Looking At The Chargers' Roster

[chargeroo]

Looking over the roster closely, here are a few thoughts I have.-
The change from a pocket passer to a mobile passer will mean a big difference in this years offense The big question will be are any of the three QB's capable of providing a passing game that's good enough to win in the NFL?

The Ravens recently went through this change - pocket passer to a mobile passer. They changed their offense and I bet the Chargers offense is going to look somewhat like the Ravens offense last season. I read that AL Lynn and the Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

Looking at the expected lineup of Trey Pipkins, Sam Tevi or Storm Norton at left tackle; Dan Feeney or Forrest Lamp at left guard makes me apprehensive.. I love the change on the right side of Center but left side is very questionable. Maybe the new OL coach and different offensive scheme will be favorable to the young players at LG and LT? I guess that's our hope?

On defense, I'm not crazy about the depth at CB. Injuries at this position could quickly turn a strength into an area of concern. Ditto at LB, the subs are suspect. I love the trade up for Murray because I think he's the same kind of LB that Junior was and Jumior's an all time favorite of mine. But, he's a rookie and we can expect some rookie mistakes from him. I just hope he doesn't get kicked out of his first game like Junior did!

[like54ninjas]

Looking over the roster closely, here are a few thoughts I have.-
The change from a pocket passer to a mobile passer will mean a big difference in this years offense The big question will be are any of the three QB's capable of providing a passing game that's good enough to win in the NFL?

The Ravens recently went through this change - pocket passer to a mobile passer. They changed their offense and I bet the Chargers offense is going to look somewhat like the Ravens offense last season. I read that AL Lynn and the Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

Looking at the expected lineup of Trey Pipkins, Sam Tevi or Storm Norton at left tackle; Dan Feeney or Forrest Lamp at left guard makes me apprehensive.. I love the change on the right side of Center but left side is very questionable. Maybe the new OL coach and different offensive scheme will be favorable to the young players at LG and LT? I guess that's our hope?

On defense, I'm not crazy about the depth at CB. Injuries at this position could quickly turn a strength into an area of concern. Ditto at LB, the subs are suspect. I love the trade up for Murray because I think he's the same kind of LB that Junior was and Jumior's an all time favorite of mine. But, he's a rookie and we can expect some rookie mistakes from him. I just hope he doesn't get kicked out of his first game like Junior did!

K9 is a favorite of mine and it will be season 3 before we see his best but as a rookie he is still an upgrade in talent. Hopefully Murray can be close to the same type of impact player Seau was!

I’m a bit bullish on the athletic profiles of our CB depth. Have to see if any of Facyson, Meeks, or Campbell can make a big leap after being with the team a year or two. I also like the UDFAs Vaughn, McGill, and Brannon. All 6 of them have the size, length, and disruption skills GusD covets. Hopefully one of them becomes a dude for us.

The Oline is a prove it year for a few guys. If they falter the season will be a long one.

[Steve]

Looking over the roster closely, here are a few thoughts I have.-
The change from a pocket passer to a mobile passer will mean a big difference in this years offense The big question will be are any of the three QB's capable of providing a passing game that's good enough to win in the NFL?

The Ravens recently went through this change - pocket passer to a mobile passer. They changed their offense and I bet the Chargers offense is going to look somewhat like the Ravens offense last season. I read that AL Lynn and the Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

Looking at the expected lineup of Trey Pipkins, Sam Tevi or Storm Norton at left tackle; Dan Feeney or Forrest Lamp at left guard makes me apprehensive.. I love the change on the right side of Center but left side is very questionable. Maybe the new OL coach and different offensive scheme will be favorable to the young players at LG and LT? I guess that's our hope?

On defense, I'm not crazy about the depth at CB. Injuries at this position could quickly turn a strength into an area of concern. Ditto at LB, the subs are suspect. I love the trade up for Murray because I think he's the same kind of LB that Junior was and Jumior's an all time favorite of mine. But, he's a rookie and we can expect some rookie mistakes from him. I just hope he doesn't get kicked out of his first game like Junior did!

AL and Roman really only coached 2015 together. In 2016 Roman got fired 1 week into the season, so while he was on the staff for the offseason and part of the season, they weren't together for 2 full seasons.

The OL could get shuffled up. A better way to look at it is just the number of positions. Teams like to build up right or left, but ultimately, if a team has 1 weak position, they can scheme around it. If they have 2 weak players, then the handcuffs are on, and they get exploited by a decent D. Any more than 2 and the D just pins it's ears back and kills our QB and RB.

[chargeroo]

AL and Roman really only coached 2015 together. In 2016 Roman got fired 1 week into the season, so while he was on the staff for the offseason and part of the season, they weren't together for 2 full seasons.

The OL could get shuffled up. A better way to look at it is just the number of positions. Teams like to build up right or left, but ultimately, if a team has 1 weak position, they can scheme around it. If they have 2 weak players, then the handcuffs are on, and they get exploited by a decent D. Any more than 2 and the D just pins it's ears back and kills our QB and RB.

