Chargers' keys for success in 2012

The Chargers will hope to regain a playoff position this year after missing out the past two years. To get in a winning position and have a long run in the playoffs, the Chargers need to do the following things:

1) Stay healthy- This may sound obvious but it is absolutely crucial for the Chargers. This years division winners could well be the team that keeps the most of its starters healthy. Take the Chiefs and Chargers last year. Both teams in all honesty were and in my opinion are much better than the Broncos but the Chiefs lost players like Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles. This was a big blow for the Chiefs who would have had a very good shot at the division victory if they had kept healthy. The Chargers meanwhile suffered a six game losing streak when much of their offensive line and receivers like Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates were injured. So with one of the tightest divisions in the league, the Chargers' trainers MUST keep the roster fresh and healthy, if they manage this the Chargers have a great chance to reach the playoffs.

2) Rivers Return to form- Rivers was a little off last year. Though not terrible he did not live up to his high standards and threw a disappointing 20 interceptions. Rivers seemed uncharacteristically shaky and made that shocking mistake in fumbling the snap against the Chiefs. Despite this poor year, Rivers is still a great quarterback and is capable of carrying a whole team on his back. If Rivers is at his best then the Chargers will be close to unstoppable and with the likes of Antonio Gates, Malcom, Floyd and Robert Meacham to aim at, he has all the tools needed to succeed.

3) Improvement on 3rd down on defence- Last year the Chargers were the worst in the league on third down success rate. The defence allowed offenses to gain a fresh set of downs 49.2% of third down attempts. This was the worst ever since the 1995 Browns. This has to change. AJ Smith was equally concerned and addressed the matter in the offseason by drafting pass rushing specialist Melvin Ingram. Ingram will join Shaun Philips and Antwan Barnes as pass rushers at outside linebacker. This is crucial as any quarterback can make medium or long yardage at third down if given lots of time, so the job of these linebackers is to get to the quarterback. Other acquisitions like Jarrett Johnson, also an outside linebacker, will sure up the run defence for third and short situations. The new defensive coach, John Pagano, will aim to improve the Chargers' success rate on third down, thus allowing the offense to get on the field and put points up on the board.

AJ Smith - A new beginning

AJ Smith has been the GM for the Chargers since 2003 after being promoted from the assistant GM role. He has been described by critics as an arrogant man but also as a specialist at drafting. He has made some amazing picks in the past coupled with some poor ones. He hasn't yet got the Chargers to a Superbowl which is every General Manager's ultimate goal, but can he get the Chargers there over the next few years?

Firstly, AJ Smith has consistently given the team a realistic chance to go out and win it all which is the main job of a GM. The way NFL analysts seem to predict a Charger every year for the past 5 or 6 years is a compliment to AJ's ability as a GM.  He had that magical draft in 2004 where he took Philip Rivers, Shawne Merriman, Nick Hardwick, Shaun Phillips and Michael Turner. AJ aslo signed Antonio Gates in 2003 as an undrafted free agent. This gained him the reputation of a top class GM and was highly respected around the league.

Since 2004 Smith has been much less spectacular. Smith made a mess of the situation with top coach Schottenheimer by replacing him with Norv Turner. He also lost players like Merriman and Turner in free agency. Draft busts like Buster Davis and Larry English now come to mind when thinking of AJ's recent drafts. Corey Liuget was similarly unspectacular last year but he needs a few more years of playing time until we put the bust label on him. These poor offseasons over recent years made the Chargers an 8-8 team in 2011. However I think AJ has finally hit the jackpot this year with a special draft.

In this year's draft, Charger fans were crossing every finger, toe and whatever else they could in the hope that AJ would select Melvin Ingram, one of the biggest draft day tumbles of 2012. For once our hopes were met with relief rather than anger. Smith took the best player on the board who should have been a top 10 pick in Ingram providing the Chargers with a pass rushing machine who could well have a similar effect as Merriman did in his early years with the Chargers. Then came Reyes, a late 1st round to early 2nd round talent being picked up in the middle of the second. Other picks like Ladarius Green and Brandon Taylor were similarly smart picks and for the first time in a while I can say the Chargers and Smith did great. Add in his free agency additions and the Chargers are in much better shape than they were this time last year. The only thing AJ now needs to do is retain his key players for a long time like he did with Eric Weddle last year and the Chargers have the chance of finally winning that Superbowl trophy.

Which Charger players will impress or disappoint this year?

The Chargers have a very good chance of making the playoffs this season but face some tough opponents in the division. The top players will have to perform for them to stand a chance of playing deep into January and even February next year. Some players will stand out surprisingly, while some will likely disappoint, the question is who will and won't impress this year.

Players who will impress


Malcom Floyd- Floyd will be put in a position too succeed for the Chargers this year. With Vincent Jackson leaving in free agency and Rivers likely to return to his old self, Floyd should be targeted by Rivers as his big go too guy like Jackson was last year. Meacham will compete with Floyd for the number one spot but either way Floyd will be targeted a lot. So long as he stays healthy (something he has struggled to do) expect Floyd to show the NFL how good he really is.

