San Diego Chargers

I'd first come across the idea of the "Pentafecta" on another sports card collector's blog a few months back. "What is this, 'pentafecta,'" you may ask? Good question. Collecting a pentafecta of cards for a particular player consists of obtaining five cards in the five following categories: 1. A rookie card 2. A relic card, for football cards this usually consists of jersey material or a swatch of pigskin from the ball 3. An autographed card 4. A patch card, like card 2. above, this is usually a piece of "game-used memorabilia" 5. A "1/1" card, this is a card made singly with no other like it, officially noted as a "one of one" As you can see, this affords the collector, most often times, quite a challenge. For some players the rookie card can be obtained quite readily, yet the relic or autographed card may be seemingly impossible to find. For yet other players, the relics, patches and autographed cards may be ridiculously scarce, while the rookie, though available, can be prohibitively expensive. Nearly always the "1/1" card is a beast to be reckoned with, either in terms of price or availability, often times both. I'm feeling in an Ozzie mood today... Black Sabbath - Killing Yourself To Live (live) One of the most maddening aspects of being a Chargers card collector (hence the name of my personal card blog: The Underdog Card Collector) is that while so many of the players on our roster may have great talent potential, we seem consistently plagued by injuries or just bad luck, watching some leave to go on to have super-star careers with other teams. However, one of the great aspects to collecting the Chargers is that we have access to some phenomenal cards for much lower prices than some teams, comparatively. Don't get me wrong, this hobby can get silly-expensive, but when our starting running back has autographed-relic cards with low serial numbers (say, "x" out of 10 cards) available between $20 - $50, that's much more sane than those comparable cards hovering between $250 - $400. Ryan Mathews is a case in point. Though this is officially my second pentafecta completed (my first being my favorite athlete to collect, Mr. Tony Gwynn), this is my first football pentafecta. Now, in full disclosure: I made a decision a while ago, when John brought me on as one of the new writers for Bolts From The Blue. I decided to leave most of my feelings for the players and lay analysis to our experts (when I watch "tape," it consists of a live football game, me passionately and in no way objectively engaging the drama). All I'm intending to do through The Football Sunday Collector posts is to share some of Chargers cards and memorabilia. Which means I'm not going to analyze Mathews play as there are others doing that better than I can. I'm going to confab about cardboard. With that, on to the cards... The Ryan Mathews Pentafecta 1. Rookie Card 2010 Topps Magic #52B-36 2. Relic Card 2011 Panini National Treasures #13 - 15/49 3. Auto Card 2012 Panini National Treasures #11 - 9/10 4. Patch Card 2012 Panini National Treasures #7 - 4/49 5. 1/1 2012 Panini Elite Printing Plate for Card #82 - 1/1 The rookie card above is fairly common and quite cheap. Though a simple "base card," it's copying the layout of the 1952 Bowman football cards and, because of that, it's got a great throwback, vintage look to it. Not a whole lot of '52 Chargers cards floating around (oh, yeah: make that none) so getting these contemporary nods to the older designs gets us as close as we can get. The 2011 Panini marks my first leather relic for a football card and with the visible "oot," presumably from "football," that's a great find. The third card, the 2012 auto relic, has 4 well laid out swatches, probably from one of the right-angles that make up the edge of the lightning bolt or a number on his jersey. The fourth card comes from the National Treasures Pro Bowl Colossal series Panini relea

