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2009 Team Report: San Diego Chargers

Quarterbacks

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

Starting QB: Philip Rivers has led the Chargers to three playoff appearances in his three years as a starter. Rivers is known for his quick release and accuracy, but he has also shown fine leadership skills. His surrounding talent makes things easier on him since opposing teams have to focus on containing LaDainian Tomlinson. Rivers has an unorthodox throwing motion with a low release point, but it hasn't presented any problems for him. Rivers does a particularly good job of recognizing the blitz and making quick decisions. He shows exceptional toughness (as demonstrated when he played in the 2007 AFC Championship game against the Patriots with a torn ACL), and has become a vocal leader of the team. With the running game ineffective at times in 2008, the Chargers became more of a passing team, and Rivers finished as the No. 3 fantasy QB (FBG scoring). A healthy LaDainian Tomlinson may drop Rivers back down the fantasy standings a bit, but the Chargers have become Rivers' team as much as Tomlinson's.

Backup QB: The Chargers traded for Billy Volek early during the 2006 regular season and he rose to No. 2 on the depth chart shortly thereafter. Volek has started 10 games in his NFL career and has averaged 279 passing yards per game in those starts. Volek has decent, but not elite, arm strength and accuracy. He has above-average experience and past production for a backup quarterback. When pressed into duty in the playoff game against the Colts in 2007, Volek led the Chargers on a game-winning touchdown drive. Charlie Whitehurst, entering his fourth year in the league, was the Chargers third-string quarterback for most of the past two seasons; he has a good arm, mechanics and mobility.

Running Backs

Starter: LaDainian Tomlinson
Backup(s): Darren Sproles, Gartrell Johnson [R]
Fullback(s): Jacob Hester, Mike Tolbert

Starting RB: In 2006, LaDainian Tomlinson led the league in rushing with 1,815 yards, set NFL records for rushing touchdowns (28) and total touchdowns (31), and was named league MVP. He started slow in 2007, but rebounded to score 15 times the last 11 games, and won the rushing title for the second consecutive season. His 2008 season, however, was marked by injury and disappointment. While Tomlinson did not miss a game, the toe injury he suffered in the first game slowed him during the first half of the season and he ended up averaging just 3.8 yards a carry -- the lowest since his rookie year. When healthy, Tomlinson has excellent vision, lateral quickness, acceleration, body control, patience, power, speed, balance and toughness. However, he will turn 30 before the season starts and has a lot of mileage on him. His last two seasons have been progressively less productive than his record-setting 2006 season, and the trend may continue as he winds down his career.

Backup RBs: Darren Sproles is a nifty, undersized runner with great acceleration and quickness. He was a more effective runner than Tomlinson last season (5.4 versus 3.8 YPC), and the Chargers put the franchise tag on him for the 2009 season. Sproles showed terrific athleticism and an electric spark whenever his number was called last year. Nonetheless, while the Chargers will find a way to get Sproles the ball in the open field in certain personnel packages, he is viewed as a change-of-pace back rather than an every-down back. So even if Tomlinson is injured, Sproles would likely share the workload with rookie fourth-round pick Gartrell Johnson or with last year's third-rounder, Jacob Hester. Johnson is a bruising runner from Colorado State whose running style has been compared to that of Marion Barber.

Fullback: UDFA Mike Tolbert began 2008 as the Chargers' starting fullback. After an exceptional training camp and preseason, he became less effective during the regular season before suffering ankle and shoulder injuries that significantly limited his playing time over the second half of the season. Last year's third-round pick Jacob Hester took over fullback duties from Tolbert and proved to be a more effective lead blocker than Tolbert. Hester was inconsistent as a blocker, but generally used position and leverage to seal off his defender from the running lane. Hester can also play halfback (he averaged 5.0 yards per carry last season), but the drafting of Gartrell Johnson means that he will probably stay at fullback.

