SDUT (Acee): More than two changes coming for Chargers

[Robin Miller]

[RM: A lot of cap hits here: $6M for Gaither, $3.4M for Clary, $3M for
Royal. And the Chargers have to replace LT, LG, and RT, among other
positions. I will be sorry to see Shaun Phillips go, if he does.]


Acee: More than two changes coming for Chargers

By Kevin Acee

Monday, December 17, 2012

It’ not just the general manager and head coach who will be gone in 2013.

Depending on who you talk to, the Chargers are a disaster in need of
FEMA or just a few pieces from a full set.

We don’t know who exactly will be making the personnel decisions, so we
can’t know all the dominoes that will fall.

But expect that a number of big names and longtime Chargers won’t be
around in 2013. In fact, given the state of the team and status of so
many contracts, it is likely the makeover will rival that of 2004, when
A.J. Smith remade the roster in his second spring in charge.

You know, back when he was either really lucky or really good.

Here’s a list that the remaining decision makers -- Dean Spanos, Jimmy
Raye, John Spanos, Ed McGuire -- and whoever else will be considering:

• The Chargers knew it was a risk when they signed left tackle Jared
Gaither to a $24.5 million contract, given his injury history and
reputation for milking those injuries and not working hard. They
couldn’t have imagined it would be like this. Several teammates are
absolutely finished with Gaither, and it’s difficult to see him being
welcomed back into the locker room, despite the $9 million paid to him
in 2012 bonus and salary and the $6 million cap hit his release would cost.

• The consensus among football people here and around the league is that
outside linebacker Larry English just won’t ever be a difference maker
at the NFL level – healthy or not. The Chargers’ 2009 first-round pick
has one year left on his contract, but it’s almost impossible to imagine
a scenario he is kept after playing fewer than 1,000 snaps so far in his
career.

• Shaun Phillips is bouncing back in a contract year. But the man who
has started 103 games over the past seven seasons and ranks second in
team history with 67 sacks will almost certainly get his next paycheck
from another team. He’ll be 32 in 2013, and he won’t be looking to be
the other guy again, this time behind 2012 first-round pick Melvin Ingram.

• The Chargers were compelled to guarantee right tackle Jeromey Clary
$6.8 million prior to the 2011 season. He’s due $4 million if he’s on
the roster next season. Dependable and hard working, Clary’s struggle
with speed has become too much of a liability. The $3.4 million cap hit
the Chargers would take is a deterrent, especially with so many other
moves to be made.

• If Clary goes, and with the likely departure of left guard Tyronne
Green, free-agent-to-be Louis Vasquez is in an even more advantageous
position than his consistent play in 2012 afforded him. With so many
other holes to fill, it is almost imperative they keep Vasquez.

• If the Chargers keep running back Ryan Mathews, which his talent
dictates they do for one more season, they at least need to find another
top-flight back for his inevitable time out. Largely due to injury, but
also because of fumbles and his inability to adequately pick up pass
protection and certain parts of the offense, Mathews has played the
equivalent of two seasons since the Chargers moved up 16 spots to draft
him 12th overall in 2010.

• Both starting cornerbacks are due to be unrestricted free agents.
Quentin Jammer is the longest-tenured Chargers, but the team has to
weigh investing in legs that can still get it done but will be 34 in
June. Antoine Cason has quietly had a fantastic second half of the
season, and his future will depend on both the market and the Chargers’
belief in Shareece Wright and Marcus Gilchrist.

• The $3 million cap hit the Chargers would take if they released Eddie
Royal seems like a prudent move compared to risking $3 million if the
injury-prone receiver is on the roster to start 2013.

• Takeo Spikes turned 36 today. He’s had to play more the past two
seasons than he’d been asked to since he was a much younger man. It
seems a certainty that he and tight end Randy McMichael will finish
their careers at the end of this month.

