1.  Running Backs:

LT:  Don't believe the hype!  LT's drop-off in stats is impossible to attribute to deteriorating skill.  The glory years of the Chargers running game included something extremely important:  blocking.  In 2008, though, the Chargers had some serious changes with their fullback and O-Line.  The release of Lorenzo Neal had to be one of the worst ways to sabotage LT's career.  Especially if the eventual replacement would be Jacob Hester.  Jacob Hester at Fullback?  Not exactly the solution we were hoping for.  The offensive line has been a patchwork off-and-on for the past two years, and never really recovered from the loss and/or declining skill of the old line, which included a once Pro-Bowl caliber Shane Olivea & Mike Goff.  And, obviously, this year has seen a rash of injuries.  But, how this imperative information is lost in the LT discussion is beyond me.  I'm saying this because I am protective of LT's legacy, and obviously because we all love the guy.  But it seems to me that there may be some irresponsible journalism here - a lack of appropriate research and a focus on stats only.  Even today, when ESPN talks about how LT is back, it seems they are missing something.  First off, we are all ecstatic to see LT back in the end zone where he belongs.  And yes, it looks like he's running better.  But, although he has probably made some strides back from injury, it's not that he's running better.  It's just that he has more time and space to run.  It's disappointing that a player of LT's character and accolades is being brushed off as old and ready to be put out to pasture, and not given the professional journalism he deserves.  Moving forward, though, he's essentially lost two good years of what could easily been an extension of his prime.  He'll never get those years back, and we may never know what he could have done.  The media may get their opportunity to say "I told you so."

2.  Fullbacks:

Jacob Hester:  I love this guy and the effort he puts in.  It sounds like works hard and is very sound in technique.  However, he's undersized (5'11", 235 is are very generous numbers) and possibly under-skilled for the NFL.  He was a great college football player and is a great NFL special teams player.  But it was more than a little surprising and risky that the Chargers would trade up for a player (including their 2009 2nd rd pick) who likely would have been available deeper in the draft.  So far, the decision hasn't worked out.

Mike Tolbert:  Is there anything not to like about this guy?  Don't have access to stats, but it would be interesting to see what LT's yards per carry are with him blocking vs. Hester.  One way or another, Tolbert is much more of a prototype Fullback, with surprising agility and great pass-catching ability (something Lorenzo Neal, despite his greatness, did not possess).  In this respect, it's a wonderment that he is not being better utilized.  Didn't they get rid of Andrew Pinnock because, by all accounts, he has done great in preseason, works hard, and is unintimidated.  Is there something I don't know?

3.  Chris Chambers:  Okay, I'm not privy to the actual reasons for his release, and obviously off the field issues played a part.  But I can tell you this, Chris Chambers is also not washed up - as his current success with Kansas City will support.  The Chargers offense is one of the strangest in the NFL, but no one talks about how much.  A more traditional passing game would focus more on slants and short gains, with the periodic deep pass.  Chambers is good at both.  But with the Chargers, an astounding amount of passes are thrown high and deep, designed to take advantage of the size advantage of our receivers.  I'm not saying it's a bad idea, considering they have had great success at it and it's definitely fun to watch.  Chambers may have the speed, but the system was not one for him to succeed in.  It will be interesting to see what the rest of his career looks like.  I'm hoping that I'm right.

4.  Luis Castillo:  An absolutely outstanding individual.  An underachieving player.  I've been asking myself over the last few seasons why I never see him around the ball.  No sacks, no forced fumbles, no tackles in the backfield, and rarely any pressure on the quarterback.  And I say to myself, "self....is this guy producing?".  Before just blasting the guy, I tried to read over every review, blog, and statistical comparison I could find.  You can see some people asking the same question as myself, but many others arguing that his value does not show up in the statistical category, and that he has dealt with some injuries and even some double-teams this year as the rest of the line is in disrepair.  OK, but the guy put up great numbers in 2006, but very little since.  Even the departed Igor Olshansky is having a better year.  I don't know where his supporters are finding Castillo's "value proposition", but I'm having trouble agreeing with them.

5.  Eric Weddle:  Ah, Eric Weddle.  Isn't he Jacob Hester on defense?  Another guy we traded up for due to his overall "football skills".  As much as I hate to say/see it, this guy gets beat up out there, and his inability to hold onto INT's and his struggle with missed tackles are well documented.  Another one of those players I wish I could see be successful, but he's just not making the plays required at his position. 

6.  Roster changes and Draft:

Well, it appears pretty obvious that the last few drafts have been less than average.  Trading away draft picks to move up for Hester and Weddle seemed odd at the time, and has proven to be a bad experiment.

DT:  One of the major reasons for the defense's success over the years (and the key to making a good 3-4 scheme work) was the high-caliber play of Jamaal Williams.  Seems pretty strange that they didn't have a contingency plan for him.  And now with possible retirement looming, the Chargers may have some issues in the playoffs and the offseason.

K:  Obviously, Nate Kaeding is one of the best in the biz.  Unfortunately, the guy has less than 20 touchbacks his entire career, and half of those are against the Broncos in Mile-High.  Luckily, the Special Teams performance has been good of late.  But remember the first half of the season?  When you give opponents a running start at their own 10 yard line, chances are they'll start with above-average field position.  The Chargers wouldn't be the only team to employ a kicker simply for kick-offs. 

RB:  Remember Michael Bennett?  Didn't he have a great pre-season?  Unfortunately, he never got a chance to prove himself in LT's absence, but the guy can still play.  Because of his age, he's not a long-term solution.  But, it might give them a chance to develop a running back instead of throwing one in there. 

7.  Free Agency:  I am interested and hopeful in the signing of Jon Runyan.  This may prove to an important pick-up, but has been the only real move they've made all season - despite losses at DT (Williams), Safety (Hart), O-Line, etc.  Did anyone watch the Saints game last night and the impact Darren Sharper and Mike McKenzie had?  I'm sure the Chargers weren't the only team the only team in the league to pass on these guys, but it would have been wise to take a look at Free Agency as an alternative to signing someone from their practice squad.