Roster and Ratings Discussion: San Diego Chargers

Hey guys, we are going to use this thread as the catch all San Diego Chargers roster and ratings discussion. Got a problem with a guy being rated too high or too low, this is the place to speak your mind, but please keep it clean. If there is a guy on your team that’s not in the game, feel free to post that in here as well.

When you bring your argument, make sure you bring stats and provide as much reasoning as possible. Rating s Czar Donny Moore will be stopping by this thread from time to time, so your voice will actually be heard by the guy in charge of making all of the roster and ratings decisions for Madden NFL 10. Make it worthwhile.

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM.

Add Vaugn Martin DT/DE Add Steve Gregory FS
Demitrius Byrd To IR
Brandon Hughes to IR
Also add DL Travis Johnson

Philip Rivers should have a higher rating. He had the highest passer rating and TDs last season.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 09/02/2009 17:10:29

Add to roster:
DE Vaughn Martin 6-3 324 Western Ontario (Canada)
- He is a 5 technique DT, but will be playing the 3 technique DE for the Chargers 3-4 alignment
- very strong and athletic (32 reps @ 225 in workout)

Funny video of him pancaking a Charger scout during a private pre-draft workout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiYOwnpOTo

Analysis: Martin has a well-built frame with long arms, good chest muscle definition, tight waist and decent thickness in his thighs and calves. He actually looks a bit lean with his V-shaped torso and will surprise people when they find out he weighs more than 330 pounds. Martin lacks sudden explosiveness, but shows the initial quickness, balance and body control to charge hard in his backside pursuit. He keeps his pads down nicely for a player of his size and this allows him to gain position and hold his base well vs. double teams. He has the functional change of direction agility to work his way down the line. His arm strength lets him consistently gain separation, stuff and shed. He also has the feet to adjust on the move.

Comparable to a young Grady Jackson

SS Steve Gregory 5-11 195 Syracuse 4 years
- Was in a neck and neck race with Clinton Hart to be the starter until he was hurt in practice knocking him out for a bit. He will be a vital part of our nickel and dime packages replacing Hart in those formations because his coverage skills are much better and he is faster and more athletic.

DE Travis Johnson (trade with Texans). He is wearing #72 and will line up at LE in our 3-4. He is in the mix with Bingham and Martin for PT

Players who need improving:

WR Legedu Naanee needs an all around boost. He has legit 4.4 speed Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2007/draft/players/2418.html and is very athletic and strong. Has good hands and makes tough catches.

QB Rivers needs his arm strength raised up to 88-90 level. His throwing motion, while unorthodox, still produces good zip on the ball and he routinely throws is 60+ yards in the air on many deep throws. I think the big misnomer is looking at his throwing motion, a very shotput like style, and the perception that his arm is weak. This could not be further from the truth. He makes every NFL throw and has plenty of zip on the ball. His deep accuracy is a weakness in his game, but in the preseason, it seems he has improved that as well. He was the highest rated QB in the NFL and should be rated with the other top QBs in the game. I think his rating should reflect that....94-96 range is fair.

WR Chris Chambers - I am not sure why his ratings took such a drastic dip. He hasn't gotten slower, still has great deep speed, etc.

WR Vincent Jackson - even with the speed ratings decrease, his speed still is represented improperly. He is a viable deep threat in the passing attack and a player who has improved every season in the NFL. He has consistent 4.5 speed which should translate to 87-88 speed at the very least.

LB Shawne Merriman - granted, I know he is coming off a knee injury, but he took a dip from 97 in the last game to 89 now. His awareness, tackling, speed, etc all dropped. He didn't get less aware and forget how to tackle. He is still regarded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL and should be rated as such.

Players to lower:

TE Kris Wilson - I am not sure why he is rated so high. He is 3rd string behind Manu and should be rated below him. He rarely plays except on special teams.

FB Tolbert - he was beaten out by Hester as the starting FB yet is still rated higher than him. Hester is a better blocker and all around player

Misc:

Player weights and heights should be looked at as many are off. one example is Hester, who is now 235. I know these are small details, but I know that is one thing you guys have tried to do this year and there is no reason why it shouldn't be fixed as well.

