SB Nation - Simeon Castille

Obvious Answers: English, Merriman and Adding to the Roster

John (obviousman) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:59:19 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

4 months ago: San Diego Chargers first round draft choice Larry English, left, maneuvers to cover tight end Brandon Manumaleuna during practice at NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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Hey john, hows this arrest gonna play out for mondays game. I dont think anything but godell could come down hard, any thoughts....and, on that note, do you think that seals his fate as a charger for next year? - Jim D.

Luckily, this whole situation has been resolved before Monday's game. However, since it's a Monday night game that doesn't mean Chargers fans won't have to sit through an entire re-telling of the story for the national audience. I'm with Acee on Merriman staying or going. As much as I found Shawne to be a very nice guy and don't think he's caused any major issues up to this point, I can certainly see how he doesn't fit the mold of player that A.J. Smith likes. When you're trying to get signed to a big-money, long-term contract those things become very important. I believe the best case scenario for Chargers fans is Shawne leaves after 2010 (either due to be a RFA or being franchised) instead of after 2009.

Two part question, I've been looking through all the cut down releases to find someone who could challenge for the backup tackle, nickel/dime corner spot. For tackles I see Tony Pashos and Dameion Mcintosh. For corners there's Eric Green, and Corey Ivy. Are any of these guys worth picking up? And the second part is if the chargers pick up someone to shore up their OL or secondary who do you think the first player to get dropped is? - catch22b

Considering the Chargers cut L.J. Shelton, a legitimate veteran backup Tackle, I think they're happy with their offensive line right now. If an injury happens, I think Corey Clark gets brought up from the practice squad before the team goes searching through the scrap heap. However, bringing back Shelton (who has yet to be signed) wouldn't be out of the question either.

Green and Ivy are both decent players, but there's a reason they were cut. They're more expensive than rookies and offer little advantage over the young guys. If the Chargers think they desperately need a 4th CB, Simeon Castille will be the first one that gets the call (since they're already paying him). If one of our top 3 corners gets injured, then the team will start looking at free agent corners and see which one is the most ready to get significant time on the field. Right now, don't concern yourself with it.

Since C.J. Spillman has already said that the team initially cut him, only to bring him back on the 53-man roster, he has to be considered the team's first option to get cut until he proves himself on the field.

What kind of an impact do you expect from Larry English early in the season? Can we expect the pass rush packages with Phillips, Merriman, and English we heard about in training camp, or do you think English has more work to do to get on the field? - Hoot1969

Minimal in terms of numbers, but I expect a huge impact from Larry in the way of keeping Shaun and Shawne healthy and fresh. For the season, I could see 10+ sacks from him, but I also see him gaining steam as the season goes along.

According to everything I've heard, the team hasn't even had time to try their "three-headed monster" package with English, Merriman and Phillips on the field at the same time because they've been trying to get English well-versed in the regular defensive schemes. If I had to guess I'd say look for that three-headed monster package to show up in Pittsburgh a handful of times, and then for 4-8 plays each game afterward if it provides good results. However, the better Kevin Burnett plays the harder it is to take him off the field for one of these pass-rushers.

San Diego Chargers Sign Eight Player to Practice Squad

John (obviousman) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:48:53 -0000

by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

4 months ago: San Diego Chargers linebacker James Holt leaps to tip away a pass during drills at the Chargers' football training camp Tuesday, July 28, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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The San Diego Chargers have announced the eight players they signed to their practice squad after cutting them yesterday. Unfortunately, Charly Martin isn't on the list.

The two big surprise names on this list for me are Latsko and McDonald. With decent depth at each position, and young depth, I didn't see any reason to keep them around. I guess the Chargers have their reasons.

If you look at the Cincinnati Bengals roster, you have to ask yourself, is this team better than 2008?

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:59:11 -0000

Relatively surprised by the lack of overall reaction from other fan sites, I had hoped for an idea of what others thought about the team's 53-man roster. Maybe some expected the look we received Saturday afternoon, thus electing to play off the analysis. Others could be sitting by, waiting for the practice squad announcement, as well as any changes after the Bengals make claims on the waiver wire; as well as possibly signing veterans; not that the practice squad has anything to do with the 53-man roster the Bengals will have heading into the regular season. And then maybe some are simply too disgusted to logically differentiate how the Bengals look this year, compared to last year, that led to a 4-11-1 season.

