San Diego Chargers

NFL Previews - San Diego Chargers

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2007 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS PREVIEW

(My Sportsbook) - It's not customary for an NFL team to completely overhaul its coaching staff immediately after finishing with the most regular-season wins in the league. But when you're the San Diego Chargers, a group seemingly on the verge of greatness in recent years, such a renovation was deemed necessary in order to take that elusive next step.

Gone is Marty Schottenheimer and his penchant for postseason failure, a reputation that was further cemented following a fourth-quarter collapse that resulted in a 24-21 Chargers' loss to New England during last year's AFC Divisional Playoffs. Schottenheimer's history of January shortcomings, coupled with a frosty relationship with general manager A.J. Smith, led to the head coach's stunning dismissal a month after the New England fiasco.

Also no longer on the payroll are Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips, the offensive and defensive coordinators for last year's AFC West champion squad. Both jumped ship voluntarily to take head coaching positions with Miami and Dallas, respectively.

Smith then replaced his coach that couldn't win in the playoffs with one that has hardly won at all. His hiring of ex-Redskins and Raiders head man Norv Turner in February may have raised more eyebrows than Schottenheimer's showing of the door following a 14-2 regular season.

Although Turner's 59-83-1 overall record and one playoff appearance in nine seasons hardly inspires confidence, there's no denying his skill at running an offense. The system he installed as San Diego's offensive coordinator in 2001 was kept in place during Schottenheimer's five-year tenure and produced a league-best 492 points last season.

Turner can't take all the credit for the unit's success, however. The Chargers also possess the NFL's best running back in reigning league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson and a top-notch offensive line that paved the way for a record- setting 31-touchdown campaign for the unassuming superstar. That entire front wall remains intact in 2007, while cerebral young quarterback Philip Rivers should only improve on his very good first season as a starter under Turner's tutelage.

Add in a fierce defense that boasts a pair of All-Pro performers in outside linebacker Shawne Merriman and nose tackle Jamal Williams plus an unheralded star in Shaun Phillips, Merriman's running mate on the other side, and it's clear to see why the Chargers entered camp with nothing less than championship expectations.

But first, San Diego's going to have to win a playoff game, something the franchise hasn't accomplished since making its lone Super Bowl appearance in 1994.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2007 edition of the San Diego Chargers, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2006 RECORD: 14-2 (1st, AFC West)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2006, lost to New England, 24-21, in AFC Divisional Playoff

COACH (RECORD): Norv Turner (first season with Chargers, 58-82-1 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Clarence Shelmon

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ted Cottrell

OFFENSIVE STAR: LaDainian Tomlinson, RB (1815 rushing yards, 56 receptions, 31 TD)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Shawne Merriman, OLB (62 tackles, 17 sacks, 1 INT)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 2nd rushing, 16th passing, 1st scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 7th rushing, 13th passing, 7th scoring

FIVE KEY GAMES: at New England (9/16), at Denver (10/7), at Kansas City (11/2), Indianapolis (11/11), Baltimore (11/25)

KEY ADDITIONS: WR Craig Davis (1st Round, LSU), LB Anthony Waters (3rd Round, Clemson), S Eric Weddle (2nd Round, Utah)

KEY DEPARTURES: WR Keenan McCardell (to Titans), WR Az-Zahir Hakim (to Dolphins), TE Ryan Krause (to Browns), T Leander Jordan (released), LB Randall Godfrey (to Redskins), LB Donnie Edwards (to Chiefs), LB Steve Foley (released), SS Terrence Kiel (released)

QB: San Diego's biggest question mark heading into last season was answered emphatically by the performance of Rivers. The 25-year-old displayed the poise and precision of a 10-year vet in deftly guiding the Chargers' potent offense. He racked up 3,338 passing yards and 22 touchdowns against just nine interceptions and completed nearly 62 percent of his throws, not bad numbers for a guy who entered the year with 30 career passes to his credit. If Rivers is forced to miss any action, one-time Titans starter Billy Volek is a more than capable fill-in. Charlie Whitehurst, the team's third-round selection in 2006, will spend a second season as the No. 3 man.

RB: This is as good as it gets. Not only does Tomlinson, arguably the league's best overall player, reside in the backfield, but understudy Michael Turner (502 rushing yards, 2 TD) could start for a host of other teams and three-time Pro Bowl honoree Lorenzo Neal (140 rushing yards, 1 TD, 17 receptions) is generally regarded as the best blocking fullback in the business. Tomlinson took his already all-world game to another level in 2006, as he topped the NFL with a career-best 1,815 rushing yards and surpassed Shaun Alexander's season touchdown mark with three games to spare. The soft-spoken Texan is also a tremendous receiver who has compiled 50 or more receptions in each of his six pro seasons. The 237-pound Michael Turner provides a bruising change of pace and has averaged six yards per carry during his three-year tenure. He's also an effective kick returner who will be among the most coveted free agents at season's end. Diminutive Darren Sproles is ready to reprise his role as the No. 3 back and primary return man after missing all of 2006 with a broken leg, while Andrew Pinnock can help out at both backfield spots.

