The Chargers got some help for the defense and the offensive line last April but they expected more out of this rookie crop.  OLB/DE Larry English (1st round, #16 overall) out of Northern Illinois was supposed to help out with the pass rush in 2009 but that didn’t happen.  He played in all 16 games for the Chargers last season and he made 36 tackles, forced 1 fumble, defensed 1 pass and he had 2 sacks.  OG Louis Vasquez (3rd round, #78 overall) out of Texas Tech was solid for the Chargers as he played and started in 14 games for them as a rookie.  DT Vaughn Martin (4th round, #113 overall) out of Western Ontario played in 10 games as a rookie for the Chargers and he made only 5 tackles.  OG Tyronne Green (4th round, #133 overall) out of Auburn only played in 3 games (0 starts) as a rookie last season for the Chargers.  RB Gartrell Johnson (4th round, #134 overall) out of Colorado State was cut by the Chargers before the season started despite being the leading rusher for them in the preseason.  Johnson was then signed by the Giants.  He played in 10 games for the Giants last season and he carried the ball 13 times for 43 yards (3.3 ypc).  He also caught 1 pass for 15 yards and he made 1 tackle for the Giants as a rookie.  The Chargers should have held onto Johnson.  Safety Kevin Ellison (6th round, #189 overall) out of USC was a steal for the Chargers late in the draft.  He played in 13 games in which he finished up with 52 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack and 3 passes defensed.  CB Brandon Hughes (5th round, #148 overall) out of Oregon State and WR Demetrius Byrd (7th round, #224 overall) out of LSU spent their rookie seasons on the Injured Reserve List.

GRADE FOR 2009:  C-

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  C

The Chargers have lost RB Gartrell Johnson on waivers to the Giants.  Johnson was the Chargers’ leading rusher in the pre-season as he carried the ball 48 times for 184 yards (3.8 ypc).  He also caught 7 passes for 57 yards (8.1 avg) for the Chargers.  With LaDainian Tomlinson limping around the Chargers might have been smart to keep their 4th round pick of this year out of Colorado State.

The Chargers have acquired 27-year old DT Travis Johnson from the Texans for a conditional sixth round pick.  Johnson played in 15 games (14 starts) for the Texans last season and he made 28 tackles, had 1 sack, defensed 2 passes and he forced a fumble.  In four years with the Texans, Johnson played in 54 games (38 starts) in which he made 106 tackles, 2 sacks, defensed 8 passes, forced a fumble and he picked off a pass.  This was a great trade for the Chargers as Johnson should give them a run stopper that they need in the middle of the D.

The San Diego Chargers shocked a lot of experts in the selection of DE/OLB Larry English in the first round.  But, the Chargers need pass rush help and that’s English’s forte.  English stands 6′2″, 254 pounds and he runs a 4.7 40 which shows what kind of athletic ability that he does have.  But, he’s a tad soft against the running game and he doesn’t often step up to the competition level.  English played in 49 games (47 starts) at Northern Illinois and he made 233 tackles, had 57 tackles for a loss, had 31.5 sacks, batted down 3 balls, forced 8 fumbles and he recovered 4 fumbles.  English is a boom or bust pick for the Chargers.

The Chargers did all right last April in the NFL Draft.  1st rounder (CB) Antoine Cason is a star in the making.  He played in 16 games (3 starts) last season for the Chargers and he made 74 tackles, forced 1 fumble, defensed 7 passes and he intercepted 2 passes (one that he returned for a TD).  Cason will be a impact player for a long, long time on the Chargers.  3rd rounder (FB) Jacob Hester can also handle halfback if the need arises for the Chargers.  He played in 16 games (3 starts) for the Chargers last season and he carried the ball 19 times for 95 yards (5.0 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Hester also caught 12 passes for 91 yards (7.6 avg) with 1 TD grab and he returned 3 kickoffs for 42 yards (14.0 avg).  5th rounder (RB) Marcus Thomas was cut and he signed with the Lions and got some carries.  6th rounder (CB) DeJuan Tribble spent his rookie season on the practice squad.  7th rounder (OT) Corey Clark didn’t play a down as a rookie last season.

GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  B-