Higher:

Rivers: Arm Strength should be higher. bombs it all of the time.
Sproles: Did you not see him last playoffs?? he needs to go up to about an 86
Jackson: Great receiver, gonna have a great year

Lower:

Tomlinson: Isn't as good as before, should be about an 88-89
2nd String TE: dont even know the name, but Manumeala (sp) is much better

xbox.ehurst22 wrote:Add to roster:
DE Vaughn Martin 6-3 324 Western Ontario (Canada)
- He is a 5 technique DT, but will be playing the 3 technique DE for the Chargers 3-4 alignment
- very strong and athletic (32 reps @ 225 in workout)

Funny video of him pancaking a Charger scout during a private pre-draft workout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiYOwnpOTo

Analysis: Martin has a well-built frame with long arms, good chest muscle definition, tight waist and decent thickness in his thighs and calves. He actually looks a bit lean with his V-shaped torso and will surprise people when they find out he weighs more than 330 pounds. Martin lacks sudden explosiveness, but shows the initial quickness, balance and body control to charge hard in his backside pursuit. He keeps his pads down nicely for a player of his size and this allows him to gain position and hold his base well vs. double teams. He has the functional change of direction agility to work his way down the line. His arm strength lets him consistently gain separation, stuff and shed. He also has the feet to adjust on the move.

Comparable to a young Grady Jackson

SS Steve Gregory 5-11 195 Syracuse 4 years
- Was in a neck and neck race with Clinton Hart to be the starter until he was hurt in practice knocking him out for a bit. He will be a vital part of our nickel and dime packages replacing Hart in those formations because his coverage skills are much better and he is faster and more athletic.

DE Travis Johnson (trade with Texans). He is wearing #72 and will line up at LE in our 3-4. He is in the mix with Bingham and Martin for PT

Players who need improving:

WR Legedu Naanee needs an all around boost. He has legit 4.4 speed Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2007/draft/players/2418.html and is very athletic and strong. Has good hands and makes tough catches.

QB Rivers needs his arm strength raised up to 88-90 level. His throwing motion, while unorthodox, still produces good zip on the ball and he routinely throws is 60+ yards in the air on many deep throws. I think the big misnomer is looking at his throwing motion, a very shotput like style, and the perception that his arm is weak. This could not be further from the truth. He makes every NFL throw and has plenty of zip on the ball. His deep accuracy is a weakness in his game, but in the preseason, it seems he has improved that as well. He was the highest rated QB in the NFL and should be rated with the other top QBs in the game. I think his rating should reflect that....94-96 range is fair.

WR Chris Chambers - I am not sure why his ratings took such a drastic dip. He hasn't gotten slower, still has great deep speed, etc.

WR Vincent Jackson - even with the speed ratings decrease, his speed still is represented improperly. He is a viable deep threat in the passing attack and a player who has improved every season in the NFL. He has consistent 4.5 speed which should translate to 87-88 speed at the very least.

LB Shawne Merriman - granted, I know he is coming off a knee injury, but he took a dip from 97 in the last game to 89 now. His awareness, tackling, speed, etc all dropped. He didn't get less aware and forget how to tackle. He is still regarded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL and should be rated as such.

Players to lower:

TE Kris Wilson - I am not sure why he is rated so high. He is 3rd string behind Manu and should be rated below him. He rarely plays except on special teams.

FB Tolbert - he was beaten out by Hester as the starting FB yet is still rated higher than him. Hester is a better blocker and all around player

Misc:

Player weights and heights should be looked at as many are off. one example is Hester, who is now 235. I know these are small details, but I know that is one thing you guys have tried to do this year and there is no reason why it shouldn't be fixed as well.

Great format BTW.

All heights and weights for every single player in the league on an NFL roster has been updated for the upcoming Week 1 roster update.

