2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[Charge!]

It seems you like Brock Bowers? 😀 I think he is a Blue Chip TE no doubt about it. However, the Chargers don’t see his fit like the Bowers fans do. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed.

They think Hayden Hurst can be a Top-6 pass catching TE. They don’t think there’s a TE in this draft that can block as an extension of the OLine like Dissly.
They only want “True TE’s” in the house who are “vicious”. Block first.

I’m not telling you to give up on your guy though.
Give Coach Bischoff a listen to. He pretty much spells it out
They think Hurst could be Elite and thus believe they don't see an immediate upgrade to him in this draft for the positional value Hurst gives them.

Not true at all.... the 4 top teams in NFL last year in championship games had the top 4 TE's in NFL.....
Harbaugh tried tio recruit Bowers years ago..... Bowers turned out as great or greater than Harbaugh believed.... BEST TE prospect in history!!!!.....mny ecoerts have said that!
a great TE gets open much quicker than greatest WR.... and great CB's can shutn down great WR's but they cannot shut down a great TE!!!!
which is why a team with no great WR's has won 2 coinsecutive SB's.... without any great WR... and remeber KA did nothing aginst chiefs great CB's..... our average TE'sw could not even show up!

[blueman]

Dude... if we're 1:48 left in the game and needing a score to win it... then we already fucked up in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarter (along with most of the 4th quarter). And I'm certainly not trying it with Trey Pipkins @RT!!! Do you hate Justin Herbert? What horrible thing did he do to you? The Chiefs traded elite away a couple years ago... they seem to be fine.

I'm not building a team with the last 1:48 as my template. Give me a team that can be ahead in the 4th quarter and salt the game away running the ball. Patty MaHommes should be sitting on the bench... watching my team run over his team. Period.

Then you don’t want to win a SB. You’re dreaming any other way.

Without a playmaker to throw to, Herbert’s talents will be wasted. Complimentary WRs will do what they do, yes, but we will settle for a FG when we need seven.

[SuperChargedRodney37]

Not true at all.... the 4 top teams in NFL last year in championship games had the top 4 TE's in NFL.....
Harbaugh tried tio recruit Bowers years ago..... Bowers turned out as great or greater than Harbaugh believed.... BEST TE prospect in history!!!!.....mny ecoerts have said that!
a great TE gets open much quicker than greatest WR.... and great CB's can shutn down great WR's but they cannot shut down a great TE!!!!
which is why a team with no great WR's has won 2 coinsecutive SB's.... without any great WR... and remeber KA did nothing aginst chiefs great CB's..... our average TE'sw could not even show up!

Well you are living up to your name. Full steam ahead for Bowers and I’m here for it. 😜
No hard feelings here and stick to your guns.

I like Brock as well but have come to the understanding that the money don’t work with him.
TE is just not a premium position in the NFL and doesn’t come close to the premium of those Elite Blue Chip WR’s in positional value even though Brock is a Blue Chip prospect as well.

i just simply quoted Coach Bischoff almost verbatim by the way. You don’t have to believe me about Hurst and Dissly. Just give Coach Bischoff a listen and make up your own mind on whether those comments sound like a team focusing on TE with a 1st round pick.

[dmac_bolt]

Well you are living up to your name. Full steam ahead for Bowers and I’m here for it. 😜
No hard feelings here and stick to your guns.

I like Brock as well but have come to the understanding that the money don’t work with him.
TE is just not a premium position in the NFL and doesn’t come close to the premium of those Elite Blue Chip WR’s in positional value even though Brock is a Blue Chip prospect as well.

i just simply quoted Coach Bischoff almost verbatim by the way. You don’t have to believe me about Hurst and Dissly. Just give Coach Bischoff a listen and make up your own mind on whether those comments sound like a team focusing on TE with a 1st round pick.

I get zero inkling of any Bowermania inside the Charger brain trust. I get little thinking in any direction, to be fair - but not sensing Bowers in particular. I do think he’s very good too, but there’s several very good players competing for our first #5, #11, or #?? pick that feel more Harbaughy and he won’t be there by Rd2.

[Boltnut]

agree.... except 11 becomes Bowers (who along with MHJ are the 2 cant miss picks with zero downside in this draft).... there are no Munoz OT's.... just many sold OT's..... and we can get a solid RT at pick 23...

some of you guys are too obsessed with running the ball or building a top defense....but last 2 years have proven that REID understands how to take advantage of todays rules and salary cap...winning 2 consecutive SB's..... withiout a great WR.... but they have great QB abd great TE who cannot be stopped by the best defenses in 2 years..... whenever it really counts.....

Great TE's are virtually unstoppable because they out run LB'ers.... and run over secondary.... but Bowers can out run most secondary as well as running them over.... lol... and you cannot legally hold them like youe could when Winslow SR played.... (and he is HOF'er against physical defenses that triple teamed him)....

Chargers fans have forgotten how great it is to have a greart TE...... wy too many years since Gates or Winslow.... 2 players that we all knew would find a wy to get open on 3rd down to keep drives going...... WR's are best if they are blazing fast to get wide open deep on a play action.... play action ONLY works if you have a real running game as a threat.....

Chargers have been missing a great every down every play TE for several years.... last years TE group was iffy at best .... no one could stay healthy, block or consistently catch passes....

Bowers would instantly be our best pass catcher and motivate our receivers to actually improve their play....,or get out!

