The Los Angeles Chargers took a massive hit this past week with the season-ending loss of linebacker Denzel Perryman. The fourth-year middle linebacker left early during the team’s 20-6 victory over the Oakland Raiders and did not return. Following an MRI scan Russell Okung Color Rush Jersey , the team confirmed that Perryman would miss the remainder of the season following an LCL injury that requires surgery. While the loss of Perryman shouldn’t hurt the Bolts’ chances of making a run at the playoffs, it does cause some concern for the team moving forward. The former second-round pick out of Miami has yet to play a full NFL season and is in a contract year. With the season half-way over and Perryman expected to miss some time to recover, the team could either sign him to a small deal or move on from their former leader up the middle altogether. Defense as a whole is a significant need heading into the next April’s NFL Draft. With holes on the defensive line, cornerback and now linebacker, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco will be put to the test to find the best players available each round to keep the Chargers on a winning track. For Blooming Bolts, we like to keep it fresh and give you new players every week to watch. Week 12 of College Football, however, is usually a tune-up game before rivalry week begins, meaning most games are barely watchable past half-time. With the news of Perryman’s injury, this week we’ve decided to focus on finding a potential linebacker to either join or replace the former Hurricane standout next season. Let’s take a look at several different linebacker prospects the team could target on every day of the draft come April.Round 1: Alabama LB Mack WilsonPerryman is an ideal MIKE linebacker in today’s 4-3. With the ability to play against the run but also flank out in zone coverage, he could be best suited to a small, one-year prove it contract should he return healthy. Before being placed on the injured reserved, Kyzir White did a fabulous job as the team’s WILL backer.The SAM backer role, however, could be up for grabs next season. Rookie Uchenna Nwosu will be given the rest of the season to show improvement, but if he’s unable to show improvement, the team could elect to add some competition to the position. Alabama’s Mack Wilson is about to become the next great NFL linebacker hailing from Tuscaloosa in April. An aggressive playing style, Wilson has one speed and uses his motor to go non-stop every play. In two seasons with the Crimson Tide as a starter, Wilson has collected back to back 40+ tackle seasons along with the ability to be a consistent linebacker in coverage.Perhaps the long-term option up the middle, Wilson would be able to contribute against the pass rush and in coverage for the Chargers defense. With his speed and athletic traits, Wilson could become a Myles Jack clone for Gus Bradley out in LA.Round 1: LSU LB Devin WhiteThis could get repetitive, but as mentioned above, a Perryman reunion isn’t that far out of reach. The team does like him, and coach Anthony Lynn has stated multiple times that his leadership skills are vital to keeping the Chargers near the top of every NFL defensive category. Pricing will, however, decipher if the long-time middle backer returns for the future. Should Perryman walk towards the free agent market, Wilson should be the top option at replacing him. If he’s off the board, White might be the best constellation prize of all-time. A thumper for the Bayou Bengal defense, White has the speed and tackling ability to play multiple positions for the Chargers defense. A consistent wrap-up tackler Junior Seau Color Rush Jersey , White is on pace for back to back 100+ tackle seasons and could be the front-runner for the Dick Butkus Award come December. What’s even more impressive about White’s skills is his ability in coverage. Known for his quick speed and smooth transitions, the linebacker can play in both man and zone coverage. With one interception and seven career pass deflections, White could do it all. If he’s even close to falling towards the Charger, Telseco needs to package a deal together to grab this linebacker and find stability at the position.Round 2: Michigan LB Devin BushSay the Bolts elect to keep Perryman on a one-year deal. That will fill up the MIKE position fine. Say Kyzir White comes back a bit slow and can no longer play consistently in coverage. A move to the SAM spot will probably fix that