Now that the offseason is here and the San Diego Chargers have much rebuilding to do many mock drafts are to follow. I keep coming across the same question over and over from people, “How do you come up with mock drafts?” While the answer can be simple I figured I could explain it better for fans through an article. I will be taking you through step by step of my process and what goes into my mock draft analyzation.

What are the needs of the team: The first thing you should do is understand what the team needs to do to improve themselves. Thoroughly look at every position and see which one drives you nuts. keep going down in order from there.

Projection: San Diego has a long wish list this year. In my mind the list should look something like this, Offensive line, Corner Back, Linebacker, Strong Safety, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Quarterback, Defensive Line, Free Safety.

Locate Free Agents that have a chance of leaving: Every team will have a list of people who will choose to leave or stay with the present team. While we can only predict what will happen, for an accurate mock draft you will have to assume where the team will go with the Free Agents they have. San Diego has a list of 24 free agents (20 unrestricted and 4 restricted).

Unrestricted means they may sign with any club, with no compensation owed to his old club, through the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp (usually late July). At that point, his rights revert to his old club if it made a “tender” offer to him by June. His old club then has until the Tuesday after the 10th week of the season to re-sign him. If he does NOT sign by then, he must sit out the season.

A restricted free agent is a player who has received a “qualifying” offer (negotiated in the CBA) from his old club, but is free to negotiate with any club through the free agent signing period. If he accepts an offer from a new club, his old club can match the offer and retain him, or not match the offer and possibly receive draft-choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer.

Projection: With some key Free Agent signings San Diego can be competitive again, I also take in the tight cap situation. I think that the Chargers can wait out Philips and get a decent price tag on him. While they will almost have to be forced to make a decision between Cason and Jammer. When all the smoke clears I feel as if some of the holes that San Diego will fill is corner back and outside linebacker.

What will teams do before the Chargers: So now comes the difficult part, What will picks 1-10 do. With this part just take a look at the big board and draft till the 11th pick. This years order starts with the Chiefs and so forth. If you lack a little knowledge of what a team needs, or aren’t up to date, ESPN always has mock drafts as well as other websites that can give you an idea. Also don’t forget to watch the Combine due to the fact that you can get a lot of information on what makes a “player,” at the respected positions.

Projection: With the big position the Chargers are looking at is Offensive Line. I can’t see the Chiefs not going quarterback here. Another possibility is for them to go Defensive Tackle. The pick the Chiefs make will determine how the Chargers first round pick will go. The Eagles are bound to go offensive line. So that takes Luke Joeckle off the board. You can almost never project what teams will do on draft day. So don’t take it out on yourself.

Make your pick: So now that you decided where you think your team will go it is time to make a pick based on the information that you have gathered. Everything you have studied and read about comes down to this one moment. for a minute you get to be the General Manager of your team! Pick wisely!

Projection: With the 11th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft the San Diego Chargers select… Eric Fisher, Offensive Tackle, Central Michigan.

Support your thinking: You will have haters but it’s up to you, as it is Tom Telesco, to defend your selection.

Projection: You can’t hide the fact that San Diego needs help on the line. They need to get some rocks in front of Rivers and Fisher is a great pick. He wouldn’t be a bad selection at all. Fisher is big, strong, and ready to go. He is a player that can make an impact right away. I just don’t see offensive linemen lasting too long in this years draft. You’ll see them fly off the board after this point. I don’t think they should take a chance waiting for a Kyle Long type from Oregon due to the fact that he just might not fall to the Chargers in the second.

Remember this, you are not finished! You need to update and keep people on their toes. They need to say, “I wonder who they projected this week.” Keep them coming back for more. As for the rest of the draft? Start out by looking at a full 7 round draft and judge by that with you’re own pick. You might not agree with everyone but the more and more you get experience the further and further you can go on your own. So who do you think the Chargers will draft?

GOOD LUCK AND BOLT PRIDE!

-Joey Nicks

While the San Diego Chargers have hired their General Manager (Tom Telesco) and Head Coach (Mike McCoy) they had a block of “Swiss Cheese,” awaiting them. When a team doesn’t make the playoffs they always have a ton of room for improvement. So what do the Chargers need to address? What can take them to the next level? Most importantly how should they address these issues?

