[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”]
[et_pb_row admin_label=”row”]
[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]
We’ve just released Episode 79 of the Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast!
Our synopsis for Episode 79 is below:
Our 2024 Guest Series continues today with podcasting “OG” Garrett Sisti from The Lightning Round. We share offseason observations, ask each other the hard questions, revive a favourite TDU segment, “Knife or Spoon”, and challenge Garrett to our famous Aussie Quiz. Don’t miss it!
You can also listen on our Spotify below!
As always, you can support us by doing any or all of the following:
– Rec’ing this post and leaving any thoughts/feedback you have in the comments section below.
– Following us on Twitter (and ‘liking’ our tweets) at @TDU_Chargers, or individually, at @TDU_Alister, @TDU_Jack and @TDU_Andy.
– ‘Subscribing’ to our YouTube channel, clicking the ‘Like’ button for today’s episode, and engaging with us in the comments section.
– Giving us a rating and leaving a review on the Thunder Down Under Podcast page on Apple Podcasts (and ‘subscribing’).
– Spreading the good word to all of your awesome Chargers friends and family and encouraging them to listen to our show (and engage with us on social media).
Hope you enjoy the episode! Thanks so much for listening 
Alister (@TDU_Alister)
Chicken Schnitzel is not Chicken Parmesan, mates. You deserve a samurai sword for that one. 😂
@unclejammsarmy I mean, what a debacle that whole question was – you can blame Jack!
Schnitzel, for me, means a crumbed/breaded piece of meat that’s fried.
In Australia, for chicken parmigiana, you take a chicken schnitzel (as described above) and then add some sugo/tomato pasta sauce and cheese over the top, and then usually bake it so the cheese melts over the top. Voila, you have a chicken parmigiana.
Wiener schnitzel and other schnitzel varieties, for me, is just the fried protein part. So I had no idea what Garrett was talking about when he started referring to schnitzel and meaning ‘sausages’ and ‘sausage meat’ 🤣
Excellent podcast as usual. It can’t be stated enough that putting these podcasts together, syncing up your schedules, and going through consistent solid content is really hard to do. You guys rock.
Lots of points to comment on:
- Agree with Garrett that the ownership finally gave the reins over to football people it appears.
- No real number one CB on the roster. I pointed this out in my three-part series. They are one injury from being deplorable on the corners.
- I agree with Alister that the corner group will be very dependent on those “edge” rushers and a reason that they added Dupree. Bosa/Mack will be able to rest because of Tuli and Bud. If they play 20-less snaps per game that will total close to 350 less snaps.
- The whole line from Garrett about the Trey Pipkins thing being “cute” during OTAs is spot on. The power, size, quickness, stunts, linebackers shooting through the gaps will be problematic for Pipkins who seems to struggle with both power and speed. He will be facing Christian Wilkins and Chris Jones two times each plus other tough tackles. And don’t think that the Raiders wouldn’t move Maxx Crosby inside to get his favorite matchup against Pipkins. Trey’s best spot will be as a swing tackle and that inside spot will be a battle should be between Sayler, McFadden, Barnhart, and Leatherwood. Guys that have actually logged live snaps on the interior. I hope that Pipkins proves me wrong, but I would bet that he doesn’t.
- Garrett on the Eboigbe pick and not seeing him as a 2nd round grade. I had never heard anyone saying that the Chargers saw him as a 2nd round player. They got him in the 4th round so not a huge risk. I did not hear a peep about him during OTAs so not a great sign.
- I like Jack’s sine wave analogy about our top players and the back-up depth and closing the distance on the sine wave. Good stuff.
- I agree with Alister’s comments on the professional GM that wants to build up a cycle of comp picks. Spot on with this comment. And a welcome change.
- Andy had two pretty funny quotes: Typical millennial wanting more money for less work in regard to Ekeler. And the running back group not being complete “ass”.
- I agree with Alister that Herbert will have to produce without being surrounded by elite receivers similar to Rivers. Mahomes didn’t exactly have great receivers last year, in fact, they dropped a bunch of passes on him throughout the season. He still found a way to get a ring.
- Garrett’s comment about Harbaugh being more of a CEO who has surrounded himself with excellent coaches could not be more spot on. Staley could not let go of the defensive play calling and this change to Harbaugh could not be more opposite. He surrounds himself with the best coaches and gives them the best players that he can, best motivation that he can, and asks that all aspects of the organization be top notch. A true CEO who is only as good as the talent that he/she surrounds themselves with.
- Jack was spot on about the Shane Day “re” hiring and how it will be a positive factor.
