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Huge test. I hope Kelce doesn’t pick this week to start producing.
Interesting stat from Popper’s article^^
Denver’s in-form secondary might make it the wrong week to get too far away from the run game, but I expect the Offense to be more balanced in coming weeks.
Greg Roman had a variety of things to say about the lack of balance when Popper questioned him at this week’s presser. One point he made was that before injuries struck in the Steelers game the Bolts were treating that as a pass to win type of game based on what the Defense was presenting them, and it was working pretty well. Then, so he said, injuries changed their plans.
We didn’t do a TDU show this week but Andy and I shared some thoughts on the Broncos game over a 🍺 yday across three short videos we posted to X here:
Daniel Popper appeared on a podcast recently and in this snippet discussed what it’s like interviewing Harbaugh: https://twitter.com/nolimitbolts/status/1857499452451467629?fbclid=IwY2xjawGmCBJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcIcoaCOyC5YuGGOVddaO1VNTIqHiiDG3MbEsG-r48s4xzcbUr87RG-eUw_aem_GROh-GmqFCrpUu7TDtRBzw
Uses the words “quite moody”. Fans in the comments are very much against Popper on this one haha.
I watched that podcast last night. I thought it was funny bc the only time Harbaugh seems “moody” is when Popper asks him the same question about a player’s injury status for the fourth time in the same presser. I like Popper and have a great deal of respect for him, but he may need to accept that after he’s asked twice and received the same answer, then that’s the answer he gets. Constant needling makes anyone moody.
I’d swap WR and TE on the needs list. Otherwise pretty much in agreement here.
Tough to rank all of them with so many needs, but I’d probably order them like this:
1a. Center – Biggest flaw in the 2024 draft was not drafting a center in what might have been the deepest center position group ever. I disagree with Popper that Bozeman has been a “fine stop-gap”. Per PFF, 34 centers have played 300+ snaps this season, and Bozeman’s pass blocking grade ranks #30… that is not “fine”. Fortunately, good centers can normally be drafted in the second round. I hope that will be the case this year.
1b. Edge – Mack will be 34 and is a UFA. Dupree will be 32. Bosa is a possible cap casualty. If I had to predict, I predict Mack re-signs and Bosa is gone. Even with Tuli, they really need a great young player in this group. IMO this seems like the most likely position to target in the first round.
2. WR1 – Not just WR… WR1. Because I think my first two needs make logical sense to acquire in the first two rounds of the 2025 draft, and I wouldn’t expect to find a legit WR1 in the 3rd round or later, I think it makes sense to solve this via free agency. Would be very excited to get Higgins to fill this spot.
3. TE – Maybe more than one. So perhaps sign a veteran and also draft in 3rd/4th round.
4a. RB – They need much better play out of this position to have success in the offense preferred by Harbaugh and Roman. Relying on plugging in veterans Edwards and Dobbins was risky and hasn’t really worked out great. They have provided some positive plays for sure, but nothing close to steady production. Maybe Vidal will emerge down the stretch, but I feel like if he had that ability, he would have forced himself into more playing time by now. Maybe a 3rd/4th round pick.
4b. IDL – I assume Ford and Tart will be re-signed. Ogbonnia, Matlock, and Eboigbe are under contract, and Fox is a UFA. Eboigbe has only played 16 snaps, but the problem with the other 3 is that they have been collectively terrible, with 3 of the bottom 6 PFF grades on the Chargers defense. I expect they will let Fox walk and try to inject a strong pass rusher into the rotation. Maybe a veteran free agent signing?
5. CB – I have this position this low assuming Fulton is re-signed and ASJ is gone. That means Fulton and Hart start on the outside, Still and Taylor handle the slot, and Leonard provides depth. They could still draft one in a later round and look for the same success they had with Hart and Still this season.
6. Guard – Because of the needs identified above, I could see the Chargers signing a high caliber veteran guard to replace Pipkins and letting Zion play out his contract at LG, giving him one more chance to deliver on his potential. They could also draft one in a later round.
That’s a lot to get done in an offseason, but I have confidence that Hortiz and Harbaugh can pull it off.
This is a very good ranking of the needs. I agree with the team going after a veteran WR1 to pair with a proven 2nd-year Ladd McConkey. The team can’t afford to invest on an unproven young WR in year 2 of rebuild. I think the need at CB could creep up quickly in the offseason since after Minter’s defense had been pushed around fairly easy while in the light boxes of which the defense is known for because he can’t trust the coverage with one fewer body back there to better defend the run in the box. A true CB1 with Fulton back at an affordable price along with a proven 2nd-year Cam Hart could really make the biggest defense in year 2. Hart could very well take Fulton’s spot while Fulton provides a solid backup role and still play a decent amount of snaps.
@tau837 Good list, Tau.
When Popper says that Bozeman has been a ‘fine stop-gap’, I get where he’s coming from. Forget PFF for one second:
- When you’ve watched the Chargers this year, how often have you seen a play that broke down due to Bozeman’s play? If I was being unforgiving, I could attribute every single stunt through Zion’s gap and/or every free rusher that the line didn’t pick up to Bozeman. But in terms of snaps where Bozeman specifically was forklifted backwards by a DT, I cannot recall too many.
- Even using PFF, Bozeman’s allowed 15 pressures through 11 games (2 sacks). How much is he really hurting the Offense allowing fewer than 2 pressures per game? I know Centers generally allow fewer pressures, but his play as a pass protector has hardly been problematic.
- As a run blocker, I’ve found his film to be fairly average on the whole. Moving laterally he is a problem. On Gap runs he’s been decent enough and he’s been effective on double teams when running Duo or Inside Zone.
