How did the Chargers get an A in English?
Last year, the San Diego Chargers had a hard time getting to the quarterback without Shawne Merriman. The Chargers needed someone to help them filled the void at linebacker and put pressure on the QB when Merriman is not in the line-up. With the drafting of Northern Illinois University’s outside linebacker, Larry English, the Chargers accomplished their goal. Larry English had 31.5 sacks and 63 tackles behind the line of scrimmage at NIU.
Larry English should help the Chargers pass rush, which struggled at important times last season, including the playoffs. Also, putting pressure on the QB helps create turnovers, which the Chargers were successful at a couple of years ago. Now that the Chargers have Larry English along with linebackers, Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips, the San Diego Chargers could be one of the dominating defenses this year. Only time will tell if Larry English makes the grade, stay tuned.
(Sources: NFL.com)
Raiders Should Have Learned from the Jets When it comes to the 2009 Draft
With the retirement of Brett Favre, the New York Jets needed a quarterback. Enter, USC’s quarterback, Mark Sanchez. The Jets filled a void at QB by drafting Sanchez and now, the Jets are looking at a bright future. But, for the Oakland Raiders, they should have drafted the best offensive lineman available to help protect their quarterbacks and help them run the ball. The Raiders did not do this.
Mark Sanchez comes from a long line of successful USC quarterbacks. Now, he is looking to bring that success to the New York Jets organization. For the Oakland Raiders, they need to draft players that will help them on both sides of the ball. The Raiders defense is good, but its their offense that needs help, mainly on the offensive-line.
Last year, the Oakland Raiders 1st draft pick was a running back, which they needed. But this year, the Raiders 1st draft pick was a wide-receiver, which they didn’t. It will take a couple of years to see which team got it right, but as it stand now, it seems the big winner is the New York Jets.
Should the Chargers Draft an Offensive or Defensive Player with the 1st pick?
Despite winning the AFC West division, the San Diego Chargers struggled on both sides of the ball last season. The Chargers are talented on offense, but the Chargers offense did struggled to run the ball all year. However, the Chargers defense also struggled. Without linebacker, Shawne Merriman, the defense had a hard time getting sacks and putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2008.
It’s said that defense wins championship and if this is the case, then the San Diego Chargers should draft the best defensive player available. This year Merriman is back and healthy, but to become a dominate defense, the Chargers need to draft players that can fill in when he is not in the lineup.
However, with the Chargers offense struggling to run the ball, even with talented player like LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles, the Chargers need to find players to help out the offensive-line. Of course, if the Chargers are looking towards the future to replace L.T., they could draft a running back. A lot of decisions are going to be made before the Chargers are on the clock, but they should be able to find the right player for any of their needs.
What’s Wrong with the AFC West and How can it Approve in the Draft?
Well, when the AFC West division’s champion is 8-8, there’s something wrong. The San Diego Chargers did win the division, but struggled on defense without Shawne Merriman. The Chargers should look to draft a defensive player to help put pressure on the quarterback. For the Oakland Raiders, they do have a good defense, but need help on offense. The Raiders should draft an offensive-line player to help protect the quarterback. Even though the Raiders picked up QB Jeff Garcia, if there is no one to there to protect him or JaMarcus Russell, the Raiders offense will continue to struggle.
As for the Kansas City Chiefs, when you are 2-14, there are many needs. However, the Chiefs should help to build on their defense. The Chiefs brought in a new coaching staff and will need players to help them move towards the future. The Chiefs added a talented QB in Matt Cassel, but the Chiefs need to get the defense off the field and keep their offense on the field. And by adding a very good defensive player, the Chiefs could be on their way.
The Denver Broncos have had a crazy off-season. First, they fired coach Mike Shanahan and then they trade to their starting QB, Jay Cutler. Despite these losses, the Broncos are capable of putting up big numbers on offense. However, the Broncos need help on defense. Even with all the points the Broncos scored, the defense could not stop the opposition from scoring as well. For a football team to be a dominate team in the NFL, they need to stop the run and run the ball. Every team in the AFC West struggled to do this constantly last season. But, with the right draft picks the AFC West could be back to be one of the toughest division in football. We shall see.
