There was talk of possibly using the franchise tag on Jackson to keep him for another year and make a decision on his future following the 2012 NFL season.  However, there are now reports that San Diego is hesitant to use this tag.  Jackson was a hold out in 2010 because of a contract dispute and was placed on the Roster Exempt List, which made him serve a three game suspension.  Players seem to be angered by the franchise tag because it can basically waste a season of one’s career by staying with a team that has no intention of giving the player a long term extension.

The Chargers already have several issues that need to be addressed.  San Diego needs to add another pass rusher, solve their offensive line problems, add a strong safety and add depth to the wide receiver position.  This franchise tag could be a huge distraction for a team that has been inconsistent three out of the last four seasons.  I think San Diego should re-sign Jackson, go after Marques Colston or Dwayne Bowe.  Their other problems can be solved by going after a second tier free agent safety and use the draft to find another pass rusher, fix their offensive line problems and add depth to the receiver position.

I understand that things deteriorated with Tomlinson the first time around in San Diego.  I also understand there was controversy because Tomlinson said “It’s tough being the guy” referring to Philip Rivers last season.  ”You get all of the questions of what’s right and what’s wrong.”  A.J. Smith responded by saying “I think it’s a lot harder when it’s no longer your team, and you’re not the guy.”  I think we are in a day and age where there is too much sensitivity in sports.  Tomlinson made an honest assessment of what most Charger fans were thinking about Rivers.

This team has lost talent that has yet to be replaced.  Shawne Merriman led the NFL in sacks during the 2006 season, and was a three time All-Pro linebacker.  Tomlinson was a six time All-Pro running back and the 2006 NFL MVP.  Rivers is looked at as being the guy on San Diego.  When a player has 92 touchdowns and 33 interceptions from 2008-2010 to having 27 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in 2011, it becomes puzzling.

This anger from Smith could also stem from the fact that Rex Ryan said he would have won a title by now if he had Norv Turner’s talent in San Diego.  Tomlinson was a part of the Jets’ franchise last season, so I guess this explains Smith being offended by Tomlinson’s comments.  Tomlinson will be 33 years old at the start of 2012, so this would be a one year move.  The Chargers could look for a permanent backup in free agency this year or in the draft next year.

Avril racked up 11 sacks during the 2011 season, forced six fumbles and recovered three.  Barnes had 11 sacks, but San Diego’s team forced seven fumbles and their defense had five fumble recoveries.  Avril has averaged 1.5 sacks per game the last two seasons on Detroit.  The Lions have discussed the possibility of using the franchise tag on Avril to prevent him from signing with another team in 2012.  Avril may or may not be an option during the off-season for the Chargers.

If signing Avril is a realistic possibility, the Chargers should make a strong push to sign him.  San Diego needs another pass rusher because if Barnes goes down, it will be the responsibility of Phillips and an unproven rookie to put pressure on quarterbacks.  Avril will only be 26 years old when the 2012 season starts, so San Diego would have a young and proven pass rusher.  This signing would eliminate the chance of re-signing Vincent Jackson, but San Diego could draft Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright, or they could try to sign and trade Jackson with other picks to get Justin Blackmon and still have a solid team.

Drew Brees and Carl Nicks are two of the top free agents available.  One would have to believe that re-signing Brees and Nicks will not leave much money on the table for Colston.  Jimmy Graham’s contract will expire in two years, so it would be difficult for New Orleans to pay Brees, Nicks, Colston and Graham.  Colston stands at 6-4, 225 pounds while Jackson is 6-5 and 230 pounds, so the Chargers would not lose a significant amount of size by going from Jackson to Colston.

Colston appears to be a realistic option if San Diego is unable to re-sign Jackson.  Colston and Jackson will be 29 years old when the 2012 NFL season starts, so age will not be a factor.  The Chargers need to add a pass rusher, have issues with their offensive line and a problem at strong safety, so it would not make much sense to go after both of these players.  The re-signing of Jackson or the free agent acquisition of Colston would give Philip Rivers his big target on offense at the wide receiver position.

The Chargers are 15-2 since 2010 when they score at least 25 points in a game.  San Diego was 9-1 during the 2010 season when they scored at least 25 points and were 6-1 during the 2011 season when they did this.  The Chargers outscored their opponents 577-318 in these 17 games which means they averaged 34 points per game while their opponents averaged 19.  San Diego scored 38 points against Jacksonville and 34 against Baltimore in 2011.  Baltimore ranked third on defense during the 2011 season, while Jacksonville ranked sixth on defense.

It will be interesting to see if San Diego can duplicate this success in the 2012 season as they will face five teams that ranked in the top 10 on defense in 2011.  The Chargers have home games against Baltimore and Cincinnati and road games against Pittsburgh, Cleveland and the New York Jets.  San Diego is almost unbeatable when they score at least 25 points because the offense and defense are clicking on all cylinders, and the average score of 34-19 in these games is proof.