Melvin Ingram- Alongside DeCastro going to the Steelers, Ingram was the best value in the first round of the draft. He was one of the major draft day falls apparently due to his 'T-Rex' arms. Who cares? Ingram was a sack machine at college and should have been a top 10 pick. Melvin Ingram is also in the company of pass rusher Jared Allen, one of the best in the game, in having short arms which in my opinion proves that his arm length has been unfairly criticised. Don't be surprised if you see double digits in Melvin Ingram's sack column and maybe even a defensive MVP.

I expect these two guys to be the biggest surprises for the Chargers. I did not mention the likes of Eric Weddle, Phillip Rivers and others as we already know they are great players and don't have much room to improve.



Players who will disappoint

Quentin Jammer- By the start of the season Jammer will be 33 and it is fair to say his best years are behind him. He has been a decent number 1 for the Chargers over the years after being selected 5th overall in 2002. Although he might not have been worth number 5 overall, he certainly was a first round player. Last year however he began to look vulnerable and showed a  lack of pace, he is no longer a number 1 cornerback as he is not physically fast enough to match up with younger recievers. He will likely see a large drop in performance and the likes of Antoine Cason will be expected to step up for the Chargers and become the new number 1 for the Chargers.

Corey Liuget- After being picked in the first round in 2011, the Chargers will want to see much more production from Liuget after a dissapointing rookie campaign. Although many people say it often takes at least 3 years for rookies to show their worth, I simply don't see a huge amount of talent in the defensive end. He showed very little on defence last year, and in my opinion has to go down as one of AJ Smith's less impressive picks.

These two players might impress however I had to choose the two who are most likely to not fulfill expectations. I don't expect some other Chargers players to perform like Larry English but his expectations are much lower.

Three toughest games for the Chargers in 2012

The AFC West are due to play the AFC North and NFC South this year, both are very strong divisions and mean there are some very difficult matches for the Chargers this season. The Chargers will also face the Jets and Titans after finishing second in their division last year and will obviously play each of their AFC West rivals twice in the year. Here I will discuss the three toughest games for the Chargers.

1) Week 4 @Chiefs: Chiefs will likely be the Chargers main rival in the division this year in my opinion as I don't believe Manning will stay healthy or be at his previous best for Denver. If this is the case the Chiefs at the Arrowhead is a tough game which the Chargers need to win if they hope to finish top of the AFC West. I fancy the Chargers against the Chiefs in San Diego, but Arrowhead is a tough ground to play at and the Chiefs are a strong side coming back from injury last year.

2) Week 5 @Saints: The Saints will be good this year. I don't care if there is no Sean Peyton, as with Drew Brees at the helm (he will eventually get his big contract) the Saints can do absolutely anything. Many people are saying the Saints will have a similar attitude to that of the Patriots after spygate and we all know how great that season was for New England when they played anyone but Eli Manning. The Saints are unstoppable in the Superdome and were 8-0 at home last year. This is the game I am most worried about for the Chargers and our pass rushers must get to Drew Brees if we are to win this game.

3) Week 14 @Steelers: Again this is an away game and a very tough one. By week 14 in Pittsburgh it will be very cold and the Chargers passing game might well suffer. By week 14 it is really crunch time for most teams and this could be a very important game for Norv Turner who desperately needs to make the playoffs. The Steelers are admittedly getting older especially on defence so they might be a weaker team this year but you can never count them out, especially when at home. It will likely be a very tough game for Rivers and his fellow offensive players.

There are many other tough games for the Chargers, to name just a few: Week 3 vs Atlanta, week 11 @Denver and week 12 vs Baltimore.

The Middle Linebacker Position

The Chargers have done a lot this year in free agency and one of the few positions they did not change was middle linebacker. This is because AJ Smith feels that they are strong at the position and although they aren't gaining massive headlines our middle linebackers seem very strong.

Donald Butler came into the 2010 draft as one of the better linebacker prospects in the draft. He was Drafted by the Chargers at pick 79 but suffered a season long injury and did not play in his first year. Last season Butler made his debut season for the Chargers and it was probably the best first season of all of the Chargers that year. He was an instant starter on defence and racked up 96 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and an interception. His first season was very impressive and at the age of 23 he can only get better. Expect him to start for San Diego for a very long time and his name soon will emerge to the NFL masses and become a feared name among offenses in the NFL. The only surprise for me really is why so few people know about this kid around the league!

One of the main reasons for Butler's success was the veteran leadership alongside him in Takeo Spikes. The 14 year Veteran and two time all-pro has been a consistent performer throughout his career racking up a huge 1345 tackles over his impressive career. Spikes unfortunately is known around the league as the guy who has never made the playoffs but I think that's been down to bad luck rather than his own skill. Takeo gives the defence some vital experience and toughness which helps young players like Butler improve their own skills from watching and learning from him. Although Spikes has only been in San Diego a year he is a vital component to our team and an invaluable source of experience.

At backup the Chargers have Jonas Mouton. Mouton has started in the exact same way as Butler did. Coming out of College he was considered a very good prospect at linebacker and was selected near the end of the second round as a hard working middle linebacker with plenty of ability. He was injured all of last season and will enter the league this year in a similar way to how Butler did last year. Many Charger fans have similarly high hopes for Mouton and expect him to take some of Spikes' snaps as the veteran takes a rest. Mouton will not be put under high amounts of pressure and attention from around the league, but will be put in a position to succeed which is just about the best possible scenario for him.