• The team has to find a place for Robert Meachem, whose $5 million
salary in 2013 is guaranteed. Maybe a different offense can make more
use of him. It would be difficult to make less use. The man who dropped
victory in Cleveland at the end of October has played just 29 snaps and
had three passes thrown his way (two receptions, 18 yards) in the six
games since that he has been active.

[ScottW]

What a cluster fuck. Has AJ ever heard of a succession strategy?
He seems to be stuck just trying to fill out a depth chart every year.

ScottW

[Marcy D]

On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 10:09:59 AM UTC-8, ScottW wrote:
>
> What a cluster fuck. Has AJ ever heard of a succession strategy?
>
> He seems to be stuck just trying to fill out a depth chart every year.

which is hard because he gets rid of guys with whom he has a personality conflict (and that has been a lot of guys). Not a good way to run an NFL franchise. It worked for him when he had an above average amount of luck in the draft since he could replace talent with talent, but when his luck turned sour it really does not work because he ran off some guys who had talent and had no talent with which to replace them.

[Robin Miller]

Yes, with AJ it really does seem like a tale of two halves. He did real
well at the beginning, particularly with signing free agents, but the
last few years have been brutal.

--Robin

[ScottW]

What FAs were those? AJ was a build it through the draft guy until
recently when the talent drain demanded a different approach.

The whole "personality conflict" BS is pure speculation. AJ has no
personal relationships with players...it's his hard nose negotiating
strategy....like (apparently though we only have a glimpse of one side
of the story) pulling an offer just as it's being accepted. For all
we know that was because McClain and/or Brown became available and the
situation at that position changed. Pissed off Tolbert but such is
life. Nothings for sure until you have it signed, sealed and
delivered.

ScottW

[Robin Miller]

ScottW wrote:

> On Dec 18, 6:47 pm, Robin Miller <complex....@invalid.com> wrote:
>> Marcy D wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 10:09:59 AM UTC-8, ScottW wrote:
>>
>>>> What a cluster fuck. Has AJ ever heard of a succession strategy?
>>
>>>> He seems to be stuck just trying to fill out a depth chart every year.
>>
>>> which is hard because he gets rid of guys with whom he has a personality conflict (and that has been a lot of guys). Not a good way to run an NFL franchise. It worked for him when he had an above average amount of luck in the draft since he could replace talent with talent, but when his luck turned sour it really does not work because he ran off some guys who had talent and had no talent with which to replace them.
>>
>> Yes, with AJ it really does seem like a tale of two halves. He did real
>> well at the beginning, particularly with signing free agents, but the
>> last few years have been brutal.
>
> What FAs were those? AJ was a build it through the draft guy until
> recently when the talent drain demanded a different approach.

Antonio Gates. Stephen Cooper. There were a lot in the 2003-2006 period.
Since Gates and Cooper signed in 2003, and John Butler died in April of
that year, I suppose I don't know if the 2003 free agent signings are
attributable to AJ. But the Chargers were renowned for signing useful
free agents during that time period. And I mean undrafted rookies, not
veteran free agents. You're right, AJ has never trafficked much in them.

> The whole "personality conflict" BS is pure speculation. AJ has no
> personal relationships with players...it's his hard nose negotiating
> strategy....like (apparently though we only have a glimpse of one side
> of the story) pulling an offer just as it's being accepted. For all
> we know that was because McClain and/or Brown became available and the
> situation at that position changed. Pissed off Tolbert but such is
> life. Nothings for sure until you have it signed, sealed and
> delivered.

The imperious manner in which AJ treated re-signings of his own players
has been quite obvious.