@spanos-must-go Thank you! It can be a challenge thinking of content ideas in July, but it helps when you have a great guest like Garrett – he made it easy for us. Peaking behind our curtain for a moment, we’re currently attempting to land an even bigger fish for our next guest show. Fingers crossed. We’ll know in the next couple of weeks.
Lots to agree with in your comments mate, so I’ll only respond to the two where I have something different to say:
- On Eboigbe, Hortiz stated in his presser after the pick that most scouts in the Chargers war room had a third-round grade on him, but that a couple even had a second. So let’s assume the majority had a third on Eboigbe. Despite some opinions to the contrary (*cough cough* JACK!), and minimal buzz around him at OTAs (which is to be expected before pads come on), I think Eboigbe might be the most Ravens-esque and/or Michigan-esque player the Bolts drafted this year. I don’t really care that he’s a ‘tweener when his tape showed a player that can withstand double teams and not be forklifted backwards. I am so sick of watching Chargers Defenses not be able to maintain the line of scrimmage and, in my opinion, if you draft a few more Justin Eboigbes, that will become a thing of the past. He can play anywhere from 5T to 3T. He has a high motor. He doesn’t get pushed around easily. And you can see he loves it on his tape. He even has some modest pass-rush upside. Do I want him playing Nose Tackle? No. That would be ludicrous. And is his injury history a concern? Yes, that’s the part of his profile that comes with the greatest risk. But I’ve watched THAT MANY Ravens Defenses be great over the years relying on these versatile players with weird body shapes like Calais Campbell (6’8″, 282 pounds), Justin Madubuike (6’3″, 305), Brent Urban (6″7, 309), Derek Wolfe (the closest comp to Eboigbe at 6’5″, 285). None of those players are quite the right dimensions or proportions you’d expect to be solid “B Gap” run defenders. But, they could all tackle. And they freakin’ LOVED defending the run. That’s Eboigbe IMO. We can find our Michael Pierce/Travis Jones zero technique another time, if Poona isn’t the answer. For now, I’m looking forward to seeing what Eboigbe can do.
- I’ve heard a few too many takes from fans welcoming back Shane Day with open arms and expressing disbelief that he was ever fired. To me, there’s some revisionist history about it. He was fired following the Jags game if people will recall. That is, following a season where Herbert was throwing the most batted passes in the NFL and occasionally missing opportunities to seal games (eg, the missed Keenan Allen RZ TD to go up 35-0 v Jags in Wild Card that Herbert sailed with an awkward base and timing). Now, perhaps most of the blame for that fell on Joe Lombardi and the route distributions in his scheme. But, Lombardi and Day were strange bedfellows from the beginning. Lombardi came from the West Coast/New Orleans System; Day, from a completely different wide zone system preferred by the Shanahan tree. When Staley hired Kellen Moore and Doug Nussmeier, who’d worked together for three seasons in Dallas (2020-2022), surely it was a fairly orthodox decision to fire Shane Day. Should he have been retained just coz Justin Herbert liked him, as if he mightn’t just as easily end up really liking Nussmeier who played the position and brought deeper knowledge and experience to the position? Now, I have no real issue with the idea of bringing Shane Day back. Again, the schematic connection with Greg Roman or Brady/Trestman isn’t obvious; the timing and footwork in their schemes is not like the Shanahan tree (so I’m reliably led to believe). But maybe it’s a good thing for Herbert to have his choice of QB coach. I can accept that. But I’m not going to declare letting Day leave as folly until we see if Herbert can avoid some of those batted passes that plagued him during Day’s tenure.
Thanks again for listening. We appreciate it!
- No real number one CB on the roster. I pointed this out in my three-part series. They are one injury from being deplorable on the corners.
It feels like the philosophy on offense is being mirrored on defense:
- Focus on the end of the lines
- Be physical on the interior
- Do not over-spend on CBs/WRs – focus on athleticism & willingness to tackle
Will be interesting to see hot this plays out. While I am worried about the CB play, I think stopping the run and pressure can make average CBs look much better. This also works for the WR room. Run the ball. Pass protect. Decent WRs will get open. Fast WRs will make plays. This team looks like it wants to put pressure on opponents on both sides of the ball. I like the philosophy.
The whole line from Garrett about the Trey Pipkins thing being “cute” during OTAs is spot on.
I can’t see the Pipkins experiment succeeding. The dude got ran over at tackle. He’s going to get flattened at guard. While McFadden looked decent against lessor talent, he got abused by Jones, so I’m not looking forward to seeing a repeat of that experience. I think the best RG on the team right now is Salyer. Hoping they find a vet at some point to come in and compete.
