January 17, 2025 • 35 mins
On this episode of Chargers Weekly, Matt “Money” Smith & former Chargers safety Jahleel Addae recap the latest news involving LA and the entire NFL. The hosts discuss how the Bolts’ future is bright following a successful first season with Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, recap the AFC wild card matchup vs quarterback C.J. Stroud & the Houston Texans, break down quarterback Justin Herbert and wide receiver Ladd McConkey’s 2024 seasons, and look ahead to how General Manager Joe Hortiz can improve the roster this offseason.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Lay fifteen to ten touchdoup Welcome to Chargers Weekly. Would
Julila die Matt Maney Smith here as unfortunately we are
no longer talking about active football games. We're talking about
past football games and future football performance. The Chargers complete
(00:23):
and eleven and six season, Julil They punched their ticket
into the tournament. A lot of people felt really good
about that wildcard matchup against the Texans. Unfortunately it did
not go their way after the first quarter and a
half got away from them. They lose thirty two to twelve.
And now they look forward to twenty twenty five and
build on the success that we experienced this year with
this team. And certainly you look at the Joe Ortis
(00:46):
and Jim Harbaugh presser from earlier in the week and
there's a lot of positivity. And I think there's a
reason for a lot of positivity.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, I do. And when you look at the season,
you say, okay, well, this is supposed to be a
rebuilding year. Everyone said it would be a rebuilding year.
And then the way that the Chargers and the coaching
staff came out this year and played at a high
level weekend week out, injuries, new guys coming in and
everyone's still staying on one accord. It was really impressive
where the front office did with the key acquisitions and
the draft, free agency throughout the season, and just the
(01:14):
way that the guys bought into Jim Harbo's culture, the
way that they bought into his toughness, the way he
wants to play stifling defense, be physical, run the ball
on offense, and obviously special teams was a really really
positive asset for the organization this year as well. So
you have to I'm a I'm a look at I'm
a silver lining guy. I look at the positives, right,
and you say, Okay, this team was not supposed to
buy many to make the playoffs, right, they did that.
(01:36):
Many people didn't think that Herbert would be able to
have the season that he would have without you know,
Keenan Allen and Mike Mike Dubb, and he showed that
he still can get it done, right, So you got
to look at it at the positive side. I'm looking
at it on the bright side. Obviously what happened in
Houston was not the best foot forward. That game just
kind of felt all it can go either way, right,
(01:57):
and I think we'll talk about more money, but I
think one of the turning points is was when Durwain
James picked the ball off in the red zone and
we're like, hey, they're marching down here, but they're not
really getting many points, right, We're stopping them. We're getting
turnovers and kicking field goals. And when that was overturned,
that obviously gave them a second second chance. And obviously
the interceptions and stuff like that. So positive season, good
things to look at. The are things a pool.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Form look and I don't. I want to make sure
that we don't go through the pod and people say, oh,
here we go, excuse making we get it. You know,
they were favored pretty much every expert pick the Chargers
to beat the Texans. It wasn't their day. It was
that the Texans were the better team. I mean on paper,
were they're the better team. You can argue that. You know,
they were dealing with injuries no different than the Chargers.
It had Nico Collins and nobody else to catch passes
(02:41):
from CJ stubs. You had an offensive line that they
gave up fifty two sacks. So when you're talking about
the things that people are pointing to that perhaps contributed
to the loss, for the Chargers. The Texans were the
team that were able to overcome that, and it took
them a minute. It took them about twenty five twenty
eight minutes to get through it, but they were able
(03:02):
to stay on task overcome it. And that's what football is.
It's overcoming adversity inside a game through the course of
a season. That's essentially what this sport is and it's
why it's the most popular form of entertainment in the nation.
So understand like, that's not what this will be. But
I also think it's also important to keep the big
(03:22):
picture in perspective, and that's why I think it's okay
to kind of cut this thing into three pieces, you know,
regular season, the or I should even say, you can
almost go like the off season into the regular season,
and then into the playoff, and then looking forward, how
do we feel about this team looking forward? So you
can you can have a bad feeling in a bummer
(03:45):
of a feeling about the playoff game while still being
able to look at those other three components and saying, hey,
in a one hundred percent pie that's divided into quarters, right,
three of the quarters that you feel really good about
should make you feel pretty darn good moving forward.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, and I agree with you. It's like you look
at who's free agents and what free agents are going
to be brought back, right, how are they gonna address
free agents and offseason who they're going to go out
and get. The draft is coming up, so it's gonna
be a very very intriguing off season. Obviously, there's pieces
to be fulfilled. There's gonna be a lot of cap
space based off of what they decide to do with
trading players or cutting players. So it's gonna be interested.
(04:22):
I'm gonna be obviously locked in. I'm always locked in
a boat through and through. It runs in my vein.
So I'm excited, man, I'm excited money.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah. And you know, just to kind of acknowledge the
playoff game, which I think was a continuation of the
regular season, and that is you had a defense that
save really one game. You know, we'll both take the
Tampa game and you just shove it aside. You're really
talking about one game that that unit didn't perform at
(04:51):
a level that you were used to the other sixteen games.
And I think you look at that that playoff game
and defense delivered. I know there's a third two spot
on the board. But when you look at how those
thirty two points were scored, you can argue that you know,
it's twenty two points at the bare minimum, and considering
the time of possession and how those that nine possession
(05:13):
chunk went after the two field goals, it's asking an
awful lot for the team to deliver. But a defensive
side of the football that was populated with a few
superstars saw young players develop. Dayon Henley obviously, tar Heep
Still and Cam Hart two rookies. I drop Elijah Molden
into the young categories. So like, you know, I think
(05:36):
you're when you were able to do that, perform at
that level and then go on the road in a
wild card contest force three turnovers. Unfortunately, you know your
offense only puts up three points off those three turnovers,
but you provide the offense with three turnovers, Like that's
if I'm going to take something positive out of that game.
That and of course lat McConkey is what you're walking
(05:57):
away with, and that's a pretty good feeling going into
next year.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, and you talked about the score money and I
would always say we'd be after the game. We look
at stats and we'd be like, well, yeah, he had
a three pick game, right, But how did he get
those three picks? Was it where they just lollipops or
did he really go off leave the hash and go
get it right? Did he go make an athletic play?
And you've seen the score, but the score really didn't
dictate the way the game went. I felt like the
defense played really good football. Like you said, three turnovers.
(06:23):
Anytime you have three turnovers, you're nine times you're winning
the game. Right. Obviously, On the other hand, Herbert didn't
take care of the ball. There was two drops. Obviously
the will Disley dropped and then one went through Lad's hands.
I just felt like Herbert wasn't comfortable all night. They
were getting home with four and anytime you can get
home with four, you don't have to bring that fifth guy.
You're getting home with four. Now you're able to drop
another defender into the zones, into the into the passing lanes.
(06:46):
And it was they made it really, really muddy, and
they just pressured Herbert all night long. As far as
special teams goes special teams, obviously the blocked extra point
that didn't help pun Yeah, the tip but yeah, still
but it's still like it's still not the groove that
the spell so teams how they played all year. That's
why playoff football is so vital, because you have to
play at your best when your best is needed. Yeah,
(07:06):
and the Chargers just didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, you know in the playoffs. You can speak to
this better than I can, but the playoffs tend to mirror.
You need to say mirror, you can say magnify sort
of what your issues might have been in the regular season.
And I think offensively you saw some of that. You
saw the things because, like we said, the defense side
of the ball was consistent all year long. They didn't allow,
outside of that wild card game more than twenty points
(07:30):
to any road team. They allowed fewer than seven points
and I think twelve games in the first half. So
like that side was consistent, it delivered. The offense was
inconsistent this year, you know, And a lot of it
had to do with injury, A lot of it had
to do with young players being asked to do a
lot of it had to do with new coordinator trying
to install a system, get these guys used to each other. Essentially,
you have three fifths of the offensive line that's brand
(07:52):
new because Trey's playing a new position. Takes a while
for that to gel. So it's understandable that they struggle
throughout the course of the season. But I do think
the thing that we saw sort of raise their hand
in the regular season were certainly in the spotlight in
that playoff game. And it starts with Ladd just lighting
it up, lighting it up every which way he could,
whether it was with Stingly covering him or Lassiter covering him,
(08:15):
or him too when they're playing zone. It was sensational.
And then essentially you have Derek Stinglely tied for the
second leading receiver with Will Disley with two catches. Like
that's how rough it was behind Ladd. And that's something
we talked about all season long, and.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
We talked about it money and we addressed it, and
Herbert adjusted throughout the year. He didn't complain at all.
