Who Is the Chargers’ First-Half Offensive Player of the Year?

With 8 games down, who has been the Chargers’ best offensive player this season?

Mickey Peterson: My vote goes to Keenan Allen. Take him out of the lineup and it's hard to imagine Tyrell and Benjie being able to keep the offense moving. Allen has made a handful of tough catches on third downs that have kept drives alive and has been a key part of the three wins they were able to string together. With the lack of consistency of getting Hunter Henry the ball, Allen is the only trusted player in that receiving group and he is vital to this team's success for the second half of the year.

Jamie Sewell: Russell Okung. He's been excellent at LT, and even though the Chargers are only 3-5, it'd be a lot worse without him. I don't think there's a single other Bolt who deserves consideration for this. Rivers and Gordon have both been up and down, the WRs have been largely disappointing, and Hunter Henry hasn't been involved as much as you'd like. Okung has been consistently good, and it's nice to have their first LT since one year of King Dunlap that you can actually trust.

Matthew Stanley: Russell Okung. He has come in and been a stud at LT. If Okung isn't here, Rivers is probably on the IR by now, and Gordon would not be having the year he is having either. I know it's not a sexy pick, but he has performed at the highest level most consistently out of anyone on this offense

Jamie Hoyle: It's Russell Okung for all the reasons mentioned in the previous MVP roundtable. He's healthy(the importance of which can't be overstated), mauling people in the run game, has sealed off Rivers' blindside, and has provided leadership on and off the field. He has exceeded all reasonable expectations on and off the field. It's Russell, and it isn't close.

Louis Gorini: I’m tackling this question from a different approach. The offensive player of the year for the Chargers is Hunter Henry and here is why. It’s not his fault that the coaches don’t use him to his full ability. Whatever the coaches ask him to do he does it at a high level. There are numerous games they wanted him to stay in and help pass block and give support to the right tackle, and he did it at a superb level. Other times the coaches use him as an offensive weapon, and he has provided much support in the passing game (look how clutch he was in Oakland). Lastly, the coaches use him as an extra blocker in the running game, and he has helped open up lanes for Gordon. Hunter Henry is a Swiss Army knife and the Chargers offensive player of the year.

Kyle Posey: I think it's Keenan Allen. There isn't much to pick from but take him away from this offense and they likely never move the ball. He's also drawn the 3rd most defensive pass interferences in the league. His numbers should be much better, but for whatever reason, he's looked at as "just another guy." he should have many more targets, and usually, when that happens, the Chargers win. He's the only actual receiver the team can count on from a down-to-down basis

Ryan Doyle: Hunter Henry is my choice. He might be the top right end in the league soon. Henry is a top tier blocker, and as a receiver, he can do it all. He has been underutilized to this point, but when he has been the centerpiece of the offense, Philip Rivers has been able to put up points. Henry has the making of an elite player, and he should be used as such.

Richard Wade: I have to go with Russell Okung for this. I hate to even think what the offense would look like without him at this point. He has been the Chargers’ best lineman and he’s doing it from the most important spot on the line. Everything that has worked this year has really only worked because he is there.

Jason Michaels: I wanted to be a rogue and go with Novak because he was coming into an impossible situation, but he really hasn't been that good. Gordon has been really, really good when he plays really, really good. He has been awful in between those spurts, which is hardly what I consider MVP-worthy. I would give the nod to Hunter Henry, as he is one of the very few offensive players that has excelled beyond expectation. For a half-way-through award, I think that it's fair to award it based on someone who hasn't received enough time on the field to make a complete assessment. What we have seen has been very good, and there's every reason to expect that he will overachieve through the remainder of the season.

Cody Young: My choice for offensive player of the year is Hunter Henry. He's just such a dynamic player in all aspects of his game. Outside of Keenan Allen, nobody on the Chargers roster is as reliable as Henry. There are very few defensive players who have been able to match up with Henry so far, and the offense opens up and is at its best when he's heavily involved. For those reasons Hunter Henry has my vote.

Who is your offensive player of the year for the Chargers?