Overall the Chargers Middle Linebacker's appear to be a very solid group of guys with plenty of upside and might just surprise a few people this year. I expect Butler to become the Chargers' number one middle linebacker and sure up our often shaky run defence, alongside Spikes in the short term and Mouton in the long term.

What role will this years draft picks play?

Chargers had a very impressive draft in 2012 filling up their roster with players at positions of need as well as getting great value especially in the early rounds. But however well we drafted, not every rookie will make an impact on the team especially not in their first year. I will be discussing the likely roles of the rookies and their potential impacts:




1st round: Melvin Ingram- Ingram is the only rookie on the list who has the potential to make a huge impact on defence in his first year. I expect a minimum of 8 sacks and expect him to rack up similar numbers to Aldon Smith last year. He should play every passing down alongside Antwan Barnes at outside linebacker and will go into the rotation with Phillips Barnes and Johnson. He is also very versatile so don't be surprised if you see him lining up on the defencive line or at middle linebacker depending on injuries. Overall Ingram was a dream pick for the Chargers at 18 and should really have been a top ten pick, not that the Chargers will be complaining!

2nd round: Kendall Reyes- Reyes was also good value for the Chargers in the middle of the second round with him being at the bottom some first round draft boards. He will go into rotation with previous years first round pick Corey Liuget, Vaughn Martin and Luis Castillo. He will be given the chance to make an impact on defence and will need to impress early to get regular playing time. I expect Reyes to put in a decent season but probably wont make a massive impact. Look for him to improve over the next few years and become a consistent starter in a two or three years time.

3rd round: Brandon Taylor- This is where it gets really interesting. Taylor was an impressive safety for LSU and AJ Smith liked him enough to trade up in the third round to get him. He will be competing with Atari Bigby and Darrell Stuckey to start alongside Eric Weddle. The pick was definitely need for the Chargers and as Smith traded up it shows he definitely likes Taylor and might intend for him to start right away. I certainly hope he starts as Bigby is an average safety who is now in his thirties so has little upside. Expect Taylor to be starting in September so long as he has a decent training camp and he will get the chance to play alongside an all pro safety in Eric Weddle.

4th round: Ladarius Green- Green is an exciting young prospect at tight end. The Chargers will hope that he can be a long term replacement for Antonio Gates who will be considering retirement in the next two or three years. Green like Gates is a pass catching Tight End and can learn from one of the best Tight Ends in the game. I expect Green to be just a number three on the depth chart behind both experienced tight ends Gates and McMichael. He might feature on special teams and come on for the occasional two tight end set if Gates or McMichael need a rest or are injured.

5th round: Johnnie Troutman- Johnnie Troutman (guard) was picked by Smith as a long term pick. He will be injured the whole season and will be on IR for the season.

6th round: Forfeited in trade for Brandon Taylor in third round

7th round: David Molk (centre) and Edwin Baker (running back)- Molk was good value for the Chargers in round seven. He hasn't got amazing physical qualities which is what made him drop but is an intelligent lineman and won the Rimington award so cant be terrible. Assuming he has a decent camp he should make the final roster and will become backup to Nick Hardwick. Edwin Baker was the final pick. For me he is the least likely to make the roster as I expect the Chargers to add another running back in free agency and keep Brinkley as their young back. He would be used on special teams and is a good pass blocker for a half back but his rushing ability doesn't appear particularly special

Poll results

On the poll asking who would be the Chargers biggest rivals, votors decided Manning Broncos were the largest rival.

I understand the decision with a team which made the playoffs last year and swapping in Manning for Tebow. However I still think that the Chiefs who came second in the poll are our biggest rivals with depth and class at every position. The Raiders coming bottom with just two votes seemed correct and it seems fans think the division is between the other three teams. The Chargers are definately in the mix for the AFC West title and a run at the Championship and it appears the majority think the Broncos are our biggest threat.

Predicting Charger players in the top 100

After finding out that Philip Rivers was voted by the players on NFL.com at 61 on the list of the best players in the NFL today, I will predict which other Chargers will be on the list and where.

Definite: Eric Weddle is the only definite for the Chargers to make the list. He gained all pro status last season and the only real question is will he be above Ed Reed? I doubt it myself as he has only put in one great season whereas Reed has put in many.

Possible: Antonio Gates was ranked ahead of Rivers in last years top 100 list and like Rivers he had a down year this year mainly because of injury. Gates has been a great Tight End for the Chargers and has been one of the best Tight Ends to play the game. I expect him to get on the list through his star reputation and deservedly so, but you can never be sure.

Doubtful: Ryan Mathews is the only other player for the Chargers who stands a chance of  making the list. He made the pro bowl for the first time and also had his first 1000 yard season. There have been some other players like McGahee who I don't think is as good as Rivers  but I feel that as McGahee was in the 90s, Mathews will not be on the list and will have to put in a good season this year to reach the list next year.

Top 5 positions for the Chargers

Previously I wrote an article on the Chargers' weakest 5 positions and will now look on the positive side of the team.

