Written by: Matthew Blunk
Who else thinks A. J. Smith and the San Diego Chargers are infinitely sick of the Manning family now?
With
Eli's big bro Peyton now setting up shop in Denver, the Chargers are no
longer the de-facto trendy pick in the AFC West. The Broncos have
erased all doubts that they won't repeat as division champions, even
without the almighty Tim Tebow. They've signed Peyton Manning, and that
means the West is theirs for at least the next two to three seasons.
Right?
Well, most likely. But one should never rule out the
Chargers. It's that kind of team. When you think they have one of the
most stacked rosters in the league and have all the talent in the world
and should contend for a Lombardi Trophy, they fall flat on their faces.
But when you are convinced that they're down and
out for the count, and need a positive miracle to come out on
top...they do. Norv Turner and the Chargers are just exceedingly
defiant, I suppose.
Let's take a look at San Diego's needs:
Running Back
With
the departure of Mike Tolbert to his hometown-ish Carolina Panthers,
the Chargers are left with injury-prone Ryan Mathews and largely
unproven Curtis Brinkley at tailback. Le'Ron McClain adds an intriguing
dimension to the offensive backfield, though he figures to get a vast
majority of his snaps at fullback. What the Chargers need is a dynamic
sort of player. A guy like Darren Sproles (thanks, A. J.). If they can't get Sprolesy
back (chuckle), they ought to look for help in this month's draft. Indeed, are the
Chargers even totally convinced Mathews is their long-term running
back? Whatever the case may be, help is needed. Go get LaMichael James.
Cornerback
Quentin
Jammer has been a terrific player for San Diego for many years. His
career is
winding down at this point, and the Chargers don't seem to have an heir
apparent (nor an opposite starter, really). Antoine Cason has been
maddeningly erratic. Marcus Gilchrist is not going to be a finished
product for another season. Shareece Wright is a wild card, in that he
could emerge as a sleeper for them, much sooner than expected.
Safety
Eric
Weddle will be in the powder blue for a long, long time. But honestly,
who's the other safety? Darrell Stuckey is a former 4th-round pick from
the same class as Mathews, though he has managed to accomplish even less
than the gimpy running back. Atari Bigby was once a starter in the
Green Bay Packers secondary, and even got himself a ring for Super Bowl
XLV. But he did not even play in that game, and hasn't made a difference
as a starting NFL safety since 2009. This is a considerable need for
the Bolts, as Weddle can't be asked to do everything anymore.
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