@kevdiego the scary part about Pipkins experiment is that Zion has not been the player that he was expected to be as a first round draft pick (17th overall). So there are potential issues on both sides of the interior line and Bozeman in the middle. I would think that Center/Guard will be addressed in rounds 1-3 next season and/or in free agency. For now, fingers-crossed on Zion, fingers-crossed on Bradley, and fingers-crossed on a great Plan B behind Pipkins.
@kevdiego I agree with the interior line configuration. I have felt since the draft that both the IOL and IDL are screaming for at least one cut casualty each to fill them with adequate vet presence. I think they prefer to move Pipkins inside to see if he can work there and to get him familiar there, because if the starting 5 were Slater, Zion, Bozeman, Pipkins, Alt then Salyer becomes the Super Utility bench OL that can fill any role but C. If Salyer started and went down, who are you replacing him with? McFadden? Because at that point, I doubt they would feel comfortable about sliding a relatively unseasoned Pipkins in at RG next to a rookie RT.
Salyer becomes the Super Utility bench OL that can fill any role but C
I think this is a great point. Also – didn’t Salyer play some C at Georgia?
@kevdiego No starts at Center, but did have some game reps at Center (see below).
Jamaree Salyer NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Georgia IOL
David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
HEIGHT: 6’3″
WEIGHT: 321
HAND: 10″
ARM: 33 5/8″
WINGSPAN: 6’8 1/4″
40-YARD DASH: DNP
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: DNP
VERTICAL: DNP
BROAD: DNP
POSITIVES
— Thick, dense build throughout his frame with a barrel chest and very good arm length.
— Times the snap well with impressive initial quickness out of his stance.
— Transitions into his anchor smoothly and under control with a flat back and good core strength to quickly stall out the bull rush.
— Uses active, independent hands to manipulate and negotiate leverage on blocks to maintain control.
— Plays with good pad level at the point of attack with an iron head and heavy hands to torque and displace defenders in the run game.
— Has snaps at all five positions on the line, including at multiple positions in the same game numerous times.
NEGATIVES
—.Takes short, choppy steps in his pass sets that narrows his base, limiting his range and fluidity up the arc to protect the corner.
— Tends to dip his head and drop his eyes on contact, leaving him vulnerable to losing quickly against sudden post-snap movement across his face.
— Adequate athletic ability and suddenness to redirect in space.
2021 STATISTICS
— 9 starts at LT
— Second-team All-SEC selection
NOTES
— Former 5-star prospect and top guard in the nation while also competing in discus and shot put for Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.
— His right leg got rolled up on vs. Auburn, which kept him out of the second half. He started the next two games but then missed the following four games due the same injury.
— Has had reps at all five positions, with most of his time coming at left tackle and both guard spots.
— 21 career starts (18 at left tackle, 2 at right tackle and 1 at left guard).
OVERALL
Salyer is a two-year starter inside Georgia’s multiple run scheme with starts at three different positions on the line and snaps at all five.
Salyer is built like a refrigerator with very good arm length and solid initial quickness out of his stance. He managed to play surprisingly well at tackle over the last two seasons despite having a guard’s body and foot quickness. He got by using his girth, snap timing and staying inside-out on rushers to force them to maneuver around or go through his big body and long arms.
Salyer transitions into his anchor fluidly with the core strength and active, independent hands to sustain leverage and quickly stall out the bull rush. He excels as a run-blocker using good pad level with a heavy head, shoulders and hands to deliver knockback power and torque to dig defenders out of their shoes when needed.
Overall, Salyer’s middling range and foot quickness at tackle will largely be mitigated playing inside full-time, while his size, length, crafty use of hands and play strength will be accentuated. He will be able to compete for a job right away at guard in a downhill or multiple run scheme, and he has the ability to get a team out of a pinch at tackle.
GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter – 3rd Round)
POSITION RANK: IOL6
PRO COMPARISON: Jermaine Eluemunor
Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn
B/R Recommends
Listened to the podcast during a several frustrating commutes around Atlanta.
As someone who stuck up for Staley until almost the bitter end (and finally acknowledging that Brandon was in way over his head), it’s SUPER refreshing/exciting to see how Harbaugh is organizing and leading the team. The physical style of practice is going to translate into the season. I think it’s a very good sign that so many quality coaches lined up to join Jim’s staff. Staley had to beg under-qualified coaches to accept a promotion & join his staff. 2024 is the polar opposite of 2023 (and I love it!).