1) Quarterback: I don't think anyone can argue Rivers is a top ten quarterback and maybe even in the top five. He is the Chargers' franchise guy and can win games all on his own. In the modern game it is vital to have a top class quarterback to win Championships judging by previous super bowl winners in the 21st century. Overall quarterback is probably the Chargers' strongest position overall and yes I know Rivers had 20 interceptions last year but he also had 4,600 yards and 27 touchdowns.


2) Tight End: Any team with Antonio Gates on their Roster is going to be extremely strong at the Tight End position. He is a future Hall of Famour and is an extremely safe pair of hands for Rivers in the end zone and on third down. If Gates can stay healthy Rivers will certainly have a bounce back year, as when healthy, Gates has as good a pair of hands as ever. The Chargers also have a strong set of backups at Tight End including Randy McMichael who has been a very useful backup for Gates over the years. Rookie Ladarius Green also has lots of potential and like Gates is an impressive pass catching Tight End.

3) Free Safety: Eric Weddle was one of the few real positives to come from 2011 after putting in an all pro season. He received a big contract in the previous offseason which was heavily criticised but the critics have been proven wrong and Smith's decision to give Weddle the big contract has proven to be an inspired decision. Weddle was tied on most interceptions in the league last year with 7 and was solid as a rock tackling whoever came near him. Weddle is now 'the man' on the Chargers defence and quarterbacks will be weary of throwing the ball anywhere near him like they are with Ed Reed.

4) Outside Linebacker: I didn't think I would ever be saying this at the end of last season but AJ Smith did a very impressive job in the offseason to improve the teams pass rush and linebacker core. With Shaun Phillips and 11 sack man from last year Antwan Barnes already on the Roster the Chargers went shopping in Free Agency and added Jarrett Johnson. Johnson has been dubbed by many as one of the most underrated run stopping linebackers in the league. He was very solid for the Ravens and a valuable player for them despite being overshadowed by Ray Lewis in his time at Baltimore. Johnson will be used primarily on rushing downs as the other three outside linebackers are mainly pass rushers especially Barnes and... Melvin Ingram was the Chargers' first round pick and was one of the shocks of the draft as he fell from a predicted top 10 pick to number 18 on draft day. He was such a surprising draft day plummet that AJ Smith and Norv Turner didn't even have him on their shortlists. Ingram should make an instant impact for the Chargers with a possible Aldon Smith type effect. Ingram will go into rotation with the other Linebackers providing the team with four potential starting outside linebackers.

5) Left Tackle: After loosing Marcus McNeil in the offseason the chargers desperately needed a dominant left tackle to defend Rivers' blindside. Jared Gaither who stepped in for the Chargers in the last few games, played like an all pro denying all the pass rushers a run at Rivers and because of this Chargers returned to winning ways.Hopefully the 6'9 monster of a man will carry on this impressive play after receiving a new contract by the Chargers in the offseason in an attempt to protect Rivers.

Le'Ron McClain and Jacob Hester

Le'Ron McClain was added by the Chargers in Free Agency and will bring a with him a great run and pass blocker as well as an accomplished rusher. This allows Jacob Hester to be possibly the best backup in the league as well as a super special teamer.

Le'Ron McClain was one of AJ Smiths more inspired pickups and will contribute on offense straight away. Charger fans will hope his addition will bring back a Lorenzo Neal type effect to the Chargers running game. He will provide great running holes for Ryan Mathews which Hester hasn't quite been big enough to do over the past few years. This will force more defenders to target the runner and leave receivers and tight ends wide open opening up the Chargers offense. LeRon McClain will also contribute some rushing experience as an occasional backup to Mathews as our backup in Brinkley is very inexperienced.

McClain's addition has freed up Hester who was also resigned to be a superb backup. He was also one of the leading special team tacklers on the team. Hester will be extremely important as a backup with good pass blocking and excellent slipping out the backfield and catching passes. He will go into the offense mostly on passing downs so probably third and long situations.

Overall I love this addition for the Chargers and they should benefit both on special teams and on offense.

5 Weakest positions for the chargers

This is offseason was an impressive season for AJ Smith and he made a splash in both the draft and free agency. There however positions where we need to improve or hope the player steps it up this year:

1) Left Guard-  After the shocking retirement of pro bowl guard Kris Dielman the Chargers are in need of a left guard. He was fairly impressive last year when stepping in at the numerous times to cover injuries. Sandwiched between Gaither and Hardwick, Green will likely be targeted but if he can step up and get in some good blocks then the Chargers left side will be strong.

2) Right Tackle- Jeromey Clary will be starting for the Chargers this season which will worry San Diego Fans. Although he isn't on Rivers' blind side, he could be a big weakness on the line and Rivers will likely have to dodge a few linebackers running at him from the right. I can't see Ryan Mathews running towards the right side as often as he'd like as well unless Clary improves significantly. If he does play well however it will be great for Chargers with Gaither being very impressive last season on the blind side.

3) Defencive End- Neither right or left defencive end players for the chargers will induce fear in to many offencive lineman in the league. Vaughn Martin, Corey Liuget and Luis Castillo are the defencive ends. Last year Vaughn martin emerged as a pretty decent defencive player for the Chargers but never really blew anybody away. Corey Liuget has been a little disappointing thus far managing just 19 tackles and one sack. The Chargers will be hoping the 1st round pick can improve year on year but this year I cant really see him being a major force on defence. Luis Castillo only started one game for the chargers before being placed on IR for the rest of the season. He has however had a pretty decent career with the Chargers and is probably the most likely to succeed and brings important experience to the position.

