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The San Diego Chargers are gearing up to win a Super Bowl this year. The signs are everywhere.
Last year’s holdout Vincent Jackson didn’t sign with another team this year, he wasn’t traded, instead, the star receiver was made the Bolt…
During Norv Turner’s reign, the San Diego Chargers have gone from being 60 minutes from the Super Bowl in 2008, to no playoffs at all in 2011. What’s broken? What needs an overhaul? What needs fine tuning?
From free agency to the long snapper, we…
The San Diego Chargers, the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC West heading into the season, will not even qualify for the playoffs after last Sunday’s shocking 34-20 loss at Cincinnati.
This marks the first season the Chargers will miss out o…
Picking the brain of Chargers general manager A.J Smith is not an easy task. Outside of top Charger brass, i.e. Chargers owner Dean Spanos, nobody really knows what he’s got planned, including the players.
This really puts the ball in his court so to speak, and gives him an advantage and leverage over any disgruntled employees, including those with salary disputes.
If this year’s draft taught me anything, it was that Smith is a master at filling all voids to get the team ready to be complete. Although critics were harsh in giving him a C+ as a draft grade, I was pretty pleased.
He filled really all the needs. Running back, nose tackle, tight end, quarterback, safety, and linebacker. So, he did it differently than we all predicted, but he did get the job done.
As much as it pains me to say it, it looks like the Chargers’ chances of getting Vincent Jackson or Marcus McNeil on the playing field are slipping by the day.
Knowing this, Smith announced publicly that the Chargers plan on being without their services for quite a while. Jackson and McNeil’s agents have made it clear that ” quite a while” means “all season.”
So at the end of the season, Jackson and McNeil are free to sign anywhere, no strings attached! So keeping them on the roster and payroll makes no sense at all, if you are just priming them for release.
Of course were not privy to that information, but the signing Wednesday of Tra Thomas could mean a couple of things.
1. McNeil’s money demands are too high. If Smith cant afford him, then he just can’t sign him.
2. There is an undisclosed complication to McNeil’s back problems.
3. Smith sees huge potential in Nic Richmond or Brady Bond to play the left tackle role. So signing either of them to a much smaller contract and keeping McNeil on a one year deal to see if they develop would be the smart play.
Either way, the signing of Thomas almost fully spotlights the fact that Smith knew signing McNeil was beyond the realm of possibility. As much as I like to think it was to provoke McNeil into signing, I really think it’s a lost cause.
Does this mean there’s hope in retaining Jackson?
This, I am hopeful for. Obviously Tra Thomas and a rookie tackle would be making much less that McNeil was offered. So that money would be available in bargaining with Jackson at least.
In bringing in Thomas, it also sends the message to Jackson that Smith intends to play hardball. He has a team to run, not a bunch of individuals.
Every person who sees how the Chargers sign players knows it is done with the stealth and secrecy of a ninja, meaning there is no indication of a trade or a signing until it is done and on the cover of the San Diego Union .
Jackson is also aware that names like Terrel Owens are floating around the free agent pool. so signing Owens for a season could very well leave him without employment for the 2010 season—also an advantage for Smith.
Perhaps Smith sees so much promise in his receiving group that paying Jackson a huge amount of money to stay doesn’t seem like the best business venture at this point.
I tend to think that Smith has grown tired of Jackson’s off-field trouble and doesn’t want to reward him. If you notice the Chargers who Smith really likes, Rivers, Tomlinson, and Mathews, you will also find a very clean off-field image.
That is the image that Smith likes to promote. Jackson does not have that image. Is there a wedge driven in their relationship because of that? My guess would be yes.
Is there a possible trade partner to receive fair compensation for Jackson?
Yes, The Dallas Cowboys!
Lets face it, Cowboys WR Miles Austin and Jackson are strikingly similar on the stat sheets, playing ability, age, size, future prospect depth etc.
There is one difference however. Jackson is way more a Jerry Jones type of guy. And Austin is way more a A.J Smith type of guy. It just may be a good coincidence that Austin just happens to be in the same boat as Jackson.
He’s a restricted free agent receiver who hasn’t signed his tender with Dallas for $3.2 million dollars because he is seeking a multi-year contract.
Okay, maybe we’re on to something here. The Cowboys and Chargers are definitely willing trade partners who are very familiar with each other. There’s no bad blood there.
They are in different divisions and conferences and won’t play each other for four more years. Is a trade between the two players a likely scenario? Jackson for Austin? I don’t see why not.
Would a trade make Jones, Jackson, Austin and Smith happy? I’d say so on all four counts.