All according to the official NFL team website.

easw.EA_DonnyMoore wrote:

xbox.ehurst22 wrote:Add to roster:
DE Vaughn Martin 6-3 324 Western Ontario (Canada)
- He is a 5 technique DT, but will be playing the 3 technique DE for the Chargers 3-4 alignment
- very strong and athletic (32 reps @ 225 in workout)

Funny video of him pancaking a Charger scout during a private pre-draft workout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiYOwnpOTo

Analysis: Martin has a well-built frame with long arms, good chest muscle definition, tight waist and decent thickness in his thighs and calves. He actually looks a bit lean with his V-shaped torso and will surprise people when they find out he weighs more than 330 pounds. Martin lacks sudden explosiveness, but shows the initial quickness, balance and body control to charge hard in his backside pursuit. He keeps his pads down nicely for a player of his size and this allows him to gain position and hold his base well vs. double teams. He has the functional change of direction agility to work his way down the line. His arm strength lets him consistently gain separation, stuff and shed. He also has the feet to adjust on the move.

Comparable to a young Grady Jackson

SS Steve Gregory 5-11 195 Syracuse 4 years
- Was in a neck and neck race with Clinton Hart to be the starter until he was hurt in practice knocking him out for a bit. He will be a vital part of our nickel and dime packages replacing Hart in those formations because his coverage skills are much better and he is faster and more athletic.

DE Travis Johnson (trade with Texans). He is wearing #72 and will line up at LE in our 3-4. He is in the mix with Bingham and Martin for PT

Players who need improving:

WR Legedu Naanee needs an all around boost. He has legit 4.4 speed Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2007/draft/players/2418.html and is very athletic and strong. Has good hands and makes tough catches.

QB Rivers needs his arm strength raised up to 88-90 level. His throwing motion, while unorthodox, still produces good zip on the ball and he routinely throws is 60+ yards in the air on many deep throws. I think the big misnomer is looking at his throwing motion, a very shotput like style, and the perception that his arm is weak. This could not be further from the truth. He makes every NFL throw and has plenty of zip on the ball. His deep accuracy is a weakness in his game, but in the preseason, it seems he has improved that as well. He was the highest rated QB in the NFL and should be rated with the other top QBs in the game. I think his rating should reflect that....94-96 range is fair.

WR Chris Chambers - I am not sure why his ratings took such a drastic dip. He hasn't gotten slower, still has great deep speed, etc.

WR Vincent Jackson - even with the speed ratings decrease, his speed still is represented improperly. He is a viable deep threat in the passing attack and a player who has improved every season in the NFL. He has consistent 4.5 speed which should translate to 87-88 speed at the very least.

LB Shawne Merriman - granted, I know he is coming off a knee injury, but he took a dip from 97 in the last game to 89 now. His awareness, tackling, speed, etc all dropped. He didn't get less aware and forget how to tackle. He is still regarded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL and should be rated as such.

Players to lower:

TE Kris Wilson - I am not sure why he is rated so high. He is 3rd string behind Manu and should be rated below him. He rarely plays except on special teams.

FB Tolbert - he was beaten out by Hester as the starting FB yet is still rated higher than him. Hester is a better blocker and all around player

Misc:

Player weights and heights should be looked at as many are off. one example is Hester, who is now 235. I know these are small details, but I know that is one thing you guys have tried to do this year and there is no reason why it shouldn't be fixed as well.

Great format BTW.

All heights and weights for every single player in the league on an NFL roster has been updated for the upcoming Week 1 roster update.

All according to the official NFL team website.

Is LT's speed going to stay at 90? I know he had a declining season last year, but he still rushed for over a thousand yards. His speed, in my opinion, should still be at about 93-94, 94 or 95 being max, not any higher than that. I still feel Sproles is much faster, but maybe atleast give LT a little bit more acceleration. He is known for hitting the holes full speed and in this game it feels as if he hits the holes crawling.