Will the Chargers Get Off to a Fast Start or Struggle from the Beginning?
The start of the 2009 season will be tough for the San Diego Chargers. During last two seasons, the Chargers have struggled to get off to a fast start. And, this year, it does not get any easier. The Chargers will begin their season at the Oakland Raiders and then come home to play the Baltimore Ravens and their tough defense.
In week 3, the Chargers will play against the Miami Dolphins. The Chargers lost to the Dolphins last season, so this will be a very hard test for the Chargers. And finally, before the bye week, the Chargers will go on the road to play against the Super Bowl defending champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers eliminated the Chargers from the playoffs last year. This could be an opportunity for the Chargers to get their revenge against the Pittsburgh Steelers or will the Steelers get another victory, we shall see.
But, for the San Diego Chargers, they need to get off to a good start. Even though, the Chargers were able to get into the playoffs last season, you do not want to rely on another team to struggle to make the playoffs. Hopefully for the Chargers, they will not struggle from the beginning, but stay tuned to find out.
Owens Finally Arrives to Voluntary Mini-Camps
The phrase “better late than never,” most of times, is a good thing, but when everyone is watching your every move, being late is not. Buffalo Bills wide-receiver Terrell Owens finally showed up to the Bills off-season voluntary workout sessions. If T.O. would had started the workout sessions from the beginning, would this be an issue?
In talking to reports, Terrell Owens mentioned how he wasn’t the only player not to make it voluntary mini-camps and he is right. However, since we are talking about T.O., whether T.O. showed up on time or a few weeks later, of course there was going to be a buzz around Terrell Owens. It is what it is. Owens said that this will help motive him and hopefully for the Buffalo Bills, it will.
Sources: (ESPN)
What does Wilson’s new contract mean for Gates?
On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Kellen Wilson to a six-year $36.1 million dollars contract. By signing with the Buccaneers, Wilson became the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. However, there are many that believe that San Diego Chargers TE Antonio Gates is the best tight end in NFL history. The numbers don’t lie. In the past five-years, Gates has more touchdowns, more receptions and more yards than Wilson.
When Antonio Gates contact ends, he should be able to demand higher paid contract than Wilson. But, we shall see if the Chargers feel the same way. As for Kellen Wilson, when he was a member of the Cleveland Browns, there were many issues between the Browns and Wilson. But, now that Wilson is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hopefully he is ready for a fresh start. Stay tuned.
Sources: (ESPN, San Diego Union-Tribune)
Cutler’s Trade to Chicago, Ends His Rivalry with Rivers
The Denver Broncos traded quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears on Thursday, in exchange for QB Kyle Orton and two 1st-round draft picks in 2009 and 2010, along with a third-round pick this year. Jay Cutler had a great rivalry going with San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers, but with the trade of Cutler, their rivalry will have to wait until the Bears play the Chargers someday.
This was a good move for both teams. The Denver Broncos got the distraction out of the locker-room and now, the Broncos can move forward on building for the future. As for the Chicago Bears, they finally got the quarterback they needed. Plus, the Bears will also get a fifth-round pick from Broncos. Jay Cutler is a veteran quarterback with a good arm. With Jay Cutler and a strong defense, the Bears might be tough to beat.
Only time will tell on who got the better trade, the Bears or Broncos. As for the Rivers-Cutler rivalry, well it was fun while it lasted. The San Diego Chargers ended the Denver Broncos chance of making the playoff last year. Both teams were looking forward to continuing this classic rivalry with both QBs competitiveness in 2009. However, all good things in football must come to an end, but the Rivers-Cutler rivalry will not be forgotten.
Sources: (XX Sports Radio, ESPN)