Hunter Smith had been signed, I was just slightly less happy than when I heard the news Jessica Biel was doing a nude scene in an upcoming movie. Our punting situation has been a nightmare for a while now. Derrick Frost may have been a Hall of Famer during the week in practice, but he stunk out loud too many times on Sundays when it counted. Ryan Plackemeier was not the huge upgrade that blew up everyone's skirts either. Word on the street was that he was a liability as a holder. However, I heard his personal hygiene was beyond reproach (no need to bury the guy.) Hunter Smith is a pro's pro. While he has enjoyed the dome-life in Indy, his abilities are sure to be an upgrade in D.C. And with our team expected to be led by our defense, the field position battle will have to feature the skills of Hunter the Punter. He is known in the league to be a steady and rock-solid holder, having paired with Mike Vanderjagt to form one of the most accurate kicking batteries in NFL history (and again with Adam Vinatieri when they won the Super Bowl.) Finally, he brought down Deion Sanders in the following video that always brings a smile to my face.

#9 - Derrick Dockery - We are all aware of the less than stellar year the Redskins had on the offensive line last year. Pete Kendall was a band-aid the year before and performed well enough, but last year that band-aid fell off and got lost in the chicken salad, and Jason Campbell ended up eating that band-aid in his sandwich. Let's not mix words here--we brought in Dockery to be an upgrade, not to hold down the position until someone better comes along. He has to perform well, and he has to perform well right away. Early last season we ran left on some pretty important plays. With Right Tackle being up-for-grabs, and with Randy Thomas healing yet again from injuries, the left side is going to be relied upon heavily. Behind Dockery is Chad Rinehart, who we still know very little about. Samuels and Dockery are comfortable and confident playing next to each other. Losing Dockery would hurt us from a depth perspective and would disrupt the chemistry of the left side of the line.

#8 - Fred Davis - I kind of snuck this one in. I won't pretend to be an expert talent evaluator but when I watched him practice this off season at Redskins Park in Ashburn, he really got to me. Like Cammie from the 80's flick The Great Outdoors, played by Lucy Deakins. At first you're kind of like, "OK...I like this girl, but so far she's not central to the plot," and then as the movie goes on, every other storyline becomes meaningless to you and all you can think about is Cammie and how is Buck going to pull this off?!? That is my prediction for Fred Davis this season. At first it will be all about CP, JC, Cooley, the defense, Santana Clause. But by Week 6 (against Kansas City, where Sleepy's stat line will be 6 catches, 78 yards and 2 TDs), Davis will have asserted himself as a legitimate threat for us on offense. And I predict it will be him that becomes the key to our red zone attack.

#7 - Brian Orakpo - Well, I pretty much had to change my shorts when we drafted this guy. I spent all winter clamoring for an OLB/DE player to fill the Merriman/Ware hole in our roster. As a rookie, he will be expected to play like a vet. He will be expected to show up in the stats, and he will be expected to straight-up dominate. So it goes with high first round picks I suppose. Is it fair? Dan Snyder's $20 million bones say it is more than fair. There was an offensive lineman on the board when we picked Orakpo--Michael Oher--so this selection has all the makings of being second-guessed all season long. If he fails to be a force on our defense, it will be hard to hear anything above the fans shouting the f-word: failure. Further, for us to enjoy the kind of success we are hoping for, we need nothing less than a dominant performance from his position.

#6 - Santana Moss - One could argue we have lost Santana Moss during the season every year for the last 3 years. Either by injury or by opposing defenses denying him the ball, Moss has been silenced late in the season. Still, he is one of those "magic" players that has the ability to make a play when he gets the ball in his hands. Whenever he touches the ball, there is a chance the play can end with him scoring a touchdown. We'd all like to think that with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in the fold, Moss might be somewhat replaceable. Not so fast. The dude is an elite NFL player and on our team, his value is as much about the comfort and confidence he gives both fans and teammates when he is on the field as it is about his skill set. Here is a highlight video of him ( a little grainy, but you get the idea.)