4) Cornerback- The chargers have used plenty of first round picks on corner backs over the last few years looking out for a number 1 cornerback. Jammer has filled the role fairly well and I'm not too worried about him. Antoine Cason has looked vulnerable at times for the Chargers and has given up a few big gains. He hasn't been shocking, but neither has he been particularly strong. Number three is second year man Marcus Gilchrist who was targeted by the likes of Aaron Rodgers last year and was a bit of a liability. This could change with minicamp and more games under the belt but with two fairly inexperienced Corner Backs and Jammer being the wrong side of thirty, the chargers look quite weak at the position.

5) Strong Safety-  With Eric Weddle at Free Safety and Steve Gregory leaving, the strong safety position is very important for the chargers. AJ drafted LSU product Brandon Taylor who is an exciting prospect. The question however is whether he is ready to start on defence straight away. He will have experienced backup Atari Bigby and a great Free safety to cover him, so he has all the tools to succeed, I just hope his inexperience doesn't effect the chargers too bad.

(note this list is not in order just our 5 worst positions)

Which players will be playing safety for the Chargers?

One of the most interesting positions for the chargers is the strong safety position. With all pro Free Safety Eric Weddle playing one of the positions for sure, I will discuss the roles of the other three players most likely to play the safety position this year.

Darrell Stuckey was impressive on special teams last year and managed a few tackles starting on defense. He is growing as a player and at the age of 24 has plenty of years to improve. I cannot see him starting on defense as he doesn't seem to be experienced or quite talented enough yet. I do expect him to have more plays this year however probaly giving Eric Weddle a rest as he is the second best player at Free Safety.

Atari Bigby was picked up by the Chargers and will provide super bowl winning experience. He is my least favourite pickup for the chargers with his only real advantage for me being his experience. He is 30 however and wont be getting any better. He was poor for Seattle last year and has had problems with injuries consistently. I expect him to be backup strong safety but I hope Stuckey will play backup for both Strong Safety and Free Safety as he has much more potential.

Brandon Taylor was selected in the third round by the Chargers. The LSU product was the third best safety in the draft and should start straight away for the Chargers. He had an impressive career at LSU and will play opposite Eric Weddle who can cover Taylors mistakes and allow Taylor to learn from him. I expect Taylor to start and go into a bit of rotation with Bigby and Stuckey to give him a break.

All in all the strong safeety position seams to be fairrly weak for the Chargers and they will start a third rounder at the position. Eric Weddle will be relied upon to sure up the defense and protect from the mistakes made by the strong safeties.

Can Malcom Floyd be the new Vincent Jackson?

In the offseason the Chargers lost their number 1 receiver in Vincent Jackson. Jackson was the Chargers' go to guy and made some great plays. The Bucs outbid the Chargers and we were forced to let him go.

This is however the chance Malcom Floyd deserves to show how good of a receiver he really is. He is now the only tall strong receiver on the team and that is the exact type of receiver that Rivers likes to throw to. If he becomes the go to guy along with Gates like Jackson was then he should be in for a career season. It is not certain who will be top of the wide receiver depth chart but between Floyd and Meacham the chargers will effectively have two number two's. The chargers will hope that at least one of them makes big strides and becomes a true number one.

Floyd has been plagued with injury over his career and has consistently missed three or four games to injury with the exception of 2009. If Floyd wants to be considered a top receiver then he needs to stay healthy. If he does stay healthy though I would expect him to vastly improve on his five touchdowns from last year as he should take some of Jackson's touchdowns. Even though Jackson is a big play guy, Floyd is equally so. If you take a look at both their average gains they are both excellent and are around the top of the league. Floyd has averaged a staggering 19.6 yards per catch over the last two years which shows his big play ability and how Rivers likes to throw it deep to Floyd.

Overall Floyd should be much better this year than in previous years as he is given a chance to be a primary receiver. The offseason additions of Meacham and Royal should help spread the field and give Floyd more room to make a play. So long as he avoids injury Floyd should have a 8+ touchdown season and could break the 1000 yard gain  mark.

Where does Rivers rank among current NFL QBs?

Phillip Rivers had a down season last year but that appears to be an anomaly if you compare it to other years. I think it is a compliment to Rivers to say last year he had a down year as he gained 4,600 yards as and made 27 touchdowns.

Therefore my list of the top quarterbacks who are most the best in the league would go:
Brady
Brees
Rodgers
Roethlisberger
Rivers
Vick
Peyton Manning
Eli Manning
Tony Romo

Obviously Brady, Brees and Rodgers rank above Rivers and Roethlisberger can also go in the list above due to his consistent success with the Steelers. Peyton Manning would have been above Rivers if he hadn't just had neck surgery. Apart from that I can't honestly say (and I'm not being biased) that another QB is better. Yes Manning won the Superbowl but has he really been a better quarterback than Rivers? Rivers has the fifth best passer rating of all time which i value highly and the reason Romo is on this list is because he is second.