Am I obsessed with running the ball... no. But I think our HC and OC are. The Ravens were a 50/50 run/pass team with Greg Roman as OC. Do I hope that we are 50/50 with Justin Herbert as our QB...? No. But I hope for 55/45 pass/run. Because I know Herbert will get crushed if we continue as a 40/60 pass/run team. I find it nearly impossible that Roman/Harbaugh see Pipkins as their "Run the ball and protect the QB" RT. I also know that Herbert's best year came when we actually ran the ball effectively (2021). I think Jim knows that, too.

Can we draft a RT with the #23 or #37 pick...? Sure. But I'm more interested in drafting LB1 with the 23rd pick, rather than OT5 or OT6...even with the deep OT class. I know OT3 happens to be the best run blocker of the bunch, too. So, that's where I'm leaning. I'm more interested in drafting a really good DT with #37. I know how important LB and DT are to Minter's defense. I can't think of weaker positions on the team right now. I think JP and QJ are far better that Tito Ogbonnia and un-proven Daiyan Henly... both players I like BTW. I think Hayden Hurst and Will Dissly are far better than Ja'Sir Taylor or Deane Leonard. Therfore, I wouldn't mind getting a CB with the #69 pick.

Would I like to get another WR or TE for depth...? Sure. But do I put them ahead of RT, LB, DT, and CB...? Hell no. I'm building a team... not a Boy Band.

I'm not focused on drafting a player and making the whole coaching staff fit that player. I'm more focused on the coaching staff and getting the player(s) that fit them. Both Fuaga and Bowers make sense @#11. But I know they went out and signed 2 TE's already. We are much more set @TE than we are @RT.

We won't be the same team as Winslow/Gates teams. We won't be Air Coryell. We won't be Rivers/Gates kind of team.... or Fouts/Winslow... We are no longer the Finesse Chargers. We will be the bully's from now on. Why not draft players like that...?

[wu-dai clan]

I get zero inkling of any Bowermania inside the Charger brain trust. I get little thinking in any direction, to be fair - but not sensing Bowers in particular. I do think he’s very good too, but there’s several very good players competing for our first #5, #11, or #?? pick that feel more Harbaughy and he won’t be there by Rd2.

"DP" and "Stone" were mentioned by Andy Bischoff (yanno our TE coach), along with "Owner of the C Gap" and "Hayden" (first name basis).
I am getting an "inkling" of an "epic" misdirection.
Bowers at #5.
It's a lock.

[wu-dai clan]

YAC = Yards After Contact (think BB or Malachi)

also

YAC = Yards After Catch

if a player creates separation, through athleticism or route running technique,
and catches a 20 yard pass and takes it to the house 50 yards down field untouched (think BTJ), that is zero yards after contact and 30 yards after catch, no ?

The term "YAC" must not be used to discount the contributions made by what is a deep play artist through and through.

Marcus Brady even spoke specifically yesterday about deep plays making space underneath.

[Critty]

Let's say Chargers trade down gets #11 and #23.

There are a lot of QB needy teams.

2 more QBs could go.

Does anyone want to jump Denver or Raiders....like Saints or Seahawks. Trade pick #11 and move back to 14 or 16 and could still get a Top 5-10 on your board if 6 QBs are gone.

[Topcat]

There's a good chance now that McCarthy moves up to #4...if you're a GM in the hot seat, do u do that deal? I would say there are some who will...

There's about a 1% chance of this happening.

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[Boltnut]

Well you are living up to your name. Full steam ahead for Bowers and I’m here for it. 😜
No hard feelings here and stick to your guns.

I like Brock as well but have come to the understanding that the money don’t work with him.
TE is just not a premium position in the NFL and doesn’t come close to the premium of those Elite Blue Chip WR’s in positional value even though Brock is a Blue Chip prospect as well.

i just simply quoted Coach Bischoff almost verbatim by the way. You don’t have to believe me about Hurst and Dissly. Just give Coach Bischoff a listen and make up your own mind on whether those comments sound like a team focusing on TE with a 1st round pick.

Thanks for the coach Bischoff suggestion. He said everything I thought I already knew about Roman and Harbaugh.

"This will be an OL Centric offense".
"Balanced offense will make the passing game better".
"We want to be physical on offense"... wear the other team's defense down"
"Give our defense a breather... we want our defense fresh in the 4th quarter".

Brought tears to my eyes.

[Boltjolt]

Yeah, GM's don't make decisions all by themselves. They lean heavily on their scouts and Scout Directors.
This isn't the first time he's made important decisions (call them recommendations if you like) in a draft.

Sugar coat it any way you like ......It's his first time being the head of it all. Just like it was Telesco's even though he was also part of the players personel in Indy and whatever other title he had there.

Difference is Hortiz has a savvy vet HC to give opinions of the college players he tried to recruit and saw play and watched tape on vs his teams.

TT was a rookie GM with rookie HCs. ....and had inexperienced HCs his whole tenure.

Bottom line,. we will say this is Hortiz first draft like we did when TT had his and Fluker was his first pick followed by Te'o with a trade up.

[wu-dai clan]

Sugar coat it any way you like ......It's his first time being the head of it all. Just like it was Telesco's even though he was also part of the players personel in Indy and whatever other title he had there.

Difference is Hortiz has a savvy vet HC to give opinions of the college players he tried to recruit and saw play and watched tape on vs his teams.

TT was a rookie GM with rookie HCs. ....and had inexperienced HCs his whole tenure.

Bottom line,. we will say this is Hortiz first draft like we did when TT had his and Fluker was his first pick followed by Te'o with a trade up.

Derek Cox CB was signed at the beginning of Telesco's reign of terror.
Telesco waived him before long.

My prediction is Hortiz and staff are gonna kill it.