#5 - Jason Campbell - I fear I will be scolded for either putting him too high or for putting him on this list at all. Truth be told, I am shocked that I am not making him #1. Todd Collins has proven to be more than serviceable, with not only a stellar performance in relief of JC, but also a late-season playoff push under his belt. Colt Brennan is the apple of a lot of eyes, and Jason Campbell has yet to become the "franchise quarterback" you want from a 1st rounder. But he is absolutely central to our success this year. Despite the off season rumors and activity, the investment in JC has only grown greater. Both he and the coaching staff have put in a lot of hours in the months leading up to training camp. Jason has worked extensively with Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, and he has quietly continued to act the part of "Starting Redskins QB" which as we all know is a position of high honor and visibility. He has the confidence of his teammates and coaching staff (currently), and let's face facts--you pretty much always have most of your eggs in the starting QB basket. If you think like me, and you think JC will in fact be second to the defense among the reasons we make the playoffs, you have to put him on this list, and you probably should put him higher.

#4 - Mike Sellers - This year might be the first year that I fully appreciate Sellers for exactly what he means to this team. I have both underestimated and overestimated his importance and role on this team in the last handful of years. There was a series in the pre-season a couple years back where Gibbs called for like 4 straight hand-offs to Sellers. He busted each carry for 7-8 yards a pop. I thought we were seeing the emergence of a Brandon Jacobs-type of role for Sellers. Then last season, the disappointment of him being (allegedly) unable to punch the ball in against Cincinnati on the goal line tempered that expectation. In 2005, he had 8 TDs (7 through the air, 1 on the ground), but last year just managed 1 score. So how does he land at #4 on this list? Special teams notwithstanding, he has become an invaluable lead blocker. Clinton Portis loves to get in behind Sellers and every time they both make it to the edge, you know a 1st down is a gimme. Players like Sellers seem to get marginalized by their organizations over time (see Lorenzo Neal from the San Diego Chargers a few years back.) Here's hoping the team figures out a responsible way to keep him with the team beyond this year. Sellers has become a destructive force in what has been at times an unstoppable running game. We can ill afford to lose him this year if we hope to keep Clinton Portis from taking on the first and second tacklers at the point of attack. And anything Sellers is able to add in the way of short-yardage situations for us is gravy.

via farm3.static.flickr.com

#3 - Clinton Portis - Thanks to fantasy football, I have finally learned the lesson that eludes so many fans and even league personnel men: running backs really do grow on trees. So what is CP doing this high on the list? Because there are exceptions to every rule. Like for example, to those that say "No means No", I say, "Sometimes No means Maybe." ("Reservation for 1 in hell please? Yes, I'll hold.") CP is a stud...a freak of nature athletically that has enjoyed a great deal of success at running back for 7 seasons. That is twice the average career for running backs (somebody call me out on this if I am wrong, but I think the average career of a running back is roughly 3 years.) From an odds perspective there is a better chance Leonardo DiCaprio will star in the Growing Pains movie than a running back becoming highly productive in his 8th year. Yet that is what we are banking on this season. Clinton is the man yet again this year, and without him, the ship loses a lot of direction and purpose. More than anything, the ship loses a lot of identity. For better or worse, the identity of this team and specifically the offense is tied to Clinton Portis.

#2 - Chris Samuels - We spoke to a retired former Redskin a few months ago (who shall remain nameless for now) and he said that there was only ONE player on the whole roster he would label "untouchable"--only one player on the entire roster that he would start all over with tomorrow: Chris Samuels. Whether you agree with it or not, it kind of takes your breath away...wait for it...like Nicole Eggert in Charles in Charge. She was only 15 when she started out as Jamie Powell but I was only 10, so the things I was thinking about doing to her were totally legal (as a 10-year old, this consisted mostly of picturing her in a bathing suit, but by the time she was 18, I was 13, so my dream date of me, her and Samantha Micelli (Alyssa Milano) from Who's The Boss was ON.) As we discussed above, the offensive line was a debacle last year. Samuels is the class of our line. If he goes down, our team's playoff chances disappear faster than a bag of blow left alone in a room with Corey Haim. (It's not fair to beat up on Corey Haim you say? Go back and watch Lucas again. All these years later, and both Charlie Sheen and Jeremy Piven are killing it. Corey Haim has only Corey Haim to blame.)