I'm not sure what you mean by ''shuffled up''. Your last line sounds very familiar to us Charger fan. (sadly)

I think the key to having a successful OL this year may be Lamp. If he can stay healthy and play up to the expectations we had for him when he was drafted it will certainly improve the left side. I still think they should have kept him at LT, he has great feet and played it so well in college. However, the coaching staff knows a lot more about it than I do!

[Maniaque 6]

I'm not sure what you mean by ''shuffled up''. Your last line sounds very familiar to us Charger fan. (sadly)

I think the key to having a successful OL this year may be Lamp. If he can stay healthy and play up to the expectations we had for him when he was drafted it will certainly improve the left side. I still think they should have kept him at LT, he has great feet and played it so well in college. However, the coaching staff knows a lot more about it than I do!

Does he have two left feet ?

[Steve]

Ourlads lists our starting OL as

LT- Bulaga - who has spent almost his entire career at RT, but is a better pass blocker than run blocker, so may get consideration at LT
LG - Feeney - who has played LG and C, but was a RG and RT in college
C - Pouncey - who has played both OG spots in addition to C
RG -Trai Turner - I don't know that he has played any other positions
RT - Tevi - played on the left side in college.

Backups
Scott - has played both sides
Lamp - has played LT, LG and RG - some teams considered him at C prior to the draft
Quessenberry - has lined up at both OG spots during PS, as well as started at C
Pipkins - has the feet to play LT, but has taken snaps at RT too
Storm Norton - has only ever played at LT

So with the exception of Turner, and Norton, pretty much everyone can play anywhere along the line. They will just put the best guys out there, and see what works. But you don't necessarily have to go with Bulaga and Turner as the right side of the OL to make one side of the line a go-to. Some coaches prefer the approach, so that when they need to get yards, they have one side they can count on.

Of course the D can count on it that way too. And quick defenders can come in around from the edges, so even the 2 good guys side by side has it's downsides.

The key to the OL is just finding 5 (or more) guys who can line up and be reasonably consistent. Again, it is not so much about being dominant, as just not being a liability. We basically have 2 guys who could play for almost anyone in Bulaga and Turner, and if Pouncey is back from his injury, you could maybe put him in there. But then there is the other 2 spots. The key is coaching up 2 or more guys (more if someone gets hurt).

[Boltjolt]

With Tevi and Feeney as starters, this OL still isn't very good. If Bulaga goes to LT, is he an upgrade to Okung?
Tevi is still a disaster and Feeney remains a weak spot.

Rather see Pip at LT as he at least has promise and Lamp at LG.

[Steve]

That was my point. Shuffle the line any way you want, it is about the players we have. 3 good players still leaves 2 holes and any way you shuffle the line, whether they are both on the same side, or one on each, the OL still has 2 holes.

The good thing is that I don't see the worry about LT vs RT thing for Bulaga. Put him wherever he is comfortable and don't worry about it too much. Plenty of teams put their best pass rusher on the right side, or flip flop them, so not having a LT is not as much of an issue as it used to be when every team put their best edge player on the blind side. Just fill the hole and make sure at least 1 position is solid. We still have 1 OT spot to worry about, but then it is only 1 (not both).

Bulaga is still a very good pass blocker. He knows all the tricks and has the technique to hang with almost anyone. His issue is that he was never a great run blocker, and at his age run blocking tends to start to fall off a bit. That may be a bit more of an issue, since we are almost certainly going to need to do a better job of running the ball, no matter who is the QB. He has played for Campen before, and since he is a FA, it is not like we can afford to be too picky. We didn't use top notch capital to fill the OL holes, we don't get 5 tool players.

That being said that was also the book on Roman Oben, who ended up being one of the better LT we have had in Chargers history, because while he couldn't blow DL off the ball, he was very, very good at cutting off the backside pursuit, and really opened up the cutback lanes for Tomlinson. He was also very solid in pass protection, so he was an excellent fit, and a big reason why Gruden got fired in TB (their running game fell apart and it was Gruden who wanted to get more road grader types to make his running game go).

[Fleet]

Had Donte Vaughn reach out to me. I really like this guy. Ill be pulling for him.

[like54ninjas]

Had Donte Vaughn reach out to me. I really like this guy. Ill be pulling for him.

That’s fucking awesome Fleet!
He is one of my favorite UDFA to make the 53/55.
Set him up an account!

[Topcat]

Had Donte Vaughn reach out to me. I really like this guy. Ill be pulling for him.

Vaughn didn't play all that much at the Golden Dome, and had some injury issues. Has great height for a CB at 6-3, and measurables in 40 and 3-cone are decent. Looks like a bit of a project, but raw talent is there:

image.png Donte Vaughn believes.

His four seasons as a Notre Dame cornerback came with plenty of pain and disappointment, yet Vaughn remains steadfast in his belief that he will make something more of it.

