2023 Official Roster Build Thread - The Initial 53 / Practice Squad

[Velo]

Here's some Milton Wright Highlights. I like the guy's size, and he appears to have some deep speed. In most of the highlights, he's wearing '0', but in a few he's wearing '17'.

(1) Milton Wright Highlights! Welcome to the Los Angeles Chargers!! - YouTube

Look at the WR depth - on the roster and on the PS - today compared to a year ago. The WR depth on the roster wasn't bad, but the PS talent was pathetic, and when injuries started piling up on roster the PS talent called up to replace/fill in was a joke. Michael Bandy started multiple games. That should never happen.

It appears to me that Kellen Moore's philosophy is to not only load up on WR talent on the roster - prioritizing that position, drafting one in the 1st rd and another in the 4th - he wants to stockpile talent on the PS. Pokey and Milton Wright are upgrades over any WR on the PS last season and Hightower, a hold-over from last year's PS, appears to have talent enough to make a decent depth piece on the roster if needed.

[Boltnut]

I disagree strongly Kendricks is better than Tranquill. Tranquill may not have been as good right in the box at the point of attack but he played with fire, hustle, and emotion and made a lot of splash plays in big moment. Kendricks mostly plays in slow motion and lags around like he doesn't give a shit. Trust me Tranquill will be celebrated in KC and missed here.

I hope you're right about Moore I've watched 13 games so far of Dallas last season and am totally unimpressed. As of now based on what I've seen I'm thinking he's actually a downgrade from Lombardi. I've watched 13 games of football and he has yet to use a single screen to a running back. Not one! Very few easy schemed up throws. Everything is difficult hoping our front is better than your front and our guys can beat your guys. I'm actually watching their game vs Jacksonville now and the difference in playcalling between him and Peterson is astounding. Doug Peterson is a guy who I would consider a very good play caller. Lawrence sux in the straight dropback game, they struggle with protection and aren't exactly a really physical Oline, but he makes their offense effective by spreading the defense horizontally and utilizing a ton of misdirection, screens, etc. That Jacksonville offense is a pain in the ass to defend and Peterson really leverages what he has to work with there.

As long as you're watching film, go back and specifically watch Tranquill. The Jacksonville game was especially atrocious.

In the Staley system, the LB's are supposed to read and react. The DL's job is to tie up OL. The LB's job is to fill gaps before the OL can get there. It's a position that requires quick recognition skills and a brain. Don't give me this "he has fire, hustle, and emotion" bullshit. The only splash plays he made were when he asked to run blitz. There was no thinking involved. He was told which run gap to hit. Kendricks understands where to be and when to get there. I saw a stat that compared the two in terms of where they made their tackles. IIRC, Tranquill's tackles were 1.5 yards further down field than Kendrick's tackles.

As for Moore vs. Lombardi/Peterson... Moore's offense in Dallas finished 1st in points scored in 2021 (yes, ahead of Andy Reid) and 4th in points scored in 2022... with Cooper Rush at QB for 6 games. If you're watching Dallas games... you're wasting your time. Like I said before, the personnel is completely different here... so the 12 and 13-personnel there will be 10 and 11-personnel here.

Watch these game tapes with your brain... not your emotions. Study up on Staley-D and Moore's offensive philosophy before watching. That way you'll know what to look for.

[Boltnut]

And don't forget to shout 'Salud!".

When breaking curses I always shout "Bullshit!"
These traditions must be strictly followed... or else they won't work.

Many, many, many, many people will tell you that curses (and curse breakers) don't exist or don't work... that they are creations for the weak minded and superstitious... a vehicle to appease the ignorant... an explanation for the un-explainable.

But maybe it's because people don't strictly follow the curse breaking rules and traditions.
I'm sure it's the latter..... Salud!

[Formula 21]

As for Dustin Hopkins, age and injury has pretty much killed his chance of making the squad. I think the kicker competition is over. Dicker is healthy and performing well, Hopkins is not.