--Robin

[ScottW]

On Dec 19, 8:37 am, Robin Miller <complex....@invalid.com> wrote:
> ScottW wrote:
> > On Dec 18, 6:47 pm, Robin Miller <complex....@invalid.com> wrote:
> >> Marcy D wrote:
> >>> On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 10:09:59 AM UTC-8, ScottW wrote:
>
> >>>>    What a cluster fuck.   Has AJ ever heard of a succession strategy?
>
> >>>> He seems to be stuck just trying to fill out a depth chart every year.
>
> >>> which is hard because he gets rid of guys with whom he has a personality conflict (and that has been a lot of guys). Not a good way to run an NFL franchise. It worked for him when he had an above average amount of luck in the draft since he could replace talent with talent, but when his luck turned sour it really does not work because he ran off some guys who had talent and had no talent with which to replace them.
>
> >> Yes, with AJ it really does seem like a tale of two halves. He did real
> >> well at the beginning, particularly with signing free agents, but the
> >> last few years have been brutal.
>
> > What FAs were those?  AJ was a build it through the draft guy until
> > recently when the talent drain demanded a different approach.
>
> Antonio Gates. Stephen Cooper. There were a lot in the 2003-2006 period.
> Since Gates and Cooper signed in 2003, and John Butler died in April of
> that year, I suppose I don't know if the 2003 free agent signings are
> attributable to AJ.
> But the Chargers were renowned for signing useful
> free agents during that time period. And I mean undrafted rookies, not
> veteran free agents. You're right, AJ has never trafficked much in them.

I think of undrafted guys as different than veteran FAs.
Some undrafted guys (like Cooper who only went undrafted because of
his steroid bust) are looking at teams that offer opportunity (i.e
suck at their position) while others like Gates are just looking for
someone to give them a shot.
AJ can get credit for one....not so much for the other.

>
> > The whole "personality conflict" BS is pure speculation.  AJ has no
> > personal relationships with players...it's his hard nose negotiating
> > strategy....like (apparently though we only have a glimpse of one side
> > of the story) pulling an offer just as it's being accepted.   For all
> > we know that was because McClain and/or Brown became available and the
> > situation at that position changed.  Pissed off Tolbert but such is
> > life.  Nothings for sure until you have it signed, sealed and
> > delivered.
>
> The imperious manner in which AJ treated re-signings of his own players
> has been quite obvious.

I never knew you were truly a fly on a wall. I didn't hear Rivers
bitching about his dealings...or Weddle...or Jammer...or Phillips.
Face it...when AJ wants to get a deal done..he does. Why he plays
hardball and lets some walk is something he doesn't share with the
public...nor should he.
You can argue with the strategy and the results....but you can't claim
facts not in evidence.

ScottW

[Marcy D]

On Wednesday, December 19, 2012 8:23:03 AM UTC-8, ScottW wrote:
> On Dec 18, 6:47 pm, Robin Miller <complex....@invalid.com> wrote:
>
> > Marcy D wrote:
>
> > > On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 10:09:59 AM UTC-8, ScottW wrote:
>
> >
>
> > >>   What a cluster fuck.   Has AJ ever heard of a succession strategy?
>
> >
>
> > >> He seems to be stuck just trying to fill out a depth chart every year.
>
> >
>
> > > which is hard because he gets rid of guys with whom he has a personality conflict (and that has been a lot of guys). Not a good way to run an NFL franchise. It worked for him when he had an above average amount of luck in the draft since he could replace talent with talent, but when his luck turned sour it really does not work because he ran off some guys who had talent and had no talent with which to replace them.
>
> >
>
> > Yes, with AJ it really does seem like a tale of two halves. He did real
>
> > well at the beginning, particularly with signing free agents, but the
>
> > last few years have been brutal.
>
>
>
> What FAs were those? AJ was a build it through the draft guy until
>
> recently when the talent drain demanded a different approach.
>
>
>
> The whole "personality conflict" BS is pure speculation. AJ has no
>
> personal relationships with players...it's his hard nose negotiating
>
> strategy....like (apparently though we only have a glimpse of one side
>
> of the story) pulling an offer just as it's being accepted.

That's not what Tolbert (and others including Brees and Tomlinson) have said.