2013 San Diego Chargers

Jack Lambert

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The San Diego Chargers were one of the whitest and best teams in the league under Marty Schottenheimer. When Schottenheimer was fired by AJ Smith, he brought in Norv Turner of all people, who inherited one of the best teams in the NFL. Turner iniatially did well with the accumulated talent, but his teams soon went into the sewers. Along with this, his teams got blacker and blacker as well; he also screwed over Jacob Hester. With Turner and Smith finally gone this year, the Chargers have experienced a bit of a white resurgence this year under new head coach Mike McCoy.

Philip Rivers, now in his 10[SUP]th[/SUP] year out of NC State was one of the best QBs in the game only a couple of short years ago. However, the swiss cheese offensive line that Rivers had year after year. On these bad lines, the left tackles, such as Marcus McNeill or Jared Gaither, were some of the prime suspects, allowing Rivers to get pummeled into the ground again and again. The last couple of years, it seems like Rivers has actually regressed, and the team did him no favors by allowing King Dunlap to be his left tackle this year, in addition to a very nondescript WR Corps. However, Rivers is still a good QB, and keeps San Diego competitive in all of the games he plays. Rivers is backed up by Clemson grad Charlie Whitehurst, and rookie Brad Sorensen, out of Southern Utah. Rivers finally has some help this year in 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] down RB Danny Woodhead, signed from the New England Patriots. Out of tiny Chadron State, Woodhead is the best scat back in the league, even if the media doesn't admit it. With how frail Ryan Mathews is, Woodhead should be in for a great year this season. San Diego has also lifted their policy of no white TEs, signing John Phillips away from the Cowboys. Phillips should be playing a lot this year, especially with Antonio Gates getting injured a bit more over the last few years. San Diego starts three whites on the offensive line this season, all along the interior. Left guard Chad Rhinehart joins Charger mainstays center Nick Hardwick and right guard Jeromy Clary (converted from tackle) on the OL this year. The only white backup on the OL is guard Rich Ohrnberger.

On defense, Norv Turner stripped the Chargers of their white players as well, for a couple seasons leaving only Eric Weddle as the white starter after having multiple white defenders start under Marty. Norv did bring in former Raven Jarrett Johnson last year to join Weddle. Weddle is one of the best safeties in the NFL, and one of the best ball-hawks out there. He's consistently been the best player on the Charger's defense the last couple of years. The Chargers will start both Johnson (at OLB) and Weddle (at FS) this year. In addition, LB Bront Bird, from Texas Tech, will be starting too as long as Manti Teo is out, and may even supplant him. This gives San Diego three white starters on defense to open up the year. LB Andrew Gachkar and newly-acquired DL Sean Lissemore are the white backups for now. All of the Chargers special teamers are white in K Nick Novak, P Mike Scifres, and LS Mike Windt.

San Diego also has a few white athletes on the practice squad: DE/OLBThomas Keiser, DE Will Perciak, and TE Jake Byrne. Given the Charger’s lack of depth at OLB, complete with bust Larry English, Keiser should get called up at some point this year.

Overall, San Diego will have 17 white players on their opening roster this year, with 7 white starters. Of course, John Phillips and Danny Woodhead will both be playing a lot on offense, with Sean Lissemore playing a bunch on defense as well. So, with 17 white players (more than the Broncos have), and five white defenders, along with Woodhead the Chargers should be one of our teams to cheer for in the AFC this year. In fact, the Chargers are nearly tied with Houston as the AFC's 2nd whitest team this year, after New England.

I’ll list two grades: one with minimal usage for Woodhead and Phillips, along with Bird not starting, and one with Bird starting, along with Phillips and Woohead playing a ton.

Number of White Players on the 53-Man Roster: 17
Number of White Starters: 7

Grade: D(without Woodhead, etc. playing) or C (with Woodhead, etc. playing)
 
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Freethinker

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San Diego also has a few white athletes on the practice squad: DE/OLBThomas Keiser, DE Will Perciak, and TE Jake Byrne. Given the Charger’s lack of depth at OLB, complete with bust Larry English, Keiser should get called up at some point this year.
That point is now, as Dwight Freeney has been placed on season ending IR. Here's what our nemeses have to say:

Chargers promoted OLB Thomas Keiser off their practice squad.

Keiser was a highly productive pass rusher at Stanford, and had four sacks in eight games with the Panthers in 2011. Unfortunately, he's replacing Dwight Freeney on the 53-man roster and that will be an enormous downgrade.

Now I don't think Keiser would be a huge downgrade from the immensely overrated, injury prone Freeney. The real downgrade will be Larry English starting, at least for the time being. If Keiser is ever going to get a chance to shine, this season might be it.
 

celticdb15

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That point is now, as Dwight Freeney has been placed on season ending IR. Here's what our nemeses have to say:

Chargers promoted OLB Thomas Keiser off their practice squad.

Keiser was a highly productive pass rusher at Stanford, and had four sacks in eight games with the Panthers in 2011. Unfortunately, he's replacing Dwight Freeney on the 53-man roster and that will be an enormous downgrade.

Now I don't think Keiser would be a huge downgrade from the immensely overrated, injury prone Freeney. The real downgrade will be Larry English starting, at least for the time being. If Keiser is ever going to get a chance to shine, this season might be it.

great news. Im cheering for both Keiser and Thomas to prove themselves worthy of the NFL despite being whites from Stanford
 
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