What To Do With Vincent Jackson

San Diego wide receiver is once again a free agent. San Diego has been in this scenario before. Jackson held out last season for a new contract, only reporting late in the season. Jackson wants a large multi-year deal, but A.J. Smith has made it clear, at least last year, that he doesn't want to give Jackson as large of a contract as he wants. Smith has let talented players walk in free agency over the last several years, with players such as running backs Turner and Sproles as well as letting go of players such as Shawn Merriman and Jamal Williams. It will be interesting to see how the Chargers handle this free agency issue. If the team decides to not resign Jackson, expect many teams to be lined up to get a shot at a very talented receiver.

Jackson has shown that he is willing to put himself before the team and has caused a fair share of headaches for the organization over the last few years. While his talent is unquestioned, in my eyes, his motivation is questionable. With the chance to land a big receiver in the draft, Jackson may be viewed as costing just to much. This team is not the same team that was competing for a Super Bowl anymore. It may well be time to start rebuilding this team, and Jackson may tie up far to much money. Only time will tell.

Chargers Draft Prospects: Cordy Glenn

Next up we take a look at Georgia mountain Cordy Glenn.

Position: Guard/Tackle

Height: 6' 5''

Weight: 348 Lbs.

Pros: Georgia lineman Cordy Glenn is a mountain of a man weighing in at 348 pounds. He has great strength and is surprisingly quick for a man his size. Glenn has long arms and uses his size to simply overpower defenders even when caught off guard. Perhaps the most important thing about Glenn is the versatility that he brings to the table. While he projects as a guard in the NFL, Glenn has experience all along the line with the exception of center. This versatility would serve San Diego well, considering the high amount of injuries that the team has had to deal with over the last few seasons.

Cons: Most of the knocks on Glenn have to due with his sometimes slow reaction of the line and his hand placement. He sometimes gets out of place with his hands, leaving him susceptible to swim moves by defenders. While he does get beat at the snap at times, his size makes it so that he can recover and win his battle. This may have got him by in college, but he will need to improve his abilities here in the NFL. 

Some people look at Cordy Glenn and see someone who is oversized and are not sure what to do with him. I see Glenn as a player who can step in and make an immediate difference at guard for the Chargers. He has the potential to be a more than adequate injury solution should San Diego once again need  help at the tackle position during the season. To me, Glenn projects as one of the most intriguing prospects of this draft.

Chargers Draft Prospects: Nick Perry

The next draft prospect up is USC defensive end Nick Perry. Perry has been tagged as a 3-4 rush linebacker.


Position: Outside Linebacker/Defensive End
Height: 6' 3''
Weight: 250 Lbs.

Pros: Perry has good size at 250 pounds and is good in open space, which will serve him well as he transitions to linebacker. Perry has a quick first step and is a disciplined player. He has good upper-body strength and uses it to move the hands of opposing linemen away. He seems to have a good ability to get linemen in a position where he ends up held. Perry uses his speed to get underneath blockers and can manipulate them well.

Cons: Perry spent most of his college career playing with a hand in the dirt. He will have to pick up the position quickly if he is selected high. Perry is somewhat of a liability in coverage and needs to improve his cover skills. Some have commented that Perry seems to suffer the onset of fatigue more often than other players. With the right conditioning program, this can be fixed.

Perry has some question marks about transitioning to  new position, but has the size and speed to become a great rush linebacker. Expect his name to be called in the first round. Hope San Diego has a shot at this kid.

Broncos Hire New Defensive Coordinator

The Denver Broncos have hired former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio as their new defensive coordinator following the hiring of Dennis Allen as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Del Rio was the head coach in Jacksonville from 2003 until his firing during this season. Del Rio has been known to produce quality defenses. This will be his second tenure under Broncos head coach John Fox. Del Rio was the defensive coordinator for Fox in Carolina in  2002.

A San Diego Connection to the New Coach in Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Colts have named there new head coach as of yesterday. Indianapolis hired Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. Chuck Pagano is the brother of current Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano, who has been a member of the San Diego coaching staff for the last 16 years, and was recently named defensive coordinator.  Chuck Pagano makes the fourth Ravens defensive coordinator to be named a head coach in the last 10 years. That list contains Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Rex Ryan, and now Pagano. It will be interesting to see if the hiring of Pagano is the end of the Payton Manning era in Indianapolis. If Manning is on the market, expect the NFL to go crazy over the coming months.

Chargers Draft Prospects: Michael Floyd

Image courtesy of Neon Tommy http://www.flickr.com/photos/neontommy/5215052676/lightbox/

With the draft being the main focus of Chargers fans for the foreseeable future, it is time to start taking a look at some of the draft prospects the Chargers may be targeting. First up is Notre Dame wideout Michael Floyd.

Position: WR
Height: 6' 3''Lbs
Weight: 224.