May 10, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tackle D.j. Fluker (76) and guard Johnnie Troutman (63) during Chargers rookie minicamp at Chargers park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports Alright, there has been quite a lot talk about the tackle positions in the last few months, especially about the one on the left side of the line. And we´ve got all reason to discuss this topic in depth, as these spots have been the main area of concern last year. But now that Tom Telesco selected right tackle D.J. Fluker in the first round of the draft and picked up Max Starks days ago in free agency to compete for the left tackle spot, it seems that the above mentioned area of concern shifted from tackle to guard. I don´t want to say that the interior of the offensive line is the weakest spot on the roster, but at least we´re better set up now at tackle than at guard in my opinion. Let´s take a quick look at the depth chart of the two tackle spots. Left tackle: Max Starks, King Dunlap, Nick Becton Right tackle: D.J. Fluker, Mike Harris, Brandyn Dombrowski Could be worse, right? (re-watch some 2012 games, then you know what I´m talkin about). Alright, now let´s get to the main part of this piece. In order to find out if there is reason to worry about the interior of the line, we´ve got check out what player personnel the Chargers got on the roster to address these two spots. Jeromey Clary As we all know already, there had been multiple reports about Jeromey Clary doing a pretty good job at right guard in the first OTAs this year. I still don´t know what to think about all that praise. There had been a bunch of players out there on the field; but out of all these guys, he´s the one that gets the most (positive) attention. There must be a reason for that, right? Well, even if he did pretty well in those “Organized Team Activities”, we´ve got to consider he´s a $5.7 million cap hit in 2013. Don´t know if a player who did not take one single snap in a game at that position is worth that kind of money. And we all know his footwork had been below average his entire career. But maybe this wouldn’t be that much of an issue in his now role, as he wouldn´t have to move that much at the interior than on the outside of the line. Whatever, currently it looks like he is considered to be the starter at right guard. Chad Rinehart Already on day two of this year´s free agency, General Manager Tom Telesco signed Chad Rinehart from the Buffalo Bills to a one-year $1.75 million deal. The 25-year old mainly was used as right guard in Buffalo but he can play on either side and he has history with the new Chargers´ offensive line coach Joe D´Alessandris; i.e. he knows his system. If healthy, Rinehart can be a reliable force on the offensive line. But exactly that makes me worried about the former Buffalo Bill – is he able to stay healthy for an entire season? He ended the last season on injured reserve and played only seven games due to an ankle injury. Hope that ankle won´t bother him in 2013. If Clary starts at right guard, then Rinehart might be the starter on the left side. Johnnie Troutman In 2012, the Bolts used their fifth round draft pick on Johnnie Troutman, but he missed his entire rookie season due to injuries (pectoral muscle and knee issues). The 25-year old said his body is at “100 percent” health now and he´s ready for the season to start. Troutman primarily played on the left side at Penn State but said he’s comfortable at either spot. Couple of weeks ago Tom Telesco mentioned that he liked Troutman coming out of college. “Tom Triumphant” said he´s impressed by the power element the youngster adds to his game while being able to show great short-area athleticism in pass protection. Many BoltHeads are on Troutman´s bandwagon already and would love to see him starting at left guard. If Chad Rinehart is the guy at right guard, then those fans may get what they are hoping for…if he´s able to stay healthy, of course.

How the AFL Evolved the Game After a 10 season existence, the impact of the AFL on professional football was unmistakable. AFL football opened up the passing game to create an exciting style of offensive football, redefined positions, and looked for talent in places the NFL had overlooked, creating opportunities for players that may not have had any before. The video story of the AFL is on this Youtube Channel. The Passing Game In 1960, only two teams in the 13 team NFL averaged more than 200 passing yards in a game, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Both teams had future Hall of Fame QB’s; Norm Van Brocklin (the Eagles) and Johnny Unitas (the Colts). The NFL also had four teams that had more rushing yards than passing yards on offense and another two teams that had less than 100 yards more total passing offense than rushing offense. In the 8 team AFL though, 4 of the 8 teams averaged more than 200 yards passing. Every team in the league posted most of their total offense via the pass with several hundred if not over a thousand yard difference between the two. However, the offensive statistics for last year of the separate leagues reveal an interesting story: Average passing yards per game and average rushing yards per game in both leagues was nearly identical. The AFL averaged 179.5 average passing yards per game and the NFL 177.5. The average rushing yards per game, were 122.4 for the AFL and 122.0 in the NFL. This was a stark contrast to the offensive averages in 1960. The NFL averaged 170.6 yards passing and 133.1 yards rushing during the 1960 season; the AFL 198.5 yard s passing and 125 yards rushing per game in 1960. These statistics show that the AFL had learned how to control the vertical passing game. They also show that the NFL had figured out that the rewards from throwing the ball more frequently were worth the risks. Both leagues were running offenses that featured the pass by the time the merger happened. Redefining Positions In 1960, the best RB in the NFL, Jim Brown, caught 19 passes for 204 yards (a 10.7 yard average); the Charger’s Paul Lowe caught 23 passes for 377 yards (a 16.4 YPC average). By the time 1970 came around, RB’s were asked to act as receivers or blockers in the passing game on a regular basis, not just special situations or when their team was behind by two scores or more. Receptions from the TE position were also up; the "leading" tight ends in the NFL in 1960 were men with 450 and 360 receiving yards in a season. By the end of the decade, the better TE’s in both leagues were putting up 800+ receiving yards in a season. Gilman’s Field Balance offense demanded that all 5 eligible players be available to receive. While the Backs and TE’s were being asked to do more, the biggest position changes were in the primary receivers and the quarterbacks. Prior to Gilman’s offense, the reception eligible players were still referred to as "Ends". The receiving position was still referred to as a "flanker" in some offenses; this was usually the receiver that lined up behind the line of scrimmage, but outside the tackles. Gilman wanted the defense stretched horizontally as well as vertically, so his formations featured two "Wide Receivers"; players lined up 7-10 yards away from the nearest tackle. Gilman wanted his receivers to have space to run their routes and avoid traffic in the middle of the field close to the line of scrimmage. Gilman believed (correctly) that this would lead to a greater variety of possible plays in both the passing game AND the running game. Forcing a defense to play all 6,400 square yards of a field spelled an end to the "3 yards and a cloud of dust" offenses that had been the NFL’s staple for 40 years. Runners like Tobin Rote in the 50’s were being replaced by drop back throwers that could get a tight spiral 70 yards downfield. QB’s that had rare skill sets in 1963, like Hadl, Blanda, and