He adjusted. He was finding different targets week in and
week out. But when you get to the playoffs, that
was one of the questions, like do you have enough
on that side, do you have enough weapons for him
to distribute the ball not only distribute to them, but
then they catch it and they go make plays right,
And I think, like you said, it magnified in the
(08:50):
playoffs to where you've seen listen, that is the one
area where he didn't have enough target He didn't have
enough targets. He didn't have enough playmakers at the wide
receiver position besides Ladd. And it snow shade now because
I've played the game, I know how hard it is.
I've been in that fire. I understand the competitive battle,
and these guys are all in the NFL for a reason.
But at a certain level, if you want to get
over that hump, if you want to get into the
(09:11):
second round the AFC Championships in the Super Bowl, which
is everybody's goal, you have to give Herbert a little
bit more than what you gave him this year. Now,
does he have to take care of the ball. Yes,
he's not off the hook for that, right. And he's
not a guy that he's all over, right, And he
acknowledged that he had three picks off season and then
had four in one game, So it just wasn't It
(09:32):
was one of those like a hooper, right, there's nights
where the ball just won't go in the rim, right,
and it just kind of felt off and that's what
the playoffs felt like. I did still feel like no
matter what, although the office was struggling, the defense was
keeping him in the game. And then just time after time,
it just slowly. I mean, the pick six hurts, right, so.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And that's something that we just hadn't really seen from
him all year, a ball that just sailed on him.
But like you said, it's they're getting home with four.
Will Anderson and Daneil Hunter are coming into that game
arguably the best edge tandem in the league. I mean,
you're talking about one hundred and twenty combined pressures and
twenty three combined sacks. And they run games, man, they run,
(10:15):
and the games got them. And when you're a quarterback,
and I think this just kind of spins to the
shade that Herbert's taken from the national media. When you're
under pressure fifty four percent of your dropbacks and you
can't and guys aren't there because so you've got pressure
(10:36):
in your lap and your guys haven't won yet, there's
really not a lot you can do. So I think
it's recognizing going back and watching I think, you know,
I think that the one stat that maybe jumps out
of a lot of people is zero rushes is zero
you know, opportunities, because it's felt like that's what happened
with CJ. Is he was not playing well and it
(10:56):
was kind of that first run and you saw him
take that hit and he gets that first down and
he just kind of saw pop up and he kind
of had this Okay, let's go, and it was it
was you could see the team rally. Run was almost
a little something there. And I know oftentimes, you know,
when you go through all those playoff games, you'll see
pretty much every quarterback on the winning side, you know,
(11:16):
whether it was Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, who of
course run regularly, but even you know, in the case
of like we said CJ, like there's all those rushes,
they're all there. You know, then that's there's there's something
to that, I think.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
And there is, and I'm gonna touch on two points.
The rushing. The rushing attack, right, the rushing attack never
got going in that game. So it was almost like
her the defensive line had their earspin back. You know,
we can rush up the field. We don't have to.
We don't have to stay gaps sound and have gap
integrity because they're passing we never established the running.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Game right outside of that first drive, it was like, Okay, this.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Looks like it's gonna be a great it's gonna be
like a great afternoon. And then on the other side, Herbert,
if you know as a quarterback right that your windows
are small, you're getting pressure. I just feel like I
wish he ran a little bit more throughout the season.
That is what he did really well. When things broke down,
or that time clock goes off in your head, every
quarterback has that time clock one one thousand and two
one thousand. Okay, now it's time to get out of here.
(12:10):
And if it's a five yard scamper, that's good. If
it's a ten yard scamper, that's good. But you're getting
positive yards, you're not taking a sack, and you're allowing
the downs to continue to keep going so that your
offense can possibly get in a rhythm maybe whether it
be screens, whether it be getting back to the run game,
quick game, double moves, trick plays, whatever it is, but
you have to keep the driver alive. And I think
that's where it kind of hurt the offense was Herbert
(12:33):
wasn't really trying to escape the pocket and use his
legs as much as I think he should have.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah, and look, I think it's important to acknowledge we're
not trying to relitigate the game. For me, it's more
spinning it forward, you know, based on what we saw,
on what was happening out there, how do we envision
this maybe changing or improving, you know, next year. And look,
lad had one of the great rookie seasons of all time,
got games too, and well he broke the record post
(13:00):
rookie yard receiving yards ever. And you saw someone that
did not quit, that was in until the end with
that that that eighty six yard touchdown that he had,
like and that felt like it put him right back in.
You know, that's that's what you And for people, it
was interesting, you know, I do these after the games.
I'd pop on Instagram live and I'd do these sort
of whatever live things and they're not huge or any
(13:21):
but you interact with the people and kind of floored
me how one of the overwhelmed it was I shouldn't
say overwhelming, that there was a segment of the people
watching and commenting that kind of pointed too, well, you know,
you got to get a better receiver than Lad. If
this is gonna work, you know, Lad's not. And I'm
sitting there, I'm like, no, no, no, You're gonna find someone
(13:43):
to compliment Lab with what we saw this year, the
way that he plays, what I saw in that game
against those corners. Understand, you know, Kamari Lassiter and Derek
Stingley are the number one and number two, like not
five and six, not twelve and fifteen, one and two
corners that opponent quarterback had the lowest completion percentage and
the lowest quarterback ratio. Wan targeting those two guys and
(14:06):
ladd ate.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Them up and I guarantee you, sorry, money now, I
guarantee you. Houston went into the game and said, guess
what we're going to set out the only guy that's
what we're gonna game plan around. We're gonna game plan
around Lad, and they weren't able to do it almost
two hundred yards receiving right. And we talked about lastly,
their former teammates at Georgia, so they know each other
in and out. And then you talk about Stingley at
the corner all pro corner. Probably the best conversation is
the best corter him or ps two Patrick certain the
(14:30):
second excuse me, So listen, Ladd is the nucleus of
the receiver corps. You're gonna be able to build around him. Now,
do you have a Batman? Do you have a Robin?
Do you have somebody who compliments him? Yes, you need
a guy on the outside as a Z or an X, yes,
but Ladd is the guy right now in the receiving
court and he will be for a long time in
this franchise.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah. I think it's for people like, well, he's in
the slot and he's not an X and it's okay, Well,
what's CD Lamb? The CD Lamb an elite? Is he
a top five receiver in the league? And are the
Cowboys in explosive offense with him? Yeah, he's a slot guy.
He operates them majority of his snaps out of the slide.
You can do it. So you know, you said, is
it a Batman Robin? It's Batman Superman. I'd love to
see a Batman Superman situation, a Jamar Chase T. Higgins style,
(15:11):
a DeVante Smith, a J. Brown stop. Look, you can
have different. It's they always say when it comes to
wide receivers. I shouldn't say they always say, I want
to say. I think it was Brian Billick who I
heard say at first, but he said, you want to
build a basketball team. He's like, that's the key to
the most effective wide receiver. Room. Give me a power forward,
(15:31):
Give me a three and D guy, Give me that
wing that's got the long, you know arms and is
super wiring in athletic. And then give me the point guard.
Give me the guy that can kind of get everything
set in. And that's that's Lad. You know, Lad is
the dominant point guard style wide receiver. Can they go
out and find a power forward, No doubt that.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That's that's something Probably they will.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Exactly, that would be my guess. So I just point
out because maybe it's the way he looks. Maybe it's
the position that he plays that leads to people not
thinking the Chargers have a number one wide receiver. They do.
That was absolutely settled. I think you can go through.
I think I don't remember who did. I might have
(16:10):
been Barnwell, I think who did it. Who did his
all rookie team and he had Brian Thomas as his
number one rookie receiver, and well he had three receivers.
You know you're you're because that's what most people play now,
right as eleven personnel. So Thomas McConkie neighbors, that's the
order you put it in. So Marvin Harrison, Junr, not
Roma Duns, but lad in that conversation with those guys
(16:31):
who had elite campaigns as well, and it's much easier
now to find a compliment than to find a leader.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Yeah. So the other thing that you know, I think
we can probably spend I don't know how much more
you want to spend on the Texans game. I think
it's it's I'll say this though, you know, someone who's
embedded with the team and gets to travel with the team,
like I have not been around like a more. I
don't want to say like I don't I don't know
(16:59):
if confident and it's the right word, but just this
belief was permeating from this group at the hotel over
those two days. You could just see it the way
they walk, the bounce they had in their step, the energy.