All these quarterbacks are special players, some have performed better on the big stage than others and if you were grading it on playoff and Superbowl performances Romo and Rivers probably wouldn't even make the list while Eli would probably be top dog.

Can Eddie Royal be that final key for the charger offense?

In the offseason AJ Smith made a big splash after losing Vincent Jackson. One of the many impressive additions was Eddie Royal from rival AFC West team the Denver Broncos.

Eddie Royal was fantastic in his rookie season with a decent quarterback in Jay Cutler but in all honesty dropped off a little after that. Getting an even better quarterback than Cutler in Phillip Rivers should restart his career and I would expect him to double last years production at the very least.

Royal will be the chargers slot receiver and will have the speed and talent to go make the big plays for the chargers. He will provide an extra option for Rivers who won't have to just chuck it up to the big tall receivers like Floyd all the time as he will also be able to find those smaller speedier guys who can find separation like Royal.

Royals talent was recognised by many, most prominent of which was Mike Shannahan who tried very hard to get Royal to Washington. Instead Royal chose San Diego and he should be overjoyed to see number 17 throwing too him. This should completely transform his career after having Tim Tebow throwing to him last year.

It's not only offense that Royal should help out the chargers. He is also an excellent returner as the chargers learnt to their cost when Royal returned a punt and a kickoff  for a touchdown in one game. This will be very important for the Chargers who only managed to return one kick for a touchdown last year with Goodman against the Raiders. Even if he doesn't return the ball all the way to the end zone he should be able to get better field position for the offence which would massively help Rivers to get down the field.

All in all Royal was a very good under the radar pickup for the Chargers and should help Rivers get back from his disappointing season last year.

please feel free to comment and discuss.

Big year for Ryan Mathews?

In the 2010 draft the chargers made a big trade in the 1st round to take their guy in Ryan Mathews. AJ Smith was so confident in Mathews' ability that they released future hall of famer Ladanian Tomlison the year they drafted him.

Mathews has struggled with injury so far in his career and it has definitely had a negative impact on his stats. He missed 4 games in his first season and 2 games last year. But if he can stay healthy he should be in for a big year for the following reasons:

1) He improved last year and you would expect him to carry on this trend. In 2010 his average gain was 4.3 yards but in 2011 he improved that to 4.9 which put him in the top 10 for starting running backs which is impressive for a 2nd year back. He had his first 1000 yard season which is always a good landmark for any back.

2) The departing of Mike Tolbert now means he will get much more carries and can be a premier back for the chargers. Tolbert also made a dent into Mathews' red zone touches so he will be able to almost double his touchdown count of 6 from last year assuming we don't pick up a top red zone back in free agency.

3) The LeSean McCoy effect. If you take a look at McCoy's stats then look at Mathews' you can notice one key similarity. That is their first two years. In McCoys first year he ran for 600 yards, with an average of 4.1. Mathews also ran for 600 yards with an average of 4.3. Their second years were also very similar with McCoy breaking the 1000 yard mark by 80 yards while Mathews got 1091 yards. And guess what McCoy did in his third year. Yep he became one of the best backs in the league with a mighty 17 touchdowns and 1,300 yards. If Mathews can continue his trend of copying McCoy then we could see a great season from him this year.

4) Mathews will be joined by two time pro bowl and all pro full back Le'Ron McClain. Le'Ron should open up new holes for Mathews which he never had before and could be another Lorenzo Neal type players for the chargers. This will make getting to Mathews a nightmare for defencive players.

Antwan Barnes most underrated player on chargers roster?

Antwan Barnes has had a terrific pair of season for the chargers so far and he doesn't seem to be recognised by many as a top player. This could be due to him having only one 10+ sack season (last year) but he appears to be a hidden gem for the chargers.

Barnes entered the league in 2007 after being drafted by the Ravens in the 4th round.  He was a promising rookie notching up a few sacks and was an excellent special teamer. He for some reason became unpopular with the head coach Harbough and was traded to the Eagles for a meagre 7th rounder. He did little of note in Philadelphia and was released in October 2010. And then the chargers made an under the radar signing which has proven a great success.

Barnes stepped straight in for the chargers and nailed Brady twice in his first game for the chargers. He finished the season with 4.5 sacks. It was in 2011 however that Barnes made his main impact.

Antwan racked up 11 sacks for the chargers, 4 of these came in the game against his former Ravens. He played very well all season and became chargers top pass rusher by a mile after Phillips' poor season by his standards. He won't be slowing down and taking it easy now though as he has a contract year coming up and I'm sure would like the pay day he deserves. I think paired up with Ingram and Phillips in a pass rush linebacker rotation he can be part of a ruthless pass rushing attack, something the chargers have been dreaming of for a few years now.

But with all that he achieved you ask an average fan, lets say an NFC North for example, to name the players the think of when they think chargers I guarantee very few would say Barnes' name. This must surely change and if Barnes puts in another performance like he did last season I expect him to gain the recognition he deserves.

So my message to you readers is when you see the number 98 lining up to rush the passer, you can feel confident that the passer won't get much time in the pocket. Also lets get his name out there guys!

