SBNation.com User Blog: Richard Wade

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 24, 2013

Richard Wade — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:16:02 -0000

EX-BRONCO ADMITS TRYING TO HURT EX-CHARGER OLSHANSKY IN ’06 - UTSanDiego.com (paywall)
While meeting with the media to talk about his election into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame, former Denver center Tom Nalen acknowledged trying to injure Chargers defensive lineman Igor Olshansky in a game in Denver in 2006.

Chargers' Max Starks looks to compete - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
A 10th-year veteran who signed a one-year deal this week, Starks is projected to be the Chargers' starter come the Sept. 9 season opener against the Texans. Nothing is predetermined to Starks, he said recently, as he braces for a competition.

Eight in the Box: RB status check - Matt Williamson
Ryan Mathews is right there with McFadden as the most maddening and untrustworthy running backs in the NFL. But once again, it looks like Mathews will be getting an opportunity to be San Diego’s foundation back. And there is no questioning his ability, which ranks among the best in the league.

Meet the 2013 Charger Girls - Chargers.com
Check out action shots of this year's Charger Girls squad from their audition. - Photos by Mike Nowak

New Tackles, New Guards, New Backs.. Zone Blocking? - Peter Thompson
When we hired Joe D’Alessandris away from the Buffalo Bills, most people were predicting that The San Diego Chargers would be moving to a "zone blocking scheme". As we all know, this scheme focuses on having a smaller, more athletic offensive line. With the first pick of the draft, Tom Telesco drafted "Mount Fluker" to hold down the right side of the line.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 23, 2013

Richard Wade — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:33:49 -0000

Bolts Get Boost with Return of Vincent Brown - Ricky Henne
"It’s a blessing just to be running around again," he said. "I feel like a 10-year old kid running around, just happy to be out there. It’s been fun and I’m working to get back to where I was before. It’s been a tough battle trying to get it strong. I’d have a bunch of steps forward, then some back. But the point where it is now, I’m able to cut on it and run full speed. "

Roots of coaching trees run deep - Greg Garber
Long before it was the fashion, Sid Gillman loved the long ball. His San Diego Chargers offense featured all kinds of dizzying, deceptive motion, multiple wide receivers and a versatile tight end.

Dwight Freeney deal creates more questions than answers for Chargers - Chris Burke
But here’s the rub: Not only do the Chargers have to show they can adjust their defense to get Freeney in his preferred 4-3 set, they also still have numerous holes elsewhere on the roster.

A Tebow and Te'o view from Denver - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
Klis writes that his big point is this one: "If Te’o doesn’t talk, then the media doing a story on Te’o has little choice but to ask his teammates and coaches about Te’o. That ain’t good. That causes some resentment among players. Te’o needs love; not resentment."

No doubting that Thomas is a key to the Chargers' defense - Jay Paris (paywall)
Thomas enters his fourth year but first as a starter. With Aubrayo Franklin and Antonio Garay spit out the Chargers Park revolving door, the defense's key position falls to Thomas. Having Freeney is fabulous. Te'o could be terrific. But in a 3-4, if your nose tackle stinks, so does the unit.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 22, 2013

Richard Wade — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:19:44 -0000

Exclusive Interview with Max Starks - Ricky Henne
There was a great opportunity in San Diego to come in and compete for a starting job. When you look at the tools that they have on offense, I have experience with Philip Rivers from the Senior Bowl. I blocked for him when we were coming out of college. And I have friendships on the team prior to that. So at least I’m not going into a situation not knowing anybody. And I just felt really comfortable with the coaching staff and what their plan was.

The Sports Page with Acee & Annie… Bolts vs. Pads - LobShots
Last night I went into the U-T TV studios with John from Bolts from the Blue and Rick from RJ’s Fro. John was the photographer for that lovely photo of me up top. If you look closely, you can see Annie’s lipstick on the straw. Yes, I recognize that if I took the time to buy that stupid hat, I should’ve gone to In-N-Out too…and put on a chain, and a black t-shirt, and grown a beard… I suck.

Early observations of Manti Te'o - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
In the three Chargers practices I've watched, Manti Te'o moved with good balance. Rushing forward, he's faster than he appeared on film. He tended to stay low while rocketing to the ballcarrier. In pass coverage, he's smooth in angling toward the sideline but not especially fluid in retreat. He's enthusiastic. I saw him sniff out some running plays, but take poor angles on others.

Credit Tom Telesco for plugging away - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
Even if he's no longer Mad Max, mover of men, Starks is a three-time Super Bowl starter who last year was Pittsburgh's most durable blocker. Last month I explained why the younger, steadier Starks, 31, is the better choice than Bryant McKinnie, who chose the Ravens over the Chargers.

Following the free-agent dollars - John Clayton
Knowing that, you can see why John Abraham is having a hard time getting $4 million a year this late. It took Melvin Ingram's knee injury, which create an unexpected need in San Diego, for Freeney to avoid being in the same boat.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 21, 2013

Richard Wade — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:52:07 -0000

Te'o not Charger who needs protection - Matt Calkins (paywall)
It is completely understandable that Chargers coach Mike McCoy would want to shield his celebrity of a linebacker from prying media members, and if the request came from Te’o, one can empathize with that as well. But this story isn’t like a headache or a bruise that will go away if you just leave it alone. It’s more like an anxiety disorder – the only way to kill it is with exposure.

Chargers Sound Off on Addition of Dwight Freeney - Ricky Henne
"It’s awesome to have him," said Philip Rivers, who knows firsthand how disruptive Freeney can be. "I’ve competed against the guy numerous times and I’ve followed his career. He has almost 108 sacks, so it will be a great addition for us. He’s a veteran and a game changer as far as the types of plays he makes."