I spent more time on the field before that game
than I have any other game I've been to, just
because it was infectious. You could see it on the
faces of the coaches, on the players, and you know,
(17:20):
I try to just keep it as straight as possible
just it helps me call the game where I don't
feel like I want to get too emotionally invested, like yeah,
you know, I can see the positives from the Texans,
but it was you know, I caught it, like I
ended up catching it because of how much they believed
and even though it didn't work out. It's the first
time I felt that since I've been here, you know,
(17:40):
since twenty seventeen, where there was just this collective belief
pulling the rope in the same direction everyone truly, and
I know Coach said it earlier this week in the
press areas we went into this tournament believing that we
were as good as you know, the best teams in
the tournament, and that we had a chance to really
do something. And that's not lip service. I absolutely felt
(18:05):
that being around this team those two days.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
And it's funny you say that because in twenty eighteen,
being a leader on the team at that time, that's
how we felt going into Foxborough against Tom Brady just
went to Baltimore and beat Lamar with seven DB's and
we literally, I mean, there was not one guy on
the team when guy in the locker room. I mean,
even the janitors knew that we had the confidence to
go into Foxborough and upset Brady at the time. And
guess what, it didn't happen. Right, We went in there
(18:29):
with a good game plan. We had all the confidence
in the world. Nobody was pointing fingers, nobody felt any
kind of way like it wasn't like it wasn't possible.
And like you said, I agree with you, though I
felt I wasn't around the team, but I can see,
I can feel, I know the guys. I talked to
the guys. They were confident. And guess what, it just
did not happen. It wasn't the Chargers day. That day,
the Texans played better football. Tip your hat to them.
(18:49):
They played a better game all three phases. And the
thing about the playoffs is you can't have it off night,
you can't have an off day, right, it's win or
go home.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
And yeah, I'd love to ask the question. I know
you probably don't want to get too deep into it,
but because look, it was a successful year, right, it
was a weird year. Twelve and four gets you what
a wild card birth? You know, it just so happened
that you know, the Chiefs end up winning a tiebreaker
in that that I think it was right, didn't they
have twelve? I think it was twelve and four two? Yeah,
they just happened to win the tiebreaker. But I don't know.
(19:22):
I'm sure you remember this. So we're sitting in the
booth and coin toss, Patriots win, and it's Bill Belichick.
You know what they do. So I would assume you
see the Patriots win and you turn around and you
start walking to the bench because you know the offense
is going to be on the field. When they said
we'll receive DJ and I looked at each other and
we were like, oh no, it was disrespect. It's like,
(19:44):
I was like, what did they find? What did they see?
Like this is not this is not what we're used to.
And I was like, Oh, something's going on here, Like
they feel like they found something and I don't know
what it is because this is not how it works
with the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It probably was that we had seventy b's on the
field and base and me and Adrian Phillips were playing
linebacker at the time, and they felt like they can
they could run twenty one personnel against the personnel ran
it and then screened, ran it, screened, then ran it
play action over the top of grounk. So they kind
of they might have felt, you know, we were down,
and we were down players, we were injured on the
defensive side, were holding on by a tooth and a nail.
(20:20):
But we were confident, dude, We didn't care. We knew
they were coming out in twenty one twenty two. It's
just listen. Uh, you have a mic and a will linebacker.
The biggest guy was during at the at the strong
safety and he was about two twenty at the time.
So it just is what it is. It it worked
out how it worked out. But I remember that game, dude.
It was It was really intense. It was cold at
crap that.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
It was very cool getting rid of the ball, Like, yeah,
it was quick. Getting there was a moment because you know,
the booth is running the fifty yard line and it's
just at the top of the first section, so it's
truly like the best perspective you could possibly have to
see everything. It's like it's almost like having all twenty
two one zoom right in front of you and you
could see in about like the mid second quarter. How frustrated.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Joey was I was just gonna.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Winning and he's winning his one on ones and he's
right there and the ball's just gone.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Yeah. He came back to the sideline saying that I like,
I can't get home. It's impossibly soon as I make
a move, the balls out And that's what they were
hitting us with their run quick game screens, pops over
the top. He would not let our rush get home.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
It was crazy, like if you were to you know,
PFF for you know, they have a tool called you know,
b D beats to beat defender, you know, and Joey's
would have been like it ninety percent. I mean, he
was wrecking that tackle and it just doesn't matter because
the ball was gone. You got good memory, ye, well,
you know some of those moments. And I also remember,
you know the Baltimore game the week before. Was it
(21:39):
was it Morning Wig? Who was their O C. I
think it was right. I'm pretty sure Marty was their
OC at that time. It wasn't Greg wrong, It was
wasn't really Rose zero. I guess it was.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
I'm like, because I gave him some crap about it
when I see it summer, I did just a little bit.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
They're not gonna run it, just gonna just keep throwing it.
Like really, they're just gonna They're just gonna keep throwing.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Over with sevn DB's on the food gone and they
and they just they did.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And it worked out. So hey, you know, ended on
a positive note there, you know, big victory in Baltimore.
And by the way, those people, all of their staff,
media people that work for the team, they were walking
around the press box with their chest puffed out like,
oh yeah, you remember what we did you on Saturday night.
It's you know, it's a nice, nice season for you guys.
You know, good effort, really really some interesting wins out there,
and love to see Philip win, but maybe next year.
(22:24):
And then Philip the first down, yes, exact iconic exactly right,
Chenna and uh and during with huge plays and that
game is rookies.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
It was.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
It was a fun year and I think it's important
to went out that yes it's a one and done,
you're the first playoff game of the weekend, which makes
it sting even more. But I think it's important to
keep it in perspective kind of what was built and
so why don't we shift to that and I'll start
with with Georgie's and what's expected moving forward based on
what we've now seen in his first year, after you know,
(22:56):
two decades plus in a supporting role to now have
the keys to build it his own way. And when
you talk about showing up to a spot that is
thirty five million dollars over the cap, that has got
bloated contracts that you have to convince guys to restructure
if you're going to be able to keep them around
that you have some guys that are willing to do
that because you make your pitch and I feel like,
(23:19):
you know, it paid off that the fact that Khalil
and Joey took the pick cut and said, trust us,
we're going to get you in the tournament and see
if we can get you win here. That didn't work out,
but I'm sure they're happy with their decision and what
they were able to be part of this year. Are
the guys that weren't willing to do that, they move
on and then you have to plug holes. And with
what he had to work with, I mean, I don't
know how you give anything below an a plus to
(23:40):
what joe was able to put together with Chad, Alexander
and with his whole staff, with the limited resources they
have to find, Punaford and tier Tart and Elijah Molden
and Christian Fold. The list just goes on. And JK.
Dobbins like, I remember we said, you know, in the
preseason when we were out here for training camp. I know,
(24:00):
I remember we were sitting in front of the bolt
and we were talking about it, and I said, it
was one of us that brought it up, where we said, look,
if you can just hit on fifty percent of these guys,
if you just said I'm fifty percent of them, you
got a chance to get into the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Yeah, that's all you got to do.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
You don't have all of them, don't have to work.
But if you can get fifty percent of these one
year deals, then you got a chance to at least
get to that nine to ten win plateau. And I'll
be darned if not just those guys, but the guys
he ended up picking as he turned the roster throughout
the course of the season he did, it felt like
you hit. I mean you're talking about getting like at
least an a minus on what you hit with every
(24:36):
one of those deals.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
And what's more impressive with that situation is a lot
of times general managers and coaches are not on the
same accord, right, Right, So a general manager must know
what kind of offensive scheme, defensive scheme and special team
schemes that the coaches run, so they can go and say,
you know what, yes, this guy might be the best
on the board, but he doesn't fit our system more
he does, right, And I think that's what Joe Ortiz
(24:57):
and Chad and his group has done a really good job.
Is they understand Jim Harbow's way, they understand the scheme
of Jesse Minner, they understand the scheme of zero, they
understand what they look for in players, right, so they
were able to go out fish those guys and be like,
you know what, just not because he's a big name,
it's because he fits our scheme and what they believe
in and what we're trying to do right, not only
physically mentally but as a person. Right, No cancers in
(25:19):
the locker room, good guys, upbeat, very positive. So I
tipped my hat to those guys. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
And I think the other piece of that is the draft,
And think about the narrative surrounding the draft. How much pressure.
You let Mike Williams go, you trade Keenan Allen, and
you've got Justin Herbert back there on a two hundred
and sixty million dollar contract. And there was so much
outside external pressure from the national media about drafting a weapon.
(25:43):
You've got to get a weapon. You're sitting right there
at five, Marvin Harrison, jun your Molik neighbors. One of
those two is got and they stayed on point. They
stayed on message. They didn't care. They drafted Joe Alt.