I've often chalked up last year as a season in which the Karma gods said, "it's your turn" to have a bunch of things happen that you won't recover from -- such as losing the starting quarterback, a disgruntled receiver, over 20 guys on IR (many of whom were starters), aging players where their body's are breaking down, etc. I know. It's an excuse. Excuses don't change the fact the Bengals started last year 0-8 and finished with the worst ranked offense in the league (note: we had a better record than Cleveland, so that's cool). That also doesn't mean the Karma gods won't point at us again in 2009. Perhaps it's our turn again. Carson Palmer goes down, the offensive line continues to struggle and the rushing offense becomes the biggest disappointment after high expectations. The defense has to bail us out, and historically speaking, that's not something we're capable of believing. Then again, if you believe in balance, all the went wrong last year, is righted. Palmer retains his title as the God of Golden Arms, the rebuilt offensive line comes through and Cedric Benson resumes what he did in the final three games last year -- averaging 154 yards from the line of scrimmage per game. Oh, and last year's 12th ranked defense with added personnel, makes a run at the top ten. Hey, anything could happen, right? After all, the Bengals are playing a much weaker schedule than they were in 2008. And in the division, during the past two even numbered seasons, the Baltimore Ravens struggled (6-10 in 2005, 5-11 in 2007) and the season after winning the Super Bowl in 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers missed the playoffs. We can only hope for trends.

Will the Bengals make a run this year? That, like most things in life, is totally unpredictable. And no one predicted that quarterback Carson Palmer would miss 12 games in 2008. However, I believe that the Bengals will be far better this year than 2008. You can see that if you take a position by position look at the roster.

Quarterback - Saying that Palmer is returning assumes he won't get hurt again in 2009. And I won't say that durability issues are starting to become worrisome with our starting quarterback. The fact is, injury forced him to miss 75% of the regular season last year and this year's preseason (though mostly out of caution and additional time for rehabilitation during needless preseason games). The foundation of where the question is more answerable, points towards the team's backup quarterback. If Palmer goes down again, do you believe J.T. O'Sullivan is a better passer than Ryan Fitzpatrick? Some could point to this years preseason and answer yes. O'Sullivan also has a history of being a decent performers in some regular season games. Others will point to the same collection of arguments saying that Fitzpatrick had a good preseason in 2008 and J.T. O'Sullivan also has a history of being a disaster in some regular season games.

Running back - Let me remind you of last year. Chris Perry and Rudi Johnson had decent offseasons which fooled enough people into believing that both would mimic their incredible one-two combination in 2005. Johnson was hurt through the preseason and subsequently released. Perry never recorded more than 75 yards rushing and through six games in which he recorded 10 rushing attempts or more, he averaged three yards or more in only two games.

This is what you have to ask this year, adjusting your mindset into a comparitve analysis of where we were last year: Is Cedric Benson a better option than Chris Perry? Is Bernard Scott a better option than Kenny Watson? Is DeDe Dorsey in 2009 a better option that DeDe Dorsey in 2008? I suppose if he plays more than four games this year, that answer is yes.

Wide Receiver and Tight End . T.J. Houshmandzadeh leaves and Laveranues Coles arrives. This, to me, isn't the argument. Chad Ochocinco is far more motivated to play this year and he looks to play two combined Pro Bowl seasons in 2009. Chris Henry looks like he did his first two seasons where he recorded 15 touchdowns; along with his total life change in which you get the feeling that you can finally trust him. Even if you're asking for a comparison between two wide receivers (Houshmandzadeh and Coles) to see if the position is stronger, I believe looking at Chad and Henry's motivations clearly makes the position stronger alone.

Tight End on the other hand, is different. I do believe the position is weaker. I won't go on what we expect out of Chase Coffman, he's a rookie. We won't know until the season plays itself out. Reggie Kelly and Ben Utecht going down hurts the position, because two rookies are manning the position with Daniel Coats, who benefited greatly after Kelly went on IR because he was fighting for a roster spot with Coffman as the team's third Tight End. Now Coats, having the perfect scenario of two injuries playing out to make a roster spot, is now the team's starter. This will be the second time in two seasons he became the default starter because of injury.