Can Andy Dalton shed the 'average QB' label? - Mike Tanier
We are at 12 quarterbacks, into the zone of the average starter. List some names: Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Matt Schaub, Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman, Phillip Rivers, Carson Palmer, Ryan Tannehill, Christian Ponder and, of course, Andy Dalton.

Washington Post Four-Part Series on NFL Injuries via FootballOutiders.com
The Washington Post has an excellent four-part series that ran yesterday and today about medical issues in the NFL. Some of the graphics use detail from the FO injury database.

Rookie San Diego Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen criticized for wearing Raiders hat in photo - 10News.com
In what many sports bloggers are calling a 'rookie' mistake, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen inadvertently set off a social media firestorm over the weekend after posting a photo of himself donning a Raiders hat.

San Diego Chargers WR Keenan Allen wears a Raiders hat

Richard Wade — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:23:22 -0000

Rookie wide receiver Keenan Allen, a 3rd round pick out of Cal, has decided to make himself part of the news cycle. Actually, I'm quite sure that wasn't his plan at all. The young man posted a Vine video of himself enjoying some In-N-Out Burger while wearing an Oakland Raiders baseball cap. Somehow he didn't realize that was a no-no now that he plays for the San Diego Chargers. In what will come as a surprise to nobody, Allen caught hell from the Chargers fans on Twitter and issued an apology:

I get it fans!!!! Won't happen again!
— Keenan Allen (@KAAdeuce1) May 18, 2013

This is where reasonable people will let this non-story die and move on with our lives. Since many of you are not reasonable people and thus won't have come up with that idea on your own, allow me to suggest that you please let this non-story die and move on with your lives. I've seen you guys call for Allen to be cut, traded, benched and fined over wearing a hat. Keenan Allen, the steal of the draft, should be shipped off before he ever plays a snap (or be kept but prevented from playing) because he wore a Raiders hat. That's brilliant, you guys. Seriously, if you ever have another thought that brilliant, keep it to yourself. I don't even know what to say to you idiots that were hoping he gets hurt. You're sick people and you should seek professional help.

This will all blow over shortly if you let it and that can't happen soon enough. Nothing to see here, folks*. Move along. Okay, that might be wishful thinking on my part as this was a topic on NFL Network this morning, but that's just the NFL in May for you.

*Except a bunch of Chargers fans making asses of themselves.

(H/T to @LobShots who covered this story brilliantly over the weekend)

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 20, 2013

Richard Wade — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:05:05 -0000

Word of Muth: Lane Johnson and D.J. Fluker - Ben Muth
If you line someone up right across from D.J. Fluker’s face in a five-technique, that end is going to have one really long game. The big offensive tackle is dominant when he can reach out and maul guys right at the line of scrimmage. He’s quick out of his stance, and he’s good at extending his long arms into the defender's frame before they are really out of their stance. I thought Fluker’s game against LSU was as good as you’ll see a college tackle play.

Neil's NFL Daily: May 20, 2013 - Neil Hornsby
As requested, here is the full list of "QB Responsible Sacks" which includes the playoffs (minimum 300+ drop-backs), and to add additional value I’ve also included the number of hits and pressures which we have logged as being down to that player too.

Manti Te’o Appears at Maxim Hot 100 Party to Honor Fake Girlfriend Lennay Kekua (Photo) - NESN.com
The new Chargers linebacker showed up at the Maxim Hot 100 party to honor his fake girlfriend Lennay Kekua, who was No. 69 on the annual list. It’s assumed that Te’o showed up as a joke, but you can’t rule out that Te’o might have thought Kekua would actually show up.

Chargers solve problem with Freeney - Bill Williamson
Pushed into a corner, rookie San Diego general manager Tom Telesco responded with his highest-profile acquisition of the offseason by signing pass-rusher Dwight Freeney on Saturday. Freeney agreed to a two-year contract, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder. Telesco was in Indianapolis' front office when Freeney played for the Colts from 2002 to 2012.

The San Diego Chargers should switch defensive schemes - Kyle Posey
Mike McCoy said the defensive scheme will accommodate Dwight Freeney if he's signed. I'll tell you why the 4-3 Under is the best fit, and break down each member on the Chargers roster and explain their role in the new look defense.

San Diego Chargers sign OLB/DE Dwight Freeney

Richard Wade — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:53 -0000

The San Diego Chargers have signed the probable future Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney to a two-year deal. According to Mike Florio, the deal is for $8.75 million. The 33-year-old, seven-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts and the vast majority of his success has come as a defensive in a 43 alignment. He struggled at times last year as an outside linebacker in a 34, but he was also battling through a high ankle sprain in addition to the position change.

The Chargers defense primarily works out of a 34, but they give plenty of 43 looks and will likely do so more now that they have acquired arguably the top pass rusher left on the free agent market who just so happens to excel from a three point stance.

This signing was necessitated (inasmuch as it was necessary) by the injury earlier this week suffered by Melvin Ingram. Tom Telesco moved and moved quickly to plug that hole, first by signing Thomas Keiser and now Dwight Freeney.

Some fans will ask, "but how does he fit?" John Pagano will fit the defense to Freeney because Freeney is his only proven pass rusher and few things are as important as generating a pass rush.

