Chargers’ Bryan Bulaga praises offensive line coach James Campen

Bryan Bulaga is excited to reunite with his mentor of eight years.

If it wasn’t for offensive line coach James Campen being hired earlier this offseason, it remains to be seen if veteran tackle Bryan Bulaga would be in a Chargers uniform.

Bulaga, who was signed to a three-year deal, is familiar with Campen as the two spent eight years together in Green Bay. When the former Iowa product saw that his mentor was headed to Los Angeles after a stint with the Browns, it made his decision to sign that much easier.

“It was a big deal for me,” Bulaga said. “Going into a new place when I’ve been somewhere for 10 years and having a familiar face in the room, and especially someone I trust very much. I think Coach Campen’s a hell of a coach. I think he’s a hell of a person, too.”

The Chargers are hopeful that the coaching of Campen will help improve an offensive line that struggled last season because of inexperience and injuries. Pro Football Focus rated the line as the second-worst unit in the league on pass blocking.

It helps that Bulaga and guard Trai Turner were acquired this offseason, along with Mike Pouncey being medically cleared. But the rest of the group is a mystery. That’s why Campen’s magic to assist the other players is being highly anticipated.

Bulaga said that the group will enjoy playing for Campen, citing that he’s not a “cookie-cutter coach.”

“The biggest thing that he does is he allows guys to be themselves, and that’s something that as a young guy in the league. You can’t put a price tag on because he allows guys to grow and become themselves,” Bulaga said.

Campen has helped six linemen earn Pro Bowl recognition in an eight-year span: Offensive tackle Chad Clifton, center Scott Wells, guard Josh Sitton, center Jeff Saturday, tackle David Bakhtiari, guard T.J. Lang.

Los Angeles is hoping that he can produce the same results with the team’s offensive linemen.

Pro Football Focus lists Chargers ‘most underrated’ player in 2020

The second-year linebacker is looking to take a leap this upcoming season.

Yesterday, I wrote about the Chargers’ most underrated position groups heading into the 2020 season.

On the same day, Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey tabbed the most underrated player on each team in the league.

For Los Angeles, he went with linebacker Drue Tranquill.

Athleticism like Tranquill displayed at the 2019 NFL Combine (4.57 second 40-yard dash, 6.94 second three-cone and a 37.5-inch vertical jump) married with strong coverage results coming out of college (80-plus coverage grades in each of his last two seasons) is a recipe for success in the pros. As a fourth-round pick, Tranquill had a limited role in his first season as a member of the Chargers’ defense, but he did some promising things during his time on the field, earning a 66.6 overall grade for the year. Even with the Chargers trading back up into the first round to take Kenneth Murray, there is plenty of reason to expect the second-year player out of Notre Dame to take another step forward in 2020.

Tranquill, the fourth-round selection of the 2019 NFL draft, made an impact upon arriving to camp in his rookie season. As the season went on he became a key piece on the defensive side of the ball.

In 15 games played, three of which he started, Tranquill racked up 64 tackles (50 solo), four tackles for loss and one pass defended. On top of that, he finished with the most special teams tackles by any rookie (11).

The former Notre Dame product will likely split time with Denzel Perryman at MIKE, while rookie Kenneth Murray starts at WILL this upcoming season. But it won’t be long until Tranquill is the permanent starter.

It may seem like a long shot for Tranquill to make the Pro Bowl at the linebacker position in Year 2, but he’s more than capable of landing on the team as a special teamer.

Projecting the Chargers’ post-draft depth chart at running back

Austin Ekeler is RB1. Then who?

The marriage between the Chargers and Melvin Gordon came to an end earlier this offseason as the franchise chose not to re-sign him. Gordon won’t be too far from his former team since he was picked up by AFC West rival – Denver Broncos.

How will the backfield look heading into this upcoming season?

Below, I take a crack at predicting Los Angeles’ depth chart at running back for the 2020 season:

RB1: Austin Ekeler

From undrafted free agent to one of the league’s most dynamic weapons. Ekeler is coming off his best season, which included 92 catches for 993 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Only Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey had more receptions (116) among running backs. After Gordon’s departure, the former Western Colorado sits atop of the depth chart. Ekeler will get a decent amount of carries, but the coaching staff still wants to use his pass-catching abilities, which will see him line up in the slot and outside aside from just the backfield.