Offensive Line. Not only is this the most critical for the team to improve upon, it's also one of the more dramatically changed compared to the starting lineup last year against the Baltimore Ravens.

	2008	2009 *
LT	Levi Jones	Andre Whitworth
LG	Andrew Whitworth	Nate Livings
C	Eric Ghiaciuc	Kyle Cook
RG	Bobbie Williams	Bobbie Williams
RT	Stacy Andrews	Anthony Collins

* Projected

I believe while we've improved at left tackle, we've dropped at left guard; Livings is replaceable at best. I also believe it's obvious that we've improved at center, while as of right, we're kind of pushing at right tackle. However, I'm too hesitant to actually say if we're improved or worse. Apart of me wants to say we are, because of the changes in perseonnel. However, another part of me just isn't sure.

Defensive End. Oddly enough, this position holds the same personnel this year as it did last year with one exception; Michael Johnson, who did not record a single sack during the preseason. In fact, this group only recorded two sacks in four preseason games; Robert Geathers sacked Tom Brady and Frostee Rucker had a sack, forced fumble and fumble recover.

This is where I believe we improved (albeit only slightly). Antwan Odom entered last year with a bum ankle, having been carted off at the start of Training Camp when he suffered the injury. He missed four games in the season and recorded three sacks on the first year of a well-paid contract. During the offseason, he gained bulk without losing the speed. Geathers looked great in the preseason, aggressively fighting blockers against the run and pass. I believe he's the best overall defensive end on the roster. Fanene has always been solid and can play both end and tackle. The biggest chance that the Bengals took was holding onto Rucker for one more season. It's not that he lacks talent; he just lacks the ability to stay healthy.

Defensive Tackle. John Thornton went into semi-retirement after this year, Jason Shirley converted to an offensive linemen and Michael Myers wasn't re-signed. The Bengals responded by replacing all of them with Tank Johnson. The Bengals will go into the regular season (as of this post) with three defensive tackles, likely using Rucker and Fanene in rotation. Is the position improved, worse or is it a push? I think this has everything to do with Sims, who led the team with three quarterback sacks during the preseason and led all defensive linemen with 13 total tackles. It's with my belief that he, not Tank Johnson, made a convincing argument to start opposite Domata Peko. The question though, is the position stronger than it was last year? I believe it is.

Linebackers. Think of it this way. Brandon Johnson recorded 112 tackles and Rashad Jeanty recorded 97 tackles last year. They ranked second and fourth respectively on the team. And there's a shot that neither will be starters against the Denver Broncos. Keith Rivers will retake his spot as the team's weak-side linebacker and it's evident that the Bengals coaching staff wants to start Rey Maualuga over Jeanty on the strong-side. Having two guys that combined for 209 tackles just shouts to the heavens that the Bengals strongest position, in terms of depth, is linebackers. The team's starting middle linebacker, Dhani Jones, is coming off a season in which he led the team with 165 tackles.

Compared to last year, the Bengals replaced Darryl Blackstock with Maualuga and Mays with Abdul Hodge, who led the Bengals with 18 tackles (13 solo) this preseason. Furthermore, if you watched the way Rivers played this year, he already looks far superior last year. He's quicker, stronger and far more aggressive than he was last year. He has the potential to be a multiple Pro Bowler. It's my belief that the Bengals linebackers is the strongest position on defense.

Secondary. Simeon Castille, Dexter Jackson, Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch and Marvin White all have something in common; all were with the Bengals in 2008 when the season started; none are with the Bengals in 2009. Replacing those five are Geoffrey Pope, Morgan Trent, Chris Crocker, Roy Williams and Tom Nelson. I believe cornerbacks is improved, mostly because Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall look better this year than last. Morgan Trent lacked a solid pedigree with the Michigan Wolverines that makes us conclude we've improved the position with Geoffrey Pope as a filler. The Bengals could even look at upgrading the position from now until the season kicks off on the waiver wire or on free agency.

As for safety, we appear better. The questions are; is Tom Nelson better than Corey Lynch and is Roy Williams better than Marvin White? Chris Crocker is obviously an improvement, considering he could be one of the team's secondary leaders.