Philip Rivers should be AT LEAST a 94, considering what he did last year compared to Big Ben -_-
Merriman, cmon Brady was out for the season yet he came back as a 97 and Merriman a 89, he should be at least 93
Vincent Jackson shoud be higher than 83 ~_~

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 09/03/2009 11:30:25

easw.EA_DonnyMoore wrote:

xbox.ehurst22 wrote:Add to roster:
DE Vaughn Martin 6-3 324 Western Ontario (Canada)
- He is a 5 technique DT, but will be playing the 3 technique DE for the Chargers 3-4 alignment
- very strong and athletic (32 reps @ 225 in workout)

Funny video of him pancaking a Charger scout during a private pre-draft workout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiYOwnpOTo

Analysis: Martin has a well-built frame with long arms, good chest muscle definition, tight waist and decent thickness in his thighs and calves. He actually looks a bit lean with his V-shaped torso and will surprise people when they find out he weighs more than 330 pounds. Martin lacks sudden explosiveness, but shows the initial quickness, balance and body control to charge hard in his backside pursuit. He keeps his pads down nicely for a player of his size and this allows him to gain position and hold his base well vs. double teams. He has the functional change of direction agility to work his way down the line. His arm strength lets him consistently gain separation, stuff and shed. He also has the feet to adjust on the move.

Comparable to a young Grady Jackson

SS Steve Gregory 5-11 195 Syracuse 4 years
- Was in a neck and neck race with Clinton Hart to be the starter until he was hurt in practice knocking him out for a bit. He will be a vital part of our nickel and dime packages replacing Hart in those formations because his coverage skills are much better and he is faster and more athletic.

DE Travis Johnson (trade with Texans). He is wearing #72 and will line up at LE in our 3-4. He is in the mix with Bingham and Martin for PT

Players who need improving:

WR Legedu Naanee needs an all around boost. He has legit 4.4 speed Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2007/draft/players/2418.html and is very athletic and strong. Has good hands and makes tough catches.

QB Rivers needs his arm strength raised up to 88-90 level. His throwing motion, while unorthodox, still produces good zip on the ball and he routinely throws is 60+ yards in the air on many deep throws. I think the big misnomer is looking at his throwing motion, a very shotput like style, and the perception that his arm is weak. This could not be further from the truth. He makes every NFL throw and has plenty of zip on the ball. His deep accuracy is a weakness in his game, but in the preseason, it seems he has improved that as well. He was the highest rated QB in the NFL and should be rated with the other top QBs in the game. I think his rating should reflect that....94-96 range is fair.

WR Chris Chambers - I am not sure why his ratings took such a drastic dip. He hasn't gotten slower, still has great deep speed, etc.

WR Vincent Jackson - even with the speed ratings decrease, his speed still is represented improperly. He is a viable deep threat in the passing attack and a player who has improved every season in the NFL. He has consistent 4.5 speed which should translate to 87-88 speed at the very least.

LB Shawne Merriman - granted, I know he is coming off a knee injury, but he took a dip from 97 in the last game to 89 now. His awareness, tackling, speed, etc all dropped. He didn't get less aware and forget how to tackle. He is still regarded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL and should be rated as such.

Players to lower:

TE Kris Wilson - I am not sure why he is rated so high. He is 3rd string behind Manu and should be rated below him. He rarely plays except on special teams.

FB Tolbert - he was beaten out by Hester as the starting FB yet is still rated higher than him. Hester is a better blocker and all around player

Misc:

Player weights and heights should be looked at as many are off. one example is Hester, who is now 235. I know these are small details, but I know that is one thing you guys have tried to do this year and there is no reason why it shouldn't be fixed as well.

Great format BTW.

All heights and weights for every single player in the league on an NFL roster has been updated for the upcoming Week 1 roster update.

All according to the official NFL team website.

Thanks. I hope you take these into consideration. I am not some diluted fan, I generally take an unbiased view at my team and see things for what they are. Obviously in your position, it is hard to see every team and all the details.

I do agree with the other poster that LT could probably go down a bit too. His Trucking should be around 80-82 at the most. He has never been a 'run you over' type back. His game is predicated on speed and elusiveness and that mean stiff arm. Also reading that Vasquez might have won the starting RG job from Forney. He probably could use a small boost. Thanks and look forward to this new update when it comes.