Interesting discussion on the difference in philosophy. The 2023 Chargers leaned on an expensive top-end heavy WR group, a finesse OL and shite depth. The 2024 team is built on depth, physical play and a focus on building a great OL. Did Jack say the 2023 RB group was deep? Last year’s RBs were old Ekeler and fuckall (Kelley is currently selling insurance somewhere). While I think the WR room had more top-end talent in 2023, the 2024 group has more depth. And I think that quality OL play & a running game will make the WRs look much better (which is a point you guys were making). In the modern NFL, paying your QB and WR1 (or the Telesco philosophy of paying QB, WR1 & WR2) feels dated. On offense, QB is the #1 priority, followed closely by OL. Not sure the Vikings will win with a $35M/year WR1. Hill (while great) has not brought a championship to Miami.
Agree with the analysis on Davis/WRs. I listen to a lot of Charger podcasts (usually while golfing/running/driving), but this was the most well-reasoned discussion I’ve heard. I think the Davis discussion comes down to: How much better of a returner is Davis over Johnson vs. how much move value can Johnson add on offense (where he can actually play the position) and ST? It’s an interesting question. No doubt that Davis is talented. Is a handfull of punt returns worth a roster spot? Another question to ask: If Davis is your PR, he’s also going to take a game-day spot, which limits opportunities for other WRs on the roster. There is a strong case to be made for Johnson returning punts, playing WR4 (or 5), and STs.
Fun discussion on the Raiders. I expect the Telesco hire will give me as much (or possibly more) joy as the Russel Wilson trade/contract. Colossal fuckup by the Raiders. Love it!!!
WTF are the Chargers thinking having some random dude from Melbourne at the draft? Agree with everyone that you guys should have been candidates. We should start a campaign to get you guys to the 2025 NFL draft.
I thought the chicken parm question was kind of dodgy. Chicken parm is really an international disk. Garrett deserved to get that one wrong as he was confusing schnitzel with wurst. As someone that lived in Germany (Dusseldorf) for a year, I know that schnitzel is a meat cut pounded flat, breaded & fried. The various sausages all end with wurst (Bratwurst, currywurst, weisswurst, etc.).
FYI – Looking like we’re going to be in Melbourne over the Christmas holiday. We have not seen my wife’s parents since 2019, so need to get over there to see them.
Good to hear from you Kev! I know you’ve been busy at work, but we always enjoy when you get a moment to share your thoughts with us.
Agree with the analysis on Davis/WRs. I listen to a lot of Charger podcasts (usually while golfing/running/driving), but this was the most well-reasoned discussion I’ve heard. I think the Davis discussion comes down to: How much better of a returner is Davis over Johnson vs. how much move value can Johnson add on offense (where he can actually play the position) and ST? It’s an interesting question. No doubt that Davis is talented. Is a handfull of punt returns worth a roster spot? Another question to ask: If Davis is your PR, he’s also going to take a game-day spot, which limits opportunities for other WRs on the roster. There is a strong case to be made for Johnson returning punts, playing WR4 (or 5), and STs.
Yeah, you have to concoct a workable counterfactual scenario in order to make this decision.
McConkey returned 21 punts at Georgia. Tarheeb Still returned 43 punts at Maryland (and scored on one of them). Cornelius Johnson never returned.
So, unless the team carries 7 WRs – probably unlikely – I think they have to decide if they prefer these combos:
- Palmer/McConkey/QJ/Chark/Rice/Johnson – in this scenario, one of McConkey/Still will return punts, you don’t have an obvious ‘gadget’ receiver because you lose DD, but you do have Cornelius Johnson as a good blocking WR, contested catcher, and potentially strong ‘four core’ STer.
- Palmer/McConkey/QJ/Chark/Derius Davis/choose 1x Rice or Johnson – in this scenario, you have an All Pro punt returner who’s also your gadget receiver in DD, but you lose some height/contested catch ability at WR (brought by one of Rice/Johnson) and potentially a good run blocker/STer too.
There’s no pressure to make this decision quickly until we see how the preseason games unfold, but if Derius Davis makes even one ‘big play’ during preseason, either as a WR or punt returner, it would be a tough call for any staff to cut or trade him, only heading into Yr 2.
WTF are the Chargers thinking having some random dude from Melbourne at the draft? Agree with everyone that you guys should have been candidates. We should start a campaign to get you guys to the 2025 NFL draft.
What’s doubly-annoying is will the Chargers really give out another International Fan of the Year award to an Australian-based fan after doing so last year? We may have missed the boat!