Special Teams. Kyle Larson. Kevin Huber. Set. Serve. Match.

The roster as it is, isn't perfect. No roster in the NFL could possibly be perfect. However, that isn't the question. The debate right now is: Is the 2009 Bengals better than the 2008 Bengals?

Poll

Simple poll question. Do you believe that the Bengals roster in 2009 is better than the roster in 2008?

Yes

490 votes

No

40 votes

530 votes | Poll has closed

San Diego Chargers 53-Man Roster Cuts

John (obviousman) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:48:07 -0000

22 players will be cut (or placed on Injured Reserve) from the San Diego Chargers' roster today to get the number of players down to 53. Stay here (and refresh the page every so often) for up-to-the-minute reports on who is in and who is out.

From Kevin Acee: "Michael Bennett on roster. Ian Scott and L.J. Shelton cut".

"Forney gone too. Wow! Bingham to IR"

"Ogemdi Nwagbuo and Brandyn Dombrowski on team. Can't help but be happy about that. Kids worked hard"

"C.J. Spillman on roster; Just three corners"

Players cut thus far:

~~I'll keep this post updated as the rest of the cuts are announced.~~ That's all of them.

Who to Watch in Tomorrow's 49ers @ Chargers Preseason Game

John (obviousman) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:31:33 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

3 months ago: San Diego Chargers running back Michael Bennett scores on a long run against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half of their preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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Tomorrow night's match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the San Diego Chargers is fairly unimportant to the fans. The blackout is not surprising and, unlike the Seattle game, I think a lot of people will simply wait for the replay to rather than trying to (illegally!) stream the game online.

However, there are certain Chargers players that look at tomorrow's game with great importance. Here's a run-down of those guys:

Louis Vasquez - Big Lou has gotten the nod and will start at RG against the 49ers. There's two reasons that this is very important. The first is that it means, even if Forney were to be healthy enough to practice today, Vasquez is practicing with the first-team offensive line. The more he can do that, the more he can learn and build chemistry with Hardwick and Clary. The second reason is that this is the first time he will get to go up against an NFL 3-4 defense. Considering more than 10 of the Bolts' 16 regular season games are against teams that run a 3-4 defense, it's important the he get an idea of what it's like to go up against it. A good performance against SF locks up the starting RG spot for him.
Larry English - He looked good against Atlanta, although he wasn't asked to do anything but pass-rush. I think the Chargers will pull their first-team defense before SF pulls their first-team offense (because they need work), which should result in English getting a good chunk of plays against a real NFL offense after a full week of work. Last week I saw a lot of bull-rushing and going to the outside, I'm curious to see if he has an inside move that he likes. As with many "backup" players that will get time on the field int he regular season, a stand-out performance from him will keep him in Coach Rivera's mind when the gameplan in being drawn-up for Week 1.
Kevin Ellison - I know a lot of people aren't going to agree with this, but I think Ellison could be on the 53-man bubble. With the injuries to the defensive line, and some concern about whether there's room for Michael Bennett (the most logical starter if LT were injured), I have a hard time thinking that the Chargers are okay with keeping 5 safeties. Ellison has shown no ability to cover the pass (0 Interceptions, 0 passes defended) and has lined up inside the box more than outside of it. As a 6th round pick, he was a bit of a gamble, and I think the team no longer sees him as their future starting SS. With roughly the same size as Stephen Cooper, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to try to get him on the practice squad and move him to ILB. He could change my mind if he shows up against SF (he should get plenty of time on the field) and plays the pass well.
Michael Bennett - Honestly, I don't know what else the guy could do. I know it's hard to keep 4 running backs, but I think it's necessary. LT is an injury risk, Gartrell isn't ready (as a runner or a receiver) and Sproles does other things (returns). If LT got injured, either the offense would take a step back with Gartrell taking over or the return game would take a step back because Sproles wouldn't be able to do both. I think Bennett should make the 53 man roster, but word from the team is that he'll most likely be cut. Another big performance from him and the team would look even more foolish for cutting him.
Simeon Castille - Castille is in a good position. He'll get a lot of time against SF because the team wants to see everything he can do. If he plays well, the team probably keeps him. If he doesn't, he'll most likely be cut and the Chargers will scour the rest of the NFL's trash to find a good 4th DB. This is one of those games that could determine an entire career.
Charly Martin - Sorry Charly fans, but "the next Wes Welker" will not be making this team. A team that rarely ever has more than 2 wide receivers on the field has no reason to carry 7 of them. They'll carry just 6 (with Osgood only working as a special teamer). Even if somebody gets injured, I think they'd prefer carrying 5 and using the spot somewhere else. However, Charly will probably see plenty of time on the field in the second half of this game and should consider it a "try-out" for other teams that are not as deep at WR.
Vaughn Martin - He's been just as advertised. A beast at times, but an inconsistent one. Everyone is hoping that more time in the NFL and in the Chargers defense will help him develop more consistency. If he can show enough progress and push people around on Friday night, he'll be a part of the defensive rotation. If he can't do that, he'll be a third-stringer and a project that will be inactive and ride the pine in 2009.
Antwan Applewhite / Jyles Tucker - Are they competing with each other for a roster spot? It's possible. I like Applewhite better because he's cheaper, can do more things (Tucker is basically a pass-rusher only) and plays better on special teams. However, Tucker is almost too expensive to cut. The team would take a cap hit of his contract, so it makes more sense to just get what value they can out of him in 2009. They'll each get playing time tomorrow and the team will definitely be comparing them, even without plans to cut either, to see who should be the 4th OLB.

