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As we get closer to the official start of Training Camp, we figure it's time to go through and look at each position group on the team and take a look at who's new, who's still around, and who's left us. This week, we're going to start things off relatively easy with the Quarterbacks.
2012 in Review
| No. | Player | Yards | Comp/Att (%) | Avg | TD/INT | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Philip Rivers | 3,606 | 338/527 (64.1%) | 6.84 yds | 26/15 | 88.6 |
| 6 | Charlie Whitehurst | 0 | 0/0 (0%) | 0 yds | 0/0 | 0.0 |
Yes, it's true, the Chargers only carried two Quarterbacks last season. And as we've learned, that was one too many. Maybe they should have lined Charlie up as an Offensive Lineman? He probably wouldn't have been much worse than an "injured" Jared Gaither.
Last year was not a completely terrible year for Philip Rivers. It was certainly not one of the better performances in the league last year, but also certainly not one of the worst. There is definite room for improvement and we'll look a bit later to see if his Offensive Line is set up to be an asset or a liability again in 2013.
2013 Chargers Quarterbacks
For 2013, the Chargers have added a couple new faces to the Quarterbacking group.
| No. | Player | Size | Age | Experience | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Philip Rivers | 6'5", 228lb | 31 | 9 | North Carolina State |
| 6 | Charlie Whitehurst | 6'5", 235lb | 30 | 7 | Clemson |
| 4 | Brad Sorensen | 6'4", 229lb | 25 | R | Southern Utah |
| 7 | Mike Hermann | 6'5", 250lb | 23 | R | RPI |
Brad Sorensen — drafted in the 7th round — and Mike Hermann — signed as an UDFA — will be joining Rivers and Whitehurst in a couple weeks at Training Camp. Even though Sorensen was actually drafted while Hermann was signed as an UDFA, Hermann seems to be the one generating the buzz. He has the more compelling story and he has the more exciting style of play that other mobile Quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick. Mobile Quarterbacks are all the rage nowadays and just maybe Hermann can be a spark on the offense the team needed.
Or maybe he's just a camp body for the defense to practice against.
Brad Sorensen sounds more like your prototypical pocket passer. He's not very athletic (comparatively) and is most comfortable standing up in the pocket. This sounds familiar ...
Verdict
Edge: 2013
I'd say that the nod goes to the 2013 Quarterback group only because they have more bodies, so by nature it's a stronger group. The mobile Hermann could give the group more versatility, provided he makes it out of camp.
What are your thoughts? Did the Chargers improve at the Quarterback position? Do you think the team will keep one or both of the new QBs or do the Chargers carry just 2 Quarterbacks again next year? Vote and comment below.