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I get it. The Chargers parted ways with Philip Rivers and they have to face the the uncertain future without him. Things don’t normally go well when your team doesn’t have an established or downright great quarterback. But I think Pro Football Focus has gone a little far.
On Saturday, the people over at PFF posted this on their Twitter account:
Teams most likely to have the number 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft
— PFF (@PFF) May 9, 2020
1. Chargers
2. Jaguars
3. Giants
4. Bengals
5. Dolphins pic.twitter.com/iebMokNJAf
After everything that’s happened this offseason, they’ve come to the conclusion that the Chargers have the highest chance of picking at No. 1 in next year’s draft.
Huh?
All it takes is one glance over that short list of teams to realize that one of those is not like the others. One of those teams has a host of offensive firepower. One of those teams has a defense littered with all-pro players. But yet, by the grace of God, that very same team is also listed above the rest as the one who will do the worst in 2020.
Look, we get that PFF didn’t like what the Chargers did in the draft this year. They absolutely despised the pick of Justin Herbert at No. 6 and couldn’t believe they would also trade a third-round pick to go back up and draft Kenneth Murray. According to PFF analyst Mike Renner, their trade value machine listed the Murray move as the most-lopsided trade in the draft, in favor of the Patriots. Renner also gave the Chargers overall draft class a C+, which was by far the lowest grade given by any of the major media outlets (ESPN, CBS Sports, etc.).
But not too long ago, the same folks forecasted the over/under on wins for the Chargers to be 7.5. That certainly doesn’t sound like a team they are completely out on. In fact, the lowest win total I’ve been able to find for the Chargers was a 5-11 mark predicted by Bleacher Report following the release of the 2020 schedule. This past season, it took a 2-14 record to earn the #1-overall pick. Right now, it doesn’t seem like anyone is anywhere close to being that low on the Bolts.
So is this a potential troll job? I wouldn’t put it past them. If it’s not, then it’s simply blasphemous.