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.

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.

Strength in numbers; an examination of who the Bengals started the regular season since 2006

Kirkendall — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:05:45 -0000

When the preseason marches towards a welcomed conclusion, discussion and debate takes place on who the team cuts and keeps. Sometimes the topic goes into salary cap causalities; veterans that are cut, like Willie Anderson and Rudi Johnson last year. Other times, the debate talks about players that surprisingly make the roster. As jsl413 broke down, the Bengals depth is strong in some areas, weak in others. Which means the Bengals could strengthen weaken positions by increasing the depth. It's a numbers game.

You see that notably with linebackers. In 2006, Brian Simmons was nearing retirement; his production was falling. David Pollack, while great with potential, was only then starting to adjust from being a defensive end in college to an outside linebacker in the NFL. Rashad Jeanty was a rookie. Landon Johnson was arguably our best linebacker. If you look back to that season, only one linebacker remains (Jeanty) with the Bengals and as far as I can tell, three are still in the NFL (Jeanty, Johnson and Ahmad Brooks). The position didn't improve in 2007 and grew worse when it was decimated by injury. Dhani Jones, an unlikely stability force who would join the team later in the year, became the most productive middle linebacker during Marvin Lewis' tenure. By 2008, the linebackers were on pace to be the most talented group assembled, taking less into the regular season while numerically increasing their numbers at other spots, like running back, defensive tackles -- two spots with limited production. You'll obviously see that again this year, with Jones, Jeanty, Rivers, Brandon Johnson and Rey Maualuga as the depth leaders.

Running backs is another example. In 2006, and even 2007, Rudi Johnson was considered the team's feature back. No competition. Hands down. After all, he set franchise rushing records in 2004 and 2005. However, along with the offensive line's degradation, he started degrading (some will note his inadvisable weight loss regiment, losing all of his strength in 2006) until he was finally cut in 2008. More importantly, the Bengals decided to take two fullbacks because Jeremi Johnson was simply not the force he used to be and the team liked Coats' enough to make room for him. While the talent level dipped, the team decided to strengthen the depth with numbers.

Take note of this. Am I saying that the depth and position is stronger because there's more players? Obviously not. You either have talent or you don't. A combination of average talent still makes that position average. But it is a luxury that most teams have, which largely depends on play-calling philosophy, as well as projecting your opponents philosophies. If you take on more defensive backs in any given year because your passing defense is poor, it allows you additional packages. But it's also dictated by strength. You will note how once the team had Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, they believed the position strong enough to only take four cornerbacks in 2008, as opposed to five in 2007 and 2006. Safeties increased because a long-standing issue of giving up big plays was still unanswered. You can bank on at least six safeties this year.

After the jump, you can see which players the Bengals took after cutdown day and how many players the team took at each position.