woe for the time being. The WILL linebacker role will need a starter that can play in coverage and also be an able tackler against the run. Bush might be a bit of a reach at the moment, but he fits the Bolts linebacker position perfectly. A smaller framed player but strong tackler, Bush excels against the run and makes clean tackles in the open field. Great speed off the edge, the junior linebacker does a solid job closing the gap on the edge to and forces running backs to work back into the play. His frame might come into question at the next level, however. At only 5-11, Bush could be limited to a hybrid role such as Carolina’s Shaq Thompson. In coverage, the Wolverine does a decent job defending the pass but has good speed to cover running backs out of the backfield. If the Chargers elect to go linebacker on the first day of the draft, Bush should be at least in consideration. Round 2: Clemson LB Kendall JosephOk so Perryman is likely out, and the team needs a leader. Finding a veteran presence might be essential to keep the defense in a positive direction. If the Bolts elect to fix their defensive line during the first-round, Joseph could be a nice addition as the team’s addition up the middle. A three-year starter for the Tigers defense, Joesph has been the leader for Brent Venables squad for quite some time. The definition of a play-maker, the senior standout has made 264 tackles along with 22 tackles for losses throughout three seasons. A leader in the locker room and commander on the field, Joesph and his football IQ are NFL ready contributors that could help the Chargers defense now. There are a few knicks towards Joesph’s status. His age will come into question as will his durability at the next level. Struggling to handle solo blocks, Joesph offers little up the middle as a pass rusher. His frame also could limit him as not a consistent three-down backer. Overall, however, Joesph’s versatility in coverage and high tackling stats make him a solid fit and contributor for the Chargers defense.Round 3: Northwestern LB Paddy Fisher Say White and Nwosu figure out their roles on the outside by the end of the season. Perryman would be free to leave in free agency, and Telesco would be set on the edge with his linebackers. With defensive line and offensive tackle major needs as well, the Chargers could use their third-round selection on a middle linebacker for the future. This class does have quality starters on the first two days of the draft that could contribute to any defense.Perryman is a top notched tackling machine so Fisher would fit the bill at replacing him. A physical linebacker and leader for the Wildcats defense, Fisher is a perfect linebacker for today’s NFL. Quick to the ball, Fisher flies across the field and is always found somewhere in the pile fighting for a chance to wreak havoc against the run. A turnover machine, the redshirt sophomore has collected six forced fumbles and an interception with two seasons under his belt. What might make Fisher a perfect fit in Los Angeles is his coverage ability. Similar to Perryman, the Wildcat defender excels in zone coverage and has the speed to fly up and break passes up in crucial moments. Although he may not declare due to his eligibility Fisher fits everything the Chargers could use in a MIKE backer. Here comes Who Dey vs. Who Dat.Say what?The Who Dat folks from New Orleans go head-on with the Who Dey fans in Cincinnati on Sunday. And don’t ask which group first came up with its catchy phrase and odd rendering of the English language.“Who Dey? I don’t understand. I’m baffled,” says Saints running back Mark Ingram. “It’s like, did they copy us? Or not? I don’t know. Who Dat! Who Dat! Who Dat! …”What anyone might ask is whether the Saints (7-1), coming off three huge victories, including handing the Rams their first loss Desmond King Color Rush Jersey , are ripe for a letdown. Drew Brees and company face Philadelphia next week.“They’re going to be hungry coming off the bye week,” Ingram says of the Bengals. “They have playoff aspirations. They have aspirations of winning their division. So every game is important to them just like it is to us. So we’re going up there in foreign territory, hostile territory, and we’ve got to go make it happen. We’re a good team. We respect them but we’re always worried about this building, this team, what we need to do to put ourselves in position to have success.”It might be difficult for New Orleans to find a way to lose this one, though. In the past three games, the Bengals (5-3) have given up 481 yards to Pittsburgh, then 551 to Kansas City and 576 to Tampa Bay.Granted, those are three of the NFL’s top attacks. The Saints are up there, too, so if Cincinnati gives up 500 yards Sunday, it will become the first team to allow 500 in three consecutive games.