May 13, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy at organized team activities at Chargers Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Tom Nalen admits trying to blow out Igor Olshansky’s knee NBCSports.com Former Denver center Tom Nalen made a surprising confession during a press conference to introduce him as the next member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame: Nalen said that in 2006, he attempted to injure Chargers defensive lineman Igor Olshansky. On the … My Big NFL Five: Tight Ends The Stripe Hype Dec 23, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) runs for a touchdown after catching a pass from San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during the second half at MetLIfe Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mike McCoy is a key figure in the John Fox Division U-T San Diego San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy looks on during the first day of rookie mini-camp. — K.C. Alfred. ? · ?; ?; – Comments. Within the AFC West, several coaches who were once allies are now foes. Mike McCoy worked nine seasons under Broncos head …

It’s late Friday night. I’m sure most of you are getting ready for the 3 day Memorial Day weekend. Some are gearing up to hit the beaches. Others might be making that mad dash to Sin City. Me? I’m posting another article on Boltbeat.com… LOL. In all honesty, I will be celebrating the weekend in style, right along with you! After the up & down emotional roller coaster of losing Ingram, signing Freeney, and then landing Starks…. it’s a little tough to find anything else to talk about. The players are off for a week, and there won’t likely be anymore free agency movements until after June 1sr. So… why not get into a little drama, eh? When Peyton Manning chose to come to the AFC West, I’m sure the last thing on his mind was “Dwight Freeney might be chasing me down one day”. However, that is exactly what has happened. The two were long time teammates, and pretty good friends, after being on the same team for years.  Well, friendships take a back seat on the grid-iron. Dwight Freeney, despite a slow 2012 season, has been one of the league’s most consistent sack-masters! He was a player that Peyton Manning could always count on to get him back on the field, so he could work his magic. Now, the tables have turned completely. Freeney is wearing lightning bolts on his helmet, and is charged with the task of using that WICKED spin move to disrupt Manning’s concentration, make him run for his life, force him to fumble, and ideally… drive his face into the dirt!!! Personally, I couldn’t be more excited that Freeney is now a part of Manning’s closest divisional competition! The drama that will ensue, once Freeney gets his first sack on Manning (as a Charger) will be a thing of beauty! And, if it’s one of those “didn’t even see him coming”, whiplash fumble hits from behind… it will force me to jump out of my seat… pump my fist… and scream “YEAH” so loud, that my wife, my friends, my cat, and probably some of my neighbors will do a double take!!! The only thing that disappoints me, is that we will have to wait until the tenth game to see it! Denver has a good o-line, so it will definitely be a challenge for the aging veteran to step up, and show his old colleague what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that spin move! Not to mention, SP95 will be looking to show Philip Rivers that he is not going to let him sling the ball at will against his new defensive unit. Both games are sure to be full of dramatic story lines. Ex-Chargers Vasquez, Hester, and Phillips have all switched sides. Freeney will be gunning for Manning. Mike McCoy will be looking to show that he knows how to beat Manning, and the high-powered Denver offense. Not to mention, Ron Milus will be ready to show his old team that his “scapegoat” firing was a big mistake, and put a secondary on the filed that is capable of making Peyton Manning think twice about getting pass happy! Are you guys as excited as I am about this year’s match-ups with the Broncos? Who do you think will prevail, and how much will these players performances decide the outcomes? Do the Chargers have any edge, now that they have two of Denver’s coaches from last year? How many sacks do you think Freeney will put on Peyton, if any? Feel free to get nasty in the comments section below. No holds barred! Show your team spirit by bragging about what we are going to do to Denver! Bolting Towards Vengence! Pete

