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2008 Team Report: San Diego Chargers

Quarterbacks

Starter: Philip Rivers
Backup(s): Billy Volek, Charlie Whitehurst

Starting QB: Philip Rivers regressed statistically from 2006 to 2007, with across-the-board drop-offs in every meaningful passing category. In 2006, he was a top-10 fantasy quarterback who was poised to join the upper echelon of signal-callers. In 2007, he had trouble protecting the football and exhibited very poor footwork and decision-making for most of the first half of the year. A lot of that had to do with a porous offensive line, but he didn't help his own case much either. He had several notable on-field incidents with opponents and fans alike, and at times he even seemed to have trouble communicating with his own teammates. Towards the end of the season, he started playing much better (not coincidentally just as the offensive line began playing much better), and the Chargers started winning again. To complete his remarkable in-season turnaround, he came back from a torn ACL in the divisional playoff game against the Colts and didn't miss a snap in the AFC Championship game versus New England. While his stats weren't great against the Patriots, he proved his toughness and mettle to his teammates. If nothing else, he clearly established himself as a very vocal leader of the team. He is expected to be fully recovered from the knee injury in time for the 2008 season. Fortunately for him, none of his fantasy value comes from his running ability, so it should be a non-issue.

Backup QB: Billy Volek was signed prior to the 2007 season to serve as a backup. By midseason, he was Philip Rivers' primary backup, though he saw very little relevant action during the season. When pressed into duty in a playoff game against the Colts, Volek led the Chargers on a game-winning touchdown drive. Volek snuck in from the one yard line for the go-ahead score. His solid play at such a critical juncture led the Chargers to reward him with a three-year contract this past offseason. He will remain the backup to Rivers, but the team has confidence that he can play well if needed again. The only time Volek has ever gotten legitimate playing time was in 2004 with the Titans, a season that saw him play very well and throw 18 TDs against just 10 interceptions. Third-year man Charlie Whitehurst has been moved down to third on the depth chart behind Rivers and Volek, and would only play in an emergency situation. That said, Rivers is coming off ACL surgery so Whitehurst's name will remain very much in play until more is known regarding Rivers' status.

Running Backs

Starter: LaDainian Tomlinson
Backup(s): Jacob Hester [R], Darren Sproles
Fullback(s): Andrew Pinnock

Starting RB: What more can be said about LaDainian Tomlinson that hasn't already been said? Despite a slow start that saw him amass 329 rushing yards and three touchdowns through the first five games, Tomlinson rebounded in a huge way by scoring 15 times the last 11 games and topping the 100-yard mark five times including four in a row late in the year. He won the rushing title for the second consecutive season and also scored more rushing touchdowns than anyone in football for the second consecutive season and the third time in four years. Tomlinson was once again the No. 1 fantasy running back, but the season did not go as smoothly from start to finish as he'd have liked. He injured his knee in a playoff victory over the Colts resulting in a sprained MCL. He tried playing a week later in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots, but he damaged the knee further and was only able to play a handful of snaps. The injury did not require surgery and the prognosis for this season is that he should be 100 percent by the start of it.

Backup RBs: Former backup Michael Turner, who filled in remarkably for Tomlinson the past few seasons, left as a free agent for the Atlanta Falcons, where he will be their starting halfback. Despite the loss of Turner, the San Diego cupboard is far from bare. Former fullback Jacob Hester, drafted out of LSU, is expected to be the primary backup to Tomlinson. Hester is the prototypical load to bring down, but he's also got excellent running back skills. He's surprisingly fast for a player of his size and is the perfect complement to Tomlinson out of the backfield. Hester protects the football and is a willing blocker. His unique skill set should fit in seamlessly with the San Diego offense, and he'll be expected to contribute from day one. Undersized Darren Sproles showed terrific athleticism and an electric spark in limited duty in 2007. Sproles had never seen more than two carries in a game in his career until Week 15 against the Lions last year. In that game, with Turner sidelined by injury, Sproles ran 25 times for 122 yards and a pair of scores. In the playoff victory against the Colts, he took a simple screen pass up the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown. Sproles performed so well when pressed into duty that the Chargers are confident that in the worst-case scenario, Sproles could combine with Hester to form a solid combination.