Perhaps as important as the signing is the fact that it will almost certainly (depending on how the deal is structured) not leave enough cap room for the Chargers to sign a left tackle to compete with King Dunlap unless they restructure other deals.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 17, 2013

Richard Wade — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:38:57 -0000

Chargers Sign Former Panthers Linebacker Thomas Keiser - Ricky Henne
The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder played the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, totaling 17 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one interception in 12 games. His 2012 campaign was cut short when he went on injured reserve with a left elbow injury on November 14, forcing him to miss the remainder of the year.

Mormon NFL safety Eric Weddle: Balancing football and faith - Trent Toone
Less than six hours before kickoff between the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, some players slept in while others ate breakfast and watched ESPN "SportsCenter." At least one player left the team hotel to drive home and change into a white shirt and tie.

Chargers move forward without Ingram - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
"I was praying that wasn't what it was when I saw him grab his knee," outside linebacker Larry English said. "It looked like a textbook ACL situation."

Manti Te'o, San Diego Chargers look to be a perfect match - Bucky Brooks
Scanning the 2013 NFL Draft class for the defensive player best positioned to make a significant impact as a rookie, I settled on San Diego Chargers linebacker Manti Te'o.

San Diego Pass Rushers, Minus Melvin Ingram - James Fedewa
Next man up; former first round draft pick Larry English is now a full time starter. English is currently San Diego’s primary and premier pass rusher, which does not exactly strike fear into most opposing left tackles and quarterbacks.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 16, 2013

Richard Wade — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:11:36 -0000

Manti Te'o's NFL life in earnest begins today in San Diego - Peter King
San Diego coach Mike McCoy told me Sunday, after the rookie minicamp, that the staff expects Te'o to be an every-down linebacker. He said Te'o will take his place as the starting Mike linebacker -- the strongside 'backer in San Diego's 3-4 defense, alongside veteran Donald Butler -- in team drills when OTAs begin. "Our plan is for him to play three downs, and when we scouted him, we believed that's what he'd be,'' McCoy said. "But he'll have to earn that, obviously. We're going to play the best guys, and if he's the best guy on all three downs, he'll be in there.''

With Melvin Ingram Out, Larry English Steps In - Ricky Henne
"Thank God Larry’s here," said Jarret Johnson, explaining the first thought that went into his head after learning the significance of Ingram’s injury. "The guy’s got experience and a ton of talent. He had a rough go with injuries early in his career which has kept him back, but the dude can outright play. If we didn’t have a veteran, high caliber player like Larry we’d really be hurting.

Neil's NFL Daily: May 15, 2013 - Neil Hornsby
Last year the Chargers first-round rookie was acclimated to the NFL in the role of a sub-package pass rusher. Only 18% of his plays came when the offense had less than three wide receivers on the field, with a large proportion of these coming in the single game he started. Neither was he asked to drop into coverage very often — his 13 % of pass drops putting him among the Top 5 guys most likely to rush from OLB.

Chargers Make Changes to Football Operations - Chargers.com
The San Diego Chargers announced today several changes within their Football Operations department. College scout Ed Langsdorf announced his retirement and the Chargers hired former Cleveland Browns area scout Donovan Beidelschies (pronounced buy-del-CHEESE) as a college scout.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 15, 2013

Richard Wade — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:42:51 -0000

Chargers Mourn Loss of the Great Chuck Muncie - Ricky Henne
“It’s a sad day,” said the former guard. “He was a fantastic individual. A great football player. The thing with Chuck was he was always a great prankster, but he was a great human being. He was just a fantastic person and a great, great teammate. He’ll be sorely missed

Ex-Charger Chuck Muncie dies at 60 - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
Chuck Muncie, a three-time Pro Bowl running back who set an NFL touchdown record with the Chargers, has died of heart attack at age 60, the Saints announced on Tuesday.

Torn ACL feared for Melvin Ingram - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
Outside linebacker Melvin Ingram injured his knee during the second day of organized team activities. A torn ACL is feared a "possibility," a source said, and the 2012 first-round pick is scheduled to receive further opinions.

Four Downs: AFC West - Mike Ridley
Kwame Geathers (Georgia) and Brandon Moore (Texas) are sure to help a defensive line that lost two of its three starters during the offseason. The former is a massive man who can handle the nose in the Chargers 3-4, while the latter could be a player at the five-technique. Jamarkus McFarland from Oklahoma also has the raw skills to also contribute along the front three.

Tom Telesco, Mike McCoy primed to revive San Diego Chargers - Adam Schein
In every possible way, Tom Telesco was the right guy at the right time. I love this move. When the Atlanta Falcons needed a major clean-up, Arthur Blank astutely unearthed Thomas Dimitroff, who had spent the previous six years in the player personnel department of the New England Patriots. Yes, Blank found the next great general manager by mining one of the league's elite teams. This is exactly what the Spanos family did with Telesco, snatching him from the Indianapolis Colts after 15 years of first-class service.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 14, 2013

Richard Wade — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:38:25 -0000

Marcus Gilchrist Embraces Switch to Safety - Ricky Henne
"I’ve always played safety from high school to college," he said after practice. "It was one of those things where I was working at all the positions. Nothing was set in stone. I just worked at all positions so I’m very comfortable playing safety."

McCoy has lofty goal for Rivers - Bill Williamson
It seems McCoy not only thinks he can fix Rivers, who has struggled some in the past two years, but he thinks he can make Rivers the most accurate quarterback he has ever been.

Clary Learning New Role at Right Guard - Ricky Henne
With theChargers investing the number 11 overall pick in this year’s draft to take D.J. Fluker, the rookie out of Alabama has immediately been thrust into the starting right tackle role. As a result, Clary has been moved inside to a new position he’s never played before. Nonetheless, he is excited by the challenge, although admits there are significant differences.