via p1.hotornot.com

#1 - Albert Haynesworth - If you go to a nice restaurant and order the most expensive thing on the menu, like the Filet Mignon plate, it ain't going to work for you if the steak is undercooked and gives you parasites. A good bowl of mashed potatoes or creamed spinach is not going to save the dish. We paid for the best cut of meat on the market. It had damn well better taste good and be cooked right. Haynesworth has to absolutely dominate this season for the Redskins to both save face and make some noise in the NFC. Is saving face really that important? I think so, because he represents yet another in a long line of high-priced talent brought in by Snyder to win now. This has yet to really pan out for Snyder and has left us coming up with some pretty lame one-liners over the years.

"Mark Carrier could really be the difference this season."

"Brandon Lloyd is poised to break out this season."

"Adam Archuleta should really solidify our secondary."

"Bruce Smith attacking the QB is going to get us to the next level this season."

"Chad Morton is the answer in the return game."

"Jeff George is the right guy for this offense."

OK, you get the idea. Redemption is absolutely chief among the goals for Haynesworth this year in my humble opinion. And the truth is it will come hand-in-hand with domination at the point of attack. If Blache can move him up and down the line of scrimmage effectively and keep the opposing offense guessing, Haynesworth is capable of providing the same kind of impact that Reggie White gave the Packers when he signed there and subsequently led them to a Super Bowl. Without Haynesworth, we lose twice really. We continue to get berated by everyone for trying and failing to "buy a championship" and we would be on the outside looking in yet again come December.

As I review the list, LaRon Landry jumps off the page as the one I wish I would have found a spot for, but I will have to live with leaving him off, despite my constant proclamations that Landry is an elite player. I guess I dig our safety group right now, and am hopeful that a Chris Horton/ Kareem Moore backfield would hold up (if you can't lie to yourself, who can you lie to?)

Other Honorable Mentions: Ladell Betts, London Fletcher, Carlos Rogers, and Ethan "The Red Snapper" Albright.

I expect that London will be the one I get the most grief for excluding, so let me seed my excuse for leaving him out: I love Alfred Fincher, and think that if it came down to it, he would be the feel-good story of the league stepping in and up to replace London. Think Mike Seaver-gets-Chelsea Noble...yeah, that kind of feel good.

AFC West Offseason Progress Reports by Position: RB

John (obviousman) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:05:22 -0000

Considering the overwhelming lack of response to the first installment of this series, I considered stopping it altogether. Then I re-read it and liked it. Seriously, what's not to like? Even if you don't agree with all of my opinions, it stands as another reminder of the turmoil this division has faced outside of San Diego. Two of the three teams have new starting quarterbacks that have question-marks attached to them. The other one has a new veteran breathing down his neck for the starting job and a new offensive coordinator. What's not to love as a Chargers fan?

So I'm going to try this again. I hope there's a better response this time as we analyze the backfields of AFC West teams and rate the offseason changes that have (or haven't) been made.

via nicklohr7.files.wordpress.com

San Diego Chargers: Change by addition and possibly by approach. Going into 2008, the consensus was that LaDainian Tomlinson was the #1 back and would return to form after his injury in late 2007. Jacob Hester had been drafted to be his backup and to replace Michael Turner. Well, very quickly we learned that Hester could be an effective player but the coaching staff obviously thought he didn't have what it took to be a backup and Darren Sproles came in to do the job.