Fullback: Last year's starting fullback for most of the season was veteran Lorenzo Neal. The Chargers have deemphasized the fullback position under Norv Turner's watch, and Neal was let go by the team during the offseason. Andrew Pinnock, the team's new fullback, underwent the dreaded microfracture surgery on his knee during the offseason, news of which didn't come out until fairly late in the offseason. It is unknown as of now how long that could keep him out, but it might not matter much in the grand scheme of things. Pinnock played very well last year when Neal was injured, but with the lack of emphasis on a strong fullback, the team may opt to not even use one at all if Pinnock isn't 100 percent.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson
Backups: Craig Davis, Legedu Naanee, Malcom Floyd, Kassim Osgood, Eric Parker

Starting WRs: Just before the midway point in 2007, the San Diego offense was scuffling. So the team traded for Chris Chambers, giving up a second-rounder. While Chambers didn't put up monster stats with the Chargers, he played outstandingly well. The constant drops that plagued him throughout his Miami career all but disappeared, and he combined highlight reel grabs with the quick curls and slants that the team so desperately needed. Throughout his career, Chambers has had a penchant for alternating outstanding seasons with underachieving ones. With the San Diego offense returning virtually all key components, it would be a surprise to see Chambers regress this year. Vincent Jackson struggled to adapt when the team first made the trade, catching just four passes in the four games immediately following Chambers' acquisition. But beginning Week 12, Jackson began to come around. The catches weren't there but the effort and involvement were. So it came as little shock when he broke out for three huge games in the playoffs. He caught 18 passes for 300 yards and two scores over the three games, and performed admirably with top receiving option TE Antonio Gates sidelined with a toe injury. Jackson has always had raw talent, but towards the end of 2007 he started turning that talent into production. Assuming Gates is healthy, Jackson will go back to being the fourth option on offense, but one of the better fourth options out there.

Backup WRs: Craig 'Buster' Davis enters his second season after a serviceable rookie year. With Tomlinson, Gates, Chambers and Jackson all grabbing passes, there was very little left over for Davis. He did show some ability and demonstrated good hands. With the health status of so many players in question, Davis could see an increased role in 2008. Of course, he's got to do a better job of avoiding the injury bug himself. Another 2007 rookie, Legedu Naanee, came from nowhere at midseason to emerge as a reliable target. He showed a willingness to go over the middle and the team looked to him in several key spots. His 27-yard reception in the playoffs against Indianapolis helped set up the eventual game-winning score. With his size and skills he is moving quickly up the depth chart. Veteran Eric Parker missed the 2007 season with a toe injury, but is reportedly healthy. If he plays this season, however, it will likely be for another team. The Chargers have reportedly indicated that they will trade or release Parker before training camp starts.

Tight Ends

Starters: Antonio Gates
Backups: Brandon Manumaleuna

Antonio Gates has firmly established himself as the No. 1 tight end in fantasy football over the last four years. After three consecutive top fantasy finishes at his position, he dropped to No. 2 behind Jason Witten a year ago. Yet his statistics were even better than in 2006, and his production was about the only thing the Chargers could rely on for a long stretch last season. However, his productivity really tailed off towards the end of the year as he totaled just 210 yards and only a single touchdown over his last eight games including three playoff games. To make matters worse, he suffered a dislocated left toe in the team's opening playoff victory. Despite the serious injury, he played through the pain the next two weeks but nowhere near his typical level of play. He had surgery about a month after the season ended, and the prognosis is that he'll be back anywhere from training camp to the middle of the season. It's a four-to-six month recovery period, and it won't be known how the foot responds until he's really able to get out there and test it. Brandon Manumaleuna does a very serviceable job for what he is called upon to do. He's not much of a receiver, but he does find the end zone once or twice each year. His 288-pound frame is especially effective in the red zone off of play-action, and he's got surprising agility to make defenders miss after the catch.

Place Kicker

Nate Kaeding : After connecting on 80.0% on field goals in his rookie season, Kaeding has jumped to the top of the class the last three years. He hit 87.5% (21 of 24) in his second year, 89.7% (26 of 29) in 2006, and 88.9% (24 of 27) last year. Two of the three misses last year were from 45+ yards, and a 33 yard attempt was blocked. Kaeding has been accurate from long range during his four years, going 5 of 8 from 50+ yards. After missing one PAT his rookie season, he has been perfect since. After struggling on kickoffs his first two years, the team drafted kickoff specialist Kurt Smith in 2006. Kaeding had worked on that aspect of his game during the off-season, held off Smith for that role, and has had improved result the last two years. During his career, the Chargers have ranked 10th, 12th, 2nd, and 10th in kicker scoring.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Darren Sproles; Antonio Cromartie; Cletis Gordon; Eric Parker; Vincent Jackson; Mark Jones