“We’re underachieving right now,” defensive end Carlos Dunlap admits. “We’re playing well enough to win some games, which is why we’re 5-3. If we work on the negatives, we can be that elite defense and that elite team.”Right now, the eliteness is in the Big Easy“They go as Brees goes,” Dunlap adds. “We’ve got to find a way to slow down that future Hall of Famer.”The weekend began Thursday night with Pittsburgh’s 52-21 home victory over Carolina. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns to help the Steelers (6-2-1) win their fifth straight. The Panthers (6-3) had won three in a row.Off this week are Minnesota (5-3-1), Denver (3-6), Baltimore (4-5) and Houston (6-3).Dallas (3-5) at Philadelphia (4-4)For the Cowboys to stay real in the NFC East, they need a quick reversal of fortune. With four of those five losses coming on the road, a visit to the Linc isn’t all that enticing.These teams meet on “Sunday Night Football” for the 10th consecutive season and 12th time overall. Dallas must find a passing game somewhere, and spring Ezekiel Elliott for some big plays, but the blocking unit has declined significantly.The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles are 17-5 at home under coach Doug Pederson. Carson Wentz has thrown at least one TD with no more than one interception in 21 straight games, tied with Matt Ryan for the longest streak in NFL history. He has a new target in Golden Tate. The wideout was obtained from Detroit, for which he had eight catches for 132 yards and two TDs vs. the Cowboys on Sept. 30.Seattle (4-4) at Los Angeles Rams (8-1)Coming off their first defeat, the Rams will remember they struggled to win 33-31 at Seattle last month. A victory would give LA a 4½-game edge in the NFC West and pretty much shut it down.Both teams boast potent ground games, with the big star being LA’s Todd Gurley. The Rams are No. 1 in the NFL with Gurley at 868 yards rushing; he also has 12 TD runs; he has scored in 12 consecutive games, the longest regular-season streak in team history.The Seahawks are tops in rushing since Week 3 with 159.8 yards per game after concentrating more on the ground game following an 0-2 start.Arizona (2-6) at Kansas City (8-1)The Cardinals are 0-4-1 at Kansas City Corey Liuget Color Rush Jersey , and this isn’t exactly the best time to be visiting. Arizona has the NFL’s worst offense and ranks 31st in pass defense. All the Chiefs do, with Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, is score, score and score some more.But Cardinals star receiver Larry Fitzgerald could make some history. Fitzgerald needs 33 yards receiving to pass Terrell Owens (15,934) for second in NFL history. Fitz needs 14 receptions to pass Jerry Rice (San Francisco, 1,281) for the NFL record for receptions with one team.Detroit (3-5) at Chicago (5-3)A very lopsided series recently in favor of Detroit, which has won nine of 10. Indeed, Chicago hasn’t won an NFC North game in its past 10 attempts.But the Lions allowed 10 sacks — yes, 10 — to Minnesota last week, and Chicago has an even better defense than the Vikings.The Bears also are decently balanced and rank fifth in scoring. Still, their calling card is on D, and they scored twice that way against Buffalo: Eddie Jackson’s 65-yard fumble recovery and Leonard Floyd’s 19-yard interception return.Washington (5-3) at Tampa Bay (3-5)The Redskins were routed at home by Atlanta last weekend and lost three key players, including both starting guards. Adrian Peterson has three consecutive 100-yard rushing games against Tampa Bay, including last year with the Cardinals. Can he find room to roam behind a makeshift offensive line?Tampa sure can pass and sure can score, but it often falls so far behind that it can’t catch up. The Bucs have been outscored 103-27 in the first half of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s past three starts, all losses.Still, Fitzpatrick has three games with four or more TD passes, the most in the NFC this season, and has been much better than erstwhile starter Jameis Winston.New England (7-2) at Tennessee (4-4)Here we go again: New England is on a roll as Tom Brady makes everyone around him better.The Patriots have won six straight (seven in a row overall against Tennessee). Brady will play in his 300th game, including postseason, and will join Brett Favre (326) as the only NFL quarterbacks to appear in 300 games. Brady needs three TD passes to tie Peyton Manning (579) for the most in NFL history, also including playoffs.Tennessee comes off a solid victory at Dallas and coach Mike Vrabel had his biggest playing days in New England, where he won three titles.