Sproles actually wound up outperforming Turner's 2007 performance. Take a look:

	RushAtt	RushYds	RushTDs	RushYPC	Rec	RecYds	RecTDs
Turner (2007)	71	316	1	4.5	4	16	0
Sproles (2008)	61	330	1	5.4	29	342	5

What drop-off? After looking at these numbers, I almost went back on my idea that Sproles should be the 3rd string RB. Actually, that phrase isn't right. I believe the Chargers should have a RB by committee. There's so many reasons for it. One, it'll extend LT's career. Two, LT and Sproles would be healthier and more rested for the playoffs. Three, it gives Gartrell Johnson a chance to grow on the field without much pressure. I could go on and on. Anyways, I almost went back on that after seeing how successful Sproles was last season. I almost said "Ah, the hell with it, give Sproles more carries and keep Gartrell on the bench." Then I remembered last year's running game. It was poor because LT was hurt, true, but the thing that stood out the most was how it lacked versatility. Every time the ball was handed off the defense knew that the RB wanted to go outside. They knew the RB would try and win the battle with speed instead of power and there was nobody on the team to change their mind.

Jacob Hester was drafted to be that power back that gives the offense versatility. It's who he was in college. Although he was small, he was a bit of a bruiser but also had speed and soft hands. Other NFL teams were worried that he wouldn't be able to be a bruiser in the NFL and they may be right (when it comes to his running, anyway). Gartrell Johnson, to me, equals all the reasons I mentioned above. Because of their size, Sproles is just as big a risk as Tomlinson to get worn down and injured. I don't really care if either of those guys see the field in the first 5 games of the season. I want them late in the season and in the playoffs to be at the top of their game. So, what did the Chargers do to their running game over the offseason? They had their FB beef up and created some versatility in the backfield by drafting a power back.

Offseason Grade: B+. My grade at the end of the season will be more telling. I'm still worried that these three guys are not going to be used the right way. I'm concerned we're going to get to Week 17 and Gartrell, with less than 20 carries under his belt, will have to start a game because LT is hurt and Sproles isn't trusted to be a starter. I don't want playoff weeks centered around LT's injuries anymore. I'm hopefuly we're past that and this pick gives me hope, but we'll see...

via i.a.cnn.net

Kansas City Chiefs: Larry Johnson is a bum. There, I said it. My definition of a "bum" when it comes to sports is somebody who is so talented that their team keeps relying on them, even though year after year the guy lets them down. Is it LJ's fault? Well, the off-the-field problems certainly are, but the on-the-field problems may not be.

In 2006, Larry Johnson carried the rock 416 times. That seems like a lot, doesn't it? Well, it's the most amount of carries by one running back in one season in the history of professional football. Some other guys right behind him on that list? Eddie George and Jamal Anderson. Two guys that physically broke down after being overworked. Not only that, LJ turns 30 in November. So his body's working against him already. Since that 2006 season, in which Johnson went to the Pro Bowl and carried the Chiefs to a 9-7 record, Larry has had a hard time staying healthy. Yet, the Chiefs keep looking for him to return to form.

In 2007, Johnson managed to get into 8 games. In 2008, it was 12. Want a picture of how his performance, when healthy, has gone down? Lets look at how efficient he's been over the course of his career.

	RushAtt	RushYPC	TDs	Fumbles
2004	120	4.8	11	0
2005	336	5.2	21	5
2006	416	4.3	19	2
2007	158	3.5	4	1
2008	193	4.5	5	5

Every team wants a guy that can score 20 times and fumble less than 5 times each season, but fumbling as many times as you're getting in the end zone should not make you the centerpiece of an offense. Plain and simple, LJ doesn't have anything left. I'm actually surprised he had those big seasons in 2005 and 2006 considering how he was run into the ground at Penn State, but basically have the first-half of 2004 off probably helped that.

So in 2008 the Chiefs drafted Jamaal Charles. He was effective when he played (5.3 Yards Per Carry), but the coaching staff seemed to prefer Johnson. Going into 2009, LJ is again the starter. He's been a two-time Pro Bowler, a player with off-the-field issues, injury-prone and someone who is not afraid to speak out against his coach to the media. Why is KC still pinning their hopes on him? Because he's a bum, and they're getting suckered in. It happens to the best of us (I'm looking at you, David Boston).

