Ladainian recently wrapped up shooting a commercial for Campbell's Chunky soup. LT takes the fans around with him as he personally shoots some behind-the-scenes video at the set in Los Angeles. With Norv Turner making a cameo, this is looking like it just might be the best soup commercial ever...
“I think Norv’s been doing a great job on the set. So good, that I’m kind of worrying about Chunky wanting to bring him back. That’s how it goes. Once they see you doing a good job with it, they ask you to come back over and over again, so he might not need to coach much longer.” - Tomlinson
There are a couple of former Wolfpackers who would fit in real nicely with the Chargers. The only problem being, is the Chargers lack the second, third, or fourth round picks it'll probably take to get these guys. The first guy I'll talk about is Safety Dajaun Morgan...
Physical and aggressive, Dajaun Morgan is everything the Chargers would be looking for in a guy who can compete for the starting strong safety job. Clinton Hart is the starter there now by default, but as we know Hart is a guy who lacks aggression and is not a guy who craves contact. Morgan, on the other hand is a guy who loves to mix it up. He can shed blocks and get to the ball carrier and deliver the finishing blow once he arrives.
Morgan also has great range and although he doesn't have the best natural ball skills (drops the occasional interception), he is frequently in position to make a play. He is a competitor and a leader and plays with real passion for the game. I see Morgan as a great fit at strong safety but he is versatile enough to play both spots. With his natural talent and love for the game, Morgan is viewed as a guy who could emerge as the 2008 draft's best safety.
I have said this before, and it deserves reiteration: There is the chance that the Chargers secondary regresses a bit in terms of tackling. Weddle and Jammer are great tacklers, but Cromartie is still looking to improve in that area. We don't yet know who is going to play nickle corner (Paul Oliver?) and Clinton Hart is not a good open field tackler. It's important that the team has a guy who can perform clean-up duties and help be an enforcer.
For a guy who is thought of being a potential first-round pick, Reggie Smith has been pretty much a ghost. A broken toe has sidelined this talented and versatile junior, forcing him to skip workouts at the Combine and the Oklahoma Pro Day. It looks like he won't be ready to run until April, where he and former teammate Malcolm Kelly hope to impress scouts at a private workout on the 9th.
Reggie Smith reminds me in ways of Quentin Jammer. Both have the athletic ability to play corner or safety and both have a somewhat compact and muscular build which makes them superb against the run.
Smith's stock has been slipping and he will have a ton riding on his workouts. I'm not sure he can elevate himself higher than a low-first grade, but with a lack of elite safeties in this draft you might see a team jump on him earlier than expected. Reggie Smith would be a fine pick-up for the Chargers at pick 27 and would bring some serious competition to both the nickel corner back as well as strong safety spot...similar to Eric Weddle in his rookie season. He also has some great return skills and would be a nice playmaker on special teams.
I always find it real interesting hearing from the big media outlets explain the Chargers personnel needs as we approach the draft. Obviously as readers of the site, you guys know where I stand on where the Chargers' roster needs help; adding a capable running back has long been on my priority list and so I'm glad the guys at ESPN also see that need. But something I have never felt strongly about was the need to draft a really good cornerback...at least not in the early rounds. There are people who will tell you that the Chargers have a huge hole to fill at nickel back with the departure of Drayton Florence but I feel the Chargers were already prepared to move on when they took Paul Oliver in the Supplemental Draft last year.
Although respected guys like Mel Kiper and Vic Carucci have in recent mocks given the Chargers cornerbacks like Justin King and Brandon Flowers, I will have to disagree with their projections and go out on a limb and guarentee the Chargers do not spend a first round pick on a cornerback. In my opinion, they would sooner add a rush linebacker with their first round pick than a cornerback.
A couple of top offensive tackles have pro days coming up today. Boise State's Ryan Clady and Boston College's Gosder Cherilus both carry first round grades but Clady is typically regarded as the better prospect because he can play left tackle at the next level whereas Cherilus is seen as a better fit at right tackle.
Occasionally you'll see a mock draft with the Chargers selecting Cherilus at pick 27 and while it's not a bad pick, I just have a hard time envisioning AJ Smith taking an offensive lineman in the first round. I like Cherilus as a guy who can play right tackle and guard, and I like his strength and nasty demeanor. He seems like a real character guy who genuinely loves the game. Cherilus would look fantastic in Bolts and I would love it if the Chargers found a way to land him at the top of the second round.
As kind of a follow-up to my last post where I selected Desean Jackson in a mock draft, I wanted to discuss Jackson a little bit. What really stands out about D-Jax aside from his tremendous speed are his excellent hands and route running. He is among the most polished receivers in this draft class in those areas and is actually considered a better prospect than Tedd Ginn, Jr was last year. Ginn went to the Dolphins at number nine overall and while Jackson probably wont crack the top 10, there is no doubt he'll get drafted pretty high and could be the first receiver off the board.
Desean Jackson's scouting report via Scott Wright from NFLDraftCountdown:
Strengths: An outstanding natural athlete...Excellent speed with a fantastic burst...Extremely elusive and is a terror in the open field...Great quickness and agility...Good hands and will make the tough catch...A legitimate deep threat who can stretch the field vertically...Good leaper with nice body control and ball skills...Versatile and can be utilized in a number of different ways...Decent production...Electrifying return man.