Cornerback- It is a must in the NFL, especially when your two lead guys are on the free agent market. The Chargers have some young talent but it still remains to be seen if they have enough young talent to lose both Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason. Between Cason and Jammer San Diego might be able to let one walk and make a signing. If that is the case Cason states a case as to why he should be the guy. He’s young, he still shows room for improvement, and the experience is there for consistency. The only problem is that his price may be a little high, so signing Jammer and drafting a Cornerback in the first round isn’t a horrible idea.

Prediction: I think the team will bring Jammer back and draft a nice young Corner for him to teach. Seems like it makes the most sense, and the cheapest.

Offensive line- Some have said this was the biggest problem with the Chargers this year. O-line is never an easy fix in the past. It seems like now a days more and more Offensive linemen are coming out and working hard to improve their game. San Diego has a lot of options with this spot. The only player safe is Nick Hardwick. The Left Tackle slot is WIDE OPEN. With that being said, The Broncos Left Tackle Ryan Clady will be a free agent and San Diego has the power with Mike McCoy to sign him. Drafting a Left Tackle makes sense because of the position of the draft that San Diego has this year. San Diego could also sign a Guard like Levitre and draft Eric Fisher out of Central Michigan. Don’t stop thinking about Luke Jockel as the Bolts might feel the need to make the trade.

Prediction: I have a very strong feeling that San Diego will sign a Left Tackle like Clady or on his level. Jake Long is a possibility as well.

Outside Linebacker/DE- The Chargers defense looked nice in 2012 with one problem. They weren’t sacking the quarterback. They were always just a hair too late and with Dwight Freeney on the free agent market who can’t help but entertain the idea that he could be wearing a different shade of blue next year? Even with Tom Telesco in San Diego maybe he has a little edge in luring him away from Indy for the right price. He is also athletic enough to line up at linebacker so we can put that to rest. Kendall Reyes has proved he can be a starter no questions asked. Corey Liuget has proven me wrong and came out to play (I eat my words Booga). I wouldn’t count Shaun Phillips out of San diego just yet. San Diego should make some improvement here to create a better pass rush.

Prediction: San Diego signs Freeney at a less sexy price due to his age and injury issues while retaining Shaun Phillips. It just makes sense.

Wide Receiver- Why do I think this is a hole? It’s due to the fact that M-80 just couldn’t carry the load in 2012. Alexander played well down the stretch but that knee will always be sitting in the back of my head. Meach didn’t work out as well as the Chargers had hoped, but they are going to need to find a way to make it work. Vincent Browns coming out party was postponed but, with number one potential, they have to be thinking about his ankle and if it can hold up. With all this being said San Diego doesn’t have one Wide Out that is a RELIABLE number 1, and with Dwayne Bowe looking for a new home with a reliable quarterback. Who better to fit his need? Rivers is a big selling point for players on offense as well.

Prediction: In all reality the Chargers do have bigger fish to fry other than a number 1 Wide Out, but it should be sitting in the middle of their minds. They might try to make do making some minor moves here.

San Diego has a lot of work to do but the smaller pieces need to be put in place to win. While all these moves may seem like “sexy moves,” remember players get older and skills wear and tear. For instance the Dwight Freeney signing only holds value of veteran ship, leadership and gives the young guys Corey and Kendell someone who they can really learn from. San Diego will need to fill the holes in their, “Swiss Cheese,” and make a solid block of sharp edgy, “Cheddar.”

Bolt Pride!

-Joey Nicks

Dec 30, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; General view of the San Diego Chargers helmet of quarterback Philip Rivers with the initials S.H.E.S. in honor of the shooting victims of Sandy Hook elementary school during the game against the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

I am blessed to have been with BoltBeat.com since March of last year.  I have had some very, very popular articles… and some not so popular ones.  My guess is that this one will be split down the middle.

I have based my opinions on decades of following the Chargers.  Add to that playing football for over a decade, coaching for 3 years, and officiating for 3 years, I have a decent perspective on football and the Chargers.