Offseason Grade: D. Okay, so Charles is a year older and wiser. That's the only reason they don't get an F (LJ is another year older as well). Jamaal is also probably a better fit for Haley's offense because he's a great receiver coming out of the backfield. He should be given the starter's role and Johnson should be shopped, but that's not happening this year. Maybe next year. The Chiefs drafted little-known Javarris Williams out of Tennessee State this year, but if he sees the field it'll be as a FB only.

via www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

Denver Broncos: Okay, let's see if I can cover it all without my head exploding.

2008 backfield: Michael Pittman, Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young, Tatum Bell, Andre Hall, P.J. Pope, Ryan Torain

Before I get to the 2009 backfield, a crazy statistic. The Broncos didn't have a single running back with more than 76 carries last season. LT can get to that number in 3 games and they didn't have a single guy get to it in an entire season. Peyton Hillis started the most games for them last season, with 6, and even some of those he started as the fullback. What an unbelievable season for the Broncos backfield.

2009 backfield: Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, ~~J.J. Arrington~~, Peyton Hillis, LaMont Jordan, Ryan Torain, Darius Walker

Arrington is crossed out because he was signed by the Broncos and later released, I believe because he failed a physical. Is Moreno an improvement over Pittman? Sure. I could see that. Is Buckhalter better than Selvin Young and Tatum Bell? Hmmmmm. I don't know. I'd say he's about equal, but he's older and a bigger injury risk. If it would've been cheaper I would've stuck with Selvin Young. Torain has potential but will probably never see the field now and I'm unsure why they even grabbed Darius Walker. Four new RBs for a coach that's known for his passing game. Odd, isn't it?

Offseason Grade: C+. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that Moreno is good. Not great, but good. I'm a little concerned with a change in the run-blocking philosophy because those guys are too small to do anything else but cut-block. The Jordan and Walker signings just seem like the team is planning for their RBs to start dropping like flies again. This grade is very dependant on how Moreno performs and if Buckhalter can contribute anything without getting injured.

via www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

Oakland Raiders: I gave the Raiders a good grade when I was doing the progress reports for QBs and I immediately noticed traffic coming in from Raiders sites and forums. They liked what I said. They said "Even Chargers fans can see that this has been a great offseason for the Raiders!" I want to answer that by saying I do think that the Raiders have had a better offseason than KC and Denver, in terms of players that were brought in, but that doesn't mean I'm picking them for second in the division. Nor do I think they'll beat the Chargers this year. With that being said, get ready for another good grade for the Raiders....

The Raiders have a three-headed running game. Justin Fargas carries the bulk of the load (because he's the most consistent, in terms of performance and health), Darren McFadden is the big play guy who needs to stay fresh and healthy and Michael Bush is a bruiser who can put away games when Oakland has the lead. All three of those guys were good last season and there was no need to replace them. So the Raiders did the smartest thing you could possibly do for a backfield of young, talented running backs. They signed Lorenzo "get behind me for 1000 yards" Neal to be their starting fullback. Then they started filling holes on their offensive line with good free agent players, like Khalif Barnes.

Are you one of those people that think the signing of Lorenzo Neal doesn't mean that much? Let's look at the RBs that Neal has lead to 1,000 yards seasons:

Adrian Murrell
Warrick Dunn
Eddie George (twice)
Corey Dillion (twice)
LaDainian Tomlinson (five times)

...and the only reason he's had any seasons without a 1,000 yard rusher behind him is because he's played for some teams that split carries (like the Raiders). Coming up on 40 years of age, Neal isn't what he once was but he's certainly good enough to improve the Raiders run-blocking. He'll get the most out of those three talented backs.

Offseason Grade: A. Any time you can sign a future Hall of Famer to be in on every running play, that's going to get you a good grade in my book. With signings like Garcia and Neal, the Raiders are trying to add some greatly-needed veteran leadership to the locker room and in film study. I don't know that it'll turn into more than two or three more wins in 2009 from 2008, but it should help all of their young players in the long run. The Chargers used the same philosophy years ago by bringing in players Neal, Roman Oben, Chris Chambers, Marlon McCree and Randall Godfrey.