2024 Chargers News | Acquisitions | Transactions | Injuries

[WindsorUK]

In general, the position is now in danger of becoming commoditisied, as were RBs and LBs. Except for a true franchise QB, and maybe OTs, you can't overload your salary cap in a position where there are so many possible cheaper options coming out of college. I'm glad the Chargers didn't take that bait for Jefferson, but we have to wait and see if our unproven WR corps holds up.

Thank you, Bolt-O, for being the voice of reason. WR are not something you use high draft capital on, and certainly not valued cap space.
QB, LT, Edge, CB1, those are your impact players. For sure there are generational talents at other positions most drafts but your big ticket players should be getting the most capital.
You need a good O-line if you want good receivers.

[Topcat]

Thank you, Bolt-O, for being the voice of reason. WR are not something you use high draft capital on, and certainly not valued cap space.
QB, LT, Edge, CB1, those are your impact players. For sure there are generational talents at other positions most drafts but your big ticket players should be getting the most capital.
You need a good O-line if you want good receivers.

Good point...I would also argue that if you have a solid O-line, you can even get by with average receivers...but now, with the additions of Ladd, Chark, Rice and Johnson, suddenly we are STACKED at wideout...and TALENTED wideout...

[Fouts2herbert]

The last time I looked at OTC, the Chargers have just under $19.4M in effective cap space (51 + Draft picks)). What we don’t know is how much they want for in-season purposes.

BTW, I’m very glad to hear you’re more optimistic than most. That’s a key to a happy life.

I'm not saying it'll happen here and certainly Jim wasn't dealing with the Chiefs in his division when he took over the 49ers but he took that 49er team from 6-10 in their previous year to 13-3 in his first year as coach and he didn't have Herbert under center...he had Alex Smith...

[sonorajim]

Thank you, Bolt-O, for being the voice of reason. WR are not something you use high draft capital on, and certainly not valued cap space.
QB, LT, Edge, CB1, those are your impact players. For sure there are generational talents at other positions most drafts but your big ticket players should be getting the most capital.
You need a good O-line if you want good receivers.

We had good receivers and a crummy OL for most of Philip Rivers tenure as Chargers QB.

All the elements of a good offense are best. QB, RBs, WRs, TEs, OL,, along with coaches, trainers, defense, STs, etc, etc.

To return to your point, a quality OL lets the "skill" players shine, yes.

[Fouts2herbert]

In general, the position is now in danger of becoming commoditisied, as were RBs and LBs. Except for a true franchise QB, and maybe OTs, you can't overload your salary cap in a position where there are so many possible cheaper options coming out of college. I'm glad the Chargers didn't take that bait for Jefferson, but we have to wait and see if our unproven WR corps holds up.

Yes, many many polished WRs coming out of college on a yearly basis now, we are at the beginning of teams becoming hesitant to extend some of their young WRs, I see what happened in the WR free agent market this offseason as an indication of things to come, some have said that it was just a really strong WR class that drove the free agent market down but strong WR classes are becoming commonplace, they are not the exception that they might've been 20-30 years ago...just look at the two WRs we got in the 7th round in this past draft, there is no way either one would've been available that Low in the draft in comparable drafts just 15-20 years ago...

[LarryAW]

Just an aside, but anyone would be a fool to sign Justin Jefferson to a 40mill/yr deal. You're reaching a point of diminishing returns, unless you believe in some alternate universe that Jefferson will have the same production as a quarterback.

I think the league is recognizing this now with the overall position.

Wasn’t long ago the top was $20M and now he wants $40M? I’m sure those who consider Fast Food a luxury now are really pulling for him.

[Formula 21]

Just an aside, but anyone would be a fool to sign Justin Jefferson to a 40mill/yr deal. You're reaching a point of diminishing returns, unless you believe in some alternate universe that Jefferson will have the same production as a quarterback.

Receiver contracts have to make you reconsider how you man the position. The top guys have just become unaffordable. Maybe teams need to spread the ball around more so one receiver doesn’t get big headed because he’s getting all the catches.

As for Jefferson, I don’t believe you can destroy your team/league salary cap allocation for one guy. What if the QB, say Mahomes, now wants $100 million a year? The Vikes need to be tough like Baltimore was with Lamar Jackson. Sometimes you just have to say no.

[Formula 21]

I'm not saying it'll happen here and certainly Jim wasn't dealing with the Chiefs in his division when he took over the 49ers but he took that 49er team from 6-10 in their previous year to 13-3 in his first year as coach and he didn't have Herbert under center...he had Alex Smith...

7 win improvement year over year? Yeah, I’ll take that.

[Formula 21]

We had good receivers and a crummy OL for most of Philip Rivers tenure as Chargers QB.

All the elements of a good offense are best. QB, RBs, WRs, TEs, OL,, along with coaches, trainers, defense, STs, etc, etc.

To return to your point, a quality OL lets the "skill" players shine, yes.

I’d hold that the QB can help make the WR great, whereas the OL has to make himself great. Bad QBs do not help WRs rack up the big stats.

[LarryAW]

I'm not saying it'll happen here and certainly Jim wasn't dealing with the Chiefs in his division when he took over the 49ers but he took that 49er team from 6-10 in their previous year to 13-3 in his first year as coach and he didn't have Herbert under center...he had Alex Smith...

I know. I’m very optimistic, especially after last year’s disaster. The Chargers lost a lot of 3-point games, and the overall roster is improved. I know how good Jim is and love the staff he has put together. I would have to be a pessimist to be displeased with what they’ve done. I definitely am not. Definitely think its possible they reach the playoffs. NEVER would have thought that in January.

Imagine this team with Telesco fixing the issues. We can at least agree we’re all glad he’s gone. Being the Raiders GM is icing on the 🍰.

[Fouts2herbert]

7 win improvement year over year? Yeah, I’ll take that.

they will improve to a winning record, no doubt in my mind, the question is, how much will they improve 9-8 or 12-5? Especially when considering that this team still has to count on a lot of TT era players and many whom have not fulfilled their potential in the past...so the secret is probably getting those guys to raise the level of their play, I trust that Harbaugh will do just that, he's done it everywhere else, I'm still waiting to hear good reason why LA would be an exception?

[sonorajim]

they will improve to a winning record, no doubt in my mind, the question is, how much will they improve 9-8 or 12-5? Especially when considering that this team still has to count on a lot of TT era players and many whom have not fulfilled their potential in the past...so the secret is probably getting those guys to raise the level of their play, I trust that Harbaugh will do just that, he's done it everywhere else, I'm still waiting to hear good reason why LA would be an exception?

'23 was 5- 12. (shudder) I'm confident that the '24 coaching staff could have taken the '23 players to 10+ wins.

10 Ws this year is the floor IMO. I expect better.