San Diego Chargers Roster Breakdown: Quarterbacks

Continuing our look at the Chargers depth at the moment, we move on to quarterbacks.

Losses: Billy Volek

Signed: Charlie Whitehurst, Jarrett Lee

Returning: Philip Rivers

Projected Starter; Philip Rivers

The Chargers will once again be helmed by Philip Rivers. Yes, he had a down year last year, but he should bounce back fine. He has proven before that he can create chemistry quickly with receivers, which he will need to do given the new look the receiving corps will have. Rivers is a deep ball quarterback, and new addition Robert Meachem, while not a Vincent Jackson, should see plenty of deep passes.

Charlie Whitehurst is back on the sidelines as the backup after his Seattle experiment. He should do ok, but losing Billy Volek hurts. It was a move that made sense, but Volek was one of the best backups in the league. Whitehurst won't be able to do everything that Rivers can do, but he should be able to step in for a game or two and play decent football. Who knows, maybe the Chargers can trade him again.

The last member of this list is former LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee. I really don't expect much out of him. He couldn't ever really keep the starting job at LSU, so it will only be harder in the NFL. I expect him to stay on the roster until the end of the pre-season, but unless he really wows the coaches, expect him to be cut.

San Diego Chargers Roster Breakdown: Running Backs

Is Ryan Mathews on the verge of a
breakout season?

Charger Madness will be featuring position breakdowns for the entire team over the next several posts. Today we will be breaking down the running backs.

Losses: Mike Tolbert

Additions: Le'Ron McClain, Edwin Baker, Michael Hayes, Mohamed Marah

Returning: Ryan Mathews, Jacob Hester, Curtis Brinkley

Projected Starters: Ryan Mathews (HB), Le'Ron McClain (FB)

By and large, the Chargers will have a good ground game this year. Perhaps one of the most underrated acquisitions for the Chargers in free agency was Le'Ron McClain. Here is a player by player breakdown of the Chargers running backs as they now stand.

Ryan Mathews: Mathews is a player who seems to be right on the edge of doing some great things. He does have injury issues, but he has potential to be great. With the departure of Mike Tolbert, Mathews is going to have more of a lone wolf role this year. I expect McClain, Hester, and company to all get some carries, but the team will be asking for more from Mathews. He enters the season as the firm starter for the Chargers. A 1200 yard season sounds reasonable. Throw in around 40-50 catches again, and he should be a serious threat for the Chargers.

Le'Ron McClain: McClain is set to be the starting fullback for the Chargers and will be blasting holes for Mathews to run through. McClain can hold his own carrying the ball and will most likely see more carries the closer the team gets to the goal line.

Jacob Hester: Hester is a true team player that came back at a reduced price and role to stay a Charger. He will still see some carries but will be most valuable on special teams. He will be the backup to McClain at fullback and can contribute on the ground in a pinch.

Curtis Brinkley: At the moment, Brinkley is the backup to Mathews. He did well last year during limited carries, but he is clearly the backup. I look for him to have a chance to once again step in for a game or two due to Mathews propensity to get injured. All in all, he is a decent backup for the team.

Edwin Baker: Baker was the final pick for the Chargers in the 2012 NFL Draft. He excelled in pass blocking and is a tough and hard runner. While he doesn't have the best top end speed, he can contribute in  a number of ways. He may be a special teamer this year, but he has a chance to knck Brinkley down the depth charts.

Mohamed Marah: Marah is most likey a camp body at this point. The team is already set at fullback, so there seems to be little need to keep him around. The thing about Marah that may keep him around is his defensive experience, which could translate well into a solid special teams performer. He played fullback his first two years of college before switching to defensive end. He is a versatile player. Players like him are always a question mark. It really just depends on his potential and how the Chargers use it.

Michael Hayes: This is another intriguing prospect brought in for the Chargers. Hayes had great success while at Houston, but some wonder how much of that was from the passing game being so dangerous. I tend to think that he is a good player, at least collegiately, but he is not a hot commodity in camp. He will have to fight his way onto the roster, but he may end up as a practice squad player.

Slow Content

First off, thanks to those of you who visit Charger Madness. You may have noticed that content has been slow lately. I apologize for that. During the summer, I work as a server at a restaurant back home. At the moment, we are understaffed, so for the next week or two, I am working everyday. Once we get a few more servers trained, things should start to pick back up.

Why is Don Coryell Not in the Hall of Fame?