Why does the NFL make for such bad media? - Spencer Hall
There are islands of competence and even charm out there. And obviously, if you're reading this, you're not included in that criticism. (You are clearly brilliant, beyond reproach, and already reading the right things, you sexy devil, you.) The NFL Network does a decent enough job of sounding human-esque, but even that may be the most damning criticism of all: the NFL's official network, owned and operated by the league, feels greater independence and exhibits greater candor than those covering it.

Tempo in the NFL - Chase Stuart
It’s no surprise to see Seattle and San Francisco at the bottom of the table in seconds per play. Both teams had run-heavy offenses last year, were often playing with the lead, and had high-completion percentages when they did pass. Seeing the Chargers at #30 is a bit surprising, however. While San Diego was playing with the lead more often than you might expect, it sure felt like Philip Rivers and the offense was simply going through the motions. New head coach in Mike McCoy might instill a greater sense of urgency in the Chargers in 2013.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 13, 2013

Richard Wade — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:31:25 -0000

Keenan Allen all smiles about knee - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
The Chargers wide receiver ran every drill in a morning practice at rookie minicamp, and he reported no worse for the wear. The participation comes after suffering a torn posterior cruciate ligament in October.

Video: Expectations for Manti Te'o - ESPN.com staff
Shelley Smith details what the Chargers are expecting from Manti Te'o in his rookie season.

Telesco steering Chargers in right direction - Bill Williamson
Telesco wasn’t considered a sure bet to be hired to pump life into a stale franchise after the 10-year A.J. Smith era. But Telesco took control of his future and essentially stole the job.

D.J. Fluker last unsigned Chargers pick - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
A money amount isn't the holdup on Fluker's four-deal, which carries an option for a fifth. It's the offset language, a source familiar with the negotiations said Saturday. Offset language determines what becomes of a player's guaranteed money if he is released during the life of a deal and signed by another team.

Broken Tackles 2012: Defense - Aaron Schatz
First, let's once again define broken tackles for those who didn't read last week's article. Broken tackles are a stat from game charting, not from the standard play-by-play. We define a "broken tackle" as one of two events: either the ballcarrier escapes from the grasp of the defender, or the defender is in good position for a tackle but the ballcarrier jukes him out of his shoes.

Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend makes Maxim Hot 100 List

Richard Wade — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:05:02 -0000

Coming in at #69 on the Maxim Hot 100 List is further proof that the ridiculous Catfish hoax perpetrated against (by?) Manti Te'o is still a story nationally. The local San Diego media might not be able to talk to Manti alone and they are generally willing to let the story die a nice, quiet death, but that's the San Diego media. Maxim, for those not familiar, is a men's magazine known for its non-nude pictorials of various semi-famous to famous attractive women. They are not in the business of writing about sports and thus their shot at Te'o is somewhat more remarkable, though still not particularly clever or funny. The "bio" for the fake girlfriend reads:

After Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend hoax of 2012, we think it might be nice to have an invisible girl of our own to love. Why not? She's got a ton of great qualities, including looking awesome in a bikini.

Rating women that don't exist is probably slightly more credible than their rating albums they haven't listened to, at least. The point, Chargers fans, is that this isn't going away. I hope you're ready to hear about this over and over again for a very long time.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 10, 2013

Richard Wade — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:37:10 -0000

JoJo Wooden Ready to Get to Work - Ricky Henne
"Today was all about getting situated," he said. "I was setting the office up the way I had in New York, which I was comfortable with. I met a bunch of new faces; people I’ll be dealing a lot with so I could get used to. It was a long flight out this morning. I spent six hours this morning, but I feel good right now and I’m ready to come back at it tomorrow."

Chargers, Te'o don't waste time - Bill Williamson
When Te'o steps on the practice field Friday for the Chargers’ minicamp, he will do it as a signed member of the team. The middle linebacker from Note Dame was one of four San Diego draft picks to sign with the club Thursday night. Joining Te’o on the dotted line were receiver Keenan Allen, defensive lineman Tourek Williams and quarterback Brad Sorensen.

Antonio Gates Named to NFL's Top 100 List - Ricky Henne
On tonight’s edition of the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2012, Gates was voted the 73rd best player by his peers. In his 10th season in the NFL, Gates caught 49 balls for 538 yards and seven touchdowns. He also set the franchise record for career touchdown receptions in a Week 16 win over the Jets with a 34-yard catch and run. Gates finished the year on a high note, recording a touchdown in each of the team’s last three games.

Did Telesco play it too safe? - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
"If there was a takeaway from (Tom) Telesco's first draft, it's that he doesn't necessarily swing for the fences," writes NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal.

Chargers' Devan Walker raised to work - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
Walker has never seen his mother hold fewer than two jobs. At times, to support him and older brother Wilson, she worked as many as four, a range of occupations that include manager of eight internal medicine physicians to gas station janitor.

Maxim Just Trolled The Sh*t Out Of Manti Te'o By Adding His Fake Girlfriend To Their "Hot 100" List
Manti Te’o may never live his real-life Catfish situation down. Maxim have made sure of that. The men’s magazine released their annual “Hot 100″ list today, where they rank the, well, the hottest women. Coming in at #69 – and beating out internet favorites like Aubrey Plaza and Kat Dennings – was Manti Te’o's fake, non-existent girlfriend. No chill for the folks at Maxim.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 9, 2013

Richard Wade — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:21:48 -0000

Magic Mike McCoy Found His Left Tackle… - Brady Phelps
I got jokes for days and days and shutup.