Weaknesses: Undersized and doesn't have the bulk you look for...Inconsistent and disappeared from games at times...Is not very strong or physical...Will drop the occasional ball due to lack of focus...A sub par blocker...Can still improve as a route runner...May have some typical star receiver character concerns...Durability might be a concern.
Notes: His brother, Byron, played professional football with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs in 1992-93...An outstanding baseball player in high school who had Major League potential...Was hampered by a thumb injury in 2007..Scored 28 touchdowns in 36 career college games and 23% of his touches went for 20 yards or more...Awfully similar to Ted Ginn, Jr. when he was coming out last year but is more polished as a wideout and an even better return man..One of the most dynamic offensive and special teams weapons in this draft...He may never be a true #1 target in the NFL but he's the type of elite playmaker who is sure to keep defenses awake at night.
FOXSports has a cool page set up featuring video highlights of all the top prospects in this year's draft. Hit them up and make sure you check out guys like Dre Moore, Felix Jones, Trevor Laws, Phillip Merling, Eddie Royal...the list goes on.
At an NFL-ready 5'10" 225 lbs, Rashard Mendenhall is a very interesting running back prospect who could potentially be available at the end of round 1. Would the Chargers take Rashard if he was sitting there at pick 27. They would certainly have to consider it. The guy is a punishing runner who torched the USC Trojan defense in the Rose Bowl for 155 yards and a TD.
"Mendenhall and Tomlinson" sounds good together actually...it just kinda rolls off the tongue.
The very impressive Atlanta Falcons website has a ton of great interviews with the prospects from the Combine. Guys like Kenny Phillips, Gosder Cherilus, Felix Jones, Sam Baker, and many more are featured. Check them out here:
Tossing a causal glance at the Chargers roster won’t reveal much in terms of need. After all, just about every starter from last year will return in 2009. But look a little deeper and you’ll find some key areas where a backup player or upgrade over an incumbent starter is needed.
One of these positions is running back, where Michael Turner is expected to depart via free agency. Turner has played an invaluable role as Ladainian Tomlinson’s primary backup and his contributions to the team will be missed. With Tomlinson quickly approaching ten years in the NFL, its important to prepare for the future of the position.
The Chargers are currently carrying a talented but unproven bunch of running backs, mostly late-round or free-agent acquisitions. Heading into the 2009 NFL season, the Chargers are going to be expected to not only reach the playoffs, but win once in. Making sure the team has an insurance policy behind Tomlinson is of paramount importance as far as I am concerned, and this is why I have strongly stated in the past that one of the team’s most important needs is running back. In fact, it’s so important that I would spend a first round draft pick on a running back. Hear me out:
The San Diego Chargers run an offensive system which is built to feature a dynamic running back that can be used as a weapon in a variety of ways. We have seen LT’s emergence as the league’s most complete back through all of the ways in which his offensive coordinators have exploited him, be it in the running game or in the passing game. Behind Tomlinson sat Turner, and the team was blessed to never see a drop off in production between the two of them. Turner’s presence kept opposing defenses on their toes even when #21 was on the bench. The Chargers need to continue to have a threat behind Tomlinson.
I mentioned before that I support spending the Chargers first round pick in the draft on a running back, but I should clarify that I would not spend that 27th overall pick on just any running back. No, the guy I would target is Felix Jones. I have evaluated the top runners in this draft and watched guys like DMAC, Jonathan Stewart, Jamaal Charles, Steve Slaton, and Ray Rice play on Saturdays. But the guy who would best fit the Chargers and make the most immediate impact is Felix Jones. Not only is Jones an incredibly gifted runner with absolutely blazing speed (6'0" 200lbs with a sub 4.4 forty), he is also a very dangerous return man who would be a significant upgrade over Darren Sproles. I have also mentioned in the past that the team needs to explore improving in the return game, and I feel Jones is the guy to fill both needs.
Because no amount of words could replace actually watching the guy play, I’m going to let these highlight clips do my talking:
The bottom line is this: You give Jones the opportunities to return punts and kicks, and you give him 5-10 touches a game on offense, and he will make things happen and that's exactly what this team needs from a scoring perspective.
One of our favorite videophiles, MR. WBKSeventyTwo has complied a really nice highlight mix of the 2007 defense and he puts it to the 'Lights Out' song that Shawne Merriman plays when introduced at the Q. Overall its a nice little memento of what was one of the best Chargers seasons ever:
Kerry Collins gives the Titans a better chance to win? Yea, okay.
Titans very hush-hush about Vince Young's status. Is this a ploy to force the Chargers to prepare for both Quarterbacks? Not like the preparation is very complex; both QBs are simple in their own ways.
These analysts really think the Titans' success is going to come from the passing game but really the last time the Chargers played the Titans, it was a game of defense and pounding the football. I don't see why the Tennessee would change their tactics now in the playoffs.
Shout out to WBKSeventyTwo for remixing a really cool Antonio Cromartie highlight reel...Cromartie for NFL Defensive Player Of The Year? Its not out of the question...
Ladainian recently wrapped up shooting a commercial for Campbell's Chunky soup. LT takes the fans around with him as he personally shoots some behind-the-scenes video at the set in Los Angeles. With Norv Turner making a cameo, this is looking like it just might be the best soup commercial ever...
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