“We’ve just gotten ourselves to the surface where there’s a little bit of air, a little bit of water,” Vrabel says. “You’re kind of taking a little bit of both in and you can’t survive there for long. But you can survive there for a few minutes. And so we got to make the next decision to see if we can get our heads completely above water.”Atlanta (4-4) at Cleveland (2-6-1)Injuries seemed to ruin the Falcons‘ season, yet here they are at .500 and with six games upcoming against teams currently owning losing records. Matt Ryan is having an outstanding year Dan Feeney Color Rush Jersey , even while overshadowed in the NFC South by Brees and Cam Newton.With 13 yards receiving Sunday, Julio Jones will reach 10,000 in his career and become the fastest player to reach that milestone (104 games).The Browns have dropped four straight, and are 0-1 under interim coach Gregg Williams. But their .786 winning percentage (11-3) against the Falcons is the team’s highest against any opponent.Los Angeles Chargers (6-2) at Oakland (1-7)Another guy not getting enough recognition for a superb passing season is Philip Rivers while Patrick Mahomes grabs the AFC West headlines. Playing the woeful Raiders shouldn’t hurt Rivers’ resume: He has completed 75 of 100 passes for 994 yards, six TDs and no INTs in his past three outings vs. Oakland for a 126.0 rating.Plus, the Chargers have won five straight for their best record at the season’s midpoint since 2006.Meanwhile, the Raiders are such a mess that they have been outscored 55-3 over the past five quarters and are allowing a 113.9 passer rating, on pace for the worst in franchise history.Miami (5-4) at Green Bay (3-4-1)Somehow, the Dolphins are a wild-card contender despite being outgained by 704 yards and outscored by 38 points. Much of that can be attributed to the past three road games, in which they were outscored 107-47.On the bright side, Miami ranks first with 15 interceptions, including four last week against the Jets.Aaron Rodgers, of course, doesn’t throw picks. Rodgers has thrown 15 touchdowns to one interception, leading the league with a 0.3 percent interception percentage. And RB Aaron Jones leads the NFL at 6.03 yards per carry.Jacksonville (3-5) at Indianapolis (3-5)Two 3-5 marks that look much different. Jacksonville has dropped four in a row and is among the most disappointing clubs in football. Indy is giving a decent accounting of itself despite a lack of talent.There’s plenty of skill at quarterback, however. Andrew Luck, who missed 2017 with a shoulder injury, is back in fine form and has not been sacked in his past 154 pass attempts dating to the second offensive play against New England on Oct. 4. It’s the longest stretch of his pro career. Colts K Adam Vinatieri will be honored for breaking the NFL’s career scoring record two weeks ago at Oakland. Vinatieri needs one win to tie George Blanda (209) for most regular-season wins in league history.Buffalo (2-6) at New York Jets (3-6)With all that record scoring throughout the league, this could be an 8-5 snoozer.Sam Darnold has regressed behind center for the Jets and now has a foot injury. But let’s be fair: Darnold has very little help, especially with versatile RB Bilal Powell on IR. Last year’s starter, veteran QB Josh McCown, steps in.As for Buffalo, well, maybe getting rid of Tyrod Taylor wasn’t such a wise move.New York Giants (1-7) at San Francisco (2-7), Monday nightThis isn’t likely to be as much of a sleep-inducer as Bills-Jets. At least a national TV audience gets to watch Saquon Barkley, the most dynamic rookie to hit New York since Odell Beckham Jr. — and without all the baggage.San Francisco has its own intriguing story after rookie QB Nick Mullens tore up Bay Area rival Oakland last week. Mullens joined Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Fran Tarkenton as the only players with at least 250 yards passing, three TDs and no INTs in his career debut.