Don't forget this kid:

Jonas Mouton was selected by the chargers in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft and has not played a game for the chargers thus far. This is because he was injured all last year and so the 24 year old feels like an extra rookie for the chargers.
He had a pretty good college career and appeared to be a tackling machine. In his final season at Michigan he had 117 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. This guy could help plug up the middle and help the chargers out on run defence while Butler or Spikes take a rest.
This guy could have big upside and only time will tell if he turns into a full time starter. Either way it is a luxury for the chargers to effectively have two second rounders entering mini camp.
GOOD LUCK JONAS!!!

Shaun Phillips being overtaken by Barnes?

The Chargers have lacked pass rush threat over the past few years and have relied on 8 year veteran Shaun Phillips to provide the main pass rush threat from their linebacker corpse.

Coming off one of his best seasons in 2010 Phillips was disappointing in 2011 and failed to make a large impact for the team. In 2010 he had 11 sacks but in 2011 he had just 3.5 and missed four games to injury. Antwan Barnes who had a great season last year was the top pass rusher last season with an impressive 11 sacks.

With Barnes being 27 he is in the prime of his career and could well make a big impact on the defence and has a nice low price tag. Phillips with his much larger price tag is the wrong side of 30 and with the exception of Ray Lewis production tends to start dropping off at this stage for linebackers. I'm not saying we should cut Phillips as he is still a major part of the defence but it appears to me that he is no longer the premier linebacker for the Chargers and although he will be starting at ROLB he will see less snaps this year per game due to our off season additions of Jarrett Johnson and Melvin Ingram.

Phillips has been a great player for the Chargers and has managed 60 sacks for the team but don't be surprised if you don't see number number 95 on the field as often as you have done in previous years.

Can Larry English prove himself this year?

So far Larry English from Northern Illinois is going down as a bust. It appears to  be one of AJ Smiths less impressive picks and he has been a disappointment thus far. But can he improve this year and be the player we drafted him to be?

Possibly is the answer and only if he avoids the nagging left foot injury which has kept him out of 19 games so far. These injuries prevented him having any sought of major impact on the defencive side of the ball. In his rookie season he did not perform amazingly but in his sixteen games he managed a couple of sacks and 36 tackles which is alright for a rookie. After this season it went down hill however after he broke his left foot mid season and ended up with 3 sacks which is good compared to his rookie season and bearing in mind he missed half his games but wasn't good enough for a first rounder.In 2011 he became more of a special teamer with a few plays in rotation and managed just 7 tackles and two sacks in 5 games after which he re-injured his left foot.

This is simply not good enough for a first round pick and if he wants a decent pay day at the end of his 5 year contract then he desperately needs to step up his game. Hopefully the impending contract year will put a bit more determination in him and he will turn into the sack machine he was drafted for.

Overall if English stays away from injury he could make a good impact on defence this year but i don't really see it happening. With Shaun Phillips, Antwan Barnes and rookie Melvin Ingram rushing the passer and Jarrett Johnson suring up the run defence there is little room for English to make an impact.

5 reasons Rivers will return to form

Phillip Rivers had a less than impressive performance last year especially in comparison to his usual high standards. Despite his 20 interceptions I don't see it happening again for a variety of reasons.

1) Previous years:

He's been consistently good every year apart from the last and I just can't see the same happening this year.

2) Fresh WR set:

He's got a new new look WR set. With a new number 1 in Robert Meacham it adds a new dimension to the attack as it contrasts the tall strong Malcom Floyd who's a go up and get  it guy with smaller speedier guy who can make the big home run plays. Chuck in the impressive rookie Vincent Brown and the slot receiver Eddie Royal and Phillip Rivers has a whole host of options

3) Don't forget Gates:

Rivers will have his hall of fame Tight End back. Antonio Gates had a nagging foot injury through the majority of the season and it was no coincidence that when he and Floyd returned the chargers started winning games again. I'll say just this that if Antonio Gates stays healthy all season the chargers will win the AFC West. And with a whole host of backup tight ends including rookie Ladarius Green, rivers will have plenty of fresh options in two tight end sets.

4)Hunger:

Rivers is one of the best if not the best quarterback in the league not to have won a championship. He will be determined to get at least to a Superbowl by the end of his career and he isn't getting any younger. To stand any chance of being recognised as one of the great quarterbacks he needs to get at least one ring, only time will tell whether he gets his just reward.

5) A franchise left tackle:

In the off season the chargers resigned Jared Gaither to protect Rivers' blind side and stop the pressure getting to him. If he can perform like he did in the last few games Rivers will have time to plant his foot and find that new variety and set of receivers.

Who's our biggest AFC West threat this year?

With Denver getting Peyton Manning and the Chiefs getting back from injury I will discuss who will be our biggest. Although Oakland are a good team I don't think they can be considered to be a main competitor due to there lack of draft picks and their dreadful free agency.

The Chiefs should be a much better team than last years 7-9 squad. This is mainly because the likes of Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles will be returning who are some of there best players. As said by many draft analysts there is no real pressing need or gap and so in the draft they could have luxury picks of who they thought had the most potential and pick the best players. They took combine beast Dontari Poe at number 11 and added many other decent guys who can enter there defencive rotation. To be honest the only weakness I can see with Kansas is their quarterback Matt Cassel which is where the chargers should be able to catch up but can Cassel make it happen with this loaded offense?

