Philip Rivers 2013

Dec 30, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are in the offseason. The draft is over, Free Agency moves have been made, and we have a far better idea of how this team will look. Clearly, there are some positions that still need addressing.

All of us, including Tom Telesco, sat helplessly as all three elite left tackles went off the board by pick #4. This wasn’t a huge surprise to a Charger organization which is desperate to protect Philip Rivers blind-side. The next few rounds held some left tackles, but none of them (even Armstead) were viewed as capable of starting this year. No problem, right? We still have a shot at Bryant McKinnie in our back pocket, and had already talked to him prior to the draft. Well, we all saw how that went.

So, what now?

As it stands, we have King Dunlap, Mike Harris, Kevin Haslam, and UDFA Nick Becton as our current left tackles. King Dunlap is the most experienced, but is widely seen around the league as a back-up. We DO have one heck of an offensive line coach, so perhaps he can whip the big man into shape. Or, MAYBE one of the younger prospects can play well enough to win the starting job. We still have an outside possibility of bringing in Max Starks. There has been some movement on that front, as the Chargers have indeed reached out to Starks. But, we might not know anything for a while, and we don’t see that Gaither money until June 1st.

Which leads us to the big question. Can Philip Rivers bounce back in 2013, with the left tackles we have on the roster today?

We have seen Mike McCoy make statements that Rivers is not going anywhere. Most think Philip has struggled due to an offensive line that was scotched taped together. But, a case can also be made that he has made extremely bad decisions lately, even when the o-line has played well. What if the offensive line brings those sack numbers down, and he continues to make poor decisions? Furthermore, what if the o-line doesn’t play well? How much do fans, believe in him?

It looks like he has a pretty decent shot, if you ask me.

One thing is for sure, we have all seen the leadership, and commitment that Philip Rivers has brought to this team. Personally, I LOVE the heck out of this guy! I hope he gets back to his old self, and puts all of these concerns to rest! He’s got some new weapons like Keenan Allen, and Danny Woodhead. Danario Alexandar was re-signed. The player we all thought was going to break out last year, Vincent Brown, is back in action. Floyd has always been a consistent favorite of Rivers. Meachem should have a HUGE chip on his shoulder, and Royal has his old coach at the helm. DJ Fluker is a monster of a man, and will bring stability to the right side. Some new guards have been brought in. Troutman is healthy, and ready to compete. Mathews will have Fluker in front of him, and (I would hope) can’t have as awful as a year as he did last year. And, most importantly, Gaither, Greene, and Norv Turner are no longer here!!!! Ken Whisenhunt will breath some much needed originality into this unit.  So, there are still some really positive things going on with this new offense!

So, now it’s turn for you guys to sound off! What kind of year do you see Philip Rivers having in 2013?