In the 3-4, the linebackers are nothing without a good defensive line, and San Diego added a few good players through the draft: defensive ends Igor Olshansky and Dave Ball. Adrian Dingle currently starts opposite Olshansky, but by the end of the season, Ball will be pushing Dingle for his starting role. Once Olshanky and Ball see the field, nobody will even remember the names Raylee Johnson or Marcellus Wiley. At defensive tackle, Jamal Williams is good, when healthy. The operative word being healthy. Jason Fisk can play either defensive end or defensive tackle, if need be.
We finally arrive at my favorite unit of the Chargers: the secondary. In my opinion, this is very strong unit. At the corners, Quentin "Uni-Brow" Jammer and Sammy "The Candyman" Davis are solid. Last year they got torched some, but I believe that they will "come into their own" this season. Drayton Florence and Jamal Fletcher (from Miami) give the Chargers quality depth at the cornerback position.
At the safety spots, you have Terrence "Kill" Kiel and Jerry "I Need a Cool Nickname" Wilson. They are not as athletic as the starting corners, but they are better than average. Hanik Milligan is a respectable back-up.
One of the biggest problems for San Diego has been kick-offs and field goals; I guess it was a mistake to let John Carney go. Regardless, the Chargers drafted the strong-legged Nick Kaeding. Speaking of letting players go, San Diego released Darren Bennett. Is this another mistake (like Carney)? Or, will Mike Scifres make people forget Bennett?
SUMMATION: San Diego has far too many holes. Their offensive line, wide receivers, and tight ends are average at best, meaning that Philip Rivers will have no time to throw and nobody to receive his passes. Looks like another year of LT running left, LT running right, and LT catching screen passes.
The defense has some good players, especially in the secondary, but many of them are young. Additionally, the entire defense is switching to the 3-4, which means that even the veterans will be learning as they go. In short, the defensive line and linebackers could not stop the run last year, and they did not improve all that much. The secondary will be a year older and a year better, but without a pass-rush from the defensive line, any secondary can be exposed.
I think San Diego will be drafting in the top ten of the 2005 draft, but they have some solid players in place, but they are a year away from contending. If the Chargers have a good draft next year, could we be seeing "LT: Super Bowl MVP" T-shirts being sold? Anything is possible.