Moss led the NFL with 23 touchdown receptions in 2007, finished second with 1,493 receiving yards and tied for eighth with 98 receptions.  Tom Brady went down with an injury in the first game of 2008, which led to seventh round pick Matt Cassel being the primary starter for New England.  Moss finished 2008 with 11 touchdown receptions, which was one shy of being tied for the NFL lead in this category.  Moss was tied for the NFL lead with 13 touchdown receptions in 2009 and ranked fifth with 1,264 receiving yards.

Moss would add to a San Diego team that lacks depth at the receiver position as Vincent Jackson had more touchdown receptions and was 80 yards shy of having more receiving yards than the other primary receivers combined.  As I said, Moss will be 35 at the start of the season, and he is one of those players who are great when motivated.  San Diego has so many of these guys as it is which most analysts and fans feel is their problem. However, Philip Rivers can take command of a team and his passion would be able to motivate Moss.  Rivers is also mentally tough enough to deal with any potential issues that could happen if Moss joins the Chargers.

With Kris Dielman having suffered a concussion and a grand mal seizure last October, he was promptly put on the IR ending his season. With the new rules on concussions and the new information we have about them, Kris Dielman has speculated retiring. With the decision looming, the Chargers should at least start looking for a backup plan at left guard. There are a plethora of great guards in the 2012 draft, many of them projected to go in the first and second rounds. The one prospect that could possibly drop down is David DeCastro from Stanford. He has the brute strength to push around defensive ends and edge linebackers for run blocking, and we often see him going into the second level of the defense, and the stats are there as Stanford was a great rushing team last year due to its massively talented offensive line. DeCastro was also a great pass blocker, blocking well for Andrew Luck, and we all know the kind of season he had. If DeCastro isn’t available, as he might go sooner, the Chargers will have to look at Cordy Glenn from Georgia. Glenn has tremendous length and great footwork speed, making him a viable run blocker, and his pass blocking has gotten better over the years.

When Marcus McNeil was placed on the IR last season, the Chargers has to sign Jared Gaither off of free agency to make up for the loss. Looking back on the season, when you lose your starting left guard and an offensive tackle, no wonder the Chargers had so many problems on the offensive front. In the outlook for 2012, it looks like the Chargers will cut McNeil in order to free up some cap space. When and if they do ct him, the depth at offensive tackle will be very thin, with presumably only Jerome Clary being the only experienced starter. This is all speculative, but if Dielman stays, the Chargers can use a first round pick on an offensive tackle. Offensive tackle is a very deep position in this years draft, with 4 prospects that could be drafted in the 1st round. The question is, can one of them drop down to the Chargers in order for them to pick one up? The top standout tackles are Matt Kalil from USC, who is projected to be a top 5 pick, followed by Riley Reiff from Iowa, projected to be a top 15 pick. Riley Reiff could possibly drop down, but its not likely, and Matt Kalil isn’t worth talking about since he will most definitely be a top 5 pick. With that said, we can look at the 3rd and 4th prospects, starting with Johnathon Martin, another Stanford prodigy. Johnathon Martin was a solid blocker for Andrew Luck’s blind side, providing ample protection. While he did allow some pressure, he was reliable enough for Andrew Luck to succeed. He was also a strong run blocker, with Stanford having a 440 yard game against Washington, among many other strong rushing performances.

Now if Riley Reiff and Dielman comes back, the Chargers have another need that needs some serious addressing. The worry of Vincent Jackson. We can all hope that the Chargers will sign V-Jax back and have a solid receiving corp with Jackson, Floyd, and Gates, but Jackson isn’t a 100% certainty right now. We don’t know if he wants to test out free agency, and we don’t know if the Chargers are willing to spend a ton of cash on him. So here, we’re going to look at some receiving options for the Chargers in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma St. is such a stud receiver, that there is no reason to think he won’t be picked in the top 5. Then we have Alshon Jeffery from S. Carolina, who could also be a potential top 15 pick. He could very well slide down and pay off immediately though. Jeffery was held back with poor quarterback play, but his size and athletic ability demanded a lot of double and triple teams. His run blocking was excellent and he should pay off for a team very quickly. Dropping down from the top 2, we have Michael Floyd from Notre Dame, who could easily be one of the best receivers of the draft. His ridiculous size, athletic ability and speed make him such a big mismatch for NFL corners, that he should have an eventful season in the NFL. He has great hands, and it wasn’t until deep into the season that he dropped his first pass. The only problem with him is that he did have some off field problems, such as a DUI, but he was reinstated. Barring any complex character issues, Floyd looks to be a reliable pick, and he should provide for the chargers immediately.