The NFL Hall of Fame is where the league places those individuals who have achieved a superior level of greatness at their position or have revolutionized the game. It is a way to honor the achievements and success of these people while acknowledging what they have meant to the NFL. When looking at the members of the Hall of Fame, one can't help but feel amazed and in awe. Yet when examining the list of coaches in the Hall of Fame, one name seems to be missing. It makes no real sense as to why it wouldn't be there. Don Coryell is not in the Hall of Fame.

Coryell was an inovative genius. While not the creator of the I formation, Coryell was a pioneer of it, helping John McKay run the offense at USC in 1960. He is given credit for developing the vertical passing game into what it has become today, with the likes of Joe Gibbs, Mike Martz, and Ernie Zampese winning Super Bowls employing similar systems. He also tutored Al Saunders, Jim Hanifan, and Rod Dowhower. Even further down the line comes Norv Turner and Dan Henning, who tutored under Zampese and Gibbs respectively. John Madden was a student of Coryell while he coached at San Diego State and considered Don to be one of the biggest influences on him as a coach.

Coryell's Chargers were one of the most successful offensive teams that the NFL has ever seen. Quarterback Dan Fouts spearheaded Coryell's devastating passing attack with the likes of Kellen Winslow and Charlie Joiner. All three are in the Hall of Fame today in part because of the system that Coryell brought to the team. Winslow revolutionized the tight end position to what we are seeing today with the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

The simple fact that Coryell is not in the Hall of Fame is unfathomable. We are talking about a man who revolutionized the game of football not once, but twice. As Dan Fouts stated, "He influenced offiensive and defensive football because if you were going to have three or four receivers out there, you better have an answer for it on the other side of the ball". The system that Coryell created forced teams to devlop new ways to handle the situations presented by the Chargers offense. Fouts brought up a great point by asking who had really heard of a nickel or dime defensive package before Air Coryell?

Some will argue that Coryell doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame because of his 3-6 playoff record and the way his defenses performed, but those are things that can be overlooked. I know that there are players who deserve to get in that have been waiting for some time now, but Coryell deserves a spot for all of the ideas and concepts that he contributed to the NFL that make it so successful today. His influence as a coach cannot be ignored anymore. The man was far to successful to not be in the Hall of Fame. The best news was that he finally did make the final 15 cut in 2010, but he has yet to advance farther than that. Former coaches and players like Madden, Gibbs, and Fouts will continue to lobby for his placement in the Hall of Fame.

Seau's 55 to be Retired

The San Diego Chargers have announced that Junior Seau's number 55 will be retired. Seau, who tragically ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, is the most accomplished and decorated defensive player in Charger history. Seau, who was drafted 5th overall in the 1990 NFL Draft, played for the Chargers until 2003. Seau had an outstanding 20 year career and ranks only behind Clay Matthews at the linebacker position for most career games. He is a sure fired first ballot lock for the Hall of Fame. Seau went to 12 straight Pro Bowls as a Charger. Seau joins Lance Alworth and Dan Fouts as the only Chargers to have their numbers retired. Fouts wore 14 while Alworth wore 19. Seau's number will be retired September 16th.

Ladarius Green Signs 4 Year Contract with the San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are wasting no time signing the 7 draft picks from the 2012 draft class. The latest member of the class to sign is Louisiana-Lafayette TE Ladarius Green. Green, who stands at an imposing 6' 6'', is a powerful player who has great body control and is likely to be groomed as a replacement for Antonio Gates. Green should see time on special teams and in the red zone. It will be interesting to see how the Chargers get him onto the field. He can split out wide just like Gates and could really stand out through camp. The only members of the 2012 draft class yet to sign are Edwin Baker, Brandon Taylor, and Johnnie Troutman.

San Diego Chargers Sign 3 Draft Picks

The San Diego Chargers have offically signed three of their draft picks to contracts. Melvin Ingram is joined by second round pick Kendall Reyes and seventh rounder David Molk, both of whom also signed. Ingram was the 1st round pick of the Chargers. He played defensive end while at South Carolina and is expected to be a pass rushing 3-4 outside linebacker for the Chargers. Reyes has the size to move inside in nickel formations but will primarily be a rotational defensive end this year for the team. Both of these two should make an immediate impact for the Chargers on defense. Reyes signed a 4 year contract while Ingram signed a 4 year deal with an optional 5th year.

Molk, who was an All-American center for the Michigan Wolverines also signed a 4 year deal. This still leaves Johnnie Troutman, Brandon Taylor, Ladarius Green, and Edwin Baker unsigned. The team will hold a rookie only mini camp from May 11-13.