RB2: Justin Jackson

The second running back spot is where it becomes interesting. This will be a competition between Jackson and fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley. The former Northwestern product gets the nod heading into the season, given his experience, production in a limited capacity and the fact that the team is still “high on him”. In 20 games played, Jackson averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 79 touches. Eager to make his mark last season, Jackson was limited to just seven games due to an injury. If he can stay healthy, Jackson is primed for a breakout season.

RB3: Joshua Kelley

Kelley is capable of rising up the depth chart as the season goes on and I am a firm believer that he will. The only reason I have him listed as RB3 is primarily due to the lack of exposure at camp and I believe the coaching staff really covets Jackson despite the injury concerns. However, Kelley has a well-rounded skillset and the production in a significant role to be effective as the feature back down the road. Over 43 games in college, Kelley rushed 647 times for 3,442 yards and 31 touchdowns. His injury history is nonexistent, too.

FB: Bobby Holly

The Chargers lost Derek Watt, who signed with the Steelers earlier this offseason. Following his departure, coach Anthony Lynn said that the team would be bringing in a fullback to fill the void. The competition to do so will be between Holly and Gabe Nabers. I recently gave Nabers the nod over Holly due to positional versatility. But I believe that Holly brings more upside as a blocker.

Chargers TE Hunter Henry among elite pass catchers in 2019

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry flourished in 2019.

Chargers tight end Hunter Henry was hampered by a knee injury in Week 1 of the 2019 season, which kept him out for four weeks of action. Upon returning, Henry was a force to be reckoned with, especially in the passing game.

Henry was a matchup nightmare, showing the ability to win in a variety of ways, whether that be shorter routes or in the middle of the field. As a result, the former Arkansas product posted 55 catches for 652 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 12 contests.

Henry’s dominance as a receiver was recognized by NFL Media’s Nick Shook, as he was listed as the seventh-best pass-catcher in the NFL in 2019.

Shook’s used “catch rate above expectation,” which is simply the difference between a player’s catch rate last season compared to his expected catch rate, which is calculated by Next Gen Stats.

Henry had a plus-8.4-percent difference between his actual catch rate and his expected catch rate, finishing a spot above 49ers’ George Kittle, who is touted as one of the best at the position.

Henry battled through the adversity of suffering a torn ACL in 2018 to return, appear in 12 games and catch over 70 percent of the passes intended for him in 2019. While the Chargers struggled in the final year of the Philip Rivers era, Henry did not, posting a positive catch-rate difference of over 8 percent. He flourished in the end zone, catching 60 percent of his targets in the money-making stretch of 10 yards for three of his five total touchdowns.

Most importantly, Henry succeeded by finding the soft spots in the defense. His air yards per target (10.2) landed near what the wideouts in this group managed, and he did so by creating space for himself in those soft spots, as evidenced by his tight-window percentage of just 13.2. Talk about increasing your chances.

Henry, 25, had the franchise tag placed on him earlier this offseason. He said that him and the Chargers were in talks of a long-term extension, but the coronavirus pandemic put negotiations to a halt.

It remains to be seen if the two parties will agree to an extension before the season, but it’s evident that Los Angeles wants to keep him around for awhile.

Henry is dealt with issues since 2016, but when he is on the field he is a key piece of the offense. He will look to not only continue to flourish as a pass-catcher and run-blocker, but stay healthy for a full 16-game slate, which would mark the first time in his professional career.

To see the rest of Shook’s list of top pass-catchers from last season, you can check it out here.

4 factors that could make or break the Chargers in 2020

What needs to happen in order for the Los Angeles Chargers to have a successful season?

After a 12-4 season and a trip to the playoffs in 2018, the Chargers followed that up with a dud of a year in 2019, finishing 5-11 and last place in the AFC West.

There were a few reasons for their decline, and they’re hoping that 2020 will result in a different outcome. The first steps of that included bolstering the roster with a few veterans and rookies who should contribute.

With that being said, here are four factors that could make or break Los Angeles this upcoming season:

Quarterback play

The Philip Rivers era is officially over. Taking over is Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert. The Chargers benefited from Rivers’ experience and familiarity with the offense, along with a keen sense for the game and a unique skillset as a passer. Taylor and Herbert don’t possess many of those traits. While there are a slew of play-makers to spread the wealth to, there’s no guarantee that they will flourish. While Taylor and Herbert have the athleticism to beat defenses with their legs, there are still questions surrounding their abilities as passers. Even though he doesn’t throw a lot of interceptions, Taylor struggles with accuracy and seeing the middle of the field well, which is where tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Keenan Allen shine. For Herbert, he still needs time to develop his eye discipline, progressions and overall feel for the NFL before being taking the reins.