First thing we should note are the roster cut deadlines:

DATE	EVENT
September 1st	Roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players
September 5th	Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players

Here's a breakdown on what positions the Bengals after final cutdown heading into the regular season.

Position	2006	2007	2008
Quarterbacks	3	3	3
Running backs (including FB)	4	4 (1)	5 (2)
Wide Receivers	6	6	6
Offensive Linemen	9	8	9
Tight Ends	2	3	2
Total on Offense	24	24	25

Defensive Ends	4	5	4
Defensive Tackles	4	3	5
Linebackers	8	7	6
Cornerbacks	5	5	4
Safeties	5	6	6
Total on Defense	26	26	25

Specialists	3	3	3

After the jump, we chart which players the Bengals kept since 2006.

2006

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Quincy Wilson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Tab Perry, Antonio Chatman, Kelley Washington
O-Line	9	Levi Jones, Eric Steinbach, Rich Braham, Bobbie Williams, Willie Anderson, Andrew Whitworth, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart

DE	4	Justin Smith, Bryan Robinson, Robert Geathers, Frostee Rucker
DT	4	Sam Adams, John Thornton, Domata Peko, Shaun Smith
Linebackers	8	Brian Simmons, Landon Johnson, David Pollack, Rashad Jeanty, Marcus Wilkins, Ahmad Brooks, A.J. Nicholson, Caleb Miller
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Tory James, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, Greg Brooks
Safeties	5	Dexter Jackson, Madieu Williams, Kevin Kaesviharn, Ethan Kilmer, Herana-Daze Jones

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2007

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Clinton Dawson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tab Perry, Glenn Holt, Skyler Green, Antonio Chatman
O-Line	8	Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra, Eric Ghiaciuc, Alex Stepanovich
TE	3	Reggie Kelly, Daniel Coats, Nate Lawrie

DE	5	Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson, Frostee Rucker, Jonathan Fanene
DT	3	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Michael Myers
Linebackers	7	Ahmad Brooks, Rashad Jeanty, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller, Lemar Marshall, Andre Frazier, Anthony Schlegel
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Chinedum Ndukwe, Madieu Williams, Marvin White, Herana-Daze Jones, Ethan Kilmer

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2008

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jordan Palmer
RB / FB	5	Chris Perry, Kenny Watson, DeDe Dorsey, Jeremi Johnson (FB), Daniel Coats (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson
O-Line	9	Stacy Andrews, Levi Jones, Eric Ghiaciuc, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook, Scott Kooistra, Anthony Collins
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht

DE	4	Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Jonathan Fanene, Frostee Rucker
DT	5	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Jason Shirley, Pat Sims, Michael Myers
Linebackers	6	Keith Rivers, Rashad Jeanty, Dhani Jones, Darryl Blackstock, Brandon Johnson, Corey Mays
Corners	4	Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Simeon Castille, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Kyries Hebert, Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch, Chinedum Ndukwe, Marvin White

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Recap: Day 6 - Man Down at Guard

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:24:27 -0000

QB Brady Quinn tried to lead the Browns offense, but he and QB Derek Anderson struggled in drills again.

View full size photo »

The biggest story of Thursday's training camp involves OG Rex Hadnot. As reported earlier, the OBR indicated that Hadnot had blown out his knee. More details have come in to the OBR, now saying that it could be a serious left knee injury. The details of the play it happened on are in the report below.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 6 (8/6/09)

How It Happened: It started out as a normal play, with Hadnot blocking DL Louis Leonard. As he was engaged with Leonard, rookie LB David Veikune rolled on the top of Hadnot's leg. Hadnot remained on the ground for awhile in pain as the team gathered around him, before being carted off. It doesn't look very good right now for Hadnot, who started 15 games for the Browns last year. We didn't project him as a starter this year, but no doubt this could improve the roster odds of C Hank Fraley, and might create an opening for someone like Dustin Fry.
Sunday Scrimmage: Head coach Eric Mangini revealed how the scrimmage will take place at the stadium this Sunday (free admission to all fans). There will be two teams -- the Brown Team and the White Team. They will play four quarters, each lasting ten minutes. Special teams coach Brad Seely will manage one team, while quarterbacks coach Carl Smith will manage the other. Mangini will be focusing on evaluating how things unfold. There will not be full-blown tackling, but the players will be in pads and allowed to make contact. It sounds much cooler than what has taken place the past several years.