Vaughn made it out of Memphis (Tenn.) Whitehaven four years ago, pushing away from his comfort zone in search of something bigger.

“My purpose on this earth is my family,” Vaughn said. “I’ve been blessed with all these abilities and talents. God gave me these for a reason, and that was to maximize everything that I have around me in order to lead my family to a better place when it’s all said and done.”

Vaughn’s talents allowed him to play in 10 games and start four of them as a freshman in 2016. That disastrous 4-8 season resulted in major coaching staff changes including a new defensive coordinator in Mike Elko. Vaughn wanted to carry that momentum into a new regime on defense, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.
First came the hamstring and quad issues during preseason camp of his sophomore season. Then came a right shoulder injury that he shrugged off as soreness. Vaughn played with that shoulder injury as a junior too. He also broke a bone in his right hand just before the start of that 2018 season.

At least then the Irish were having success as a team with an undefeated regular season. That was until Notre Dame’s run at a national championship came crashing down in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson.

Vaughn found himself in the spotlight in the worst way. When he replaced an injured Julian Love at cornerback in the first half, Clemson opened up a 23-3 halftime lead with two touchdown passes thrown in Vaughn’s vicinity.

In the offseason that followed, Vaughn finally addressed his shoulder injury — which turned out to be a torn labrum — with surgery. He missed spring practice as a result. Then he started preseason camp in the starting lineup before dealing with more quad issues.

Nothing seemed to be working in Vaughn’s favor. After not playing in three of the first five games of his senior season, Vaughn needed something to change. He discussed with Notre Dame’s coaching staff if a redshirt season was in the works. Instead, he was called upon to be part of the game plan to shut down USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

Vaughn wasn’t left on an island to cover Pittman. Both he and TaRiq Bracy rotated to share the workload with a safety often assigned to help over the top. The plan worked to limit Pittman to four catches for 29 yards. He finished the season with 101 receptions for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s best receiver.

Vaughn would have been permitted to play in only one more game if he wanted to redshirt, but that performance gave him the confidence to commit to finishing out the season.
“Once I got momentum going, I thought, ‘Why stop the momentum?’” Vaughn said. “That’s what I was looking to have since my freshman year.”

Vaughn found a regular spot in the rotation while playing in each of the remaining seven games and starting three of them. Vaughn finished the season with 16 tackles and five pass breakups after failing to record any pass breakups as a sophomore or junior.

It was far from a storybook season for Vaughn, but he was able to make an impact while finishing his career with his fellow classmates.

“It always hurt me to see them out on the field when I wasn’t on the field going to war with them,” Vaughn said. “Once I got the chance to actually be back out there and actually perform and help out the team, that was one of the best feelings in the world.”

Pro Day letdown
Vaughn probably can’t put together a long highlight package to show NFL scouts. If he’s going to get a chance at professional football, it will be because a team believes he can be better than what he was at Notre Dame.
Vaughn set out to start proving that in January when he signed with an agent and started training with Athlete Innovations in Tampa Bay, Fla. Vaughn didn’t receive a combine invite, so his big shot was supposed to come at Notre Dame’s Pro Day.

By late March, that critical opportunity would be wiped away as the pre-draft circuit shut down in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Vaughn already had spoken to personnel from the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers, but he didn’t get a chance to prove himself in front of all 32 teams that were expected to attend the Irish Pro Day.

Vaughn was already back in South Bend preparing for Pro Day, so he decided to participate in a private workout with former teammates Julian Okwara, Jalen Elliott and Troy Pride Jr. They had the event filmed in order to ship the footage off to NFL teams.

“It feels like I’m a high school player telling a coach to check out my Hudl (highlights),” Vaughn said. “It’s a crazy process, but we’ve all been sticking together and working through this. It’s not only affecting one person. It’s affecting all of us.”

The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Vaughn recorded a 40-yard dash of 4.56 seconds and 20-yard shuttle of 4.16. He ran slightly faster (4.52) when he recorded his 40-yard dash previously in Tampa Bay.

A 4.52 at the NFL Combine would have been faster than nine of the 29 cornerbacks who completed the 40. A 4.16 in the shuttle would have slated fifth out of 13 cornerbacks and one-tenth of a second faster than Pride’s time.

Getting scouts to believe the numbers from workouts they couldn’t attend in person remains the challenge for Vaughn and hundreds of other draft prospects.

Don Croire@doncroire) and plans to launch a website when the spring/summer line production finishes.

The name of Vaughn’s brand is personal too. Don is short for Donte. Croire means “believe” in French.
Believe in Donte.

“In my time here at Notre Dame, I learned how to fight through adversity and still believe in myself in the end,” Vaughn said. “No matter what you’re faced with, believe in yourself and believe in the ability that you have.”

https://www.ndinsider.com/football/f...afcadc6ee.html

[chargeroo]

I'd say he is a long shot - real long!