Would Jones take Jackson with his excess baggage in a straight up trade for Austin? Sure, he just drafted Dez Bryant after a spell with Terrel Owens didn’t he?
Jones is an easier man to read than Smith is, and when he’s upset with a player, he doesn’t try as hard to hide it to save his image. Right now, Austin is the player on the hot seat.
And since he’s got Jones on the phone, he just may try to shop Marcus McNeil at the same time. And believe me, Jones would be all ears since he recently lost the services of his All-Pro left tackle Flozelle Adams.
In fact, he just may cough up Marion Barber and the Cowboys’ second round pick next season and still come out ahead. So would Smith agree? Considering his current status. Im sure he’d be delighted!
Current status: two lost roster spots, no #1 wide receiver, no left tackle, and the almost certain departure of Sproles next season. If he could get out with Barber, Austin, and a extra second rounder next season, all his problems are solved in a single phone call.
He would even honor Barbers’ contact through 2014 , which Jones has already try to shop and trade off. Everybody knows the NFL is a two back league. Jones has three, Smith has a rookie and a soon to be departing Sproles.
For all of these reasons Chargers fans, don’t be too worried about having a number one receiver out there on the field come September.
Whether if it’s Owens, Jackson, or Austin, Smith will get one in Bolts before you know it, that I can almost guarantee. However picking which one is just a tough a task as picking the brain of A.J Smith! I guess we will all read about it in the San Diego Union .
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Is Ryan Matthews the next Ladainian Tomlinson?
AJ Smith, Dean Spanos and Norv Turner seem to think so.
Was he worth the no.12 overall pick in the 2010 draft?
Smith, Spanos, and Turner think so as well. Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided its about time to put these two guys to comparison, and what I found out is ” Yes” they are pretty identical.
It got a little tricky. For example, Ladainian Tomlinson played all four years of college, and Matthews only played three. Matthews started as a freshman, Tomlinson did not. So averages is the only fair measure.
So this comparison is based on their first three years of college, only averages,overall combine scores, and physical characteristics , and what it renders is pretty much a mirror image.
Tomlinson 5’11″ 216 Lbs
Mathews 5’11″ 220 LBS
College :
Tomlinson: Texas Christian
Mathews: Fresno State
Strength of schedule (same)
40 yard dash at Combine:
Tomlinson 4:38
Mathews 4:53
Bench Press Reps:
Tomlinson 18
Mathews 19
All the cone drills were pretty much identical.
College avg Yds per Carry:
Tomlinson 5.7
Mathews 6.0
Junior year (last comparable college season):
Yds per Season/Per Game/ Touchdowns
Tomlinson: 1850 /154.2/ 18 TD’S
Mathews : 1858/ 154.8/ 19 TD’S
Draft Pick:
Tomlinson 5th Overall , April 2001
Mathews 12th Overall, April 2010
What was expected:
Tomlinson was joining the worst team in pro football.(1-15) They had the 29th ranked offense, and the 28th ranked defense in the NFL. He was expected to be the father son and holy ghost to turn the organization. To his credit, HE DID!!
He joined a 2000 Chargers team who boasted only two pro bowlers, one of whom was a punter, Darren Bennet! A punter is the last guy any team wants in the pro bowl!
There was no established quarterback, dare I mention the name Ryan Leaf? Yep, he was leading the show.
Ryan Mathews enters a much different less hostile NFL debut. He is not expected to resurect a team, just balance its offense. He has every advantage that Tomlinson did not.
He is joining a team ranked third in the NFL with a (13-3 )record. He has an established elite pro bowl quarterback in Philip Rivers, where Tomlinson had the no.1 draft bust of all time.
Mathews joins one of the top pass attacks in the league with a pro Bowl Quarterback, Tight end, and Wide receiver. Tomlinson joined the 31st ranked pass attack, they only made pro bowlers out of opposing cornerbacks!
Mathews gets to play behind ” THREE” pro bowl offensive linemen, while Tomlinson had to been dropped into a war zone.
Mathews has a Veteran Back in Darren Sproles to show him the ropes, Tomlinson “WAS” the lead back as soon as he signed his contract!
Up to eight defenders stacked the box every game against the Chargers in an attempt to stop Tomlinson. If Mathews faces more than six in the box, Rivers will make them pay really fast for it.
The Conclusion:
Ryan Mathews will make a good team even stronger. In fact, the Chargers offense has NEVER been more balanced.
Chargers fans (including myself) Have been very hard on LaDainian Tomlinson. The truth of the matter is, he did a heck of a job bringing the Chargers from dead last in the NFL, To number two in winning percentage over the last seven seasons. Big props to him!
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