By James Fedewa San Diego solidified their offensive line by signing another left tackle, 31 year old Max Starks. Starks was drafted in the 3rd round, played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last 9 years and is a nice upgrade. The Charges other new left tackle, 27 year old King Dunlap, who played in Philadelphia the last 5 seasons. Thank you Pennsylvania. Both Starks and Dunlap are not pro-bowlers nor all-pro caliber left tackles, but both are above average professionals and will be a huge upgrade over last seasons Harris, Haslem and Gaither revolving left-tackle door. Starks (6’-8” 345 lbs.) and Dunlap (6’-9” 330 lbs.) are massive new additions by pure size alone, not to mention the Chargers first round pick D.J. Fluker (6’-5” 340 lbs.) is set to start at right tackle. Three new tackle additions equal 1015 lbs., so San Diego has chosen to go big in 2013 and could be the biggest and tallest in the NFL. The Chargers also added two new guards: 28 year old Chad Rinehart (an up and coming blue-collar talent) drafted in the third round, and 27 year old Rich Ohrnberger guard/center (the class clown) was drafted in the fourth round. Chargers 2012 rookie guard Johnnie Troutman will be given a shot at a starting role, and good ole’ Chargers right tackle Jeromey Clary will be moving to right guard from right tackle (for the moment). Centers Nick Hardwick and David Molk make a formidable 1,2 punch, with Colin Baxter still hanging around fighting too. Brandyn Dombrowski can play anywhere on the line, and last years starting left tackle Michael Harris has consigned some quality reps against formidable foes last season, which should only make him better in the future. For the first time in over two years, the San Diego offensive line starters and depth look very promising and satisfying on paper. Since Marcus McNeil and Chris Dielman’s sudden retirements (and injuries) in 2011, San Diego has improved with pure size and talent this off season. But what made the Chargers offensive line productive in 2010 and years prior was their continuity. They played well together for a long time. Offensive linemen are the core of a good offense. They control the run, they control the pass protection, they control the tempo and (from what we have seen by Rivers the past two seasons) they help copilot a quarterback. Playing together for several years build this continuity and stability (even with a lack of talent). Playing together, in repetition is better than five first round pro-bowl linemen playing together for the first time. But talent is a solid foundation for the Chargers to build on and good coaching should bring this all together in San Diego, especially with the new offensive line coach Joe D’alessandris (one of the best in the business). This new Chargers O-Line, with new players, new design, new scheme, with positional changes and new coaches, it is actually designed to succeed now, and with very little money and terms invested. A team weakness now looks like a team strength. Call it a Perfect Storm or a Stepping Stone to the future, new Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco has been very pleasing to watch direct and build this new team, especially in what very little salary cap he has to work, lack of talent that was inherited, and the first round of an odd draft that was dealt to him. The 40 year old GM has done well (young grasshopper). Tom Telesco still needs his new nickname, yet everything is still theoretical until some games are actually played, but I’ll start one: The Tommy Lama

