The Associated Press reports the Chargers appear close to signing second-round pick OT Marcus McNeill, who is optimistic he will be in training camp on time.
"We're still working," general manager A.J. Smith said Friday. "We're having great dialogue with everybody, we're very encouraged with everybody, but I have no idea until the talking stops and we all smile and agree."
With the NFL Draft now a thing of the past, it's time when the Media hands out the grades. <sarcasm>Of course the media spends countless hours watching tape and breaking down each pick, so they must know something.</sarcasm> Anyways, this is what makes the NFL so great, everyone has an opinion. Below you will find the Chargers Draft “Report Cards” from various media outlets.
Auburn offensive tackle Marcus McNeill is described as a massive mountain of a man who is an imposing physical presence. Take a look on what Buddy Nix and Marty Schottenheimer had to say about McNeill:
BUDDY NIX:
“Alright somebody asked why we didn’t get a tackle, and now we’ve got a tackle. How about that? He’s a big guy that we think can play left tackle. He’s been a player in one of the better conferences in the country for four years. He started as a freshman. Huge man. I don’t know if you’ve seen him, 6-7 ½ , 335 pounds with 36 inch arms. (He will) keep them off our quarterback.”
Following the conclusion of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Chargers got busy filling in their rosters with 15 players not picked during the two-day event. Below the list of former college players that were signed following the draft.
Sean Coffey WR Missouri
Brett Elliott QB Linfield
Cletis Gordon CB Jackson St.
Gregory Steve CB Syracuse
Tyronne Gross RB Eastern Oregon
Patrick Massey DE Michigan
Brandon McKinney DT Michigan St.
Nick Mihlhauser C Washington St.
Anthony Mims CB West Virginia
Jason Murphy G Virginia Tech
Robert Ortiz WR San Diego St.
Mark Simmons WR Kansas
Alvin Smith DT Oregon St.
Bryson Sumlin RB Fresno St.
Shawn Willis FB Oklahoma St.
Round 1, No. 19 - Antonio Cromartie
Florida State | CB | 6-2 | 208
“We had everything we wanted to pick from, We had linebackers, tackles and a corner there that we think is special. We could have gone either way. We really think Antonio has everything that you’re looking for.” - A.J. Smith
Round 2, No. 50 - Marcus McNeill
Auburn | OT | 6-7 | 336
“He’s a big ole boy, He’s been an outstanding player in one of the better conferences in the country for four years, We feel very fortunate that he was there for our second pick. He has 36-inch arms, so he should be able to keep them off our quarterback.” - Buddy Nix
Round 3, No. 81 - Charlie Whitehurst
Clemson | QB | 6-5 | 223
“He was the best player there, We only have two (quarterbacks); we need three and we’ll go to camp with four. You can’t have too many. It’s a proven fact that you’re one play from having to go to the next one. You can’t have enough of those guys.” - Buddy Nix
Round 4, No. 113 - Trade
The Chargers have acquired tight end Brandon Manumaleuna from the St. Louis Rams in exchange for the Bolts’ fourth-round pick.
Round 5, No. 151 - Tim Dobbins
Iowa State | ILB | 6-1 | 247
“He has great speed and is a nasty, physical, competitive guy, He ran 4.58 (in the 40-yard dash) and I think fans are going to take to this guy really quick. They know what the Shawne Merriman, Steve Foley and Randall Godfrey style is. I hope in a year they take a look at Tim Dobbins and go, ‘Wow!’ This guy is a physical, nasty presence who will also help us on special teams.” - A.J. Smith
Round 6, No. 187 - Jeromey Clary
Kansas State | OT | 6-6 | 304
“He’s a very competitive guy with good size and toughness, We wanted to add depth – that’s the key word. We’re going to give him an opportunity to compete at right tackle with an eye to the future. We’ll see how he develops.” - A.J. Smith
Round 6, No. 188 - Kurt Smith
Virginia | K | 6-0 | 180
“Nate (Kaeding) will still handle all of the field goals, but we’re going to give Kurt a chance to give us an upgrade on kickoffs. We’ll see during training camp and the preseason if he can do that.” - A.J. Smith
Round 7, No. 225 - Chase Page
North Carolina | DT | 6-4 | 285
“Chase is another nasty competitive guy with a great motor who plays hard every snap. He’s tough.” - A.J. Smith
Round 7, No. 227 - Jimmy Martin
Virginia Tech | C | 6-4 | 303
“Martin is a guy we really liked, He’s a big guy and very competitive. He’s another player who goes every snap. We’ll put him in the mix and see where it goes from there.” - A.J. Smith
Photo: Chargers.com/Mike Nowak
For the Bolts finished the 2006 NFL Draft with the selection of North Carolina’s defensive end Chase Page (7/225) and Virginia Tech’s center Jimmy Martin (7/227)
The Bolts select two player in the six round, Kansas State Offensive Tackle Jeromey Clary and Virginia kicker Kurt Smith.