Wide Receivers

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

Starting WRs: Vincent Jackson had teased fantasy owners with strong finishes in 2006 and 2007, but waited until 2008 (his fourth year in the league) to put together a true breakout season. He has an outstanding combination of size and speed, and with Antonio Gates struggling through injuries all year, Jackson became Philip Rivers' favorite target last season. Jackson is both a red zone threat and a deep threat. Lining up across from Jackson is Chris Chambers, whom the Chargers traded for before the midway point in 2007. Chambers was plagued by dropped balls with the Dolphins earlier in his career, but has been a reliable, sure-handed receiver since coming to the Chargers. He got off to a fast start in 2008, scoring five touchdowns in the first five games before he was slowed by an ankle injury. Chambers had a quiet second half of the season, when he was outshone not only by Vincent Jackson, but also by Malcom Floyd. Chambers enters the 2009 season healthy and his starting job should be safe, but as the Chargers get their younger WRs more playing time and more targets, Chambers' production may suffer.

Backup WRs: Malcom Floyd is a big receiver with excellent hands and overall athleticism. He adjusts well to the ball in the air, and like Vincent Jackson, is both a red-zone threat and a deep threat. He gained Philip Rivers' trust over the second half of the 2008 season, and may have earned a bigger role in the offense in 2009. While he struggles against tight man coverage, he is a good fit as a third receiver who can exploit coverage by a defense's weaker defensive backs. Challenging Floyd for playing time will be the Chargers' first-round pick from 2007, Craig 'Buster' Davis. Davis has shown flashes in prior years' training camps and has made occasional plays in games. When he's been on the field he's performed well enough, but his availabilityhas been compromised by almost constant nagging injuries. Legedu Naanee may be ready for a step up in playing time. He is a big, versatile receiver with decent run-after-the-catch ability. Kassim Osgood is a special teams ace.

Tight Ends

Starters: Antonio Gates
Backups: Brandon Manumaleuna, Kris Wilson, Kory Sperry [R]

Antonio Gates struggled through last season, nursing a toe that had been dislocated during the 2007 playoffs, a bruised hip suffered in the first game of 2008, and a high ankle sprain suffered later in the season. He lacked the explosiveness out of his cuts that he had shown in previous seasons, but still ended up with 704 receiving yards and a team-high eight receiving TDs. Gates has good size (6'4, 260) and -- when healthy -- excellent quickness on underneath routes, as well as a knack for shielding defenders from the ball with his body. Heading into 2009, the hip and ankle should be fine, but the toe may not ever heal 100 percent. Gates has a high pain threshold and will play through injuries that might sideline other players; and as he proved last season, a wounded Gates can still be a Top 5 fantasy tight end. But to be considered a top-flight fantasy stud, Gates will have to show during training camp that he can cut and push off of his toe without difficulty. Gates' primary backup, Brandon Manumaleuna, has good hands but lacks the speed to get downfield. He is primarily a blocker, and occasionally a check-down receiver. Kris Wilson is another effective blocker, but tends to be used as more of an H-back.

Place Kicker

Nate Kaeding : After connecting on 80.0 percent on field goals in his rookie season, Nate Kaeding jumped to the top of the class the next three years. He hit 87.5 percent (21 of 24) in his second year, 89.7 percent (26 of 29) in 2006, and 88.9 percent (24 of 27) in 2007. Last he made 27 of 32 (84.4 percent) field goals. That pulled down his career average to 86.1 percent putting him second on the all-time accuracy list behind Mike Vanderjagt. Kaeding also was 6 of 9 from 50+ yards. After missing one PAT his rookie season, Kaeding has been perfect since. During his career, the Chargers have ranked 7th, 10th, 12th, 2nd, and 10th in kicker scoring. Kaeding scored 607 during his five years in the NFL, most in the league during that span.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Darren Sproles, Antonio Cromartie, Jacob Hester, Cletis Gordon, Vincent Jackson

As a rookie in 2005, Darren Sproles emerged as the Chargers' return specialist, handling 63 of their 69 kickoff returns. 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 in 2007 and did well (37 returns, 27.2 avg., 1 TD). He was even busier last year (53 returns, 26.0 avg., 1 TD). CB Antonio Cromartie served as a backup the last three years (3 returns, 12.3 avg. in 2008). FB Jacob Hester also logged three kickoff returns last year (14.0 avg.). 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 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, Antonio Cromartie, Eric Weddle, Antoine Cason, Cletis Gordon, Vincent Jackson