EX-BRONCO ADMITS TRYING TO HURT EX-CHARGER OLSHANSKY IN ’06 - UTSanDiego.com (paywall)While meeting with the media to talk about his election into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame, former Denver center Tom Nalen acknowledged trying to injure Chargers defensive lineman Igor Olshansky in a game in Denver in 2006. Chargers' Max Starks looks to compete - Michael Gehlken (paywall)A 10th-year veteran who signed a one-year deal this week, Starks is projected to be the Chargers' starter come the Sept. 9 season opener against the Texans. Nothing is predetermined to Starks, he said recently, as he braces for a competition. Eight in the Box: RB status check - Matt WilliamsonRyan Mathews is right there with McFadden as the most maddening and untrustworthy running backs in the NFL. But once again, it looks like Mathews will be getting an opportunity to be San Diego’s foundation back. And there is no questioning his ability, which ranks among the best in the league. Meet the 2013 Charger Girls - Chargers.comCheck out action shots of this year's Charger Girls squad from their audition. - Photos by Mike Nowak New Tackles, New Guards, New Backs.. Zone Blocking? - Peter ThompsonWhen we hired Joe D’Alessandris away from the Buffalo Bills, most people were predicting that The San Diego Chargers would be moving to a "zone blocking scheme". As we all know, this scheme focuses on having a smaller, more athletic offensive line. With the first pick of the draft, Tom Telesco drafted "Mount Fluker" to hold down the right side of the line.

The Digital Dolt, as always, is stupid. And Bananarama had the best name of any band, ever. I don't care what you say , SPiN, the fact that you have L7 and Tony! Toni! Toné! on this list proves you are a bunch of howlie kooks. Although I give you some credit for the position of Motörhead and inclusion of Bathtub Shitter. Someone over there is cool and taking the paycheck. The rest of you are douche-nozzles. I once sang karaoke in Lincoln, Nebraska backed by a band called "ShitHook". That was a great band name. Where were we? CGOTW: Stunning. I couldn't figure out who she is, so let's call her "Stunning." The Charger Girls are in the process of updating their website with the new squad and it has put a serious damper on my cheerleader internet stalking behavior. Stunning is a Charger girl, I hope she made the squad this year, because she is Stunning. BTW, has anyone ever visited the Charger Girls Facebook page? Some of the things that people are willing to publicly say in the comments are troubling. I already feel skeevy trying to find out about these girls and then posting it. The Facebook commentariat only makes me feel more dirty. You know what else makes me feel dirty, the fact that I know about this, and enjoy it enough to know about it's chubby prudish little sister. Where were we? The Keenan Allen. Ndamakong Suh got to ride on a Zamboni. A little baseball with Manny being Manny...so Manny. Don't go down there, or you'll get knocked the fuck out. Buyer Beware: When you need refreshment at the game, get your lazy ass up and go to the refreshment stand. Chuck Norris supports Tim Tebow to Jacksonville. This is like that Miller Lite ad campaign where you are hanging out with your crew, but what if one of your crew was just you and Tim Tebow and Chuck Norris? Maître D': Sorry, we don't have any tables and you don't have reservations. Chuck Norris delivers a sweet roundhouse kick to his nads. Tebow Tebows.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports According to an article by Ed Werder on espn.com, the San Diego Chargers could change their defensive scheme to benefit former Indianapolis Colts defensive end/linebacker Dwight Freeney.  ”Chargers head coach Mike McCoy said the team will certainly design its defensive scheme to accommodate him.” San Diego uses a 3-4 defense with two defensive ends, a nose tackle, two outside linebackers and two inside linebackers.  Freeney was a great DE in Indianapolis when he was a seven time Pro Bowler and a four time All-Pro.  In Freeney’s only season at LB, he had five sacks which is the second lowest total of his career. Corey Liuget plays DE for San Diego and ranked second on the team with seven sacks in 2012.  San Diego lost Shaun Phillips in free agency to the Denver Broncos so it will be important for the coaches to accommodate Freeney for him to replace Phillips’ production as Phillips led the team in sacks last year. Freeney led the NFL with 16 sacks in 2004 and ranks fifth among active players with 107.5 career sacks. He battled injuries in 2012 so this along with him converting to LB may have contributed to his struggles. Former South Carolina Gamecocks DE Melvin Ingram was expected to be more of a factor at OLB this season before he tore his ACL last week.  San Diego needs Freeney to have a big season because Liuget and Kendall Reyes are the only returning players who had at least five sacks last season. Jarret Johnson plays OLB, but he is not a pass rusher so Freeney will have to be a factor to make up for his lack of production.  It will be interesting to see the adjustments that the coaches make to maximize Freeney.

Jordan Beane gets you up to speed on a busy week at Chargers Park.