RB James Davis dashes by another defender.

It Can't Be Luck, Can It? Once again, rookie RB James Davis made an impact and possibly the play of the day, running for a 55-yard touchdown after cutting against the grain.
The Quarterbacks Hit Bottom: Thanks again to Daniel Wolf of Dawg Scooper, who attended today's practice and provided the statistics for how the quarterbacks did in their drills today. Unfortunately, the results were pretty poor for both men. Here's a sample: in the first 11-on-11 drill, each quarterback was one-of-four with an interception. In an 11-on-11 one-minute drill, Quinn had poor clock management and barely moved the ball, while Anderson threw three incompletions before being sacked. If these two turned in this type of performance this Sunday, the hopes for our offense this year probably wouldn't be too high.
Robiskie Still Down the Chart: The trend seems to be continuing, as WR Braylon Edwards, WR Mike Furrey, and WR Mohamed Massaquoi seemed to be working with the first team. WR Brian Robiskie received doesn't seem like he's demoted or anything, but he's not getting the same level of work as when camp first started. It's hard to say if this is indicative of their performances, or if Mangini is just rotating the reps.

Hey look, it's TE Martin Rucker. Training camp has not provided many clues as to who the starting TE will be.

Punt Fakes in Full Effect: Thanks again to Mr. Wolf for providing some information on punt fakes. S Nick Sorensen caught the punt coverage by surprise when he took the snap and ran for about 10-15 yards. Later in the practice, P Dave Zastudil executed a fake as well. Speaking of Zastudil, CBS Sportline reported that he has been booming the ball well throughout training camp.
Wildcat Formation: The Browns worked on the "Wildcat" formation with Joshua Cribbs, but it sounds like it was much of the same stuff as last year -- Cribbs running or handing the ball off rather than passing.
Focusing on Run Drills: ClevelandBrowns.com reports that the practice involved focusing largely on running drills.
Did Not Practice: FB Charles Ali, CB Don Carey, and WR David Patten did not practice.
New Player Signed: The Browns signed a new defensive back -- Brandon Anderson, undrafted free agent from the University of Akron.
The Vike: Rookie LB David Veikune looked good, beating OT George Foster a few times. That's either good for Veikune or bad for Foster.

Thursday's Link Collection / Camp Sources

Thursday 8/6 Practice Report (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Hadnot Blows Out Knee (Orange and Brown Report, King)
New year, new goals for Williams (Official Team Site, Jackson)
Day 6 Training Camp Notes (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)

Bengals sign fourth-round draft pick Jonathan Luigs; seven down and only four to go

Kirkendall — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:50:44 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

7 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals center Jonathan Luigs runs a drill during football minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium, Friday, May 1, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Browse more photos »

Meticulously, the Bengals are getting their draft picks signed. Less than a week ago, the Bengals fifth-round punter Kevin Huber. On Tuesday, the Bengals reached an agreement with center Jonathan Luigs, writes Geoff Hobson. "Luigs, a former Rimington Trophy winner out of Arkansas, is expected to stick with the club as a backup center and guard."

The deal is likely a four-year deal, which we presume is the minimum base pay ($1.75 million) but a higher signing bonus than what punter Kevin Huber signed. Both Luigs and Huber's deals are still undisclosed.

(UPDATE: Joe Reedy writes that Luigs' deal is around $2.259 million "with a signing bonus of approximately $509,000")

Luigs brings the count of drafted players signed to NFL contracts to seven, with Chase Coffman, Michael Johnson, Rey Maualuga and Andre Smith unsigned -- all players drafted in the first, second and third rounds of the NFL Draft.

You can keep up to date on the draft pick signings here.

As a result of the signing, the Bengals had to cut Simeon Castille. Hobson actually questioned the move, saying that the "move is a slight surprise given that cornerback depth is seen as one of the more pressing problems on defense." After Castille, the Bengals have six cornerbacks on roster -- Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, David Jones, Rico Murray, Morgan Trent and Geoffrey Pope.