LaDainian Tomlinson
4
LT is definetly amongst the elite backs in the league. No doubt he's a perrenial pro bowler for a reason. Marty Schottenheimer believes he's the best running back to put on a jersey. I would like to distance myself from that frame of mind since I'm sure Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Marion Motley, Eric Dickerson, Larry Csonka, and many others all would have something to say about that.
I don't think LT sucks. He's one of the best backs in the NFL. However, he might not be deserving of a Pro Bowl this year. Besides, he has the help of an underrated o-line and the best blocking fullback in the league in Lorenzo Neal.
UPDATE: That one highly overlooked player, the fullback, means just as much to a running game as a dominating left tackle does to the passing game. It is the key blocking component.
The Chargers, despite some injury problems and a couple young guys in there, had better linemen grades generally speaking than they did last year. They aren't a lousy line and will only look better next year as they return healthier and more experienced, especially thanks to Houck. I already personally rate the Chargers as one of the top 10 lines in the NFL, so it's not like LT has a crap-line blocking for him.
UPDATE AGAIN: Perhaps I need to be clearer with you. I think LT deserved the ProBowl nod more than Rudi Johnson by the end of the year. I wrote that in November and at the time LT wasn't in the top 5 backs, whereas Rudi was.
Secondly, the Chargers have amongst the best interior lines in the NFL. Hardwick looks fantastic, and Goff is an elite guard, even if he's not commonly recognized as one. Dielman and Hallen did well enough that I don't think you have much worries for your other guard position. Maybe bringing in a little competition at left guard wouldn't hurt though.
At tackle, Olivea did nicely as well and ought to be as good as a right tackle gets. Still, Roman Oben sucks, is old, and was injured. Since it's the left tackle position that many people notice first, it makes your line look much worse than it actually is. I don't think Leander Jordan is good enough to be a starting left tackle (wouldn't be much of a downgrade from Oben though), so by drafting a first day tackle, the Chargers fix the only hole I see on the line.
I can honestly say I think the Chargers are a top 10 line, even better than the Panthers and Eagles (who both can't seem to run block, even though they have talented running backs). They have a line on the rise, even if most people, even their own fans, don't recognize it.
UPDATE YET AGAIN: TIMMAH, you can't judge a team on one performance. Did you see the performance of the Chiefs' line in Denver? It was outright dreadful. Same with Seattle against the Giants when Osi Umenyiora and Strahan were pummeling Alexander and Hasselback. Still, on the whole, the Chiefs and Seahawks are damn good lines to say the least. I'd stop short of calling the Chargers a damn good line, but they are at least good and have great upside. Also, as I've said before, even despite all of the injuries, people playing out of position, and young guys, your team, from what I understand, had better line grades than they did last season. That should be an indication that this year they will be even better, with people returning healthy, returning to their natural positions, and having another notch on their gun, not to mention drafting (presumably a left tackle) and maybe a low-key free agent for depth or competition at left guard.