Most recent roster news here: http://video.signonsandiego.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=5967622

Players that need boosts:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson Speed needs at least a 3 point boost. Accel. needs a 5 point boost (min.).

He rushed for over a thousand yards last year, but also had 30 less carries than in the previous year. Sure, he had the least productive season ever, but that happens to everyone. Everyone has bad seasons, and this significant of a ratings drop is something I would expect if he went from being a 1000 yard rusher to being a 700-850 yard rusher.

2. Jacob Hester Beat out Mike Tolbert for the starting FB spot, but is not rated higher than Tolbert.

3. Kevin Ellison Unless I am mistaken, he was the Chargers' #1 or #2 draft pick this year out of USC. His speed needs a drastic increase, as well as his awareness.

Players that need decreases:

1. Michael Bennett He has no stats listed, is the lowest rated RB on the Chargers, yet has 93 speed and has been in the league for 8 years? How does he still have that much speed, yet LT has one bad season and loses 7 points in one season? Going by this logic, he started out with 100+ speed, then started declining.

2. Darren Sproles He beats in LT in most major Running Back categories. Those being: Speed, Agility, Acceleration, Elusiveness, and Spin / Juke Move. Now, I know Darren Sproles is an amazing return man and is fast as all heck, but to beat the starting RB in ALL of those categories? That's not even close to what Darren Sproles is. He is fast and is quick, that's about all, LT is far more superior in most categories compared to Sproles.

3. Antonio Cromartie As much as I hate saying this, because he is my favorite DB besides Ed Reed, his Man Coverage rating needs to be decreased, alot. He had one standout year with the 10 interceptions, but last year he had more TD's scored ON him than most CB's in the league. That's about the only thing I can point out here.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 09/03/2009 18:30:14

Players that need boosts:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson Speed needs at least a 3 point boost. Accel. needs a 5 point boost (min.).

He rushed for over a thousand yards last year, but also had 30 less carries than in the previous year. Sure, he had the least productive season ever, but that happens to everyone. Everyone has bad seasons, and this significant of a ratings drop is something I would expect if he went from being a 1000 yard rusher to being a 700-850 yard rusher.

2. Jacob Hester Beat out Mike Tolbert for the starting FB spot, but is not rated higher than Tolbert.

3. Kevin Ellison Unless I am mistaken, he was the Chargers' #1 or #2 draft pick this year out of USC. His speed needs a drastic increase, as well as his awareness.

Players that need decreases:

1. Michael Bennett He has no stats listed, is the lowest rated RB on the Chargers, yet has 93 speed and has been in the league for 8 years? How does he still have that much speed, yet LT has one bad season and loses 7 points in one season? Going by this logic, he started out with 100+ speed, then started declining.

2. Darren Sproles He beats in LT in most major Running Back categories. Those being: Speed, Agility, Acceleration, Elusiveness, and Spin / Juke Move. Now, I know Darren Sproles is an amazing return man and is fast as all heck, but to beat the starting RB in ALL of those categories? That's not even close to what Darren Sproles is. He is fast and is quick, that's about all, LT is far more superior in most categories compared to Sproles.

3. Antonio Cromartie As much as I hate saying this, because he is my favorite DB besides Ed Reed, his Man Coverage rating needs to be decreased, alot. He had one standout year with the 10 interceptions, but last year he had more TD's scored ON him than most CB's in the league. That's about the only thing I can point out here.

I am in full aggrement with the above statements except for the last regarding Cromartie.
I agree he had a subpar year last year but lets remember that he was injured too. If you've seen at all this preseason you'll see that he's still as explosive as ever and looking to make plays. I do have a problem with his awareness rating. I think its too low for a 3rd year pro bowl, starting CB. I would expect that his awareness would increase the longer that he plays etc..

As for Bennett, I think his ratings are fine.

