Ok... First let me say that we have had more ups and downs than we did all of last season. We made several moves this year and one was especially emotional for us. With that said, I'll address that one that everyone felt in the Chargers organization.
Donnie Edwards.
The loss was felt before he ever left. A true leader on the defense and all around underappreciated guy by the media. It was a straight trade for a up and coming Anthony Weaver. This was not a trade we made lightly, and there is just no replacement for a general. We had problems getting pressure on the QB, and it was felt that for the team... This was a a good move. But Don will be missed, and he's welcome at my table anytime.
To which we also come to...
Julian Peterson... His speed is a welcome at MLB, and his ability to find the play is unmatched on the current team as Linebackers are concerned. While filling the role of MLB isn't something he said he was going to try to do... We feel he is more than capable of doing the job. With Peterson starting in the middle of the field, we don't doubt he'll find that ball on both sides.
Which brings us to:
Bryant Young and Kedric Golston... Two Defensive Tackles that we believe will also help us in the goal of pressure on the QB. We wanted to bring aboard Bryant not only to start, but also to school the young Kedric as Walker does with Wilfork. While Walker is a Defensive Tackle, he has played DE and has much to offer Wilfork in the way of how, where, and why.
Dre' Bly came to us as a godsend. We were looking for FS to move Fred back to corner... But after some lengthy discussion with him he said he'd rather stay at the position. Dre gave us some excellent pass coverage option and we're going to let Fred do what he does best. Zone and get the ball.
So in short, our defense has changed. But is till the force that the Chargers fans have come to know and love.
Our offense also of course has had a dramatic change in the form of Brett Favre.
We are looking to Favre to give us what we didn't have last year. The same type of QB that our young Rivers can learn from. Garcia showed him the fast game, but Rivers just isn't built to roll out of the pocket. Nor could we change his throwing mechanics, so we did the next best thing. Took one of the most knowledgeable QB's out there and let him tutor the young Rivers.
Altho for anyone that's seen Dick Vermeil upset, those very few, can come see our practices. At least once a week those two have some sort of weird competition on who can throw the ball behind the back or inches from the ground into receivers hands. Now, I'm just the owner, I'm no coach. But I'm so glad Keyshawn doesn't like it thrown where everyone else does. And Reggie seems to be taking after Keyshawn like a idol. If all I could see is the QB's throwing the balls during practice I'd swear we'd lose every game this year. As it stands, these guys are amazing.
Matt Herian came in to take over for Antonio Gates... While we expect some good things from the young rookie, Gates is another starter that will be missed... But things had to be addressed on our offenseive line.
We did a complete rework on our offensive line. Only two starters are coming back to start again, and neither are in the positions that they were last year. Will Smith was moved to LT, and Roman Oben was moved to Center. Last years Center Seth McKinney will be playing backup and learning to play guard from the veterans. And that's where the similarities end for most Chargers fans.
Chris Samuels, Rex Tucker, and Brad Hopkins now give the Chargers something that we were struggling with last year. Time to throw the ball, and the ability for LT to make plays at the line of scrimmage rather than behind it. Too many times last year big plays were made at not taking a loss in the running game. This year... We are looking to make them on the other side of it. I must say... In practice, it looks beautiful.
No trade secrets given away here Charger Fans... LT will always be LT.
And finally...
We currently have two punters on the Roster... The best man wins...
I'll take questions now...
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Does not having A.Gates change overall what you will do on offense? Is ist not too early to put too much faith in Matt Herian? What at this point if anything separates you from other teams in your divison.
Does not having A.Gates change overall what you will do on offense?
No... The game plan hasn't changed, but how the game plays out may very well... We never went out thinking we have to get the ball to our TE on such and such play. He may or may not have been a primary, but how much the ball comes his way is determined on how well he gets open. How much the ball comes his way is determined completely on him. But the game plan is the same.
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Is ist not too early to put too much faith in Matt Herian?
No. He was drafted to do what we expect him to do. So far we think he can do it, we'll see come game time. Should he not perform up to our expectations our game plan may change at that time.
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What at this point if anything separates you from other teams in your divison.
I think the main thing is our mix of Veteran players and young players to learn from them. Most teams are one or the other, while we have tried to find a nice balance to keep us looking to the future, and still taking advantage of players that have already proven themselves.
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Extremists are like slinkys... Ultimately useless in the grand scheme of things... But still brings a smile to the face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
How many wins do you think it will take this year to secure a playoff spot
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The simple fact is that he is a over rated piece of **** that can't cover. He makes bad reads on routes and lacks the ability to recover when he is beaten.
For Madden people the best way to explain it is that he has a very low awareness.
How many wins do you think it will take this year to secure a playoff spot
I think if a team in our division as a 10 and 6 season there is roughly a 50% chance of making a wildcard.
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Are you afraid that Farve will be in decline this season as he is entering the twilight of his career?
I think the fire that drives him will make him do his best, no matter what that may be. As such, we need someone to lead the team more than become a deciding factor with physical ability. We got Favre for his smarts, the fact that he's been around the block a couple times is why we picked him up. So no, we think his 'twilight' as you put it is a asset. Not a drawback.
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Do you feel you have enough depht to your roster, in order to remain competitive should you sustain any injuries at key positions?
Yes... I do.
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Reggie Harrell was great in his rookie year, what are your expectations for him this year?
Reggie has only gotten better in the off season. He and Keyshawn were together running drills 3 weeks before our own mandatory preseason ones. He's more knowledgeable of the offense, really worked on his ball catching and control skills. Will he have a season like he did last year?
I don't know, it depends if the opposing defense's actually see him as the threat he is. If they give him the respect he deserves... I think it'll be harder on him to make happen what happened last year. But it'll be because of him the ball will be easier to move ball to others. We'll happily take one on one match ups with any of our starting three. And with LT in the backfield, they may very well be the downfall of a couple teams who chose to double up on more than one Wide Out.
Unlike last year, what we could do is not always what we wanted to do. And even then with a strong record of 9-7 teams couldn't always stop our running game. Because the opposing team already knew what they had to stop. This year we are looking for teams that over pursue a game plan to take advantage of it. And those that truly respect all aspects of the Chargers offense... We'll let our play makers do what they do best.
Break open games and allow our play makers on defense to break them further.
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Extremists are like slinkys... Ultimately useless in the grand scheme of things... But still brings a smile to the face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
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