Joe Alt's a Pro Bowl level tackle already after one year,
you saw what it happened, and we had to flipped
to the left side when when Rashaan went down in
warm ups and it was just like nothing once he
(26:04):
didn't allow a single pressure of the game. And then
you're you get the weapon in the second round. Like
the fact that you hit on your one and your
two to the level they did. Those guys will be
on the All Rookie team tackle. You know, Alt is
the tackle and Ladd as a wide receiver. And then
you find these gems later in the draft. You know
in those two fifth round corners, and not to mention,
(26:25):
you're able to maneuver and you move up to get
your guy, and you still get someone in the fifth
round after dropping twenty seven spots in Tarheed. Still, so
you have a full compliment of picks, and you would
assume you're building things toward that comp pick formula. That
I mean, just look at what the Ravens did today
because they're so good at it, claiming freaking Deontay Johnson
(26:46):
just so they can get a comp pick and Casey
signs somewhere else for a solid deal. Like that's that's
chess man. You just said, that's what it is, and
that's I'm excited to see what Joe and his staff
can do with a second draft class. With now kind
of getting a better feeling having been in this in
the in the facility around the players, know what they have,
(27:07):
knowing what we have, knowing what works, what your coaches
are looking for and trades. It is like you now
have that year experience. I'm very excited about what they're
able to do in the draft. And obviously, on top
of that, instead of being thirty five million over, you're
seventy seven under. And that number can grow as well.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
You can grow and it can grow based on releasing, trading,
or whatnot. Right, So, like you said, for them to
be successful and do what they did draft wise, free
agent wise, and like you said, even to the end
the last game of the season, they were turning the
bottom of that roster and he was going to get
guys you know, they tell you that you know, not
guys that you know who was this signing or who
(27:45):
was this signing and just to fill the bubble. No,
he was going to get guys that are they have
names and can really really get up there and put
a good foot forward to help the team win. So
I was impressed. I was truly impressed by Georitis in
his group. They did a really good job all season long,
pre draft, post draft, throughout the season shuffling guys and
making things work and being on one to one cord.
I keep saying it with the coaching staff and the
(28:06):
front office because a lot of times it can go
this way, they can go opposite, and they were together
and you've seen it work.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Yeah, I'll tell you as you look at the draft,
you know, and we'll be out at the combine doing
Chargers weekly out there, very excited about that, just like
we were last year dropping daily shows. I think three
four days of conversations down there, but it's it's you know,
you never know, right, they have no idea what the
draft is going to produce. But based on how these
guys evaluate, finding you know, players that fit what they
(28:34):
want to do that can be productive. So Coach Harbaugh
and his staff this year, you know, I do the
games with Daniel Jeremiah. He's the best in the business,
I think in terms of that what he does at
NFL Network as their lead scout and their lead draft analyst.
It's a defensive end year, it's a tight end year,
it's a corner year. Like it's it lays out really
(28:58):
well for the Bolts and maybe just kind of the
way they need to create depth and build this roster.
So that's a positive. And I thought something, I do
want to acknowledge the players that are on the roster
because I don't think it was lip service and I
don't think it was just a you know, unicorns and
confetti answer. I think it's accurate.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Coach talked about what's this roster going to look like
next year, and he said, I hope it looks almost
identical to what we had because every guy got better.
And I think that's the absolute truth. And we often,
you know, Julia, we only do that typically in college.
It's like, hey, can this guy develop talent? Can you
bring in the five stars and tournament too first round
draft picks? Or do you bring in five stars and
they turn into two stars by the time they leave.
(29:42):
But that's the case in the NFL as well. Can
you take Dane Henley who couldn't find the field last
year for whatever reason with that staff and turn him
into a pro bowler? And the answers, yes. Can you
take Elijah Molden who was a discard from Tennessee and
turn them into a legitimate bona fide top half off
maybe top ten in the league, high safety in the entry. Yes,
(30:03):
Like this team got better week after week, especially with
the young players. The younger players and how they developed.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Man, you heard coach say that he didn't he didn't
really think that there would be much changing in the
coaching staff as well, so he's trying to keep everything
in house. The coaches did a really good job of
establishing the players and getting these players better, right to teach,
to educate, to motivate, and to have them get out
there and understand the system. In the first year, and
the assistant coaches did a really good job. The position
(30:30):
coaches did a really good job. Just everybody under this
building is really just tied in one and they understand
the vision of Coach Harball. They understand the vision, they
understand what he expects. And it's hard to get certain
people that come in from outside in to do that
each and every year. So when you find coaches, when
you find players who have bought into what you're selling,
bought into what you're telling them, it's you don't want
(30:51):
to let him out the building because you're building a coach.
Every time. People always say the Belichick way or the
Patriot way. Right, that's a certain thing, right, it's the
here and he loves how the guys are accepting him,
how they're accepting his coaching, players and coaches.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
And look, money'll talk and it could change, but it's
a two way street. You know, when they did open
locker room on Sunday, and I'd encourage all you if
you're watching this at Chargers dot com, just click on
that video tab and go through all those conversations from
all those different players. I mean, you're talking about Elijah Molden,
who's probably going to have a market out there. I
want to come back. This is this the most fun
(31:26):
I have had playing football professionally. You've got Rashaan Slater
talking about Justin Herbert. That's my That's that's it. That's who.
That's the only quarterback I want to block four. And
that's that goes a long way because if you're trying
to structure something and say, listen, we're gonna make you
a whole, but can we do it this way instead
and that way? Because then we can bring this piece
(31:48):
and drop it it. That's that's how you can get
sort of next level roster building. If you build a
culture that players and agents say, yeah, this is the
best for my client, this is this is the best
for me hometown discount exactly. And it's and I think
the key nowadays with the way that you can get
creative is it you don't even have to give a discount.
(32:08):
It's just hey, can we give you less here and
more here? And I'll make you good here so I
can because I can go out and get this guy
that they're not going to franchise again, and we're gonna
PLoP him in.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
And that's and you want to win yes, and that's
the biggest thing being a former player. Yes, obviously I've
signed four different contracts. Money is what it is in
the NFL. But at the end of the day, when
you lose week in and week out, it is not fun, right.
What makes this job fun is obviously you be able
to take care of your family, your loved ones, but
winning with your brothers, winning with your coaches, those those
(32:37):
plane rides, those flights the locker room. That's what makes
the NFL and this experience so special is when you
get out there for one common goal. It's so hard
to win in this league with the best players in
the world, and you go out there and you get
a win. That's what makes everything worth it.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
We'll finish with this when you say those plane rides,
will kind of go back to your plane. When I
say the name Mike Win, Mike, what do you think
about those plane rides.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
He's legendary, He's the goat man, He's he gets everybody excited. Obviously,
a good spirited guy, one of my favorite, really good
spirit man. You brought a smile to my face with
Mike went Man. I hope he's doing well. Absolutely him
In a while, Philly chees steak too. Man. Phil was
a character on those rides Watch the Best. He was
a character on those flights back.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Man.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
He would give you crap about a good play a
bad play, but when it's a win, Man, it doesn't
matter the film session the next day or the next
two days, you get beat. It's slap on the wrist.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Some of my uh feel was cool because he would
he would roll up and down. You know, it's a
weird that that I don't want to get too into it,
but like just the way the plane was configured is
it sort of led to a little bit more interaction.
And so I would always find myself in the galley
with him, typically on the flight home, and it.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Was it was the best.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
It was such a great culture. And that's what you're
talking to when you have a good group of dudes.
And that's what this group feels like, people that really
like being around each other, playing for each other. And
I think that's what maybe people forget when you think, oh,
it's just money and stuff. That may be the case
in baseball and maybe the case in basketball. Football's too
punishing a sport. It takes too much of a toll
(34:12):
on your physical well being to just say, oh, I'm
going to go here and I'm going to go four
and thirteen and that's fine with me because I'm going
to make an extra three hundred grand a year.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
It doesn't.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
It doesn't work that way. It doesn't in the NFL.
It's it's been like I said, because you have if
you have a good general manager and a good assistant
GM like we have here, and somebody like Ed maguire
that knows how to make these things work so tractually
you can make somebody whole while still keeping the team
you know, in a good spot to build. So we're
looking forward to it again. If you haven't checked it out,
(34:45):
hit that video tab at Chargers dot com see all
the open locker room interviews. Get a vibe of how everybody,
how the players felt about this season, how they feel
about moving forward. It'd be sure to suck back the
forty five minutes of Coach Harbaugh and Joe Ortiz. It's
kind of the end of the season. It's our season rap,
But at the same time, it's also I think there
(35:06):
should be excitement about what's happening with this team moving forward.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Julie, I agree with you. Mine, I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
I appreciate you. All right, everybody Bolt Up. Will be
back next week. Yes, we will continue to Charlee's Weekly
every single week throughout the offseason, so stay tuned for
our next episode.