As a rookie in 2005, Darren Sproles emerged as the Chargers' return specialist. He handled 63 of their 69 kickoff returns, and averaged 24.3 yards. He did not get a chance to follow that up in 2006, as a pre-season broken fibula sidelined him for the year. He resumed the starting KR role last year and did well (37 returns, 27.2 avg., 1 TD). CB Antonio Cromartie served as a backup the last two years (3 returns, 22.3 avg. in 2007). CB Cletis Gordon scored twice on punt returns and twice on kickoff returns while at Jackson State. He averaged 27.5 yards on two kickoff returns for the Chargers in 2006. WR Eric Parker is infrequently used as a backup, with three returns in the last three years. WR Vincent Jackson could get a look for a backup role. He returned kickoffs all four years in college at Northern Colorado.

Punt Returners: Darren Sproles; Craig Davis; Antoine Cason; Eric Parker; Cletis Gordon; Vincent Jackson; Brian Bonner; Mark Jones

Darren Sproles began 2005 as the primary punt returner; however he eventually lost the job after having problems handling the ball. He spent the next off-season working on fielding punts, and looked better before the injury. Last year was his best by far on punts (24 returns, 9.5 avg., 1 TD). WR Eric Parker served as the primary backup in 2005 and 2006 (37 returns, 8.9 avg.), although he is currently on the trading block. WR Craig Davis averaged 12.9 yards on eleven punt returns and scored once during his senior year at LSU. He took over the primary backup role for the Chargers last year (6 returns, 8.7 avg.). First round draft pick CB Antoine Cason averaged 10.0 yards on 27 punt returns and scored twice during his senior year at Arizona. Vincent Jackson averaged 11.8 yards on punt returns during his senior year in college. Undrafted free agent safety Brian Bonner averaged 13.1 yards on 41 punt returns and scored once for TCU last year. The Chargers have slowly improved from 21st to 19th to 14th in fantasy returns the last three years. The Charger signed WR Mark Jones, who expanded his role from punt returner to also include kickoff returns with the Buccaneers last year until an injury ended his season.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Marcus McNeill, LG Kris Dielman, C Nick Hardwick, RG Mike Goff, RT Jeromey Clary
Key Backups: Scott Mruczkowski, Corey Withrow, L.J. Shelton

Team Defense

The Chargers defense was in a league of its own last season. They were middle of the pack in both yardage categories but were fifth in scoring, totaled 42 sacks and created a whopping 49 takeaways. In comparison, the Bears were No. 2 in takeaways with 40. The San Diego 3-4 has all the right parts: mobile big men up front who can hold against the run or collapse the pocket, speed and tenacity from the OLB positions, steady dependable play at ILB, a pair of outstanding big-play cover corners and fundamentally sound play from the safety positions. Chemistry is just as important as all of these things and the Bolts have that as well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Chargers will return 10 of 11 starters, with the replacement of Marlon McCree by Eric Weddle expected to be an upgrade at free safety. In fact, the most significant loss was nickel corner Florence Drayton, who was replaced by first-round pick Antoine Cason and won't be missed. It's tough to stay on top in this game but the Chargers are favored to do so. At worst they will be a top-five fantasy defense and should be the first one off the board on draft day.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Luis Castillo, DE Igor Olshansky, NT Jamal Williams
Backups: DE Jacques Cesaire, DT Ryon Bingham, DT Brandon McKinney

Starting DL: The Chargers 3-4 base defense does not lend itself to fantasy production along the DL in IDP leagues. Jamal Williams, Luis Castillo, and Igor Olshansky are all much better NFL football players than fantasy football players. Williams is a true 3-4 nose tackle. He can play two gaps as a run-stuffer, and has surprising quickness over short areas. Luis Castillo and Igor Olshansky, as defensive ends in a 3-4 defense, play a role similar to that of defensive tackles in a 4-3. Castillo is the better pass-rusher of the two, but has had trouble staying healthy in past seasons. Olshansky is a solid run-stuffer who helps keep the linebackers clean, but he will never be an athletic pass-rusher.