“Clary is a tall offensive tackle who actually looks thin for a 300 pounder and can be pushed around at the point of attack -- aggressive pass rushers consistently get into his chest, jolt him and drive him backwards into the quarterback's lap. He has the foot quickness that is tough to find in a 6-foot-6 offensive tackle, but he needs to learn to play under control and keep his feet underneath himself more consistently (he bends at the waist and overextends too often). Once he makes contact with the pass rusher, he has a tendency to stop his feet and gets beaten by quick, secondary pass-rush moves. The trouble is that he is not aggressive with his hands, which gives the defensive end the control. He is not an aggressive blocker and tends to be more of a positional, seal-run blocker who cannot get movement, and once he makes contact on run blocks, he has a tendency to stop his feet, lean and overextend too often. As concerning as his physical limitations are, it's really a concern that he does not read and react well to defensive line stunts/loops and delayed blitzes. Overall, Clary's size, long arms and quick feet are good enough to play offensive tackle in the NFL, but he needs to become more aggressive and stay over his feet more consistently in order to play up to his ability. If he learns to use hands more aggressively and plays more aggressively, he can be a solid backup/No. 3 offensive tackle for an NFL team. More...”
With the 151st pick of the 2006 NFL Draft the San Diego Chargers select linebacker Iowa State Tim Dobbins.
"Dobbins is a surprisingly good football player who is often around the ball and makes a lot of tackles down the field. He is shorter than ideal at just over 6-1, but is very well built with the playing strength to stack the point of attack vs. lead blockers. He is a smart player who does a good job of playing with good technique and always stays under control to break down and tackle well out in space -- he bends his knees and drives up into the ball carrier well. He drops off the ball into zone coverage quickly, reads and reacts to passes in front of him fast and closes quickly to make tackles right after the catch. He does a good job of getting out to the flat quickly to pick up running backs on short dump off passes. Despite his ability and production, he does not make any real impact plays -- nearly all of his plays are made five to seven yards downfield. He will end up becoming a solid starting middle linebacker in the NFL who is consistently productive, tackles very well and does not make any real mistakes. More..."
The Chargers have acquired tight end Brandon Manumaleuna from the St. Louis Rams in exchange for the Bolts’ fourth-round pick (113th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Due to size and strength, almost like sixth starting offensive lineman for Rams…has surprisingly soft hands ... good ability to adjust and run over people…selected by the Rams in fourth round (128th overall) of 2001 NFL draft.
The big question everyone seems to be asking is why the Chargers selected Charlie Whitehurst. Assistant General Manager Buddy Nix answers the question:
Why a QB in the third round?
Buddy Nix: “Well, because he’s the best player there.He is the highest rated player there. We only got two and we certainly need three. We go to camp with four. You can’t have too many. It’s a proven fact that one play and you got to go to the next one. That’s where you are you can’t have too many of those guys.”
Is this about quarterback AJ Feely?
Buddy Nix: “Absolutely not. He’ll be wherever coach puts him. We need three and we got ‘em. I know one thing it didn’t take me long in this business to find out that the folks with good quarterbacks win and the ones with bad ones lose. You better try to keep them.”
