Center will be one of top free agents available; Chargers expected to make strong effort to retain him. Continue reading...
Here's my assessment, without going into deep details of what the team can/should do. Keep Hardwick, Gaither, and VJ, let McNeill walk. Resign Tolbert, but let Hester go. Move Jammer to safety, pick up a high quality DB in free agency. Add an impact DE also via free agency. Then address the rest of our needs (DLine and overall depth) through the draft. Sounds easy, right?? Now get to work, AJ!!
I like everything you said except the part about keeping Hardwick...If the team had depth it would feel nice to me to say that. Man, the Chargers are limping. Hardwick and Dielman WERE very good, but add them to the pile of positions that need to be upgraded bad
Stalwart Chargers center Nick Hardwick will not retire at the age of 30. He informed Kevin Acee of the recently renamed U-T San Diego that he plans to continue playing football after briefly considering retirement. An unrestricted free agent, Hardwick doesn’t fear that his indecision will hurt his market value. “My commitment is full throttle,”… Continue reading...
I'd rather see VJ go, so the team can add a couple of defensive veterans. $10 million per year is too much for a WR (except AJ and CJ), IMO... Also, the team needs a FB, so instead of jettisoning Hester (who deserves more respect than he gets around here), they should re-sign him and Tolbert. I'm not sold on the idea of moving Jam, but it could happen. However, it's more practical from a salary-cap perspective to sign a FA safety than a "high quality" CB, which are very pricey (see Asomugha or Revis). I'll be interested to see if Garay is given another contract, or if the team goes in another direction. I don't think Cam Thomas is the long-term solution at NT, so another big body in the middle may be in order.
There are no Revis or Asomugha ultra high caliber or priced cb's this year, I am talking a quality cb coming off rookie contract that has shown good grasp of the position but won't break the bank so we can upgrade but save and spend elsewhere, especially the lines on both sides. I love jammer but his best days are clearly behind him. As far as vj, 10 mil per year is a lot, but if another teams WR1 will cost similar amounts, I say we keep our guy and not go cheap on a WR2 we think might turn into a WR1, cuz as I said previously our finding "diamonds in the rough" strategy hasn't worked lately (Gaither being a nice exception).
I get skeptical when people voice that they "considering" retirement. I really question the heart of a guy that telegraphs his intentions, where it opens the door to doubting his passion for the game. TOTALLY agree with you on depth if he were to stay. At this point, if he leaves, I wouldn't really care. I never thought I would say it! He has been really great but this team is in dire need of durable gamers that can be counted on to be on the field. Dielman is finished, even if he decides to play. I think that seizure will really loom large on his attitude to play. I am just fed up with all these guys that collect money on IR that could be spent on people that could be on the field, helping this team win. I would rather have guys with half of their ability that will play a full year than a current or former Pro Bowler that can't even finish three games!