Lay fifteen to ten touchdoup Welcome to Chargers Weekly. Would
Julila die Matt Maney Smith here as unfortunately we are
no longer talking about active football games. We're talking about
past football games and future football performance. The Chargers complete
(00:23):
and eleven and six season, Julil They punched their ticket
into the tournament. A lot of people felt really good
about that wildcard matchup against the Texans. Unfortunately it did
not go their way after the first quarter and a
half got away from them. They lose thirty two to twelve.
And now they look forward to twenty twenty five and
build on the success that we experienced this year with
this team. And certainly you look at the Joe Ortis
(00:46):
and Jim Harbaugh presser from earlier in the week and
there's a lot of positivity. And I think there's a
reason for a lot of positivity.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, I do. And when you look at the season,
you say, okay, well, this is supposed to be a
rebuilding year. Everyone said it would be a rebuilding year.
And then the way that the Chargers and the coaching
staff came out this year and played at a high
level weekend week out, injuries, new guys coming in and
everyone's still staying on one accord. It was really impressive
where the front office did with the key acquisitions and
the draft, free agency throughout the season, and just the
(01:14):
way that the guys bought into Jim Harbo's culture, the
way that they bought into his toughness, the way he
wants to play stifling defense, be physical, run the ball
on offense, and obviously special teams was a really really
positive asset for the organization this year as well. So
you have to I'm a I'm a look at I'm
a silver lining guy. I look at the positives, right,
and you say, Okay, this team was not supposed to
buy many to make the playoffs, right, they did that.
(01:36):
Many people didn't think that Herbert would be able to
have the season that he would have without you know,
Keenan Allen and Mike Mike Dubb, and he showed that
he still can get it done, right, So you got
to look at it at the positive side. I'm looking
at it on the bright side. Obviously what happened in
Houston was not the best foot forward. That game just
kind of felt all it can go either way, right,
(01:57):
and I think we'll talk about more money, but I
think one of the turning points is was when Durwain
James picked the ball off in the red zone and
we're like, hey, they're marching down here, but they're not
really getting many points, right, We're stopping them. We're getting
turnovers and kicking field goals. And when that was overturned,
that obviously gave them a second second chance. And obviously
the interceptions and stuff like that. So positive season, good
things to look at. The are things a pool.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Form look and I don't. I want to make sure
that we don't go through the pod and people say, oh,
here we go, excuse making we get it. You know,
they were favored pretty much every expert pick the Chargers
to beat the Texans. It wasn't their day. It was
that the Texans were the better team. I mean on paper,
were they're the better team. You can argue that. You know,
they were dealing with injuries no different than the Chargers.
It had Nico Collins and nobody else to catch passes
(02:41):
from CJ stubs. You had an offensive line that they
gave up fifty two sacks. So when you're talking about
the things that people are pointing to that perhaps contributed
to the loss, for the Chargers. The Texans were the
team that were able to overcome that, and it took
them a minute. It took them about twenty five twenty
eight minutes to get through it, but they were able
(03:02):
to stay on task overcome it. And that's what football is.
It's overcoming adversity inside a game through the course of
a season. That's essentially what this sport is and it's
why it's the most popular form of entertainment in the nation.
So understand like, that's not what this will be. But
I also think it's also important to keep the big
(03:22):
picture in perspective, and that's why I think it's okay
to kind of cut this thing into three pieces, you know,
regular season, the or I should even say, you can
almost go like the off season into the regular season,
and then into the playoff, and then looking forward, how
do we feel about this team looking forward? So you
can you can have a bad feeling in a bummer
(03:45):
of a feeling about the playoff game while still being
able to look at those other three components and saying, hey,
in a one hundred percent pie that's divided into quarters, right,
three of the quarters that you feel really good about
should make you feel pretty darn good moving forward.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, and I agree with you. It's like you look
at who's free agents and what free agents are going
to be brought back, right, how are they gonna address
free agents and offseason who they're going to go out
and get. The draft is coming up, so it's gonna
be a very very intriguing off season. Obviously, there's pieces
to be fulfilled. There's gonna be a lot of cap
space based off of what they decide to do with
trading players or cutting players. So it's gonna be interested.
(04:22):
I'm gonna be obviously locked in. I'm always locked in
a boat through and through. It runs in my vein.
So I'm excited, man, I'm excited money.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah. And you know, just to kind of acknowledge the
playoff game, which I think was a continuation of the
regular season, and that is you had a defense that
save really one game. You know, we'll both take the
Tampa game and you just shove it aside. You're really
talking about one game that that unit didn't perform at
(04:51):
a level that you were used to the other sixteen games.
And I think you look at that that playoff game
and defense delivered. I know there's a third two spot
on the board. But when you look at how those
thirty two points were scored, you can argue that you know,
it's twenty two points at the bare minimum, and considering
the time of possession and how those that nine possession
(05:13):
chunk went after the two field goals, it's asking an
awful lot for the team to deliver. But a defensive
side of the football that was populated with a few
superstars saw young players develop. Dayon Henley obviously, tar Heep
Still and Cam Hart two rookies. I drop Elijah Molden
into the young categories. So like, you know, I think
(05:36):
you're when you were able to do that, perform at
that level and then go on the road in a
wild card contest force three turnovers. Unfortunately, you know your
offense only puts up three points off those three turnovers,
but you provide the offense with three turnovers, Like that's
if I'm going to take something positive out of that game.
That and of course lat McConkey is what you're walking
(05:57):
away with, and that's a pretty good feeling going into
next year.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, and you talked about the score money and I
would always say we'd be after the game. We look
at stats and we'd be like, well, yeah, he had
a three pick game, right, But how did he get
those three picks? Was it where they just lollipops or
did he really go off leave the hash and go
get it right? Did he go make an athletic play?
And you've seen the score, but the score really didn't
dictate the way the game went. I felt like the
defense played really good football. Like you said, three turnovers.
(06:23):
Anytime you have three turnovers, you're nine times you're winning
the game. Right. Obviously, On the other hand, Herbert didn't
take care of the ball. There was two drops. Obviously
the will Disley dropped and then one went through Lad's hands.
I just felt like Herbert wasn't comfortable all night. They
were getting home with four and anytime you can get
home with four, you don't have to bring that fifth guy.
You're getting home with four. Now you're able to drop
another defender into the zones, into the into the passing lanes.
(06:46):
And it was they made it really, really muddy, and
they just pressured Herbert all night long. As far as
special teams goes special teams, obviously the blocked extra point
that didn't help pun Yeah, the tip but yeah, still
but it's still like it's still not the groove that
the spell so teams how they played all year. That's
why playoff football is so vital, because you have to
play at your best when your best is needed. Yeah,
(07:06):
and the Chargers just didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, you know in the playoffs. You can speak to
this better than I can, but the playoffs tend to mirror.
You need to say mirror, you can say magnify sort
of what your issues might have been in the regular season.
And I think offensively you saw some of that. You
saw the things because, like we said, the defense side
of the ball was consistent all year long. They didn't allow,
outside of that wild card game more than twenty points
(07:30):
to any road team. They allowed fewer than seven points
and I think twelve games in the first half. So
like that side was consistent, it delivered. The offense was
inconsistent this year, you know, And a lot of it
had to do with injury, A lot of it had
to do with young players being asked to do a
lot of it had to do with new coordinator trying
to install a system, get these guys used to each other. Essentially,
you have three fifths of the offensive line that's brand
(07:52):
new because Trey's playing a new position. Takes a while
for that to gel. So it's understandable that they struggle
throughout the course of the season. But I do think
the thing that we saw sort of raise their hand
in the regular season were certainly in the spotlight in
that playoff game. And it starts with Ladd just lighting
it up, lighting it up every which way he could,
whether it was with Stingly covering him or Lassiter covering him,
(08:15):
or him too when they're playing zone. It was sensational.
And then essentially you have Derek Stinglely tied for the
second leading receiver with Will Disley with two catches. Like
that's how rough it was behind Ladd. And that's something
we talked about all season long, and.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
We talked about it money and we addressed it, and
Herbert adjusted throughout the year. He didn't complain at all.
