San Diego Chargers Team Needs
By: Staff

San Diego looked to be on there way to the playoffs with just a couple of weeks to go in the season, but, a couple of bad losses left the Bolts with a bad taste in their mouths to end the 2005 season. The Chargers are loaded on offense and were much improved in their front seven this season. In order to take the next step, the Chargers still have to shore up a few spots.

Cornerback
San Diego finished first against the run but twenty-eighth against the pass this season. The Chargers were also tied for fifth worst in the conference in interceptions. All that leads up to an obvious need at cornerback. The jury is still out on 2002 top five pick Quentin Jammer. After a four interception second year, Jammer has just one pick in each of the past two seasons. Drayton Florence was a second round pick in 2003, had four picks last year, but finished with just one this season. Backups Sammy Davis and Jamar Fletcher are also former first round picks that have yet to live up to their lofty draft positions. There isn’t an overabundance of top notch cover corners in this draft but at some point you have to think the Chargers will be looking in that direction.

Wide Receiver
This is not a bad group of talent. Led by Keenan McCardell and Eric Parker along with Reche Caldwell, the receiving corps had fourteen touchdown catches this season led by McCardell’s nine. Parker and Caldwell are young up and comers but although he is still highly productive, McCardell will be 36 when the next season starts. The team may elect to look at a free agent receiver rather than reach for one in a shallow receiver draft class.

Linebacker
San Diego struck gold with first round pick Shawne Merriman who, after posting ten sacks this season, made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Donnie Edwards is still a solid ILB but will turn 33 just before draft day. Steve Foley and Randall Godfrey are solid performers and part of one of the best front sevens in the league, but the talent is seemingly a little thin after that. This draft is full of top linebackers and the Chargers may elect to start grooming Edwards replacement this off season. The Chargers have drafted extremely well over the past couple of years. The rest of this years draft should consist of backups and special teams guys and like every other team in the league, the search for that diamond in the rough. Despite their late season struggles, San Diego looks like they are built to be one of the better teams in the AFC over the next several years.

Discuss the Chargers team needs in our San Diego Chargers.