2014 Official Draft Thread

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

Spurrier wasnt exactly praising Clowney with his recent remarks.

Not news. Spurrier hasn't exactly been a big Clowney supporter through the media.

[Steve]

WE still do run a one gap scheme.

But whether you run 2 gaps or 1 gap, a 34 DL has to be physical and relish contact. You have to fight through the contact. If you don't, there will be plays where the OL will release cleanily and get to the LB without being slowed down, and then their size disadvantage kills them.

You just cannot have a 34 team where the DL penetrate as wildly as you do a 43. There is too much space for small players (LB) to defend.

just an FYI, there are two kinds of 1 gap D. The ones that use the leverage of the gaps, and teams play both a 43 and 34. The other kind of 43 teams play what is called "big first step" (think Warren Sapp or Simeon Rice for TB). The DL just attack upfield hard on every single play, regardless of run or pass. The idea is that you hope your DL will penetrate right through the gap that the RB comes through. "Big first step teams" tend to give up a lot of yards on draws and quicker hitting runs. But they get more sacks and hits for a loss, so some argue it cancels out. But if you did that out of a 34 team, your ILB would get killed if DL didn't make the tackle, because the OL would be double teaming the ILB.

[Beerman]

So just saw Stanley Jean-Baptiste - wow. Dude is huge for a CB and had like a 40 inch vertical. Just read he's only been at CB for two years after converting from WR.

[Steve]

Not news. Spurrier hasn't exactly been a big Clowney supporter through the media.

I don't understand how anything Clowney did at the combine is news. Guy is an amazing athlete who runs well, lifts OK, and doesn't always play hard. And, I don't know how a guy with as many questions as Clowney can ever answer them, especially in just a long weekend. Guy doesn't show up and play every down, and he has given no one any indication he will ever stop being that guy.

[Beerman]

@eric_d_williams: #Chargers secondary coach Ron Milus helping to run defensive back drills at NFL scouting combine. Getting an up-close look at DB prospects.

[Yubaking]

Wow the Clowney 40 yard time has been the most played up and over-produced Combine story ive seen in years. His camp has done a great job getting us focused on his sprint and not so much on the fact that he regressed this past year and didnt look like the explosive player he was being made out to be.

I am not buying this kids hype at all. He had one goal pre-draft and that was to expect a fast 40 time to cement his status as the best player in the draft based on size/speed. he even came in 10 pounds lighter most likely to help with his timed speed.

Spurrier wasnt exactly praising Clowney with his recent remarks.

I think at any point this past season Clowney could have ripped off a sub 4.5 40. He still has to account for his lack of explosion and why he was so ineffective even against single coverage.

Kills me that players get so overrated based on 40 times. Clowney still has a lot to learn and wont be able to use just athleticism in the NFL to beat OTs. I think Merriman was a better player coming out.

I honestly think Donalds 40 weighing 20 pounds heavier was way more impressive.

I think Donald is the most overhyped player in the draft. I have not heard one negative thing said about him and that he is the star of the combine day or the star of Senior Bowl week. And yet, he is an undersized 4-3 DT that will have to win matchups with quickness. I see him as much more of a bust candidate than Clowney based upon physical attributes. Clowney's issues appear to be mostly mental. If he is capable of maintaining a consistent focus, he should end up as the much better player.

People have been all over Clowney as we approach the draft. He has been criticized for electing not to do certain drills, which he plans to do at his pro day. He has been criticized for not going crazy when Dee Ford suggested that he is better than Clowney, which is so idiotic that all Clowney could do was laugh at the remarks made by Ford. He has been criticized for being unmotivated and being inconsistent on the field. He has been criticized for his lack of work ethic. All I have heard is criticism about Clowney notwithstanding the fact that he posted top 3 results for front 7 players in the 40, the broad jump and vertical leap, which shows that he is arguably the most explosive front 7 player in the draft.