He adjusted. He was finding different targets week in and
week out. But when you get to the playoffs, that
was one of the questions, like do you have enough
on that side, do you have enough weapons for him
to distribute the ball not only distribute to them, but
then they catch it and they go make plays right,
And I think, like you said, it magnified in the
(08:50):
playoffs to where you've seen listen, that is the one
area where he didn't have enough target He didn't have
enough targets. He didn't have enough playmakers at the wide
receiver position besides Ladd. And it snow shade now because
I've played the game, I know how hard it is.
I've been in that fire. I understand the competitive battle,
and these guys are all in the NFL for a reason.
But at a certain level, if you want to get
over that hump, if you want to get into the
(09:11):
second round the AFC Championships in the Super Bowl, which
is everybody's goal, you have to give Herbert a little
bit more than what you gave him this year. Now,
does he have to take care of the ball. Yes,
he's not off the hook for that, right. And he's
not a guy that he's all over, right, And he
acknowledged that he had three picks off season and then
had four in one game, So it just wasn't It
(09:32):
was one of those like a hooper, right, there's nights
where the ball just won't go in the rim, right,
and it just kind of felt off and that's what
the playoffs felt like. I did still feel like no
matter what, although the office was struggling, the defense was
keeping him in the game. And then just time after time,
it just slowly. I mean, the pick six hurts, right, so.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And that's something that we just hadn't really seen from
him all year, a ball that just sailed on him.
But like you said, it's they're getting home with four.
Will Anderson and Daneil Hunter are coming into that game
arguably the best edge tandem in the league. I mean,
you're talking about one hundred and twenty combined pressures and
twenty three combined sacks. And they run games, man, they run,
(10:15):
and the games got them. And when you're a quarterback,
and I think this just kind of spins to the
shade that Herbert's taken from the national media. When you're
under pressure fifty four percent of your dropbacks and you
can't and guys aren't there because so you've got pressure
(10:36):
in your lap and your guys haven't won yet, there's
really not a lot you can do. So I think
it's recognizing going back and watching I think, you know,
I think that the one stat that maybe jumps out
of a lot of people is zero rushes is zero
you know, opportunities, because it's felt like that's what happened
with CJ. Is he was not playing well and it
(10:56):
was kind of that first run and you saw him
take that hit and he gets that first down and
he just kind of saw pop up and he kind
of had this Okay, let's go, and it was it
was you could see the team rally. Run was almost
a little something there. And I know oftentimes, you know,
when you go through all those playoff games, you'll see
pretty much every quarterback on the winning side, you know,
(11:16):
whether it was Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, who of
course run regularly, but even you know, in the case
of like we said CJ, like there's all those rushes,
they're all there. You know, then that's there's there's something
to that, I think.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
And there is, and I'm gonna touch on two points.
The rushing. The rushing attack, right, the rushing attack never
got going in that game. So it was almost like
her the defensive line had their earspin back. You know,
we can rush up the field. We don't have to.
We don't have to stay gaps sound and have gap
integrity because they're passing we never established the running.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Game right outside of that first drive, it was like, Okay, this.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Looks like it's gonna be a great it's gonna be
like a great afternoon. And then on the other side, Herbert,
if you know as a quarterback right that your windows
are small, you're getting pressure. I just feel like I
wish he ran a little bit more throughout the season.
That is what he did really well. When things broke down,
or that time clock goes off in your head, every
quarterback has that time clock one one thousand and two
one thousand. Okay, now it's time to get out of here.
(12:10):
And if it's a five yard scamper, that's good. If
it's a ten yard scamper, that's good. But you're getting
positive yards, you're not taking a sack, and you're allowing
the downs to continue to keep going so that your
offense can possibly get in a rhythm maybe whether it
be screens, whether it be getting back to the run game,
quick game, double moves, trick plays, whatever it is, but
you have to keep the driver alive. And I think
that's where it kind of hurt the offense was Herbert
(12:33):
wasn't really trying to escape the pocket and use his
legs as much as I think he should have.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah, and look, I think it's important to acknowledge we're
not trying to relitigate the game. For me, it's more
spinning it forward, you know, based on what we saw,
on what was happening out there, how do we envision
this maybe changing or improving, you know, next year. And look,
lad had one of the great rookie seasons of all time,
got games too, and well he broke the record post
(13:00):
rookie yard receiving yards ever. And you saw someone that
did not quit, that was in until the end with
that that that eighty six yard touchdown that he had,
like and that felt like it put him right back in.
You know, that's that's what you And for people, it
was interesting, you know, I do these after the games.
I'd pop on Instagram live and I'd do these sort
of whatever live things and they're not huge or any
(13:21):
but you interact with the people and kind of floored
me how one of the overwhelmed it was I shouldn't
say overwhelming, that there was a segment of the people
watching and commenting that kind of pointed too, well, you know,
you got to get a better receiver than Lad. If
this is gonna work, you know, Lad's not. And I'm
sitting there, I'm like, no, no, no, You're gonna find someone
(13:43):
to compliment Lab with what we saw this year, the
way that he plays, what I saw in that game
against those corners. Understand, you know, Kamari Lassiter and Derek
Stingley are the number one and number two, like not
five and six, not twelve and fifteen, one and two
corners that opponent quarterback had the lowest completion percentage and
the lowest quarterback ratio. Wan targeting those two guys and
(14:06):
ladd ate.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Them up and I guarantee you, sorry, money now, I
guarantee you. Houston went into the game and said, guess
what we're going to set out the only guy that's
what we're gonna game plan around. We're gonna game plan
around Lad, and they weren't able to do it almost
two hundred yards receiving right. And we talked about lastly,
their former teammates at Georgia, so they know each other
in and out. And then you talk about Stingley at
the corner all pro corner. Probably the best conversation is
the best corter him or ps two Patrick certain the
(14:30):
second excuse me, So listen, Ladd is the nucleus of
the receiver corps. You're gonna be able to build around him. Now,
do you have a Batman? Do you have a Robin?
Do you have somebody who compliments him? Yes, you need
a guy on the outside as a Z or an X, yes,
but Ladd is the guy right now in the receiving
court and he will be for a long time in
this franchise.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah. I think it's for people like, well, he's in
the slot and he's not an X and it's okay, Well,
what's CD Lamb? The CD Lamb an elite? Is he
a top five receiver in the league? And are the
Cowboys in explosive offense with him? Yeah, he's a slot guy.
He operates them majority of his snaps out of the slide.
You can do it. So you know, you said, is
it a Batman Robin? It's Batman Superman. I'd love to
see a Batman Superman situation, a Jamar Chase T. Higgins style,
(15:11):
a DeVante Smith, a J. Brown stop. Look, you can
have different. It's they always say when it comes to
wide receivers. I shouldn't say they always say, I want
to say. I think it was Brian Billick who I
heard say at first, but he said, you want to
build a basketball team. He's like, that's the key to
the most effective wide receiver. Room. Give me a power forward,
(15:31):
Give me a three and D guy, Give me that
wing that's got the long, you know arms and is
super wiring in athletic. And then give me the point guard.
Give me the guy that can kind of get everything
set in. And that's that's Lad. You know, Lad is
the dominant point guard style wide receiver. Can they go
out and find a power forward, No doubt that.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That's that's something Probably they will.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Exactly, that would be my guess. So I just point
out because maybe it's the way he looks. Maybe it's
the position that he plays that leads to people not
thinking the Chargers have a number one wide receiver. They do.
That was absolutely settled. I think you can go through.
I think I don't remember who did. I might have
(16:10):
been Barnwell, I think who did it. Who did his
all rookie team and he had Brian Thomas as his
number one rookie receiver, and well he had three receivers.
You know you're you're because that's what most people play now,
right as eleven personnel. So Thomas McConkie neighbors, that's the
order you put it in. So Marvin Harrison, Junr, not
Roma Duns, but lad in that conversation with those guys
(16:31):
who had elite campaigns as well, and it's much easier
now to find a compliment than to find a leader.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Yeah. So the other thing that you know, I think
we can probably spend I don't know how much more
you want to spend on the Texans game. I think
it's it's I'll say this though, you know, someone who's
embedded with the team and gets to travel with the team,
like I have not been around like a more. I
don't want to say like I don't I don't know
(16:59):
if confident and it's the right word, but just this
belief was permeating from this group at the hotel over
those two days. You could just see it the way
they walk, the bounce they had in their step, the energy.