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. The last two years he has become a threat on punt returns, scoring once in 2007 (24 returns, 9.5 avg.) and averaging 11.3 yards on 22 returns in 2008. Despite seeing more quality time on offense last year, Sproles finished as the 4th ranked fantasy returner. WR Craig "Buster" 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 in 2007 (6 returns, 8.7 avg.). He had the second most returns behind Sproles last year, albeit 2 for 15 yards. Antonio Cromartie and FS Eric Weddle each had one punt return last year. 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. The Chargers have ranked in the middle of the league in fantasy returns the last two years, at 14th and 17th.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Marcus McNeill, LG Kris Dielman, C Nick Hardwick, RG Kynan Forney, RT Jeromey Clary
Key Backups: G Louis Vasquez [R], G Tyrone Green [R], T L.J. Shelton

The Chargers have a very good offensive line beginning with their two young tackles. Both Marcus McNeil and Jeromey Clary have had success at this level and are still improving. The only question mark heading into this season is at the right guard position where veteran journeyman Kynan Forney will battle two promising rookies (Louis Vasquez and Tyrone Green) for playing time. If the right guard position gets stabilized, the Chargers offensive line could perform at a great level.

Team Defense

The Chargers entered last season with grand expectations but their season began to unravel right out of the gate. They were without their best ILB Stephen Cooper for the first four games and were never able to recover from the loss of Shawne Merriman in Week 1. The end result was a very forgettable season in which San Diego posted lousy numbers across the board. Merriman returns from the knee injury and the club used their first round pick on Larry English to help insure that they won't have a repeat. English will compete with Shaun Phillips for playing time at OLB opposite Merriman and gives the club some much needed depth in case there is a setback. The other important offseason additions are free agent ILB Kevin Burnett and DE Vaughn Martin, whom they selected in the fourth round. Burnett will likely start alongside Cooper and provide a significant upgrade while the 330+ pound Martin will contend for playing time at DE this season. (He could also play some nose tackle down the road.) Last year's starting strong safety Clinton Hart will be pushed by rookie sixth-round pick Kevin Ellison. This is a much better club than last year's numbers would suggest.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Luis Castillo, DE Jacques Cesaire, NT Jamal Williams
Backups: DE Vaughn Martin, DT Ryon Bingham, DE Keith Grennan

Starting DL: The Chargers 3-4 base defense does not lend itself to fantasy production along the DL in IDP leagues. Jamal Williams is a much better NFL football player than a fantasy football player. He is a true 3-4 nose tackle who can play two gaps as a run-stuffer, and has surprising quickness over short areas. He routinely commands a double team and keeps interior lineman off the linebackers. Luis Castillo and Jacques Cesaire, as defensive ends in a 3-4 defense, play a role similar to that of defensive tackles in a 4-3. Neither had a particularly good season last year. Castillo has the quickness to be an effective pass-rusher, but has had trouble staying healthy in past seasons. He played with less of a burst off the edge last season than he had previously. Cesaire saw a lot of action on passing downs last season. He lacks superior athleticism, but plays with a high motor and makes some plays based on effort.

Backup DL: Vaughn Martin, a rookie fourth-round pick, played his college ball in Canada. He has great size, speed, strength, and quickness, but is extremely inexperienced and may take a while to adapt to the NFL. The Chargers would like to rotate him in at DE this season (with an eye toward possibly moving him to DT down the road), but may have to bring him along more slowly than that. 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, but had a down year in 2008. He lacks the overall athleticism to be a playmaker from the NT position. Grennan will rotate in at DE if Martin isn�t ready. He lacks the physical tools to challenge for a starting job, but works hard and is an adequate backup.