Rookie Mini Camp Cheat Sheet - Ricky Henne
There are 33 players currently scheduled to report to Chargers Park on Thursday for the beginning of the team’s rookie mini camp. The first year players will get their initial taste of life in the NFL and get acclimated to Head Coach Mike McCoy’s system. We will have extensive coverage of the mini camp, so here is a cheat sheet of the full 2013 rookie roster in order to familiarize yourself with those in attendance.

Mandatory Monday: Draft Farewell - Mike Tanier
That strange feeling Jets fans experienced for about 48 hours last week was optimism about their team's quarterback situation. From the moment that the Jets released Tim Tebow until the moment Geno Smith fired his agent, the Jets truly looked as if they were going to leave unnecessary controversies in the past. It was disorienting, but now it is over.

Facing Eight in the Box - Khaled Elsayed
On Tuesday, the PFF twitter feed was inundated with messages telling us that the Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles (who had himself a very good year) constantly faced eight men in the box. Now I’ll be honest in that I watched a fair few Chiefs games and did differing types of analysis on them, but it didn’t strike me as right that Charles faced any more than the league average.

2013 NFL Draft Fallout: San Diego Chargers - Gregg Rosenthal
Even with Fluker, San Diego's offensive line could be among the worst in the league. Telesco should be given time to turn this team around because there's just not a lot of top-tier talent.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 8, 2013

Richard Wade — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:44:23 -0000

What does King Dunlap offer Chargers? - Bill Williamson
"It’s not a good situation," ESPN's Matt Williamson said. "I would say it is the worst left tackle situation in the NFL ... I would go with Dunlap of those terrible options." Williamson said Dunlap did not play too poorly last year, but he also thinks Dunlap is best suited for right tackle. That is not an option in San Diego with the team taking D.J. Fluker with the No. 11 overall pick.

Front-office additions are predictable - Bill Williamson
Both the Chiefs and the Chargers hired new general manager this year. Thus, these moves were expected. New regimes bring in their own people to fill out their front-office staffs. Expect to hear about other scouting moves in both Kansas City and in San Diego in the coming weeks. Often, these moves happen shortly after the draft.

San Diego Chargers: Is Mike Hermann the Next Tim Tebow? - Jerome Watson
Jerome likes what Mike Hermann brings to the table as a running QB and wants to see him mixed in as part of the 2013 San Diego Chargers offense. Is he crazy or might Charlie Whitehurst's job be in jeopardy?

Chargers, Courtney Gardner part ways - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
San Diego and Courtney Gardner have agreed to part ways while Gardner handles some personal matters, sources said this week. Gardner is a former Sierra College wide receiver whose physical talent the team is known to be high on, hosting him for a pre-draft April visit at Chargers Park before reaching a deal on April 27.

NFL Insider: the draft-day zero for RBs - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
In the recent NFL draft, not a single back went in the first round. Last time that happened, 50 years ago, Roger Goodell was hugging stuffed animals, not grown men.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 7, 2013

Richard Wade — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:24:06 -0000

We must trust Chargers GM sees future - Kevin Acee (paywall)
Do they think Dunlap, their new blocking tight ends and Danny Woodhead can be good enough for one season before they truly address their left tackle need in 2014?

Report: Chargers haven’t reached out to Max Starks - Josh Alper
There aren’t many other veteran options on the market at this point in the offseason and none are better than former Steeler Max Starks, but the team doesn’t appear to be moving in that direction after missing out on McKinnie.

JoJo Wooden Hired as Director of Player Personnel - Ricky Henne
He originally joined the Jets in 1997 and served previously as a pro personnel assistant (1997-98), pro scout (1999-00), senior pro scout/AFC (2001-02), assistant director of pro scouting (2003) and director of pro scouting (2004-06).

Chargers Small School Stand Outs - Jordan Beane
Though he didn’t begin his NFL career with the Chargers, strong safety Clinton Hart had his best years with San Diego. Hart broke into the league with the Eagles in 2003 and was signed off of waivers by the Chargers in 2004. The former Patriot (CFCC Patriot, not New England Patriot) played parts of six seasons with the Chargers and had his best season in 2007, intercepting five passes and registering 85 combined tackles.

You should be relieved that the Chargers didn't sign Bryant McKinnie - Jerome Watson
Bryant McKinnie would have been Jared Gaither 2.0 and Chargers fans should be happy he's not coming to San Diego.

Chargers finally replace Jimmy Raye with Jets' JoJo Wooden

Richard Wade — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:17:24 -0000

The Assistant Director of Player Development for the New York Jets over the last 15 years JoJo Wooden is coming to San Diego. He will replace Jimmy Raye III who left for the Indianapolis Colts after losing out to Tom Telesco for the San Diego Chargers General Manager position.

Wooden was contracted through the 2013-14 season with the Jets, but this move is a promotion. The timing of the move is consistent with past years as front offices often undergo change following the NFL Draft.

According to Gang Green Nation, Wooden "had a large role in scouting opposing teams and players for upcoming games and unrestricted free agency" as well as a hand in scouting for the NFL Draft.

This looks like a quality addition to the Chargers front office as the Jets have been quite good at identifying talent over the last decade and many of their current problems stem from poor handling of the salary cap rather than mistaking bad players for good ones. Tom Telesco continues to make moves that should build confidence in the fan base.

Also coming to the Chargers from the Jets is area scout Kevin Kelly. According to the NY Daily News, Kelly was responsible for the Mid-West region of the country.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 6, 2013

Richard Wade — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:33:57 -0000

Ranking the AFC West UFAs - Bill Williamson
At 6-foot-5 and 342 pounds, Geathers is a mountain of a man with the size and lower-body strength to hold his ground against double teams and clog up the middle when he keeps his pads down. However, he struggles to stay low, and doesn’t offer much as a pass-rusher, either.

