2001 CHARGERS
	Doug Flutie is part of the ex-Bills migration to San Diego.
	Head coach: Mike Riley (3rd year). 2000 record: 1-15. AFC West finish: 5th. 2001 preseason: 3-0. Season opener: Sept. 9 vs. Redskins. Schedule | Depth chart

Until this year, about the only thing the San Diego Chargers had in common with Buffalo was that restaurants in both cities sell chicken wings. Then the Chargers hired former Bills general manager John Butler, and soon enough it seemed like the only part of Buffalo that didn't move to Southern California was Lake Erie.

From the front office, Butler brought assistant GM/pro personnel director A.J. Smith, director of player personnel Buddy Nix and scouts Dennis Abraham and Mike Biehl. From the locker room came quarterback Doug Flutie, defensive end Marcellus Wiley and linebackers Sam Rogers and John Holecek.

Butler didn't stop at Buffalo either. He hired offensive coordinator Norv Turner, drafted running back LaDainian Tomlinson and quarterback Drew Brees, traded for wide receiver/return specialist Tim Dwight and signed cornerbacks Ryan McNeil and Alex Molden.

Oh, and Butler also got rid of Ryan Leaf.

It was all good news for Chargers fans, who have suffered through an 18-46 record in the post-Bobby Ross era (1997 to present), tying the Chargers with Cincinnati for the worst record in the NFL over that span (excluding Cleveland).This season will be better than last year's 1-15 nightmare, although the Chargers still appear to be a few players short of .500 or a return to the playoffs for the first time since '95.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Leaf is gone, and it would be an improvement regardless of who the Chargers brought in to replace him. The fact that the replacement is Flutie, who went 21-9 as a starter in Buffalo, only adds to the excitement in the Chargers' locker room. Flutie will be 39 in October, but during training camp he displayed the energy of someone half his age. Brees, highly productive in college at Purdue, likely will back up Flutie, despite missing the first two weeks of camp because of a holdout. If Brees isn't quite ready, the Chargers can turn to CFL veteran Dave Dickenson.
Grade: B.

Running backs: The Chargers barely managed 1,000 yards last year as a team (1,062), and they have not had a back gain more than 384 yards since '98. Tomlinson, the team's top draft pick, gained more than that in one game in '99 at Texas Christian. He's drawn comparisons to both Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas, although the question is whether his holdout will affect his performance. The Chargers don't have another back capable of playing every down.
Grade: C.

Receivers: Freddie Jones caught more passes last season than any tight end except Tony Gonzalez, and one of these years the 270-pounder will get to a Pro Bowl. Hernia surgery sidelined him for most of the preseason, but he figures to be an important part of the Chargers' passing game. The starting wideouts are a pair of veterans, Jeff Graham and Curtis Conway. Graham is the more physical of the two, but he also has big-play ability; witness his 16.7-yard average per catch over the last two seasons. Conway has more speed but also more of a tendency to get injured. The No. 3 man is Dwight, who is dangerous as a slot receiver.
Grade: B-minus.

		The Chargers' defense is going to get some relief this season from being on the field 70 percent of the game. Doug Flutie will make plays and spread the ball around in their offense, which will be more potent and keep the defense fresh. I believe San Diego has one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Chargers' defense could be ranked in the top two or three. But because they spend so much of the game on the field, their statistics don't show it. So people don't realize how good they are. This season they lead a lot of defensive statistics. Flutie will orchestrate the offense and put points on the board. The Chargers will surprise people with how good they are.

Offensive linemen: It didn't figure that Butler could overhaul the entire roster in one offseason, and this was the one area he chose to leave pretty much alone. Veterans Kevin Gogan and Ben Coleman were not re-signed, and Vaughn Parker, a solid right tackle, was moved to the left side, where he wasn't as effective earlier in his career. Parker then missed most of training camp with an ankle injury, meaning he had limited time to work at his new position. His replacement on the right side, journeyman Ed Ellis, played just one exhibition game before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Center Roman Fortin was slow to recover from offseason surgery to both his knees. The starting guards will be DeMingo Graham and either Raleigh Roundtree, who was re-signed only after the Chargers couldn't find anyone else, or Kendyl Jacox. The latter is the first choice, but Jacox will play center if Fortin isn't ready.
Grade: C-minus.

Defense
Defensive linemen: Defensive end Raylee Johnson had 101z2 sacks in '99, and Wiley equaled that total with Buffalo in 2000. Together, they give the Chargers a double threat on the outside. Inside, defensive tackles John Parrella and Jamal Williams are a major reason why opponents have averaged no more than 3.1 yards per carry over the last three seasons. Depth is OK with veteran defensive end Al Fontenot and young defensive tackle Leonardo Carson, who had an excellent camp.
Grade: B-plus.

Linebackers: Junior Seau doesn't make as many big plays as he once did, but he is no less a force both in the locker room and on the field. Late in camp, middle linebacker Orlando Ruff, who was solid in his first season as a starter, and outside linebacker Gerald Dixon were holding on to their starting spots. However, both were being pressed by former Bills John Holecek and Sam Rogers, respectively. Rookies Carlos Polk and Zeke Moreno both were impressive in camp and help make this position a strong one for the Chargers.
Grade: B-plus.

Defensive backs: Only two secondary members who saw significant playing time last season return, strong safety Rodney Harrison and backup cornerback Fakhir Brown. But considering the Chargers allowed 33 touchdown passes, that's not a bad thing. McNeil and Molden give San Diego a pair of veterans on the corners, and third-round draft choice Tay Cody will be the nickel back. At safety, Harrison remains one of the best in the game. He'll play a new role this year in the nickel defense, lining up alongside Seau, with Jason Perry entering the lineup at free safety and Rogers Beckett switching to the strong side. Beckett, the starting free safety, has size and range but lacks experience.
Grade: C-plus.

Special teams
There are no worries at punter, where Pro Bowler Darren Bennett returns. The kicker is new, however, after Butler chose not to re-sign the popular John Carney. Wade Richey is better on kickoffs, but he hasn't been as consistent on field goals as Carney was. Dwight gives the Chargers a true threat on punt returns. The coverage teams will improve, if only because they can't get any worse.
Grade: C.

Jay Posner covers the Chargers for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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