- Herbert has been playing at a very high level. Perhaps he would play even better with a better Center, but I can see why Popper would refer to him as ‘fine stop-gap” given Herbert’s level of play and the relative lack of pressures generated on account of Bozeman
I certainly think the team could upgrade at Center. I would even agree that it’s one of the top needs.
But for one year only, I think Bozeman’s been a stalwart (in terms of availability) and fine.
I absolutely assign some blame for the stunts (to both sides of the line) to Bozeman. A great center helps the entire OL play better, particularly the guards. Bozeman doesn’t. I’m pretty sure there is no accounting for that in PFF grades.
I would add, if Bozeman is a “fine stop gap” but is ranked in the bottom 10 centers in the league (as is the case with PFF overall offense grades)… then he is still a bottom 10 center in the league. Is that “fine”? Not to me.
One could say it was arguably necessary… but that doesn’t equal “fine”. Perhaps I’m arguing semantics here, I just didn’t like that casual positive hand wave by Popper on this subject.
@tau837 I assign a LOT of the blame to Bozeman and believe it’s deserved. Just as we watched the IOL play degrade with the loss of Lindley (sp?), we’re seeing the same with the addition of Bozeman.
I too see the need at WR, guard, and edge but believe those can be addressed via FA. I want a stud TE drafted and developed in-house with Herbert.
As for CB? That’s nearly always some level of need. It’s a pass first league.
@alisterlloyd I’m not reading “fine stop-gap” as a particularly ringing endorsement. I think it means Bozeman isn’t overtly failing but an upgrade is absolutely needed.
@buck-melanoma Agree. It comes down to semantics, but I think it is “fine” in the sense that the team hasn’t been forced to make a change. They haven’t needed to go with Mustipher, or Jaimes, or anyone else. There was a risk that this occurred since last year Bozeman allowed the most sacks by Center in the NFL at Carolina. This year he’s been better than that and decent enough for the Offense to operate without Herbert being constantly pressured each week. I want us to upgrade though over the offseason. His presence puts a cap on the Offense’s ceiling.
@alisterlloyd exactly. “Fine” here has a similar tone, to my ear, of the wife saying it when you’re close to getting your arse handed to you….lol.
Your last sentence is really key.
@alisterlloyd Agreed on Bozeman. He has not been a liability, but hasn’t really been a difference maker on the interior. He would be one hell of a backup next year though if he wanted to stay in that role.
I read another article earlier that outlined what Harbaugh had to say re: Chark but this one went into a bit more detail. Pretty damn sad that he can’t seem to break into this lineup. Not sure I fully buy it. Maybe it’s lingering injury issues. If not, I’d surely be giving him more chances. Could it get much worse? Outside of McConkey, no one else is producing much at all.
@buck-melanoma The message from Harbaugh is as blunt as it gets, that Chark will play when he earns snaps over the others. I understand and support the general concept, but it’s hard for me to believe that Johnston deserved 31 snaps to 2 for Chark on Sunday. (Popper wrote 41, but PFF says 31.)
At some point, it isn’t just practice that matters… theoretically, a player could play great in practice and poorly in games, and vice versa. And, obviously, Johnston is struggling right now in the actual games. If Chark is truly healthy, they should give him more snaps if only to ensure they explore every option available to improve the offensive performance.
@tau837 that’s my point too, Tau. What’s currently being fielded isn’t working. The defense secured this last win.
Why not give Chark more opportunities? It can hardly get worse. Blunt or not, I’m not in agreement when I see the on field product.
@buck-melanoma To be clear, I don’t have high hopes for Chark to be a difference-maker. But I think they need to at least give it a reasonable shot.
@tau837 I don’t think he’ll set the world on fire but he can at least stretch the field and give defenses a reason to not load the box consistently. All it takes is once or twice to get their attention.
Complementary football isn’t just between different units.
@buck-melanoma maybe there is more than just a physical reason he isn’t seeing the field. I am not implying that he is a distraction or a malcontent, but maybe there is some off field tension or difference of philosophy between Chark and the staff? Seems odd to say a veteran player that was signed by this FO and was playing moderately well from all accounts in camp, has to “earn” the playing time when he returns from injury like he was a rookie. Maybe Chark felt like he would be penciled in upon his return, and is disgruntled with his playing time? Seems even more punitive to dress him and only play him one or two snaps.
@evolz3737 which is why, though Harbaugh’s message may be blunt, I speculated there may be more to it. I said perhaps lingering injury, you may be closer to the truth, or we both could be wrong. I’d just like to see something else attempted to get this offense producing.
@buck-melanoma For what it is worth, not much, there is speculation by those in the know (purportedly) that it is lingering injury issues that he can’t seem to get past. I hope it is that, not some other reason like attitude and frankly it would make the most sense for what from the outside seems inexplicable. An injury would explain why he can’t beat out Reagor or QJ yet but also could be something where they continue to hold out hope he can get right without IRing him for the season.
This article confirms what many of us have been saying. No one in the WR group not named McConkey is getting separation. Prioritizing blocking TE’s vs getting Herbert a pass catching threat here is also proving to be a liability. Add to that Roman’s apparent anathema to throwing to RB’s and this is what we see….the formula to snuffing this offense.
Throw to Vidal. Scheme up short crossers and WR screens to QJ and Derius. Give Chark more opportunities to stretch the field….Reader too.
What have we got to lose by trying something different?? It won’t change the defensive player and it might at least loosen up opposing defenses a bit.
Insanity is attempting the same thing expecting different results.
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