Charlie is a tall, yet mobile passer with good bloodlines. He hopes to follow his father, David, to the National Football League, where David was a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. The following is a Q&A quarterback Charlie Whitehurst:
One of the most dominating drive blockers in the game, Marcus also shows excellent pass protection skills. He put together a string of 43 consecutive games without allowing a quarterback sack, dating back to the 2002 season, despite playing the demanding left tackle position. The following is a Q&A tackle Marcus McNeill:
Regarded as one of the nation's top cornerbacks. He is blessed with the perfect combination of size, strength and speed that had the Florida State staff calling him the finest athlete in the program since the Deion Sanders era. In addition to displaying his explosive quickness on the gridiron, Cromartie also showed off his speed as a member of the school’s 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference championship track team. The following is a Q&A with cornerback Antonio Cromartie:
The San Diego Chargers select cornerback Antonio Cromartie with the 19th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Cromartie is a very good athlete, with the rare addition of excellent size to go with it. He has the quickness, hips, acceleration and playing speed to stay with receivers all over the field in tight man-to-man coverage, and he can use his long arms well to break up passes. When he backpedals with bent knees, he can plant, drive and close fast on passes in front of him. He has the hands to cut in front of the receiver to make the tough interception. He has the size and strength to physically dominate receivers in press coverage -- he can slow releases and can push receivers off their routes down the field.
The first round of today’s NFL Draft will get most of the attention, but the teams in Super Bowl XL prove the value of all seven rounds over the two days of drafting.
Of the 44 starters for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks on offense and defense in SB XL, more than half (25) were third-round or below selections or college free agents. The MVP of the game, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, was a third-round choice (No. 92 overall in 1998).
“Not that you can’t acquire players in free agency and do other things,” says winning Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, “but the foundation of your club is the draft.”
NFL Draft at the legendary Radio City Music Hall (Photo: Mikko Simon, NFL.com)
After the Chargers first-round pick Marty Schottenheimer will be on NFL Networks Chargers Cam.
The media center is quite on the eve of the 2006 NFL Draft.
NFL Network has acquired the exclusive rights to televise the premier all-star game in college football, the Senior Bowl, plus its practices in a multiyear deal announced today.
Continue reading "NFL Network acquires rights to Senior Bowl game" »
Following are the Chargers’ nine picks in the 2006 draft:
Round 1 (19th overall)
Round 2 (50th overall)
Round 3 (81st overall)
Round 4 (113th overall)
Round 5 (151st overall)
Round 6 (187th overall)
Round 6 (188th overall) – from Miami
Round 7 (225th overall)
Round 7 (227th overall) – from Minnesota
A student-operated newspaper at West Texas A&M University, known as The Prairie, reports the Chargers have shown some interest in West Texas A&M offensive lineman Sam Ireifej.
"I am very excited to get the opportunity to work with the San Diego Chargers organization," Ireifej said. "The fact that an NFL organization has showed some serious interest in me is a true blessing"
What position should the Chargers draft first?
The Denver Broncos have announced the team has acquired a second-round pick (No. 37 overall) and a third-round pick (No. 68) in the 2006 NFL Draft from the San Francisco 49ers. In exchange for the picks, Denver sends San Francisco one of their two first-round picks (No. 22 overall).
Who got the better end of the deal? Chargers fans are talking about it.
Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports there is legitimate reason to think that USC running back Reggie Bush, a San Diego-area native, is not going to be wind up in Houston, the team that currently holds the No. 1 overall pick.
Remember Schefter is the same guy that guaranteed Brees would be heavily pursued by the Detroit Lions.
This entry was inspired by an intriguing thread from the Chargers forums. When a team has a top five pick, it’s fairly safe to say the team will get a solid player. Now, what about drafting nineteenth?
As a result of the strength of their 2005 opponents, the Chargers will pick 19th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft, but fourth among the four teams that all finished 9-7, Miami (.457), Minnesota (.484) and Dallas (.523) will all choose ahead of the Chargers.
Draft-order ties are resolved by the cumulative record of each team’s opponents. The team with the weaker opponents receives drafting priority.