I thought the chicken parm question was kind of dodgy. Chicken parm is really an international disk. Garrett deserved to get that one wrong as he was confusing schnitzel with wurst. As someone that lived in Germany (Dusseldorf) for a year, I know that schnitzel is a meat cut pounded flat, breaded & fried. The various sausages all end with wurst (Bratwurst, currywurst, weisswurst, etc.).
I agree, Jack should be fined for a poor question. This is now the second time (from memory) where Jack’s attempted to claim as Australian, something that isn’t Australian. My Italian grandfather used to do that with actors. Three Stooges? Italian, apparently. Marx Brothers? Also Italian. Jack really needs to lift his game 😀
FYI – Looking like we’re going to be in Melbourne over the Christmas holiday. We have not seen my wife’s parents since 2019, so need to get over there to see them.
Excellent! My wife and I are expecting our baby daughter to arrive mid-November, but I’ll drag my sleep deprived ass over (with Andy if he’s free) for a drink or two while you’re down.
@alisterlloyd I remember you mentioning you guys were expecting – Very exciting. When we had our kids, my wife’s mum flew over and stayed with us for several months. They let me come around to take pictures, but my wife & her mother did all the heavy lifting. Worked out well (at least for me). Hopefully we can find a way to get together for a pint. Maybe we can get together to watch the Chargers bitch-slap the Broncos to clinch a playoff spot? We’re also talking about where else we want to go while there. We may go to Hobart for New Years (love the festival on the waterfront).
I think Davis MAY have some trade value. If all the other WRs have good camps, I think the team can trade Davis to… Maybe the Raiders for a 3rd? If the Chargers release Rice/CJ, its going to be difficult to sneak them onto the PS. I think I would rather trade Davis than release Rice/CJ (unless one of the two completely stinks in the pre-season).
Yeah I’ll definitely find time to catch up with you. And Jack lives in Hobart, so it seems you might be doing the full TDU tour!
I’m open to all options with DD v CJ v Rice. What I like about DD is he brings a unique element to the Offense since he’s so small/hard for defenders to see but also rapid. There is some duplication with Rice & CJ’s skillsets. Could DD yield a decent pick in a trade? Would another team really claim Rice or CJ (they were 7th round picks after all)? These are the questions Hortiz and Harbaugh have to answer!
Another amazing pod guys. Keep up the fantastic work!
Personally, I think Davis is on the roster, and Rice or Johnson is waived. But as we’ve seen, 7th round picks almost never get poached, and they should be safely stashed on our PS until injury necessitates them being activated!
Thanks Kyle! Haven’t got to your recent pod yet, but it’s on my list
If I had to wager, I’d guess that Davis makes it, and then the hard part is figuring out who misses the initial 53 b/w Rice & CJ (and, I agree, as fans we tend to stress out about other teams claiming our players…YELP…Bandy!).
Alex Insdorf tried to have his cake and eat it too predicting that 7 WRs will make the 53. All options are possible I guess…
So I’m gonna say something that is politically incorrect, but I don’t GAF. You guys at TDU are awesome, because I don’t understand why you care about American football. I really don’t care about Australian Rules Football or whatever the hell you call it. But I know you guys put more into researching American football than I have. And I respect the hell out of you guys, even if Alastair can’t speak English to save his life. 😂
As an aside, in my earlier years I’ve been involved in the alpine climbing and cycling community which you could say is the extremist of extreme sports and fucking Australians always pushed the limits of what anyone would try. They just didn’t give a F….
Love you guys and your energy. Back in the late 80’s , there was a guy Jack (not your Jack) who came to Southern California to train during Australia’s Winter (our Summer). Back then, the biggest gear on your bike was a 53 chainring, and a 12 cog freewheel. The 53×12 gear was the biggest. Now when you’re racing a bicycle, there are many answers to what gear you’re supposed to be in, but fuckin’ Jack’s answer was always the same: “just put it in the 12 (the hardest gear) and go, mate!”
You’ve attacked this post with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, @unclejammsarmy 😆
Aussies are tough MFers (generally speaking). I would say Jack, Andy and I are less tough than the average Aussie, but don’t tell anyone…
Back to English class for me! 🙂
@alisterlloyd I’ve been remiss here, congratulations to you and your wife on the expectant baby!
TLDR, you guys are hard MF’rs.
Not sure where to put this, but here you go:
Justin Simmons: I feel I can be the missing piece to take a lot of teams over the hump.
Jamal Adams signed with Titans yesterday.
[/et_pb_row]
[/et_pb_section]
