It’s come, gone and we’re not talking about the local NFL team.
Mercy, there’s still a “San Diego” attached to the Chargers name.
For how long, no one is quite sure.
What’s certain is the Chargers were keen in the recent NFL Draft.
“It’s Melvin Gordon,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said after his first-round pick.
Telesco was explaining why he surrendered a bounty of draft picks to wiggle up the board and get a Badger.
“It’s Melvin Gordon,” Telesco stressed, regarding the Wisconsin star.
“You don’t like to give away picks. But sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to get an impact player.”
In a flash the Chargers’ pedestrian running game got a boost. Ranked near the bottom in nearly every rushing category last year, Gordon’s skills include lowering his pads and leaving whiffing tacklers staring at his shoe bottoms.
Gordon has a physical element.
Gordon has a speed element.
Gordon has found a home with the Chargers, despite them not having clue where theirs will be in the future.
Maybe Gordon becomes cool in Carson? Maybe he ignites Inglewood?
But we’ll fret over that later and do you really believe the Chargers’ assertion that season sales are up?
Me, neither.
But Gordon punches this ticket: He gives Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers another weapon and he’s still wearing bolts, right?
Rivers stays put and we can’t wait until he plops the ball in Gordon’s gut.
Gordon led the nation in rushing last season. Can he lead the Chargers back to the playoffs?
Good question, and one coach Mike McCoy needs to be answered in the affirmative.
McCoy isn’t on the hot seat but his britches need to feel some heat. Consecutive third-place finishes means he needs Gordon to have a quick start.
That’s what Telesco did in the draft, and here’s a toast to him.
Instead of being cautious, Telesco was aggressive and delivered something that has been rare in these parts: positive news about the Chargers.
Gordon is special and can he make the Chargers that as well?
Hard to say, but he’ll hit the ground, uh, running. He’ll have every opportunity to contribute and is it too early to point him toward the “A” gap?
The Chargers have a huge hole at running back and Gordon helps fill it. Remember the Chargers have but six rushing touchdowns last year and three of those fled with Ryan Mathews.
Danny Woodhead returns from his broken leg and he’s your receiving back.
Branden Oliver was last year’s leading rusher — hard to fathom — but he takes a back seat to Gordon.
Donald Brown is back and he’s the last card you play.
Rancho Santa Fe’s Telesco thinks he has an ace in Gordon and if he didn’t, he doesn’t give up two picks to move up two spots.
Although Telesco’s move came with deception, Gordon hasn’t played an NFL snap but he’s already been faked out.
The Chargers had Gordon lined up for a pre-draft chat at Chargers Park. When the team thought otherwise, Gordon felt San Diego was no longer his destination.
“I was actually supposed to go visit and they ended up canceling,” Gordon said. “I don’t know if they canceled because they felt they (saw) everything they wanted, but that kind of threw me off a little bit. I didn’t know which direction they were headed.”
The Chargers’ compass for a new stadium continues to spin.
But after drafting Gordon, the Chargers’ rushing attack is no longer running in place.
Contact Jay Paris at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at jparis_sports and on mighty1090.com