Backup DL: Jacques Cesaire rotates in at defense end and, like Castillo and Olshansky, he is a solid player who does a lot of things well but isn't exceptional in any area. Bingham can play either DE or DT. Unlike Jamal Williams, he is not a natural NT in the 3-4 alignment. He shows decent quickness for an interior defensive lineman, and was surprisingly productive in limited action last year. McKinney has excellent size and strength, and will be auditioning to be Jamal Williams' eventual replacement at nose tackle.

Linebackers

Starters: SLB Shawne Merriman, WLB Shaun Phillips, ILB Matt Wilhelm, ILB Stephen Cooper (susp)
Backups: ILB Derek Smith, OLB Marques Harris, OLB Jyles Tucker, ILB Anthony Waters, ILB Brandon Siler, OLB Carlos Polk

Starting LBs: Like their counterparts along the defensive line, the Chargers' linebackers are generally better NFL football players than fantasy football players. Shawne Merriman is one of the league's best pass-rushers, but from the 3-4 OLB position, he will not generate enough tackles to be a fantasy stud. He has improved dropping into coverage and is solid against the run, but his specialty will always be getting after the quarterback. Shaun Phillips doesn't have Merriman's size or speed, but he too has shown a knack for rushing the passer. He has improved as a run-defender, but like Merriman, he is foremost a pass-rusher. At inside linebacker, Matt Wilhelm and Stephen Cooper are adequate but unspectacular. Neither has great speed or agility. Cooper has better quickness, while Wilhelm is a very intelligent player. Both played much better over the second half of last season than they did in the first half, but the Chargers may look to upgrade one or both ILB positions if some of their younger talent pans out. Cooper will miss the first four games of the season after testing positive for ephedra during the offseason.

Backup LBs: In addition to Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips, the Chargers have two more pass-rushing specialists at OLB. Marques Harris rotated in to help keep Merriman and Phillips fresh last year, and showed an elite burst off the ball as a pass-rusher. He lacks the strength and counter-moves of the league's best pass-rushers, but can be effective in a limited role. Similarly, Jyles Tucker showed great promise as a rusher toward the end of last season, and the Chargers' coaches will look for ways to get him on the field on passing downs. Inside, Derek Smith is expected to start the first four games while Stephen Cooper is serving his suspension. Smith is a heady veteran known for his toughness, but he may be in the final stages of his career. The Chargers have high hopes for their two rookies from a year ago, Anthony Waters and Brandon Siler. Waters was inactive for all 16 games last year while he rehabilitated the reconstructed ACL he tore his senior year at Clemson. He is expected to move into a starting ILB position at some point; how soon it happens will depend largely on whether he proves effective in pass coverage. Brandon Siler was a special teams demon last season, and could see more snaps on defense this year as well.

Defensive Backs

Starters: SS Clinton Hart, FS Eric Weddle, CB Antonio Cromartie, CB Quentin Jammer
Backups: CB Antoine Cason [R], FS Paul Oliver, CB Cletis Gordon, SS Steve Gregory

Starting DBs: Antonio Cromartie led the league with ten interceptions last year (plus another in the playoffs, and two more in the Pro Bowl) despite spending only half the season as a starter. He also scored three touchdowns (one on an interception return, one on a fumble recovery, and one -- a 109 yarder -- on a missed field goal return). Nonetheless, Cromartie is not a fantasy starter under most scoring systems because he won't rack up many tackles. Quentin Jammer is a solid cover-corner who excels in bump-and-run coverage, but lacks good ball skills and therefore gets few interceptions. He is one of the better run-defenders in the league from the CB position, but won't get enough tackles to be a consideration in fantasy football. Clinton Hart played fairly well last year in his first season as a starter. He'll be joined in the secondary by last year's second-round pick, Eric Weddle. As a rookie playing the nickel last season, Weddle showed an uncanny ability to always be around the ball.

Backup DBs: The Chargers spent a first-round pick on CB Antoine Cason in this year's draft. He'll compete with CB Cletis Gordon and FS Paul Oliver to play in the nickel this season. Cason was a four-year starter at Arizona, and has a good chance to get substantial playing time right away for the Chargers. Cletis Gordon is the second-fastest player on the team (behind Cromartie), and isn't conceding his spot on the depth chart to Cason. Their competition in this year's training camp may be reminiscent of last year's battle between Drayton Florence and Antonio Cromartie. Paul Oliver was a fourth-round pick in last year's supplemental draft. Originally drafted as a cornerback, he is making the transition to safety for the Chargers, where he will seek to get on the field in nickel or dime situations. Steve Gregory provides additional depth at safety.

Last modified: 2008-06-26 11:43:33