PFF’s Top 101 of 2012: 20 to 11 - Khaled Elsayed
Weddle just keeps getting better, and while the Chargers can’t be happy with their year, they’ve got to be impressed with the consistency of their star defensive player. Our top-ranked safety graded positively in every area, showing himself capable of manning the deep middle of the field and coming up to support in the run game. The premier player in the league at his position.

Marcus Gilchrist open to safety switch - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
"Wherever I can help the team," he said in a phone interview. "If that means playing corner and helping the team, then that's where I'll be. If it means safety, that's where I'll be. Wherever the coaches feel I can help the team best."

Donald Butler not giddy about Te'o, yet - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
"I think a lot of people are jumping to conclusions," Butler said this week. "He has to come in and prove himself as a starter. Obviously, it would be nice — that's why you draft someone in the second round. We don't know how he's going to be in the NFL. I hope he comes in and he's a superstar. Hopefully we can create something that will carry us for the next four, five, six years.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 3, 2013

Richard Wade — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:57:02 -0000

Filling out draft report cards for each NFL team - Mike Tanier
Final Assessment: Remediation. General manager Tom Telesco has been fast-tracked into his position, and his inexperience may have been a factor when an early-draft run on premiere linemen left him to rummage at a position of critical need. The Chargers may find themselves in two years with a right tackle who cannot handle speed rushers, a linebacker who cannot cover running backs and a wide receiver who cannot get open 10 yards downfield.

Mistakes at top of NFL draft - Andy Benoit (Insider)
By all accounts, Eric Fisher is going to be a fine NFL player. Maybe even a great one. Scouts agree that he's a sound, steady, athletic technician with upside -- perhaps an even better prospect than offensive tackles Jake Long and Joe Thomas were coming out of college. The problem is Fisher plays a position that, in terms of importance, is in serious decline. But few seem to notice.

Junior Seau Through the Years - UTSanDiego.com (paywall)
San Diego lost Junior Seau in May 2012, but his presence in this city remains. The All-Pro smile, the contagious laughter – stories about him are rarely accompanied by frowns. But it wasn’t always a pleasure to be in Seau’s company. In fact, if you happened to be on a football field wearing a different-color jersey than his, it was downright terrifying. A 12-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Fame lock, the linebacker hit with freight-train power and flew at you with Concorde speed.

Alabama gave Te'o an NFL taste - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
Against Alabama four months ago, Te'o encountered NFL-level talent. NFL teams drafted two Bama blockers in the top 11. Center Barrett Jones went in the fifth round. Left tackle Cyrus Kouandijo, a sophomore, is a first-round candidate for 2014.

Junior Seau's Passing: One Year Later - Ricky Henne
Seau was clearly not only one of the greatest Chargers on the field, but he was the soul of San Diego. His impact still resonates throughout the entire city.

AirAware - Randall Munroe
It ships with a version of Google Now that alerts you when it's too late to leave for your appointments.

San Diego Chargers Daily Links: May 2, 2013

Richard Wade — Thu, 02 May 2013 02:50:38 -0000

Telesco's Conference Call with Season Ticket Holders - Ricky Henne
Telesco described first round draft choice D.J. Fluker as "tough and nasty," saying that he would bring a physicality back to the offensive line that fans came to expect during the days of Kris Dielman.

From the bargain bin: The best undrafted players of 2013 - Doug Farrar
Kwame Geathers, DT, Georgia: Father, uncle, and brother played, or currently play, in the NFL. Massive run-stuffer with surprisingly quick feet and a certain level of burst off the snap. Dropped because he's got a lot of technique work to do -- he loses power a lot on leverage, doesn't show a lot of effective hand movement, and disappears for long stretches of time. Rotational guy at the NFL level.

San Diego newspaper welcomes Manti Te’o with, yep, a fake-girlfriend joke - Jay Busbee
Still, Te'o is saying the right things. About the whole phantom-girl fiasco, "it's definitely made me stronger," he told chargers.com. "Dealing with adversity, it can hurt you or make you stronger, and it definitely made me stronger. That's how I feel right now."

Recapping the Draft: Brad Sorensen - Ricky Henne
In the final part of our Bolts Breakdown special, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Spanos explained what went into the decision to select the quarterback. Watch the video below.

Recapping the Draft: Tourek Williams - Ricky Henne
Immediately following the pick, General Manager Tom Telesco spoke with Nicoletta Ruhl about the decision to draft him. Watch it below.

Recapping the Draft: Steve Williams - Ricky Henne
Immediately following the pick, General Manager Tom Telesco spoke with Nicoletta Ruhl about the cornerback. Hear what he had to say below.

Bill Polian likes Manti Te'o fit in San Diego - Bill Williamson
Te’o said he thinks the San Diego-Te’o pairing is a good fit in all aspects. Most importantly, he thinks the team will put Te’o in the right spot scheme-wise to succeed. The Chargers plan on using Te’o as a weakside inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Polian said Te’o’s weakness heading into the NFL is taking on blocks. In his position he will not have to take on huge guards.

