The San Diego Chargers are heading into a new era after firing longtime general manager A.J Smith and coach Norv Turner and with new coach Mike McCoy at the helm, the franchise is expecting big improvements, including from quarterback Philip Rivers.
McCoy took over for Turner after serving as offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and he was brought in to get the team playing more consistently after missing out on the playoffs once again. Rivers regressed last season behind a porous offensive line and after a solid offseason and NFL draft, the Chargers are ready to improve in the AFC West against the Denver Broncos, who won the division last season. The team went to the offensive side of the ball in the draft after struggling the past few seasons, taking D.J. Fluker with their first round pick.
The team has historically done well in the draft with names like Rivers (who they traded to get), as well as Darren Sproles, Nate Kaeding, Shawne Merriman, LaDanian Tomlinson, Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates and now they have added Fluker as well as linebacker Manti Te'o and wideout Keenan Allen. Te'o comes with all his baggage from college, but San Diego may be the perfect place for him to start his career, as it is a low-key city and the media is not as headline-hungry as places like New York or Boston. Te'o should be able to improve the defense for the Chargers, while Allen is expected to give Rivers a new dynamic receiver along with Danario Alexander, while Fluker should boost the pass protection.
The Chargers signed Max Starks as a free agent from the Steelers to play left tackle after ditching Jared Gaither and while they also have King Dunlap, both players are expected to contribute this season, especially Starks. Fluker will be a big boost on the line after coming out from Alabama and Rivers' passing numbers should improve, while his turnovers could decrease. Rivers is entering a hug year in his career, as he is starting to get up there in age and two other quarterbacks that were drafted with him in Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger both have two Super Bowl rings while he has never made an appearance.
Keenan Allen could play a big part in the offense with Rivers, as the Chargers now have a solid third option behind Alexander and Malcom Floyd after letting Vincent Jackson go in free agency. Allen was a star at California and he showed off some dynamic skills during his time there and the Chargers are expecting the same in the offense this season. New general manager Tom Telesco feels that Allen can integrate himself into the offense quickly and if the Chargers can get a running game going more consistently, Rivers will have more time to get the ball downfield.