I spent more time on the field before that game
than I have any other game I've been to, just
because it was infectious. You could see it on the
faces of the coaches, on the players, and you know,
(17:20):
I try to just keep it as straight as possible
just it helps me call the game where I don't
feel like I want to get too emotionally invested, like yeah,
you know, I can see the positives from the Texans,
but it was you know, I caught it, like I
ended up catching it because of how much they believed
and even though it didn't work out. It's the first
time I felt that since I've been here, you know,
(17:40):
since twenty seventeen, where there was just this collective belief
pulling the rope in the same direction everyone truly, and
I know Coach said it earlier this week in the
press areas we went into this tournament believing that we
were as good as you know, the best teams in
the tournament, and that we had a chance to really
do something. And that's not lip service. I absolutely felt
(18:05):
that being around this team those two days.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
And it's funny you say that because in twenty eighteen,
being a leader on the team at that time, that's
how we felt going into Foxborough against Tom Brady just
went to Baltimore and beat Lamar with seven DB's and
we literally, I mean, there was not one guy on
the team when guy in the locker room. I mean,
even the janitors knew that we had the confidence to
go into Foxborough and upset Brady at the time. And
guess what, it didn't happen. Right, We went in there
(18:29):
with a good game plan. We had all the confidence
in the world. Nobody was pointing fingers, nobody felt any
kind of way like it wasn't like it wasn't possible.
And like you said, I agree with you, though I
felt I wasn't around the team, but I can see,
I can feel, I know the guys. I talked to
the guys. They were confident. And guess what, it just
did not happen. It wasn't the Chargers day. That day,
the Texans played better football. Tip your hat to them.
(18:49):
They played a better game all three phases. And the
thing about the playoffs is you can't have it off night,
you can't have an off day, right, it's win or
go home.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
And yeah, I'd love to ask the question. I know
you probably don't want to get too deep into it,
but because look, it was a successful year, right, it
was a weird year. Twelve and four gets you what
a wild card birth? You know, it just so happened
that you know, the Chiefs end up winning a tiebreaker
in that that I think it was right, didn't they
have twelve? I think it was twelve and four two? Yeah,
they just happened to win the tiebreaker. But I don't know.
(19:22):
I'm sure you remember this. So we're sitting in the
booth and coin toss, Patriots win, and it's Bill Belichick.
You know what they do. So I would assume you
see the Patriots win and you turn around and you
start walking to the bench because you know the offense
is going to be on the field. When they said
we'll receive DJ and I looked at each other and
we were like, oh no, it was disrespect. It's like,
(19:44):
I was like, what did they find? What did they see?
Like this is not this is not what we're used to.
And I was like, Oh, something's going on here, Like
they feel like they found something and I don't know
what it is because this is not how it works
with the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It probably was that we had seventy b's on the
field and base and me and Adrian Phillips were playing
linebacker at the time, and they felt like they can
they could run twenty one personnel against the personnel ran
it and then screened, ran it, screened, then ran it
play action over the top of grounk. So they kind
of they might have felt, you know, we were down,
and we were down players, we were injured on the
defensive side, were holding on by a tooth and a nail.
(20:20):
But we were confident, dude, We didn't care. We knew
they were coming out in twenty one twenty two. It's
just listen. Uh, you have a mic and a will linebacker.
The biggest guy was during at the at the strong
safety and he was about two twenty at the time.
So it just is what it is. It it worked
out how it worked out. But I remember that game, dude.
It was It was really intense. It was cold at
crap that.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
It was very cool getting rid of the ball, Like, yeah,
it was quick. Getting there was a moment because you know,
the booth is running the fifty yard line and it's
just at the top of the first section, so it's
truly like the best perspective you could possibly have to
see everything. It's like it's almost like having all twenty
two one zoom right in front of you and you
could see in about like the mid second quarter. How frustrated.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Joey was I was just gonna.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Winning and he's winning his one on ones and he's
right there and the ball's just gone.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Yeah. He came back to the sideline saying that I like,
I can't get home. It's impossibly soon as I make
a move, the balls out And that's what they were
hitting us with their run quick game screens, pops over
the top. He would not let our rush get home.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
It was crazy, like if you were to you know,
PFF for you know, they have a tool called you know,
b D beats to beat defender, you know, and Joey's
would have been like it ninety percent. I mean, he
was wrecking that tackle and it just doesn't matter because
the ball was gone. You got good memory, ye, well,
you know some of those moments. And I also remember,
you know the Baltimore game the week before. Was it
(21:39):
was it Morning Wig? Who was their O C. I
think it was right. I'm pretty sure Marty was their
OC at that time. It wasn't Greg wrong, It was
wasn't really Rose zero. I guess it was.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
I'm like, because I gave him some crap about it
when I see it summer, I did just a little bit.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
They're not gonna run it, just gonna just keep throwing it.
Like really, they're just gonna They're just gonna keep throwing.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Over with sevn DB's on the food gone and they
and they just they did.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And it worked out. So hey, you know, ended on
a positive note there, you know, big victory in Baltimore.
And by the way, those people, all of their staff,
media people that work for the team, they were walking
around the press box with their chest puffed out like,
oh yeah, you remember what we did you on Saturday night.
It's you know, it's a nice, nice season for you guys.
You know, good effort, really really some interesting wins out there,
and love to see Philip win, but maybe next year.
(22:24):
And then Philip the first down, yes, exact iconic exactly right,
Chenna and uh and during with huge plays and that
game is rookies.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
It was.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
It was a fun year and I think it's important
to went out that yes it's a one and done,
you're the first playoff game of the weekend, which makes
it sting even more. But I think it's important to
keep it in perspective kind of what was built and
so why don't we shift to that and I'll start
with with Georgie's and what's expected moving forward based on
what we've now seen in his first year, after you know,
(22:56):
two decades plus in a supporting role to now have
the keys to build it his own way. And when
you talk about showing up to a spot that is
thirty five million dollars over the cap, that has got
bloated contracts that you have to convince guys to restructure
if you're going to be able to keep them around
that you have some guys that are willing to do
that because you make your pitch and I feel like,
(23:19):
you know, it paid off that the fact that Khalil
and Joey took the pick cut and said, trust us,
we're going to get you in the tournament and see
if we can get you win here. That didn't work out,
but I'm sure they're happy with their decision and what
they were able to be part of this year. Are
the guys that weren't willing to do that, they move
on and then you have to plug holes. And with
what he had to work with, I mean, I don't
know how you give anything below an a plus to
(23:40):
what joe was able to put together with Chad, Alexander
and with his whole staff, with the limited resources they
have to find, Punaford and tier Tart and Elijah Molden
and Christian Fold. The list just goes on. And JK.
Dobbins like, I remember we said, you know, in the
preseason when we were out here for training camp. I know,
(24:00):
I remember we were sitting in front of the bolt
and we were talking about it, and I said, it
was one of us that brought it up, where we said, look,
if you can just hit on fifty percent of these guys,
if you just said I'm fifty percent of them, you
got a chance to get into the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Yeah, that's all you got to do.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
You don't have all of them, don't have to work.
But if you can get fifty percent of these one
year deals, then you got a chance to at least
get to that nine to ten win plateau. And I'll
be darned if not just those guys, but the guys
he ended up picking as he turned the roster throughout
the course of the season he did, it felt like
you hit. I mean you're talking about getting like at
least an a minus on what you hit with every
(24:36):
one of those deals.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
And what's more impressive with that situation is a lot
of times general managers and coaches are not on the
same accord, right, Right, So a general manager must know
what kind of offensive scheme, defensive scheme and special team
schemes that the coaches run, so they can go and say,
you know what, yes, this guy might be the best
on the board, but he doesn't fit our system more
he does, right, And I think that's what Joe Ortiz
(24:57):
and Chad and his group has done a really good job.
Is they understand Jim Harbow's way, they understand the scheme
of Jesse Minner, they understand the scheme of zero, they
understand what they look for in players, right, so they
were able to go out fish those guys and be like,
you know what, just not because he's a big name,
it's because he fits our scheme and what they believe
in and what we're trying to do right, not only
physically mentally but as a person. Right, No cancers in
(25:19):
the locker room, good guys, upbeat, very positive. So I
tipped my hat to those guys. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
And I think the other piece of that is the draft,
And think about the narrative surrounding the draft. How much pressure.
You let Mike Williams go, you trade Keenan Allen, and
you've got Justin Herbert back there on a two hundred
and sixty million dollar contract. And there was so much
outside external pressure from the national media about drafting a weapon.
(25:43):
You've got to get a weapon. You're sitting right there
at five, Marvin Harrison, jun your Molik neighbors. One of
those two is got and they stayed on point. They
stayed on message. They didn't care. They drafted Joe Alt.