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Flyweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:22:35 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Demetrious Johnson	200	UFC	1
2	Joseph Benavidez	192	UFC	2
3	John Dodson	179	UFC	3
4	Ian McCall	176	UFC	4
5	John Moraga	164	UFC	5
6	Jussier da Silva	151	UFC	6
7	John Lineker	132	UFC	7
8	Darrell Montague	129	Vale Tudo Japan	7
9	Louis Gaudinot	120	UFC	9
10	Chris Cariaso	101	UFC	10
11	Darren Uyenoyama	83	UFC	11
12	Tim Elliott	81	UFC	12
13	Joshua Sampo	71	Championship Fighting Alliance	13
14	Will Campuzano	62	Legacy Promotions	15
15	Alexis Vila	57	Championship Fighting Alliance	16
16	Antonio Banuelos	51	Legacy Promotions	17
17	Yasuhiro Urushitani	49	OneFC	14
18	Sean Santella	48	Cage Fury FC	19
19	Tatsumitsu Wada	45	DEEP	NR
20	Rafael de Freitas	44	Legacy Promotions	NR
21	Atsushi Yamamoto	42	Pancrase	18
21	Shinichi Kojima	42	OneFC	21
23	Phil Harris	41	UFC	22
24	Sergio Pettis	37	Resurecction Fight Alliance	NR
24	Mamoru Yamaguchi	37	Vale Tudo Japan	20

Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Meta-Rankings.

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Bantamweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:22:34 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Renan Barao	199	UFC	1
2	Urijah Faber	190	UFC	2
3	Eddie Wineland	173	UFC	3
4	Michael McDonald	170	UFC	3
5	Brad Pickett	149	UFC	6
6	Bibiano Fernandes	148	OneFC	5
7	Raphael Assuncao	132	UFC	8
8	Scott Jorgensen	115	UFC	11
9	Eduardo Dantas	113	Bellator	9
10	Marlon Moraes	80	WSOF	19
11	T.J. Dillashaw	75	UFC	30
12	Tyson Nam	74	WSOF	10
13	Marcos Galvao	70	Bellator	12
14	Brian Bowles	69	UFC	13
15	Dominick Cruz	67	UFC	7
16	Mike Easton	66	UFC	14
17	Yuri Alcantara	66	UFC	15
18	Takeya Mizugaki	54	UFC	16
19	Ivan Menjivar	50	UFC	18
20	Bryan Caraway	49	UFC	23
21	Joe Warren	43	Bellator	17
22	Miguel Torres	42	WSOF	20
23	Erik Perez	39	UFC	21
24	Jimmie Rivera	38	Bellator	22
25	Travis Marx	36	Bellator	24

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Featherweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:22:31 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Jose Aldo	225	UFC	1
2	Chad Mendes	207	UFC	3
3	Pat Curran	194	Bellator	5
4	Ricardo Lamas	194	UFC	2
5	Frankie Edgar	191	UFC	4
6	Chan Sung Jung	168	UFC	6
7	Cub Swanson	166	UFC	9
8	Dennis Siver	160	UFC	8
9	Clay Guida	147	UFC	7
10	Dustin Poirier	111	UFC	10
11	Tatsuya Kawajiri	99	DREAM	12
12	Nik Lentz	91	UFC	14
13	Hatsu Hioki	86	UFC	11
14	Erik Koch	84	UFC	13
15	Daniel Straus	66	Bellator	16
16	Patricio Freire	64	Bellator	15
17	Diego Nunes	63	UFC	17
18	Magomedrasul Khasbulaev	61	Bellator	NR
19	Rani Yahya	58	UFC	27
20	Conor McGregor	55	UFC	NR
20	Darren Elkins	55	UFC	21
22	Manny Gamburyan	53	UFC	21
23	Hacran Dias	50	UFC	20
24	Mike Brown	43	UFC	25
25	Georgi Karakhanyan	42	Legacy Promotions	24

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Lightweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:22:30 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Ben Henderson	225	UFC	1
2	Gilbert Melendez	212	UFC	2
3	Gray Maynard	206	UFC	3
4	Michael Chandler	188	Bellator	5
5	Eddie Alvarez	164	Bellator	8
6	Anthony Pettis	162	UFC	6
7	Nate Diaz	155	UFC	4
8	Josh Thomson	152	UFC	15
9	Jim Miller	134	UFC	7
10	Donald Cerrone	133	UFC	9
11	T.J. Grant	119	UFC	10
12	Pat Healy	107	UFC	16
13	Khabib Nurmagomedov	83	UFC	11
14	Shinya Aoki	82	OneFC	14
15	Rafael dos Anjos	79	UFC	12
16	Diego Sanchez	76	UFC	NR
17	Joe Lauzon	69	UFC	12
18	Evan Dunham	60	UFC	17
19	Jamie Varner	53	UFC	19
20	Jorge Masvidal	52	UFC	23
21	Matt Wiman	51	UFC	20
22	Gleison Tibau	49	UFC	21
22	Melvin Guillard	49	UFC	22
22	Takanori Gomi	49	UFC	25
25	Myles Jury	47	UFC	28

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Welterweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:22:29 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Georges St. Pierre	225	UFC	1
2	Johny Hendricks	216	UFC	2
3	Carlos Condit	203	UFC	3
4	Demian Maia	190	UFC	4
4	Jake Ellenberger	190	UFC	6
6	Rory MacDonald	173	UFC	8
7	Martin Kampmann	172	UFC	5
8	Nick Diaz	171	UFC	7
9	Ben Askren	136	Bellator	11
9	Jon Fitch	136	WSOF	9
11	Robbie Lawler	89	UFC	12
12	Josh Koscheck	80	UFC	10
13	Tarec Saffiedine	74	UFC	14
14	Dong Hyun Kim	65	UFC	23
15	Tyron Woodley	63	UFC	15
16	Nate Marquardt	62	UFC	13
17	Mike Pyle	60	UFC	16
18	Mike Pierce	56	UFC	17
19	Rick Story	54	UFC	25
20	Matt Brown	50	UFC	NR
21	Jake Shields	47	UFC	20
22	Gunnar Nelson	44	UFC	19
23	Douglas Lima	42	Bellator	21
23	Erick Silva	42	UFC	21
25	B.J. Penn	38	UFC	26
25	Thiago Alves	38	UFC	27

