NFL

Chargers Legend Shawne Merriman Talks Mike Williams Reunion, Real Leadership from Jim Harbaugh, Joey Bosa Decline

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Shawne Merriman is known for his dominant six-season stint with the Chargers, but he also played two final seasons in Buffalo before retirement in 2012.

He is therefore well-acquainted with the Bills Mafia, and will be streaming a live tailgate show on Sunday before Buffalo’s game vs. the Dolphins on his free app, Lights Out Sports TV.

Merriman, a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, spoke exclusively with SportsCasting.com on Wednesday about the Ultimate Fan Zone tailgate, his most memorable encounter with the Bills Mafia and his thoughts on everything Chargers.

Key Topics

  • How Bills fans lined up at the airport to welcome him to town in 2011
  • The importance of the Chargers adding a deep threat before the trade deadline
  • Why Mike Williams is the perfect candidate to fill that void
  • The lack of leadership from Brandon Staley, and how ‘everything switched’ upon Jim Harbaugh’s arrival
  • The staying power of 33-year-old Khalil Mack
  • Joey Bosa’s decline

Full Q&A

Question: Can you tell me a bit about The Ultimate Fan Zone and why Buffalo is the spot you wanted to hit?

Shawne Merriman: “Buffalo, you can’t go wrong, man. I tell people this all the time: Going to Buffalo was one of the best things to happen to me in my career, getting a chance to play in front of those fans. 

“We’ve got a livestream tailgate show that will be out in the Buffalo Bills’ tailgate there on Lights Out Sports, which is my new app, a free ad-supported streaming service that was launched a few months ago. It’s going to be massive, man. The most fun you’ll see in a parking lot and it will be livestreamed for 60 minutes, two hours before kickoff. It’s going to be awesome.”

Q: Do you have a most memorable interaction with the Bills Mafia?

SM: “When I got waived by the Chargers and signed there, there were people at the airport. It was like a line. I’d never seen anything like that. And then you’d be around town and just being around people. It’s almost like they’re all your second- or third-cousins. It’s the weirdest thing ever, because you always feel like you’re around family. It’s really hard to get that kind of feeling anywhere else.”

Q: Will this livestream be fun for people who don’t live there, to get a taste of that fandom?

SM: “100 percent. Everyone can watch the games, but not everybody can watch the tailgates. That sometimes creates the biggest FOMO, because people want to get there and start interacting with their family, their friends, and the opposing teams’ fans.

“And also, there are Buffalo Bills fans all over the country, all over the world. There are military members stationed somewhere right now that wish they were with their families tailgating. So there were a lot of reasons why I wanted to do this. And Lights Out Sports TV is available on every Smart TV in the world, so they can tune in.”

Q: That’s awesome. OK, a few Chargers questions, if you don’t mind. A lot of AFC contenders have been active before the trade deadline. Do you think the Chargers should make a move?

SM: “100 percent I think that something should happen. They are running the ball extremely well and they are playing great defense. With those two things, you’re always going to be competitive, no matter what. Now, they’re missing a couple big players outside, namely a wide receiver being able to stretch the field.

“Ladd (McConkey) has been great as a rookie, finding those open spots and making things happen. He’s going to be really good down the stretch. I’ve played guys like him in (Julian) Edelman and (Danny) Amendola. Guys that are just quick and shifty, that make things happen. Take a five- or six-yard pass for 20 or 30 yards. He’s really crucial when it comes to that, and now they need somebody who can stretch the field and make big plays.”

Q: Obviously they are familiar with Mike Williams and he’s on the block. Could you see a reunion happen? Would that make sense from the Chargers’ point view?

SM: “I think so. And I think also that Mike Williams coming off an ACL is just getting healthy. I try to tell people all the time, just because you’re on the field doesn’t mean you’re 100 percent. Your body has to adjust to playing again. You’ve been off for a year, so it takes a little bit of time. So I think it’s right for the Chargers to bring him back and get him on the field. He’s that big-play guy you can count on. And then you’ve got Ladd and (Joshua) Palmer that can make things happen underneath.”

Q: What’s your perspective on Jim Harbaugh and the job he’s done with the Chargers?

SM:  “I love it, man. You can just feel the culture shift. I hate taking shots at Brandon Staley, but the truth is, there was a lack of leadership when it came to that. From day one that Harbaugh came in the building, everything switched. When you walked around and talked to the coordinators, the staff, the strength and conditioning coaches, it was something radiating throughout that building that was missing for a very long time. And we’re seeing it on the field. They’ve found a way to establish their identity, and that’s something that was missing for a very long time.”

Q: In his first year they are already playing better than some people thought. Does that give you a lot of hope for the trajectory, as he will continue to build this thing as he gets all the pieces he wants?

SM: “No doubt, and talking about pieces, the biggest piece he added was Joe Alt. Between him and Rashawn Slater, Justin Herbert is not getting touched. And that’s the key to this whole thing. Once you have a quarterback with the arm strength and capabilities of Justin Herbert, and now he’s not getting hit – and then you add in running the football and great defense – they have a deadly combination over there. If they add somebody who can stretch the field, at least be a threat to the secondary, they are going to be a problem.”

Q: Does Khalil Mack amaze you? He’s 33 years old and still ultra-productive.

SM: “100 percent. Last year I came out and helped coach a little bit in training camp. Obviously I was moreso helping out the young guys. There’s not too much help you can give Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. But one thing I saw out of him, he didn’t look his age as far as his movement and his capabilities. It’s a different bloodline with him, man. I’m not surprised. I’m actually more surprised with the people that are surprised. This dude is an animal. People ask me, from today’s game, which player do I think holds some kind of resemblance. It’s Khalil. Khalil can do it all.”

Q: How long do you think he can play? Seems like several more years if he wants to.

SM: “I think he has another two to three more years in him at a high level. Father Time is going to catch us all at some point, but the way he’s playing now, with his movement and the way he’s staying healthy and remaining on the field at his age, it’s immaculate.”

Q: You mentioned Bosa. Are the injuries each year a reason for concern? Does that give you pause about him being that difference-making piece he was early in his career?

SM: “The truth is, when you get older or when you have those injuries, you’re never the same player you once were. You lose a little bit of burst, you lose a little bit of ability to turn the corner. You lose the ability to stay healthy and stay on the field.

“The key factor is, when the game is on the line, can he get back there? Can he be a difference-maker when they need him to be? That’s why you keep a Joey Bosa around, because he still has the capability of hitting those home runs when necessary. And, look, you’ve got Khalil on the other side, you’ve got Tuli (Tuipulotu), the young kid out of USC, (Morgan) Fox. They’ve got some other guys that are getting after it. That front seven, man, they’re pretty stern. They have enough where Joey Bosa doesn’t have to go out and play 60-plus plays per game. They have enough guys to rotate in there and cause havoc.”