Pros: Floyd, while not the fastest wideout, (4.54 40 yard dash), is one of the strongest receivers in the draft. Floyd is able to use that strength to get separation at the line and use his height and weight to muscle his way through jams. Floyd has great hands and an impressive ability to go up and get the ball. Floyd is not a burner, but is still dangerous on underneath routes due to his ability to bulldoze smaller defensive backs. Floyd has spent time in both a spread and pro style offense and can line up anywhere on the field.

Cons: Floyd raises huge concerns with his character, having been arrested 3 times for alcohol related offenses. All of that aside, Floyd kept his nose clean this year. Floyd does not have the most polished route running skills. Floyd also needs to improve somewhat as a downfield blocker. With his size, he could become a valuable blocker on outside runs as well as a great receiver.

Floyd has some character issues that will certainly raise some red flags, but his upside will certainly cause several teams to look at him. if Floyd is available at 18, San Diego may have a replacement for Vincent Jackson.

A New Coach in Oakland

The Oakland Raiders have announced a new head coach to replace Hue Jackson , who went 8-8 in his rookie season. Former Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Allen was hired just last year by the Broncos and did a good job turning Denver's defense into a very respectable unit. That defense can be given just as much credit as Tim Tebow for leading the Broncos to the post-season. Allen has spent roughly 10 years as an assistant in the NFL, working under coaches such as Dan Reeves, Jim Mora Jr., Sean Peyton, and most recently John Fox. Expect the Raiders to bring an already physical defense up another notch next year. Allen has extensive experience working with secondaries, so expect to see a much improved Raiders pass defense. The division sure isn't getting any easier.

Super Bowl Prediction

With the playoffs over and the Super Bowl just around the corner, it is time to start making a prediction. I've been hearing nonstop opinions about the game, and living in Colts country, all of them bad. Think about it. Either Eli passes big brother Peyton, or arch nemesis Tom Brady gets another ring, both of which could take place in the house that Peyton built. Both teams have issues that concern me, but I have to give the slight edge to the Giants. The pass rush that the Giants have will once again give Tom Brady fits, but I believe that the two tight-end sets of the Patriots will press the Giants.

Final Prediction: Giants 24 Patriots 21

San Diego's Biggest Needs

With the focus turning to the draft in April, it is once again time to take a look at the prospects and see what San Diego needs the most help with. While taking the best available player is a fairly good approach, lets take a look at some of the prospects San Diego could really use. These positions are not in order of need, just a list of who we could use.

1) Wide Receiver
With both Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd both starting to get a little bit older, and Jackson being a free agent, San Diego needs to look into ensuring the future of the position. Vincent Brown may develop into a good receiver, but if Norv Turner ends up staying long-term, the Chargers are going to need to keep finding big receivers who fit his style of deep passing. Come draft day, Justin Blackmon is not going to be available for the Chargers, however, there is the possibility that Michael Floyd of Notre Dame or Alshon Jeffery of South Carolina. Of the two, I lean more towards Floyd due to the fact that he is a more polished player. Jeffery, to me, is a boom or bust prospect.

2) Offensive Line
San Diego has had issues on the offensive line for the past several years. The play has been inconsistent along the line. With this in mind, San Diego could use the most help at the Tackle and Guard positions. Some of the players that come to mind for the Chargers to have a realistic shot at drafting are Georgia lineman Cordy Glenn, who can play tackle but is a more natural fit at guard and Stanford guard David DeCastro.

3) Rush Linebacker
For a 3-4 team, pass rushing linebackers are a valuable commodity that a team can never really have enough of. With the failure of Larry English and the age of Shaun Phillips (30), San Diego needs to upgrade and upgrade soon. This could either be a tweener player or a pure rush linebacker. The chance of Courtney Upshaw being there at 18 is an uncertainty, but Nick Perry of USC seems to be an almost perfect fit.  Whitney Mercilus of Illinois is someone with a huge upside but I have reservations of him finding a true role on the team.

Only time will tell how A.J. Smith and company will approach this draft, but the Chargers are in a position to gain several quality players, especially on the defensive front.

Where Do the San Diego Chargers Go From Here?

Chargers fans, lets face it. This team is at a very crucial crossroad. The decision to keep both Smith and Turner could be something that has very far reaching implications. Aside from the issues with coaching and GM, this is a team in a state of flux.

For the last couple of years, there have been to many good players leave the team. This, coupled with rather weak drafts the last few years, have left this team at a very narrow path. The window that this team enjoyed for the last several years is gone. What we are left with is a team that is quickly seeing the window close on it (if it hasn't already fully happened yet). The way that Smith and Turner approach this draft will be what makes or breaks the Chargers for the next couple of years. Chargers fans, be ready for a very tense draft and a lot of apprehension over the coming months.

Welcome to Charger Madness

This blog is devoted to all things Chargers. Hope to get things up and running soon and get some ideas out. With the season over for the Chargers, I plan to keep up to date on an roster transactions as well as start to review the draft class. So, here is to the hope that this process goes smoothly.