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Middleweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:22:27 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Anderson Silva	225	UFC	1
2	Chris Weidman	212	UFC	2
3	Vitor Belfort	207	UFC	3
4	Yushin Okami	187	UFC	5
5	Michael Bisping	183	UFC	4
6	Luke Rockhold	168	UFC	6
7	Mark Munoz	161	UFC	8
8	Constantinos Philippou	159	UFC	9
9	Tim Boetsch	114	UFC	13
10	Ronaldo Souza	112	UFC	11
11	Hector Lombard	106	UFC	10
12	Chael Sonnen	100	UFC	7
13	Brian Stann	89	UFC	12
14	Alexander Shlemenko	76	Bellator	14
15	Cung Le	72	UFC	16
16	Mamed Khalidov	69	KSW	15
17	Roger Gracie	65	UFC	18
17	Rich Franklin	65	UFC	20
17	Tim Kennedy	65	UFC	19
20	Alan Belcher	64	UFC	17
21	Francis Carmont	54	UFC	26
22	Ronny Markes	48	UFC	23
23	Derek Brunson	45	UFC	24
24	Lorenz Larkin	44	UFC	22
25	Chris Leben	42	UFC	25

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Light Heavyweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:21:24 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Jon Jones	225	UFC	1
2	Lyoto Machida	216	UFC	2
3	Dan Henderson	204	UFC	3
4	Alexander Gustafsson	199	UFC	4
5	Rashad Evans	184	UFC	5
6	Antonio Rogerio Nogueira	178	UFC	6
7	Mauricio Rua	165	UFC	7
8	Glover Teixeira	161	UFC	8
9	Phil Davis	155	UFC	9
10	Ryan Bader	141	UFC	10
11	Gegard Mousasi	95	UFC	11
12	Forrest Griffin	83	UFC	11
13	Quinton Jackson	81	UFC	13
14	Anthony Johnson	75	WSOF	16
15	Chael Sonnen	74	UFC	NR
16	Wanderlei Silva	69	UFC	NR
17	Emanuel Newton	67	Bellator	15
18	Attila Vegh	65	Bellator	17
18	James Te Huna	65	UFC	14
20	Muhammed Lawal	54	Bellator	17
21	Rafael Cavalcante	52	UFC	20
22	Matt Hamill	50	UFC	20
23	Ryan Jimmo	49	UFC	19
24	Jimi Manuwa	45	UFC	22
25	Thales Leites	44	Amazon Forest Combat	25
25	Brandon Vera	44	UFC	25

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:43:16 -0000

The Bloody Elbow Meta-Rankings have seen an increase in UFC dominance, especially at middleweight and flyweight.

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Cain Velasquez	225	UFC	1
2	Junior dos Santos	216	UFC	2
3	Daniel Cormier	205	UFC	3
4	Fabricio Werdum	193	UFC	4
5	Antonio Silva	191	UFC	5
6	Frank Mir	171	UFC	6
7	Alistair Overeem	169	UFC	7
8	Josh Barnett	149	Free Agent	8
9	Mark Hunt	139	UFC	12
10	Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira	133	UFC	9
11	Roy Nelson	123	UFC	10
12	Stefan Struve	85	UFC	11
13	Travis Browne	80	UFC	13
14	Gabriel Gonzaga	65	UFC	13
15	Brendan Schaub	63	UFC	16
16	Cheick Kongo	61	Free Agent	15
17	Andrei Arlovski	60	WSOF	16
17	Sergei Kharitonov	60	Russian MMA Championship	16
19	Ben Rothwell	56	UFC	19
20	Alexander Volkov	55	Bellator	20
21	Stipe Miocic	52	UFC	21
22	Matt Mitrione	48	UFC	28
23	Damian Grabowski	47	MMA Attack	22
24	Jeff Monson	46	Strength & Honor Championship	23
25	Pat Barry	42	UFC	27

Bloody Elbow April 2013 Meta-Rankings: Heavyweight

Richard Wade — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:50:05 -0000

Our sources are cited at the bottom of this post.

Rank	Fighter	Points	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Cain Velasquez	225	UFC	1
2	Junior dos Santos	216	UFC	2
3	Daniel Cormier	205	UFC	3
4	Fabricio Werdum	193	UFC	4
5	Antonio Silva	191	UFC	5
6	Frank Mir	171	UFC	6
7	Alistair Overeem	169	UFC	7
8	Josh Barnett	149	Free Agent	8
9	Mark Hunt	139	UFC	12
10	Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira	133	UFC	9
11	Roy Nelson	123	UFC	10
12	Stefan Struve	85	UFC	11
13	Travis Browne	80	UFC	13
14	Gabriel Gonzaga	65	UFC	13
15	Brendan Schaub	63	UFC	16
16	Cheick Kongo	61	Free Agent	15
17	Andrei Arlovski	60	WSOF	16
17	Sergei Kharitonov	60	Russian MMA Championship	16
19	Ben Rothwell	56	UFC	19
20	Alexander Volkov	55	Bellator	20
21	Stipe Miocic	52	UFC	21
22	Matt Mitrione	48	UFC	28
23	Damian Grabowski	47	MMA Attack	22
24	Jeff Monson	46	Strength & Honor Championship	23
25	Pat Barry	42	UFC	27