San Diego Chargers Team Report by Maurile Tremblay
| SD Projections (9/3) | Passing Stats | Rush Stats | Receiving Stats | Fantasy | |||||||||||
| Change | Name | Pos | Att | Comp | % | Yds | TD | Int | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | Pts |
  |
#fname# #lname# | #pos# | #NumberFormat("#pts#", '__,_____')# | ||||||||||||
| Totals | #NumberFormat("#tot_patt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pcmp#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#evaluate(100*tot_pcmp/tot_patt)#", '_____._')#% | #NumberFormat("#tot_pyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ptds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_int#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ratt#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ryds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rtds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_rec#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_cyds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_ctds#", '__,_____')# | #NumberFormat("#tot_pts#", '__,_____')# | ||
|
Quarterbacks Starter - Drew Brees Backups - Doug Flutie, Dave Dickenson Starting Quarterback: In San Diego, the future starts now. Coach Marty Schottenheimer announced that second-year man Drew Brees will be his starting quarterback for the 2002 season. Brees won the closely-fought battle with Flutie by leading the Chargers on two touchdown-scoring drives in the team's first two preseason games (none for Flutie) and by convincing the coaches that he will keep improving with every snap he takes. Brees has great mechanics and poise, and is very mature for his age. However, although he consistently put up huge numbers at Purdue, and threw for 221 yards in his only half of play with the Chargers last year, don't get too excited about his fantasy prospects this year. These are not Don Coryell's Chargers we're talking about: the offense will most likely be conservative, run-oriented . . . boring. Draft Drew Brees strictly as a late-round flyer. Backup Quarterback(s): Doug Flutie is the perfect backup quarterback. He's got the experience to step into a game in any situation, and his scrambling and creativity off the bench are darn near impossible for opponents to prepare for. Flutie appears to have accepted his backup role gracefully: "Marty sat down with both Drew and I last night and explained the situation. Drew's the guy. I support that a hundred percent. I think the world of Drew. I have full confidence in him to get the job done." The third quarterback will be former CFL star Dave Dickenson, who has shined in the limited preseason action he's seen so far. Running Backs Starter - LaDainian Tomlinson Backups - Terrell Fletcher, Ronney Jenkins, Vaughn Sanders, Lew Thomas [r], Jesse Chatman [r] Starting Running Back: LaDainian Tomlinson will carry this offense in 2002. He had 398 touches as a rookie, and -- barring injury -- that number will increase this year as he plays a bigger role in the passing game. The question is whether the Chargers' offensive line will give him a bit more running room than he had a year ago. Turning nothing into a three-yard gain is a neat trick, but it won't make anyone a fantasy stud. If Tomlinson is to join the upper tier of fantasy RBs, he'll need the help of a competent passing attack to abate the nine-man fronts, and some competent run-blocking to spring him free. It remains to be seen whether any such help is forthcoming. Nonetheless, he should at least be able to replicate last year's yardage numbers, which would place him solidly in the second- or third-tier of RBs (depending on his TD totals). Backup Running Back(s): Don't even think about drafting any of these guys. For one thing, it's unclear who LT's backup will be. Fletcher is a solid pass-receiver who can be a competent third-down back, but he's a bit one-dimensional, and isn't a lock to make the team. Jenkins is a lock to make the team, if only for his special teams play, but may not be able to carry the load as an every-down RB. Vaughn Sanders, Lew Thomas, and Jesse Chatman are not household names, and never will be. If LT is seriously injured, expect GM John Butler to ring up Jamal Anderson and/or Ricky Watters. Fullback(s): Fred McCrary, Joey Goodspeed, Tyree Foreman, Terry Witherspoon: Even though he's been the starter for the past three years, McCrary will be pushed hard by Joey Goodspeed this year. The Chargers will likely carry only one fullback on their roster, and whoever it is will be primarily a blocker. No fantasy value here. Wide Receivers / Tight Ends Starters - Curtis Conway, Tim Dwight Backups - Reche Caldwell [r], Tamarick Vanover, Trevor Gaylor, Pat Batteaux, Eric Parker [r] Starting Receiver(s): Conway is a solid NFL receiver: he has deep speed, runs good routes, has