Further, Donald is 4 inches shorter than Clowney, which should be an advantage over him in the 40 in terms of producing a quicker start. Clowney ran as fast as Mike Evans and faster than Kelvin Benjamin, WRs of similar height, and outweighs them by 35 and 26 pounds, respectively. Hopefully, that puts his amazing 40 time into better perspective.

I am hopeful that we would not even think about drafting Donald until day 3 of the draft (where hopefully he will be long gone). He has bust potential and he is a god-awful fit for our defense. The last thing we need is another speed/finesse 4-3 DT that gets blown off the line or completely controlled by bigger, longer armed OL players playing on a line in a real game and not isolated in some one on one practice drill. We need a double team commanding presence in the middle of DL to help free up our OLBs and ILBs to make plays and that isn't Donald.

[Panamamike]

So just saw Stanley Jean-Baptiste - wow. Dude is huge for a CB and had like a 40 inch vertical. Just read he's only been at CB for two years after converting from WR.

I am holding out hope we get him in the second round

[CTrout]

Speaking of DB's Jason Verrett looked really good. The knock on him was his size but damn he looked
solid to me. Dude is super quick.
I'm not crazy about taking CB's in the 1st but if we'd go with Verrett I wouldn't be upset.

[QSmokey]

Tidbits from ESPN:


ESPN Steelers reporter Scott Brown takes a closer look at Notre Dame defensive tackle Louis Nix III, a possible fit for the Chargers at nose tackle

Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post cycles through his evaluation of the top defensive line and linebacker prospects. .

Former NFL player Matt Bowen, writing for Bleacher Report, offers

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports offers eight under-the-radar free agents who could get more attention than expected. New York Giants defensive tackle Linval Joseph could make some sense for San Diego.

[Yubaking]

I am holding out hope we get him in the second round

Aside from being slow (4.61), another knock on Jean-Baptiste is that he is very soft for his size. Nobody that I have seen has him rated as a 2nd round pick. The range on him that I have seen is 3rd-5th, so I hope we pass on him until that point if we choose to take him.

Guys like Fuller and Roby are second round guys although Roby probably helped himself today and was more likely early second as it was. Fuller looked very fluid in the first drill after the 40. If we go CB in round 2, assuming Dennard, Gilbert and Roby are gone, I hope that we get Fuller.

I can't believe Gilbert ran a 4.37 40--time of his life. He could have fallen to us in round 1. Now that is not very likely. Dennard, on the other hand, came in at 4.51 and some hip tightness was observed in drills, which is surprising given that he looks awesome on the field in games. Maybe if Nix is gone, he could now fall to us.

Roberson and Purifoy just pissed on themselves today in the 40--both were supposed to be mid 4.4 guys and neither cracked 4.6. I was disappointed not to see E.J. Gaines run today. I thought McGill looked big, good and reasonably fast (4.51), but he has been very injury prone.

As a big CB/SS hybrid late round pick, I like Exum. He ran 4.59 and is big and physical. In video he made a lot of rake away and collision away plays that turned completions into incompletions. He has had a significant injury history, though.

[Bolt-O]

The CBs that could be at the bottom of the first all looked good... Gilbert, Roby and Verrett. Dennard will be long gone before 25, but he didn't look as good as the other 3 in the combine, in my opinion. The same teams that may want Gilbert are the same ones that may want a good pass rusher or a guy like Donald or Nix. Its good that this draft is considered deeper than last season, as there should be quality guys at the two or three priority defense positions. Ideally I'd prefer that the Chargers avoid the CBs, because there's lots of potential of a bust, and a pass rush would help a lot more than a high quality CB, but if that CB is the BPA, so be it.

[Beerman]

@JoshNorris: I didn't catch this before, but Brandin Cooks posted a 3.81 short shuttle. Tied (with Jason Allen) for the best of ANY position since 2006.


Really, really like Cooks. His short area quickness and acceleration are just phenomenal. Would excel so much in our short passing offense.