San Diego Chargers Daily Links: April 11, 2013

Futures: OLBs Dion Jordan and Barkevious Mingo - Matt Waldman
"Experience often means you spent more time ‘doing it wrong,’" one director told me. "We would rather hire someone with the basic talent for the job, the capacity to learn, and a personality geared to excel. The last two things we can’t teach. So when we spot it, we know we can teach the rest."

Football Analytics - MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (Video)
Over the past few NFL seasons, we have seen the impact of unconventional coaches and players. Jim Harbaugh took a 6-10 49ers to the NFC Championship in one year and a Super Bowl in two. The New England Patriots have excelled at drafting and signing unconventional players such as Julian Edelman, Danny Woodhead, and Wes Welker. The success of both teams has been driven by their coaching staff’s ability to effectively evaluate talent and make critical strategy decisions.

The 2007 Draft and VAE - Tom Gower
What if we want to be more objective? Danny Tuccitto recently introduced his historical draft efficiency methodology. To get a better idea how teams drafted in 2007, I've compared VAE numbers to how well evaluators thought each team performed according to our 2007 Draft Report Card Report.

Character, Media, and the NFL Draft: A Sour Cocktail - Matt Waldman
Judging by what has been said about Cam Newton and Geno Smith, some writers relish a challenge. They examine smiles and facial expressions with the same fervor and methodology as tracking short shuttles and dissecting throwing motions. This is where their experiences as a football players fails them.

Mandatory Monday: The Kolb Delusion - Mike Tanier
Over the past few weeks, the Raiders acquired Matt Flynn from the Seahawks to replace Carson Palmer, who was traded to the Cardinals to replace Kevin Kolb, who was signed by the Bills to replace Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was signed by the Titans. In a more poetic universe, Matt Hasselbeck would move from Tennessee back to Seattle to complete this sad little Krebs cycle, but the Seahawks don't really swim in this shallow pool anymore. They were just dropping off some leftovers at the consignment shop.

Chargers inquire about LT Bryant McKinnie - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
San Diego reached out Wednesday to the representation of Bryant McKinnie, the latest of a "couple general discussions" between the two sides, a source said. The former Ravens left tackle helped key Baltimore's Super Bowl run this past year, starting all four playoff games after working as a reserve in the regular season.