The Chargers decided to keep Michael Turner around as LaDainian Tomlinson’s caddy and that should pay dividends again this season as they will be almost unstoppable when running the football this season.  LaDainian Tomlinson was the MVP of the NFL last season and he richly deserved that honor based on his amazing numbers.  He started all 16 games for the Chargers last season and he carried the ball 348 times for 1,815 yards (5.2 ypc) with 28 TD runs!  He also caught 56 passes for 508 yards (9.1 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  It didn’t stop there as LT completed 2 of 3 (66.7%) passes for 20 yards with 2 TD passes and 0 interceptions (125.0 QB Rating).  Tomlinson is one of the best running backs of all time already and he will add a lot of big numbers to his career stat line in 2007.  LT has played in 95 games (all starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 2,050 times for 9,176 yards (4.5 ypc) with 100 TD runs.  He also has caught 398 passes for 2,900 yards (7.3 avg) with 11 TD grabs.  As a passer, LT has completed 7 of 10 (70%) passes for 126 yards with 6 TD passes and 0 interceptions (152.1 QB Rating).

Michael Turner emerged as a great backup last season to LT and the Chargers resisted trading him on Draft Day which will prove to be an outstanding move.  Turner played in 13 games (0 starts) last season and he carried the ball 80 times for 502 yards (6.3 ypc) with 2 TD runs and he caught 3 passes for 47 yards (15.7 avg).  The Chargers had to get Turner on the field more because of his playmaking ability so they decided to let him return kickoffs and he turned out being really good at it.  He returned 36 kickoffs for 954 yards (26.5 avg) with 0 TDs.  The Chargers will likely find more ways to use Turner on offense as Darren Sproles will likely regain his role as kickoff returner.  Turner has now played in 43 games (1 start) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 157 times for 941 yards (6.0 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  He also has caught 7 passes for 55 yards (7.9 avg).  Turner has returned 38 kickoffs in his career for 972 yards (25.6 avg) with 0 TDs.

Darren Sproles missed all of last season due to injury but he will likely be the Chargers #3 running back if he can stay healthy.  Sproles is small at 5′6″, 181 pounds but he’s really fast and rarely takes a direct hit.  He played in 15 games as a rookie 2 years ago and he carried the ball 8 times for 50 yards (6.3 ypc) and he caught 3 passes for 10 yards (3.3 avg).  His main job was as kickoff returner as he returned 63 kickoffs for 1,528 yards (24.3 avg) with 0 TDs. 

The Chargers used their 4th round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft on Paul Oliver in this year’s supplemental draft.  Oliver was often matched up against everyone’s #1 receiver in the tough SEC Conference as he played his college ball at Georgia.  He also is willing to defend against the run as he has nice size at 6′0″, 209 pounds.  He made 57 tackles and had 3 interceptions as a junior last year.  Oliver decided to go pro after he was ruled academically inelgible for the coming up season.  He has the look of a future starter in the Chargers secondary possibly as early as the 2008 season.

My boyfriend may be one of the biggest chargers fans ever.  He wears L.T.’s jersey and brags about how he is the best NFL player at the moment.  Tonight, 7/5/07, we were out to dinner downtown where we saw L.T. eating dinner with his wife.  We were starstruck and really wanted to say hi or even get a photo.  Since we wanted him to be able to keep his privacy we waited until after his dinner to ask him for either an autograph or photo. We were downstairs as they both were on their way out of the restaurant and we politely asked them to take a photo.  He said “no” and when I asked in a sad voice ” are you serious”, his wife turned around and said “ya, were serious”.  They must have been one of the most snobby, rude, stuck up people I have ever met, and I have met quite a few celebrities.  I cannot believe how let down we felt.  Someone so talented, who has so many people look up to him, and he and his wife were so rude.