San Diego Adds LSU Safety Brandon Taylor

The San Diego Chargers have traded up to the 73rd pick to take LSU safety Brandon Taylor. Taylor had 71 tackles, 5 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions for the Tigers last year. Taylor will bring a physical nature to the position and is an intelligent player. Bigby was brought in to be a short term solution. Taylor slipped down some boards and should be a good investment for the Chargers.  The Chargers swapped third round picks with the Dolphins to move up from 78th and also packaged a 6th rounder (183rd).

Chargers Draft Prospects: Mychal Kendricks

A versatile player is always a good thing for any team to have. With that in mind, here is the draft profile for California ILB Mychal Kendricks.

Position: ILB/OLB/SS
Weight: 240 lbs.
Height: 5' 11''

Pros: Kendricks is an athletic and versatile player who played both inside and outside linebacker in college. There is also talk of him being able to transition to SS in the NFL.  Some wondered if he had the speed to play that position, but he put that to rest by running a 4.47 40 yard dash time. He has great awareness and generally does a good job staying at home. He is a high motor player who goes all out on every play. He is an effective tackler who hits hard despite his size and plays downhill. Kendricks possesses good footwork and has a great closing burst.

Cons: His biggest knock is his size. At only 5' 11'', many scouts are wondering if he can hold up at inside linebacker. He is somewhat stiff in the hips and can get engulfed by blockers and end up knocked back on his feet. He needs to make sure he wraps up better with tackles instead of always going for the big hit. He also has some concerns with injuries, injuring both his shoulder and thumb last season. Even with this, he still earned the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He doesn't have the best change of direction ability, which could really hurt him if a team wants to transition him to SS.

Kendricks is a player who, regardless of where he goes or what position he will play, will contribute to a team in a variety of ways. He is an intriguing prospect who should be on the Chargers radar. With his potential to play SS, he might be able to learn under Atari Bigby and compete with Stuckey for playing time. He should immediately contribute on special teams. He seems like the kind of player who will be nipping at the heels of those above him on the depth chart. Competition is always a good thing for a team, both internally and externally.

New Free Agents Receive Jersey Numbers

The San Diego Chargers have been very active in free agency even if they haven't been making the biggest splashes. They have added a number of quality players at several positions that will either start or provide great depth. One of the more interesting issues that comes up after the ink has dried is the issue of jersey numbers. Some players are attached to certain numbers, having used them their whole career. The issue ends up that a player on the new team already wears that number. At this point, there are two solutions. First, accept a new number and start a new chapter. Second, pay for the number. This is always an interesting case because it doesn't have to be just cash. Just ask how good this can be for former Giants punter Jeff Feagles. Feagles swapped numbers twice in New York, earning a paid vacation to Florida for his family (Eli Manning/10) and a renovated kitchen (Plaxico, 17, never paid). Here is the list of new free agents and their new numbers and extra information when possible.

#6: Charlie Whitehurst, QB (same number he wore with team before trade to Seattle)
#11: Eddie Royal, WR (wore number 19 in Denver)
#12: Robert Meachem (wore number 17 in New Orleans)
#13: Roscoe Parrish (wore number 11 in Buffalo)
#27: Atari Bigby (wore number 20 in Green Bay and number 27 in Seattle)
#33: Le'Ron McClain (wore 44 in Kansas City and 33 in Baltimore)
#41: Nick Polk (was a member of the team who missed all of last season)
#50: Ricky Elmore (wore number 57 with Green Bay)
#58: Demorrio Williams (wore number 51 in Atlanta and 53 in Kansas City)
#87: Michael Spurlock (wore numbers 17, 81 in Tampa Bay and 18 in San Francisco)
#88: Donte Rosario (wore number 88 in Carolina and 49 in Denver)
#96: Jarret Johnson (wore number 95 in Baltimore, used by Shaun Phillips)

The Missing Pieces

With the first wave of free agency done with, the next focus for teams is the draft. Each year, there always seems to be a piece that a team needs, and the Chargers are no different. This year, the Chargers have needs at three areas that stand out.

1) Pass Rush: This is what people see as the biggest need for the team, and that argument can certainly be made. The team as a whole only had one player, Antwan Barnes, record more than 4 sacks. Barnes was responsible for 11 of the teams 32 sacks, which was good enough for 23rd in the league. That number has got to improve. Since San Diego runs a 3-4 scheme, that pressure has to come from the linebackers. With prospects like Whitney Mercilus and Nick Perry available, San Diego may look long and hard at upgrading this position in the first round.

2) Offensive Line: With the resigning of Hardwick and Gaither, the offensive line situation improved greatly. Still, the team could still use help. The LG spot is still up for grabs. I know that A.J. Smith has talked about allowing Tyronne Green and Brandyn Dombrowski the chance to compete for the starting job, but I wouldn't rule out a rookie being drafted and thrown into the mix. As much as the team has endorsed Clary on the right side, the public perception is not the same. Bringing in a lineman who could play both guard and tackle would both provide key depth and a challenge for both positions.

3) Secondary: Chargers fans have long been looking for an answer at SS. We have seen a revolving door of players come through and try to fill the position. Bigby seems like another player who may fill in for a season or two (I hope he is as good as A.J. thinks he is). There has been talk of moving Jammer to safety at some point to close out his career, which I think would be a good move for all parties involved. Either way, the team could stand to add some depth and talent in this unit. With the exception of SS, the starters are all good. I expect the team to either draft a safety high or find a hybrid corner/safety player at some point in the draft.

With the draft right around the corner, we will soon find out the team's plan. Will this be the year that A.J. gets it right, or will we once again be scratching our heads?