B.I.G. Post 2013 & Draft - Fridge Combat's Dynasty

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B.I.G. Post 2013 & Draft

Posted on June 26, 2015 at 08:37 AM.

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Bolts Insider

Just to re-iterate, I am using a 2015 draft roster but playing the 2014 season. For the purposes of this play-through, assume that every team's draft class moves back a year. I'll avoid using dates where possible to avoid confusion, cheers!

The introduction to the series, (and a quick team/roster overview), is available in video format here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI8dVA7hui0

So after a solid year in 2013, the Chargers decision to hire new GM, Tom Telesco has paid off. The Bolts made their first playoff appearance since 2009, and made it to the divisional round. A big part of this success can be attributed to the new coach Mike McCoy.

Formally an OC for the Broncos, acquiring him was one of Telesco's first moves in the GM seat. Now one of the youngest head coaches in the league, he has had past success with QBs, including both Manning and Tebow. His pairing with Phillip Rivers was a match made in heaven, and the 33 year old looked rejuvenated after 6 years with Norv Turner.

New Brass In Town - McCoy, (pictured center) and Telesco, (pictured right) bring a young and fresh approach to this up-and-coming squad.

The young duo have also put together two consecutive drafts, widely regarded as 'solid'. They have drafted to fill needs as much as possible, whilst bolstering the team depth as a whole. 2014(15) was no exception:-

1st Round - Melvin Gordon RB - Between himself and Gurley, it was clear that the two RBs were positioned as 1A and 1B in the first round. With the departure of Ryan Mathews, the Chargers looked to find a legitimate running threat, they did so in abundance.
After, questionably, moving up two spots with San Fran, the Chargers ensured they snagged themselves this Jamaal Charles-like back who can, hopefully, give this team a spark in the running game at long last!

2nd Round - Denzel Perryman MLB - Probably hoping to land DT Eddie Goldman here, (who went early to Chicago), the Bolts, instead, looked to bolster the LB position, who played woefully throughout most of the year. Vaunted as a 'badass' in many scouting reports, Perryman is a thumping LB that can plug the holes in the line and attack the RB.
While not the fastest or the soundest coverage backer, he can compete for a spot with Manti Te'o from the get go.

3rd Round - Craig Mager CB - Bit of a wild card here, Mager is a small-school standout who missed only two games in his four year career. He's athletic, able to use his quick-twitch reflexes to jump on underneath patterns, and good vertical to challenge jump passes. He loves to tackle and was considered to play safety.
There are concerns about his deep speed and his coverage abilities, but he is athletic and really tough, which are qualities that can't be taught. He's as raw as you can get, but could have some potential.

5th Round - Kyle Emanuel OLB - Another tough, bruising player, this time from North Dakota. Emanuel was projected as a 3rd rounder but dropped in the Chargers laps in their continual search for an impact OLB. Emanuel showed his ability to rush the passer in the FCS, where he logged 19.5 sacks in his senior year. The blow on him, is the competition he faced in his conference, leading people to believe he just overpowered his opponents.
Still, this is hardly a knock, when a player is dominant a lot of it comes down to their talent, and hopefully it will translate in the the NFL.

6th Round - Darius Philon DT - Considered young and under-developed, the young man from Arkansas does possess great athleticism, but his size will be a real hit against him in the 3-4. He would be better served as a 4-3 interior lineman, but the Bolts may find more success moving him to the DE spot, where his lack of bulk won't hinder him so much.

Undervalued? - It's been many years since more than one running back went in the first round, but it looks like the Chargers aren't buying that RBs are less of a commodity in this league.

So with a young and fresh outlook from the management, now adding a lot of young and fresh faces, this team looks to be on the up and up. We sat down and spoke with Mr. Telesco and what his thoughts are on the team moving forward;

"We believe we have a strong team of individuals. We have a lot of talented young players joining the fold who will have big responsibilities in the coming months. Luckily, we have a corps of older veterans, star players in their own right who can take these young men under their wing. I believe our locker room to be the best team atmosphere in the NFL."

"But ultimately, like all teams in this league, we would like to get younger, ensuring we have fresh talent with new skill sets to compliment our team. Obviously there are a lot of faces here from the last administration who have contributed tremendously, but may be ending their run with this team.
We're not looking to cast a shadow, or make guys fear for their job security, but we do expect quite a large player turnover in the coming years."

It would seem Mr. Telesco is not looking to rebuild but 're-vamp' this team. Adding younger, dynamic athletes, will allow him to cut bait with some poor roster decisions made in the past, in turn, freeing up a lot of cap room in the process.

Behind The Trigger - Our new GM will have a lot of work on his hands in the years to come, but clearly has his mind set on the future for this team.

We will have a better analysis of the final roster as Pre-season concludes, but for now, we're hoping you are as excited about the future of this team as we are!

The Bolts Insider is an independent news-letter, created by a long-time, avid Charger fan, dedicated to bringing you all the top news and results as they happen!

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