Look Who’s Back, Back Again

Yeah, it’s a Marshall Mathers reference. But my hip hop tastes tend to skew even older, as you know. I look at the Justice Is Coming collage above and realize how many of those faces are no longer with us. You can see a young Gregg Allman right next to Phil’s face giving the finger with the rest of his band. But you didn’t stop by to talk about music or fallen legends. So let’s dive right in.

Has Mike Williams practiced yet? I’m being serious. I haven’t seen any evidence that he’s been on the field for OTAs. I know he hurt his back on the first day and sent a Tweet to ESPN’s Eric Williams’ Chargers mailbag. I haven’t seen anything so if anyone knows anything about our 1st round pick, please let me know.

We signed all our draft picks for a change. However, I wonder if lady luck will be with us this season. In addition to Williams, I spotted this on the Chargers’ official site. Is this something we want to be advertising? At least the guys we’ve signed who keep getting hurt don’t seem to be much healthier once they leave. Ryan Mathews, who was let go by Philly, still can’t stay on the field and Ladarius Green barely played for Pittsburgh.

This picture of Dan Feeney was even more frightening since it seemed like he was wearing the “turtle shirt” from Saturday Night Live.

Ok, that’s the last pop culture reference for today. However, you have to admit his head is really small in that picture. Orlando Franklin was finally let go. He was both awful and injury prone during his time with the Chargers. At least King Dunlap and DJ Fluker, who are also former Bolts, had some highlights with the team. Rivers has been raving about Slausson and Okung, although it’s the other side of the line that concerns us all. I really wish Telesco hadn’t given Barksdale that contract, but that’s stating the obvious. But think about it, what was the team’s thinking? He played a lot of games. That was what they were so enamored with, if you recall.

I really do feel pretty positive about this season. I need to point that out since I am sure my constant obsessing and criticizing will make it seem otherwise. But when you read Phil’s comments that taking care of the football is a priority this year, blah blah…I don’t doubt that he feels that way. But if no one blocking and getting open and he feels like he has to do it himself once again I have a hard time believing he’s going to go to his check down or throw it away. We’ve seen it so many times and I have a hard time believing it will be different. The only time the Ken Wishenhunt offense was really clicking was when Mathews was running strong between the tackles. The hot start in 2014 was misleading. I can tell you firsthand that the Buffalo game might have been very different if the Bills had gotten any help whatsoever from EJ Manuel. Besides being the game where Donald Brown’s ole block ended Woodhead’s season, it also represented the most carries a Bolt had had in eight years. What did Brown have to show for it? Two yards a carry.

The other question I sent to Eric Williams was about Lambo. I know very little about Koo the free agent, but I do know something about choking placekickers. While Lambo did have the game winner in Atlanta, he’s also lost to the Browns. If it wasn’t for a penalty the season before, he would have choked against Cleveland twice. Even if you can get past the laughing incident at Oakland, which I can’t, you can’t tell me this guy is up to the task. No one knows better how damaging a weak-kneed kicker is better than a Bolthead. We can’t afford to have this guy blowing games.

It seems like Anthony Lynn is making his mark thus far, even if San Diegans won’t care. He told Albert Breer that he dealt in the “currency of truth.” Corey Liuget, who had ZERO FUCKING SACKS last season, was singing Lynn’s praises on NFL Network last week. That guy is beyond on thin ice. When Burt Grossman called him terrible on 1090 a while back, he wasn’t that far off. Gus Bradley was also a topic of discussion for Liuget. Jalen Ramsey was telling anyone who would listen that Bradley didn’t make any adjustments in Jacksonville on the defensive side. But Bradley may very well be one of those lifetime coordinators. Norv was one and Wade Phillips was another. I’m willing to give Bradley the benefit of the doubt. Pagano got way more leeway than he would have gotten anywhere else. 4th and 29, 3rd and 17 in Denver…Eric Weddle are you listening?

Much like her son, I guess Cheryl Bosa is out of the dog house. Of course, we know how quickly that can change. I don’t believe Melvin Ingram is worthy of a long-term deal, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get one. If Telesco does it, it should be to help Bosa and not because Ingram’s inability to let quarterbacks escape is so essential.

That’s all for now. Thanks to everyone who has sent good wishes to my dad, who turned 75 yesterday. I will be back sooner rather than later. This installment of JIC is not only dedicated to Gregg Allman, but Roger Moore, Frank DeFord and Molly Peters (of Thunderball fame).
RLW