[Kellyb72601]

As long as you're watching film, go back and specifically watch Tranquill. The Jacksonville game was especially atrocious.

In the Staley system, the LB's are supposed to read and react. The DL's job is to tie up OL. The LB's job is to fill gaps before the OL can get there. It's a position that requires quick recognition skills and a brain. Don't give me this "he has fire, hustle, and emotion" bullshit. The only splash plays he made were when he asked to run blitz. There was no thinking involved. He was told which run gap to hit. Kendricks understands where to be and when to get there. I saw a stat that compared the two in terms of where they made their tackles. IIRC, Tranquill's tackles were 1.5 yards further down field than Kendrick's tackles.

As for Moore vs. Lombardi/Peterson... Moore's offense in Dallas finished 1st in points scored in 2021 (yes, ahead of Andy Reid) and 4th in points scored in 2022... with Cooper Rush at QB for 6 games. If you're watching Dallas games... you're wasting your time. Like I said before, the personnel is completely different here... so the 12 and 13-personnel there will be 10 and 11-personnel here.

Watch these game tapes with your brain... not your emotions. Study up on Staley-D and Moore's offensive philosophy before watching. That way you'll know what to look for.

Yes I'm well aware Tranquill was somewhat limited in runs at him right up the gut, but I do feel he made good some good progress in that area as the season went on. Where he'll be missed is as that dime linebacker sideline to sideline defender, blitzer etc. I would rather have replaced Murray with a legit run stopper (Bobby Wagner would have been my 1st choice) and kept Tranquill.

I guess I'll go back and watch some '21 Dallas games when they had Amari Cooper & reserve judgement until then. Interestingly I did notice the offense with Cooper Rush last year was 100% completely different than what they ran with Prescott so that does give me hope Moore is highly adaptable. I thought he did a pretty nice job scheming & playcalling with the Cooper Rush offense.

[CivilBolt]

As for Dustin Hopkins, age and injury has pretty much killed his chance of making the squad. I think the kicker competition is over. Dicker is healthy and performing well, Hopkins is not.

Don’t forget the cost saving.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

As for Dustin Hopkins, age and injury has pretty much killed his chance of making the squad. I think the kicker competition is over. Dicker is healthy and performing well, Hopkins is not.

Logically, the ONLY reason to go with Hopkins over Dicker would be Hopkins' greater level of experience.

But with most of a season under his belt, I'm persuaded that Dicker is the right guy for the job this season.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

So... safety John Johnson will *not* be signing with the Bolts.

John Johnson returning to Rams on one-year deal (nfl.com)

[Bolt4Knob]

Don’t forget the cost saving.

Cost savings this year is nominal unless he is traded and some team pays his guaranteed salary

Its next year there is big time savings

[Xenos]

Looks like JJIII went back to the Rams. I’m actually not that heartbroken about it. There are other bigger positional needs than safety right now.

[jox g]

so making any astute observations at training camp today was way harder than I anticipated. Lot's of distractions, bad blecher seats, smelly noisy people, mini heat strokes etc.
but I saw a few things:
I'm a believer of the Hightower hype. Made at least 2 contested catches with great body positioning.
Darius Davis I'm a bit down on after that drop and I think he ended with 2 drops.
here is the least surprising sentence ever: guys, without our starting tackles, we're in deep deep shit.
Mack moves faster than most linebackers imho, just a force today.
Scott Matlock has power and is pretty agile. Enough to forklift the human tub mr Salyer.
it was really hard to tell if the starting guards did their job in the run game because of the crappy angle but the run D was stout.
James looked great everywhere including as a passrusher.
Tuli did too, very strong.
Palmer beat ASJ and basically every db he went against, he's very physical at the catch point.
I'll post more if I remember. Long day, gnight guys.

Scott THE BEAST Matlock!
Thank you for this post!

[Bolt4Knob]

Looks like JJIII went back to the Rams. I’m actually not that heartbroken about it. There are other bigger positional needs than safety right now.

Agree. OL depth - still not sold on Jaimes; TE - McKitty seems to be at a crossroads