I'm a Cowboys fan as you can see but I think that Phillip Rivers should be the second best QB on the game if not first yeah Drew Brees had 5000 yards but Rivers had the same amout of TDs at 34 the highest passer rating of all QBs and threw about 150+ less then Brees and had a higher completion percentage.

xbox.SFU ExclusiVe wrote:Players that need boosts:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson Speed needs at least a 3 point boost. Accel. needs a 5 point boost (min.).

He rushed for over a thousand yards last year, but also had 30 less carries than in the previous year. Sure, he had the least productive season ever, but that happens to everyone. Everyone has bad seasons, and this significant of a ratings drop is something I would expect if he went from being a 1000 yard rusher to being a 700-850 yard rusher.

2. Jacob Hester Beat out Mike Tolbert for the starting FB spot, but is not rated higher than Tolbert.

3. Kevin Ellison Unless I am mistaken, he was the Chargers' #1 or #2 draft pick this year out of USC. His speed needs a drastic increase, as well as his awareness.

Players that need decreases:

1. Michael Bennett He has no stats listed, is the lowest rated RB on the Chargers, yet has 93 speed and has been in the league for 8 years? How does he still have that much speed, yet LT has one bad season and loses 7 points in one season? Going by this logic, he started out with 100+ speed, then started declining.

2. Darren Sproles He beats in LT in most major Running Back categories. Those being: Speed, Agility, Acceleration, Elusiveness, and Spin / Juke Move. Now, I know Darren Sproles is an amazing return man and is fast as all heck, but to beat the starting RB in ALL of those categories? That's not even close to what Darren Sproles is. He is fast and is quick, that's about all, LT is far more superior in most categories compared to Sproles.

3. Antonio Cromartie As much as I hate saying this, because he is my favorite DB besides Ed Reed, his Man Coverage rating needs to be decreased, alot. He had one standout year with the 10 interceptions, but last year he had more TD's scored ON him than most CB's in the league. That's about the only thing I can point out here.

Have you not watched Charger games the last 2 seasons? LT has lost a step, he is slower, less agile, etc. Sproles is more agile, etc at this stage in both their careers. I love LT, but he has definitely lost some of his abilities. He is 30 now and that is about the time RBs are on the decline.

Bennett is fast still. He had some long runs last year late in season and already had a big TD in the pre-season. He isn't slow, I will say that much. He ran 4.28 at the combine out of Wisconsin and had a low unofficial time of 4.13 in the 40 yard dash, so he is plenty fast. Even at his age, he is fast. Faster than LT, that is fact.

Kevin Ellison was the Chargers 6th round pick this year BTW and the reason he slipped so low was because he is very slow running a 4.87 at the combine. There was some talk he would best be at Safety, but in a cover two or 4-3 scheme. Since we play the 3-4, we kept him at safety as he will likely be best in run support but is a liability in coverage.

Cromartie played with a hip injury last season and just didn't have the same explosiveness. Not to mention without Merriman, our whole pass rush suffered tremendously putting alot more on our secondary. Great pass rush helps a secondary. Without it, I don't care if you have Asomugha back there, he would have a tough time covering for a longer period of time

Nonones arguing that LT is 30 and that he was injured. True enough he may have lost a step, but what does that mean exactly?

Last year he was rated the #1 rb with Madden... all his ratings were jacked up. This year he took a big hit, lost 5 points of speed, his injury rating was rediculous...(which was fixed)

Regarding his speed, I think LT is still a 92 spd, 93-94 accel. He's still one of the best recieving rbs.

first off are QB 1 rivers are is alot stronger to zip that ball deep had the best passer rating last season.LT's ratings are off.his speed,spin,and juke needs to be higher.sproles overall needs to be like an 86-87 and have you seen how fast he is he is so fast that you guys at ea missed him how is he not the top 3 fastes back in madden.and shawn.m#56 A.K.A LIGHTS OUT he was a 97 last year and now is a 89 what the f**k. so what he got hurt!!!!!!!!well he better now he is not dead but his rating are what with that tom brady is a 97 and he got hurt in week 1 as well but i did not see his ratings go down have u seen him play he is not even close to the old tom brady. well i can go on with more but i will leave it at that

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