I, without a doubt, have guessed wrong on some things.  Who hasn’t?  I suppose that there isn’t a single one of us that is above it.  Well, there is that one guy, that every website has, that can’t spell or form a complete sentence but he’s always right.  He may think he’s above it. 

Well, I’m certainly not above it.  Heck, I was that guy that started the “This is Our Year” movement on this site and Twitter during the 2012 offseason.  Yeah……not so much.

But I digress.

The following will explain why I believe that Philip Rivers is still the answer for the Chargers.  I can’t wait to see the comments on this one and I truly hope that there are quite a few.  I say that knowing there are a good number of you that are ready to start throwing daggers.  I welcome said daggers as much as I do the comments in which people agree with me.  It’s a part of the biz.

In 2010, Rivers led the league in passing yards with 4,710.  In that same year, Peyton Manning threw for a career high 4,700.  He finished second to Rivers.

The fact that number 17 threw for more yards than Manning’s career high is not the most remarkable stat of that year.  He did so by throwing to an NFL record 17 different receivers. 

That season also marked the last time that Marcus McNeill, Kris Dielman, and Nick Hardwick had spent the majority of a season manning the Bolts’ offensive line.

Although I am completely unable to defend some of the boneheaded throws/decisions that Philip has made at times, it is crystal clear to me that, when given the proper time, Rivers is an elite quarterback.

By comparing the 2010 numbers of Manning and Rivers, I am not, by any means, going to pretend that Philip is better than Peyton.  I’m just stating the facts.  Facts that can not be argued in any way, shape, or form. 

There is not a fan out there that can act as though Rivers is a mobile guy.  He is not capable of making things happen with his feet.  But what he can do, when given the proper time by a solid line, is pick apart a defense.   

Let us not forget that Rivers was far more aware of  how terrible the offensive line was than anyone else out there.  He knew going into each game that he was going to have zero time to make plays without being forced to get rid of it quickly or take a sack.  There were, obviously, some balls that he’d like to take back.  That throw to Leonard Johnson, of the Buccaneers, was absolutely inexcusable.

The Chargers have made a serious effort to help Rivers, coaching staff-wise, by bringing in Mike McCoy, Ken Whisenhunt, and Frank Reich. 

Throughout his time in the league, as a QB coach and Offensive Coordinator, McCoy has made chicken salad out of chicken (you get the picture) with the likes of Jake Delhomme, Kyle Orton, and even Tim Tebow.  Having the opportunity to see the game through the eyes of Peyton Manning is not too darn bad either.  If you are going to learn about the quarterback position from a player, who better to learn from than Manning?

Whisenhunt, depsite the debacle that has been the quarterback situation in Arizona the last few years, has worked with the likes of Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner.  Not too shabby.  The fact that the Chargers were able to bring in Whisenhunt is a huge plus for the team.  We will not be forced to watch an overwhelmed Norv Turner attempt to play head coach and offensive coordinator.  Let us realize too, that Whisenhunt will be auditioning for his next head coaching job while taking on the offensive coordinator duties for the Chargers.

Frank Reich was Peyton Manning’s quarterback coach in Indianapolis.  He then joined the Cardinals as a wide receiver coach on Whisenhunt’s coaching staff.  Reich was a student of the game as a player and, of course, as a coach.  Playing behind Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, Reich was at the helm for the biggest comeback in NFL history.  Buffalo was down 35-3 in the third quarter versus the Houston Oilers and Warren Moon. 

None of the coaching staff additions will matter if the offensive line is not properly addressed.  It has become plain as day to all of the football world that the Chargers need to fix the offensive line.  This can be done through both free agency and the draft. 

It is my opinion that the team must use two of it’s first four picks on the o-line.  Here’s to hoping that they do just that.

Philip Rivers is the answer at quarterback for the Chargers for the forseeable future.  He has proven, that when given time, he can lead this team to victory over and over again. 

But I refuse to act like the NFL is not a “what have you done for me lately” league.  The fans have grown impatient despite the obvious holes on our offensive line.  Couple that with poor decision making at times, and people have even suggested that Rivers be cut.  That is not a joke.  Commenters on this site have literally said “cut him.”