Linebackers

Starters: SLB Shawne Merriman, WLB Shaun Phillips, ILB Stephen Cooper, ILB Kevin Burnett
Backups: OLB Larry English [R], ILB Tim Dobbins, ILB Matt Wilhelm, OLB Jyles Tucker, ILB Brandon Siler

Starting LBs: Like their counterparts along the defensive line, the Chargers' linebackers are generally better NFL football players than fantasy football players. Shawne Merriman returns this season after missing most of 2008 with a knee injury. When healthy, he 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 was less effective in that role last year than in previous seasons, however, without Merriman to occupy the offense's attention. At inside linebacker, Stephen Cooper missed the first four games of the 2008 season due to a suspension, but played well after that. Cooper has excellent quickness and plays the run aggressively. The Chargers signed Kevin Burnett during the offseason. He spent his first four seasons as a backup with the Cowboys, but has the inside track at the starting ILB spot opposite Cooper with the Chargers. He was the Cowboys� second-round pick in 2005 and has better coverage skills than the other Charger ILBs.

Backup LBs: The Chargers spent their first-round pick this season on Larry English, a pass-rushing specialist who will play OLB. Without Merriman in the line-up last year, the Chargers struggled to generate a pass rush, and the pass defense was often terrible as a result. English will be on the field along with Merriman and Phillips in certain packages (with a DE coming out of the game). He also provides short-term insurance against an injury to Merriman or Phillips. (Long-term, he should compete for a future starting job.) Jyles Tucker is also an athletic pass-rusher at the OLB position, but was not as productive in that role last season as the team would have liked. With a deeper roster at the position this season, Tucker may see his playing time decrease. Inside, Wilhelm, Dobbins, and Siler will compete for playing time. Wilhelm started the first half of the 2008 season before giving way to Dobbins � though both got plenty of playing time throughout the course of the season. Wilhelm is an intelligent player, but is not a physical run-stuffer and has struggled in coverage. Dobbins can shed blocks and make plays inside, but is stiff in coverage and lacks the speed to make plays sideline-to-sideline. Siler has been an absolute beast on special teams and in goal line packages, but has seen very little playing time in the Chargers� base defense.

Defensive Backs

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

Starting DBs: Eric Weddle played in the nickel defense as a rookie in 2007, and moved into a full-time starting role in 2008. In both seasons, he showed an uncanny ability to always be around the ball. Weddle is a sure tackler who is also skilled in coverage, giving him the versatility to play any position in the secondary. He led all NFL DBs with 105 tackles last season, and his lock on the starting FS position in San Diego is secure. At the other safety position, Clinton Hart�s hold on the starting job is much more precarious. He made a number of good plays toward the end of the 2007 season (his first season as a starter), but even when he is on top of his game he is merely a good, not great, player. When he is not on top of his game � and that describes most of the 2008 season � he misses tackles and makes poor decisions in coverage. Hart will have to hold off challenges from Paul Oliver, Steve Gregory, and Kevin Ellison during training camp. At corner, Antonio Cromartie led the league with ten interceptions in 2007 (plus another in the playoffs, and two more in the Pro Bowl) despite spending only half the season as a starter. But he came back down to earth in 2008: slowed by a hip injury all season, he had just two INTs last year (both in the same game in week three). Cromartie will enter the season healthy in 2009 and should bounce back a bit, but he 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, and has made 70+ tackles in two of the last three seasons.

Backup DBs: Antoine Cason, the Chargers� first-round pick a year ago, played the nickel in 2008 and was solid in that role. He�s not a threat to start over Jammer or Cromartie this season, but looks like he�ll be a solid starter down the road. Cletis Gordon is the second-fastest player on the team (behind Cromartie), and will get some playing time in sub packages. At safety, Paul Oliver, Steve Gregory, and rookie Kevin Ellison will all be in the running for significant playing time this season, and maybe even a starting job. Paul Oliver was originally drafted as a cornerback, but made the transition to safety and played well in limited action last season. He breaks quickly on the ball, and appears to have nice upside potential. Steve Gregory is another converted cornerback. He has a slight build for a safety, but is an adequate tackler and has decent coverage skills. Kevin Ellison was a three-year starter at USC. A knee injury suffered in 2005 may have robbed him of some speed (he ran a 4.87 at the combine), but he showed great instincts at USC and was super productive at the highest level of college competition. He�ll get a chance with the Chargers to prove that he plays faster than he times.

Last modified: 2009-06-09 18:40:50