If it weren't for Peyton coming to Denver we would still have Tebow in the AFC West. You might think that this is a bad thing for the chargers but not so fast!  The Chargers for some reason are absolutely dominant over Manning and have gone 5-1 against him so far. Although Manning now has a much better defense with him and a decent offense I'm not sure the future hall of famer will be able to make a succesful return after his neck surgery. It's as simple as this in my opinion, if manning plays like he did before his injury then Denver win the AFC West, if he doesn't Denver will be beaten by both chargers and Chiefs for the title. And dont forget Tebow lead the Broncos to a strong win over the Chargers last year and came on in the second half losing by a mile and almost pulled the game back for the Broncos.

All in all a healthy Chiefs side is likely going to be the toughest team for the Chargers with the Broncos close behind them. Although you can never rule the Raiders out the seem to be the weakest team at the moment.

The schedule...

The chargers 2012 schedule is very intersting and seems quite difficult too be honest. The difficulty with the charger schedule is there is only one game (Cleveland) which they will win for definate. They could go up to 11-5 but also 6-10 depending if they get on a good or bad run.
Every divisional game could go either way with the Broncos adding manning, the Chiefs returning from injuries and the raiders being a bogey team for the chargers over the last few years. The chargers will open and close against the Raiders showing the league recognises this new and exciting rivalry.
The week two game with Tennessee is particulary interesting as the two could well both be vying fo wildcard spots in the AFC by the end of the year so could be surprisingly close.
With the AFC West going up against the AFC North this year it is going to be a tough season for all four teams. Pittsburgh and Baltimore's defences might be well known for being some of the best in the league but the Bengals and even the Browns have exciting and relatively young defences.
The chargers are also facing the NFC South who are becoming an extremely strong division now Cam Newton is with the Panthers and the Buccaneers splashed out in free agency. It could be argued that the Saints have now been overtaken by both which shows the strength of the division.
Overall I think chargers will have a decent season assuming Rivers gets back to his old form and i expect him to lead a 10-6 team into the playoffs and as we all know once your in the playoffs, anything could happen...

Travis LaGirl is finally gone!

After a season of mediocracy and dissapointment, Travis Laboy is gone.

The title of LaGirl was earned for his weak tackling and terrible stats last year. He was brought from the 49ers with the now also fired DC Greg Manusky with both being very dissapointing moves made by AJ Smith in the off season.
Laboy managed an average 38 tackles in 16 games and failed to make an impact clocking up just one sack. This cut was also due to the drafting of Melvin Ingram and the adding of Jarett Johnson in free agency. These two will pair up with Shaun Phillips and Antwan Barnes in what is now a much better outside linebacker for the chargers.

This is good to see the chargers wern't afraid of cutting their losses and throwing Laboy and his 1.5 million dollars in cap space out the door for the coming season.

Corey Liuget one year on

Everyone is talking about Melvin Ingram right now including myself but lets take a look at last years first round pick

Liuget has not made much of an impact with the team thus far. Last season he managed just one sack and forced fumble while recording just 19 tackles. This is not the instant impact AJ Smith would have been looking for and it appears to be one of those strange picks that AJ makes completely out of the blue.

Although there is plenty of time for Liuget to improve and he is still young, many charger fans (myself included) might consider this a bust already seeing as he was never really first round talent.
I am however much more excited by Melvin Ingram so far (see my previous blog) and feel Liuget really needs to pick up his game this year and next to avoid the dreaded cut...

Ladarius Green's massive upside.

In the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft the chargers took TE Ladarius Green.

I can't help but think Antonio Gates when I see this guy. His body shape and playing style is almost identical. Green will be taught over the next few years by one of the best TE's to play the game. Gates will show Green the ropes of the NFL and while he might not make an instant impact, I expect him to become better and better and as Gates starts to think of retirement, Green will be entering in the prime of his career.

With 22 touchdowns at college he can replace Gates' red zone threat and maybe be a target for rivers on third down. If he improves quickly we could also end up with a pair of dangerous Tight end pairing which has proven to be vital for teams like the Patriots and can turn teams into Championship teams.

Melvin Ingram

WOW!

Who would have thought the Chargers would end up with Melvin Ingram at 18! What is there not to like about this kid? His best 40 yard dash is a 4.66 and benched 28 at the combine.

This guy is a beast I'm telling you! His arm size is a little concerning but lets not get silly here some of the best pass rushers in the game have short arms (ever heard of Jared Allen?). His game tape shows that he was a sack machine for South Carolina and is more than ready for the NFL. He even played wide rediever at High school and last year ran in a fake punt for a TD looking like running back rather than a 264lb linebacker.

I'm really unsure how this guy dropped so far I couldn't believe it when Seattle passed him up for Bruce Irvin of all people! He was a home run pick for the chargers and I think the whole of San Diego was holding their breath when Goodell came out to announce the pick because it was almost too good to be true for the chargers to grab him at 18.

Overall Ingram is a sack machine and in 5 years time I expect him to be thought of as a Junior Seau (RIP) for the chargers.

Lets get started!

Hello San Diego fans!

This blog is all chargers info, stats and up to date news. This blog will soon be littered with my opinion as well as others' on the San Diego Chargers as well as news and opinion on key events like the NFL draft and Free Agency