Summertime Approaching, Some Charger Thoughts

Summertime is almost upon us and my blogging, which was slowed due to work related issues, will likely continue to be fairly sporadic.  You can of course tune into the Drunken Logic Podcast and hear my rants from my own voice if you want to keep up with my goings on.

But in the meantime...

The San Diego Chargers (fan driven) hype machine is in full gear.  I don't visit any other fan sites or forums other than the ones for the San Diego Chargers, so I don't know how looney other team's fans are.   But I can safely say there are plenty of Charger fans that live in a different universe than I because of what I am seeing and reading...all with accompanying "logic" and I will just briefly and lightly touch on a few things that have caught my eye...

Laughable point #1:  Well, first...let me not gloss over the obvious.  I refuse to believe the San Diego Chargers are even going to be a factor next season and I only need to say two words as to why ... NORV TURNER.  I have already written off next season, as I did last season, on the mere fact that Norv Turner is the head coach of the San Diego Chargers.  Turner has proven he could take a great team deep into the playoffs but he also has proven that he destroys great teams after that.  Two years of not making the playoffs filled with embarrassing losses to horrible teams.  Of course those that promote how well the Chargers are going to do next season don't factor in a bad coach dragging the team down, but Turner has proven he can do just that.  Any thought that Turner is going to improve this team next season is just wishful thinking...so far his past has proven to be the otherwise.

Laughable point #2: The Chargers run game will be elite next season.  I just read this article from a blogger and I about laughed myself silly.  Of course, like most Charger fan sites, their article is filled with a bunch of hopefully's, if's and's but's.  And really, then anyone could make any declaration and assume partial correctness if you use that type of logic.  Yes, the San Diego Chargers will be Super Bowl Champions IF they make the playoffs and IF they can win in the playoffs...etc... But making a declaration that the Charger run game will be "elite" next year is nothing but wishful thinking.  Based on the facts and the past...the Charger run game will be below average to average at best.  Ryan Mathews has been wishfu" thinking since he was drafted to replace LaDainian Tomlinson but he hasn't done anything impressive (except for the meaningless last game of each of the last two seasons) since being drafted except get hurt and fumble.  It's also well known that Mathews is a horrible third down back and a poor pass blocker ... doesn't sound like a good runner to me at all.

Laughable point #3: The Chargers have upgraded at wide receiver.  The Chargers let Vincent Jackson sign with Tampa Bay...this I wasn't too upset about, he would have commanded too much money and I was beginning to sour on his play anyways.  But I will not discount the fact that VJ was a decent receiver...maybe not top 10, but decent for Charger standards.  Who do the Chargers get to replace them?  First, Robert Meachum ... a #3, 4 guy on the Saints with Drew Brees throwing for record yards last season ... yes, stat hounds will point out that his numbers are good, but any receiver on the Saints is the benefactor of Drew Brees and the offensive system they are in.  And then Eddie Royal ... a punt returner for Denver...there's, apparently, the Chargers best wide receivers.  Oh sure, there are a couple of Chargers receivers, that didn't do jack shit last season except get hurt or drop balls,  Saying the Charger's have improved at the wide receiver position is just wishful thinking.

Laughable point #4: The Chargers have upgraded on both the defensive and offensive line.  Again, just more wishful thinking.  I'm trying to figure out how resigning the majority of both lines, that sucked last season, is an improvement.  Hopefully with more experience comes better play, but again, both lines proved to be greatly outmatched on most Sunday's ... how will they not be outmatched next season when they are virtually the same group of doormats?

Was I expecting the Chargers to really make a splash this off season?  No, not really and what the Chargers did do, to me, seemed almost expected.  Get some low dollar free agents to hopefully replace some holes on the team.  But the Chargers are still extremely weak in the secondary and runningback positions.  The Chargers also have, what seems to be, a 100 linebackers on the roster right now...none of them have been an impact player in the past and the Chargers, as expected, are gambling that they can find 4 that can play football.

I still haven't committed to making my final season prediction, but as of this point, 6-10 is looking like wishful thinking for me ... I'd also like to think that it would guarantee Norv Turner getting fired, but we all know that would just be wishful thinking as well.