reliable hands, and is an explosive runner after the catch. However: (a) he has been prone to injury during much of his career; (b) his QB situation is unstable; and (c) the Chargers don't figure to put the ball in the air as much as, say, the Rams. However, even if he doesn't put up over 1200 total yards and 7 TDs again in 2002 (he finished as the #11 WR last year, tied with Derrick Mason), the 31-year-old is the clear #1 target in the Chargers' passing game, and should get his 1,000 yards -- if he stays healthy. Tim Dwight becomes a starter for the first time in his career. He has the speed, quickness, and competitiveness to excel, but is undersized and injury-prone. All of the negatives listed for Conway apply to Dwight as well, plus the fact that he's unproven. Backup Receiver(s): Reche Caldwell is an explosive athlete who's established himself as the #3 WR. In three-receiver sets, Caldwell will line up at flanker as Dwight moves to the slot. Given the injury histories of Conway and Dwight, it is likely that Caldwell will get a few starts this year. Tamarick Vanover was brought in primarily for his kick return skills, but has been surprisingly impressive at WR in training camp. He needs to pay more attention to the little things (the width of his splits, the depth of his routes), but he has the athleticism to be an effective WR in the NFL, and seems to have locked up the #4 spot on the depth chart. If the Chargers carry a fifth WR, it will come down to Trevor Gaylor, Eric Parker, Pat Batteaux, Nate Turner, or Dondre Gilliam. Gaylor is the most physically talented WR in that group, but is a sloppy route-runner who hasn't improved much in three years. Tight End(s): Stephen Alexander, Steve Heiden, Justin Peelle [r], Josh Norman [r] Marty Schottenheimer brought Stephen Alexander over with him from Washington, hoping he can fill Freddie Jones's shoes. Alexander went to the Pro Bowl two years ago, but struggled with injuries in 2001, starting only 5 games. When healthy, he has the speed to get deep and can make the tough catch. "When healthy", however, isn't the qualifier you want stuck to your FF draftees. Steve Heiden is primarily a blocker. Justin Peelle and Josh Norman are both very good receivers who could see action in an H-Back role, but not enough to justify a fantasy roster spot. (It is possible the Chargers will carry 4 TEs. If not, look for Peelle or Norman to end up on the practice squad.) Place Kicker Wade Richey, Steve Christie: Richey is a strong-legged kicker who led the NFL in touchbacks last year, but struggled badly with his accuracy on field goals. The Chargers signed Steve Christie late in the 2001 season to handle short field goals and extra points, while Richey got the nod on long field goals and kickoffs. If Richey can prove that he's become a reliable FG kicker, Christie will be released. Otherwise, the Chargers will keep both kickers and use them as they did at the end of last year. Defense The Chargers should have one of the more talented defenses in the league. They lack depth along the defensive line, but the starters - Marcellus Wiley, Raylee Johnson, Jamal Williams, and Jason Fisk -- are top-notch. The linebacking corps is loaded. Donnie Edwards will play the middle while Junior Seau and rookie Ben Leber man the OLB positions. Zeke Moreno, Carlos Polk, and Orlando Ruff are very capable backups. Rodney Harrison is one of the most feared strong safeties in the league. At free safety, Rogers Beckett is a talented athlete who is still developing a feel for the game. Ryan McNeil and Alex Molden are the starting corners until Quentin Jammer gets into camp. Coaching New coach Marty Schottenheimer takes over for the departed Mike Riley. In Schottenheimer's 15 years as an NFL head coach, he's made 11 playoff appearances while compiling a regular season record of 153-93-1. Cam Cameron, a Norv Turner prot�g�, takes over as offensive coordinator and will keep the same basic offensive system in place from last year. Defensive coordinator Dale Lindsay, who coached the linebackers during the Chargers' 1994 Super Bowl season, will be helped by Associate Head Coach-Defense, Bill Arnsparger, who was the Chargers' defensive coordinator during the 1994 Super Bowl season. Trivia note: Arnsparger, who has 46 years of coaching experience, gave Schottenheimer his first job in the NFL 25 years ago. Arnsparger was head coach of the New York Giants at the time, and signed Schottenheimer on to coach the linebackers. Intangibles The Chargers have lost an awful lot of close games in the fourth quarter over the last two years. Maybe they were soft; maybe they weren't physically conditioned; maybe they were just unlucky. In any case, the new coaching staff brings with it a new attitude, and will try to transform this group of players into winners. |