Joe Alt's a Pro Bowl level tackle already after one year,
you saw what it happened, and we had to flipped
to the left side when when Rashaan went down in
warm ups and it was just like nothing once he
(26:04):
didn't allow a single pressure of the game. And then
you're you get the weapon in the second round. Like
the fact that you hit on your one and your
two to the level they did. Those guys will be
on the All Rookie team tackle. You know, Alt is
the tackle and Ladd as a wide receiver. And then
you find these gems later in the draft. You know
in those two fifth round corners, and not to mention,
(26:25):
you're able to maneuver and you move up to get
your guy, and you still get someone in the fifth
round after dropping twenty seven spots in Tarheed. Still, so
you have a full compliment of picks, and you would
assume you're building things toward that comp pick formula. That
I mean, just look at what the Ravens did today
because they're so good at it, claiming freaking Deontay Johnson
(26:46):
just so they can get a comp pick and Casey
signs somewhere else for a solid deal. Like that's that's
chess man. You just said, that's what it is, and
that's I'm excited to see what Joe and his staff
can do with a second draft class. With now kind
of getting a better feeling having been in this in
the in the facility around the players, know what they have,
(27:07):
knowing what we have, knowing what works, what your coaches
are looking for and trades. It is like you now
have that year experience. I'm very excited about what they're
able to do in the draft. And obviously, on top
of that, instead of being thirty five million over, you're
seventy seven under. And that number can grow as well.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
You can grow and it can grow based on releasing, trading,
or whatnot. Right, So, like you said, for them to
be successful and do what they did draft wise, free
agent wise, and like you said, even to the end
the last game of the season, they were turning the
bottom of that roster and he was going to get
guys you know, they tell you that you know, not
guys that you know who was this signing or who
(27:45):
was this signing and just to fill the bubble. No,
he was going to get guys that are they have
names and can really really get up there and put
a good foot forward to help the team win. So
I was impressed. I was truly impressed by Georitis in
his group. They did a really good job all season long,
pre draft, post draft, throughout the season shuffling guys and
making things work and being on one to one cord.
I keep saying it with the coaching staff and the
(28:06):
front office because a lot of times it can go
this way, they can go opposite, and they were together
and you've seen it work.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Yeah, I'll tell you as you look at the draft,
you know, and we'll be out at the combine doing
Chargers weekly out there, very excited about that, just like
we were last year dropping daily shows. I think three
four days of conversations down there, but it's it's you know,
you never know, right, they have no idea what the
draft is going to produce. But based on how these
guys evaluate, finding you know, players that fit what they
(28:34):
want to do that can be productive. So Coach Harbaugh
and his staff this year, you know, I do the
games with Daniel Jeremiah. He's the best in the business,
I think in terms of that what he does at
NFL Network as their lead scout and their lead draft analyst.
It's a defensive end year, it's a tight end year,
it's a corner year. Like it's it lays out really
(28:58):
well for the Bolts and maybe just kind of the
way they need to create depth and build this roster.
So that's a positive. And I thought something, I do
want to acknowledge the players that are on the roster
because I don't think it was lip service and I
don't think it was just a you know, unicorns and
confetti answer. I think it's accurate.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
You know.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Coach talked about what's this roster going to look like
next year, and he said, I hope it looks almost
identical to what we had because every guy got better.
And I think that's the absolute truth. And we often,
you know, Julia, we only do that typically in college.
It's like, hey, can this guy develop talent? Can you
bring in the five stars and tournament too first round
draft picks? Or do you bring in five stars and
they turn into two stars by the time they leave.
(29:42):
But that's the case in the NFL as well. Can
you take Dane Henley who couldn't find the field last
year for whatever reason with that staff and turn him
into a pro bowler? And the answers, yes. Can you
take Elijah Molden who was a discard from Tennessee and
turn them into a legitimate bona fide top half off
maybe top ten in the league, high safety in the entry. Yes,
(30:03):
Like this team got better week after week, especially with
the young players. The younger players and how they developed.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Man, you heard coach say that he didn't he didn't
really think that there would be much changing in the
coaching staff as well, so he's trying to keep everything
in house. The coaches did a really good job of
establishing the players and getting these players better, right to teach,
to educate, to motivate, and to have them get out
there and understand the system. In the first year, and
the assistant coaches did a really good job. The position
(30:30):
coaches did a really good job. Just everybody under this
building is really just tied in one and they understand
the vision of Coach Harball. They understand the vision, they
understand what he expects. And it's hard to get certain
people that come in from outside in to do that
each and every year. So when you find coaches, when
you find players who have bought into what you're selling,
bought into what you're telling them, it's you don't want
(30:51):
to let him out the building because you're building a coach.
Every time. People always say the Belichick way or the
Patriot way. Right, that's a certain thing, right, it's the
here and he loves how the guys are accepting him,
how they're accepting his coaching, players and coaches.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
And look, money'll talk and it could change, but it's
a two way street. You know, when they did open
locker room on Sunday, and I'd encourage all you if
you're watching this at Chargers dot com, just click on
that video tab and go through all those conversations from
all those different players. I mean, you're talking about Elijah Molden,
who's probably going to have a market out there. I
want to come back. This is this the most fun
(31:26):
I have had playing football professionally. You've got Rashaan Slater
talking about Justin Herbert. That's my That's that's it. That's who.
That's the only quarterback I want to block four. And
that's that goes a long way because if you're trying
to structure something and say, listen, we're gonna make you
a whole, but can we do it this way instead
and that way? Because then we can bring this piece
(31:48):
and drop it it. That's that's how you can get
sort of next level roster building. If you build a
culture that players and agents say, yeah, this is the
best for my client, this is this is the best
for me hometown discount exactly. And it's and I think
the key nowadays with the way that you can get
creative is it you don't even have to give a discount.
(32:08):
It's just hey, can we give you less here and
more here? And I'll make you good here so I
can because I can go out and get this guy
that they're not going to franchise again, and we're gonna
PLoP him in.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
And that's and you want to win yes, and that's
the biggest thing being a former player. Yes, obviously I've
signed four different contracts. Money is what it is in
the NFL. But at the end of the day, when
you lose week in and week out, it is not fun, right.
What makes this job fun is obviously you be able
to take care of your family, your loved ones, but
winning with your brothers, winning with your coaches, those those
(32:37):
plane rides, those flights the locker room. That's what makes
the NFL and this experience so special is when you
get out there for one common goal. It's so hard
to win in this league with the best players in
the world, and you go out there and you get
a win. That's what makes everything worth it.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
We'll finish with this when you say those plane rides,
will kind of go back to your plane. When I
say the name Mike Win, Mike, what do you think
about those plane rides.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
He's legendary, He's the goat man, He's he gets everybody excited. Obviously,
a good spirited guy, one of my favorite, really good
spirit man. You brought a smile to my face with
Mike went Man. I hope he's doing well. Absolutely him
In a while, Philly chees steak too. Man. Phil was
a character on those rides Watch the Best. He was
a character on those flights back.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Man.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
He would give you crap about a good play a
bad play, but when it's a win, Man, it doesn't
matter the film session the next day or the next
two days, you get beat. It's slap on the wrist.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Some of my uh feel was cool because he would
he would roll up and down. You know, it's a
weird that that I don't want to get too into it,
but like just the way the plane was configured is
it sort of led to a little bit more interaction.
And so I would always find myself in the galley
with him, typically on the flight home, and it.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Was it was the best.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
It was such a great culture. And that's what you're
talking to when you have a good group of dudes.
And that's what this group feels like, people that really
like being around each other, playing for each other. And
I think that's what maybe people forget when you think, oh,
it's just money and stuff. That may be the case
in baseball and maybe the case in basketball. Football's too
punishing a sport. It takes too much of a toll
(34:12):
on your physical well being to just say, oh, I'm
going to go here and I'm going to go four
and thirteen and that's fine with me because I'm going
to make an extra three hundred grand a year.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
It doesn't.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
It doesn't work that way. It doesn't in the NFL.
It's it's been like I said, because you have if
you have a good general manager and a good assistant
GM like we have here, and somebody like Ed maguire
that knows how to make these things work so tractually
you can make somebody whole while still keeping the team
you know, in a good spot to build. So we're
looking forward to it again. If you haven't checked it out,
(34:45):
hit that video tab at Chargers dot com see all
the open locker room interviews. Get a vibe of how everybody,
how the players felt about this season, how they feel
about moving forward. It'd be sure to suck back the
forty five minutes of Coach Harbaugh and Joe Ortiz. It's
kind of the end of the season. It's our season rap,
But at the same time, it's also I think there
(35:06):
should be excitement about what's happening with this team moving forward.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Julie, I agree with you. Mine, I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
I appreciate you. All right, everybody Bolt Up. Will be
back next week. Yes, we will continue to Charlee's Weekly
every single week throughout the offseason, so stay tuned for
our next episode.
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