WR/TE: Tight end Antonio Gates earned first team All-Pro recognition for the third consecutive year after leading the Chargers with 71 receptions, 924 yards and nine touchdown grabs. Those numbers were a drop off from his stellar 2004 and '05 seasons, but that dip can mainly be attributed to the old coaching staff's early-season constraints on Rivers. The wide receiver corps, a rather pedestrian group last year, will have a pair of new starters come Week 1, as the aging Keenan McCardell was released in March and Eric Parker (48 receptions) is expected to miss the season's first six weeks after undergoing toe surgery. One will be Vincent Jackson (27 receptions, 6 TD), a skillful third-year player and inviting 6-foot-5, 240-pound target who made great strides in the second half of 2006. Parker's injury has set up a preseason battle between Malcolm Floyd (15 receptions, 3 TD) and rookie Craig Davis for the other starting nod. Davis, San Diego's first-round pick in last April's draft, adds elements of speed and game-breaking ability that the unit sorely lacked last season. Another 2007 draftee, ex-Boise State wideout Legedu Naanee, has impressed the coaching staff with his athleticism and versatility and appears to have secured a roster spot. Blocking whiz Brandon Manumaleuna (14 receptions, 3 TD) is back to serve as the second tight end, with fourth- round draft choice Scott Chandler and 2006 practice squad member Kelly Griffeth contesting for the final tight end position.

OL: The crew that helped Tomlinson earn a place in the record books nearly lost a valued member during the offseason, but left guard Kris Dielman spurned a more lucrative offer from Seattle to remain in San Diego. The organization thought the former defensive lineman should have joined standout center Nick Hardwick and left tackle Marcus McNeill on the AFC Pro Bowl squad. McNeill's sensational play as a rookie was a big key to the offense's success. The Auburn product flawlessly protected Rivers' blind side after being forced into duty due to a preseason foot injury by veteran Roman Oben. Guard Mike Goff and tackle Shane Olivea are both steady stalwarts on the right side, while holdovers Scott Mruckowski, Cory Lekkerkerker and Cory Withrow supply good depth.

DL: This three-man front is anchored by the sturdy Williams (69 tackles, 2 sacks), an active and disruptive force who excels at clogging up the middle. Left end Luis Castillo (39 tackles, 7 sacks) built upon an outstanding rookie season with an even better 2006 campaign despite missing six games with an ankle problem, and is quickly emerging into a top-flight player in his own right. On the opposite side, Igor Olshansky (33 tackles, 1.5 sacks) ranks among the league's strongest players and is an effective run stuffer. Jacques Cesaire (36 tackles, 4 sacks) started 10 games last year due to injuries to both ends and returns as the top backup, while youngsters Ryon Bingham (15 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Derreck Robinson (14 tackles, 1.5 sacks) also received valuable experience in reserve capacities. Brandon McKinney (2 tackles), who spent most of last season on the practice squad, has had a strong camp and figures to serve as Williams' backup.

LB: The tandem of Merriman and Phillips (65 tackles, 11.5 sacks) was lethal to opposing quarterbacks in 2006, as the pair combined for 28 1/2 of the Chargers' league-best 61 sacks. Merriman had 17 of those takedowns despite sitting out four games due to a steroid suspension, and finished third in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Phillips doesn't have the notoriety of his counterpart but is nearly as dangerous as a pass rusher. San Diego has greater concerns on the interior, where starters Donnie Edwards and Randall Godfrey were not re-signed. The loss of Edwards, a terrific leader who excels in pass coverage, will be especially difficult to overcome. Replacements Stephen Cooper (53 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Matt Wilhelm (27 tackles) have shown promise in previous spot duty, although neither has a whole lot of experience. Second-year man Tim Dobbins (19 tackles) will also push for playing time on the inside and the Chargers are also high on rookie Anthony Waters, a third-round pick who slipped in the draft due to injury concerns. Special teams whiz Carlos Polk (45 tackles, 2 sacks) and Marques Harris (24 tackles, 3 sacks) will repeat their roles as outside reserves.

DB: San Diego's defensive backfield isn't as strong as its front seven, but the group did show significant improvement from the previous season, as the Chargers went from a No. 28 overall ranking in pass defense in 2005 to 13th last year. The pass rush certainly played a role in that upgrade, but the free-agent acquisition of free safety Marlon McCree (59 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack) was an excellent under-the-radar move by Smith. The ex-Panther stabilized a young secondary that also benefited from a career year for cornerback Quentin Jammer (78 tackles, 4 INT), who is finally starting to justify the top-five overall pick San Diego used on him in 2002. Drayton Florence (66 tackles, 3 INT) had a solid year at the other corner that was overshadowed by a foolish and costly personal foul penalty in the playoff loss to New England. Florence will be a free agent at year's end, a reason why the Chargers took Antonio Cromartie (24 tackles) in the first round of last year's draft and plucked Georgia's Paul Oliver in July's supplemental draft. San Diego parted ways with strong safety Terrence Kiel, who drew unwanted attention with an in-season arrest on drug trafficking charges. Clinton Hart (48 tackles, 3 INT) is the early favorite to take over, although the fifth- year pro is being challenged by rookie Eric Weddle. The Chargers thought so highly of the ex-Utah star that they traded four draft picks to Chicago to nab him in the second round.

SPECIAL TEAMS: This is another area of strength for San Diego. Kicker Nate Kaeding and long snapper David Binn were both selected to the Pro Bowl last season, and reserve wideout Kassim Osgood was the AFC's special teams representative. Kaeding's strong and accurate leg made good on 26-of-29 field goal attempts in 2006, while punter Mike Scifres (41.9 avg.) led the NFL with 35 kicks inside the 20-yard line. Binn, a 13-year veteran, is considered the gold standard at the league's most overlooked position. Turner averaged an impressive 26.5 yards on kick returns, while the return of Sproles figures to boost the Chargers' mediocre numbers on punt runbacks of a year ago.

PROGNOSIS: Even with the upheaval of the coaching staff, the Chargers still appear to be the cream of an AFC West crop, where the three other members are going through major renovations. Last winter's postseason debacle and New England's preseason status as the consensus conference favorite should leave San Diego a hungry team that won't be satisfied with just another division title. Although reaching last year's regular-season victory total is likely a stretch, Turner should seriously consider hanging up the headset if he can't send this talented bunch into the playoffs.

08/30 20:56:31 ET

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