Offensive line

This has been an area where the Chargers have struggled for years, finishing near the bottom in pass protection efficiency. However, the team is hopeful that the group could become a strength with the acquisitions of tackle Bryan Bulaga, guard Trai Turner, the return of center Mike Pouncey and hiring of offensive line coach James Campen. While the necessary moves were made, the left side of the lines remains a slight concern on paper as the left tackle spot was not upgraded. Instead, Sam Tevi, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton and Forrest Lamp will be in competition for the job. This isn’t to say it’s a bad thing because Campen has a knack for developing offensive linemen and the deficiencies could be masked with a more mobile quarterback, but it’s a boom or bust situation. In a league where pass-rushers are becoming more and more elite, efficient offensive line play is a necessity.

Lack of pressure

The Chargers ranked No. 6 in total defense, but they finished second-worst in takeaways with a -17 turnover differential. A big reason why Los Angeles was unable to produce more turnovers was because of the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. L.A. finished 26th in quarterback pressures with 125. The number doesn’t come as a surprise as the unit blitzed only 75 times, which ranked last in the league. It’s a bit of surprise when you have a handful of players that should be used more in that role, but Bradley’s scheme from previous seasons, a Cover 3 system that involves a lot of zone coverage, forced them to play conservative and not allowing many opportunities to attack downhill. To ensure they’re getting more quarterback pressures moving forward, Bradley is going to start incorporating more man coverage. The reason why this is so critical is because the Bolts had a lot of close games where they were unable to stop their opponents on final drives due to conservative play, and lack of heat on the quarterback.

Injuries

Many analysts had the Chargers pegged as Super Bowl contenders prior to the 2019 seasons as they were coming off the outstanding 2018 year. Equipped with one of the best rosters from top to bottom heading into training camp, it started to take a downward spiral after they lost Russell Okung and Derwin James, both before Week 1. The injury bug stayed around throughout the season as notables like Hunter Henry, Adrian Phillips, Mike Pouncey, Nasir Adderley, Dontrelle Inman, Forrest Lamp, among others were forced to miss significant playing time. In total, 14 players were placed on the injured reserve. It became clear that they couldn’t overcome their losses. When they started to get key players back, it was way too late. Going into 2020, the Bolts are in a similar position. They have a talented roster, one that includes new faces like Chris Harris Jr., Bryan Bulaga, Linval Joseph, Trai Turner and draftees Justin Herbert, Kenneth Murray, Joshua Kelley, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill. But it comes down to player availability that could determine the outcome of their season.

Gregg Rosenthal predicts Chargers’ 2020 starters

NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal makes his starting lineup predictions for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers have boasted a talented roster for years now. The results may have not reflected from that, but the issues arise from injuries and in-game woes that haunted them.

Los Angeles has shown that they can compete with the league’s best, and they’re hopeful that they can make a postseason run, like they managed to do two years.

After a slew of acquisitions this offseason, L.A. is once again equipped with talent from top to bottom. But how will the starting lineup shake up in order to get the best players on the field?

NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal recently took a crack at projecting the Chargers’ starters for the upcoming season.

Here is a look:

Notes

By no surprise, Tyrod Taylor is listed as the starting quarterback. Barring any injury, I expect Taylor to be the Week 1 starter. For how long remains to be seen. If he gets hurt or the team isn’t having any success with him under center, then that’s when we can expect rookie Justin Herbert to take over.
Andre Patton is listed as WR3. While Patton will be among the competitors for the job, I expect either rookie Joe Reed or K.J. Hill to earn it when all is said and done.
In Rosenthal’s eyes, Sam Tevi wins the starting left tackle job. Many are expecting this to be Trey Pipkins’ role, including myself. However, the team could favor Tevi’s experience in the starting position.
I would be surprised if Kenneth Murray didn’t open up as the starting Will linebacker and Drue Tranquill didn’t start as the Mike linebacker.
The reason for their not being a third linebacker listed is because given the amount of nickel and dime packages the Chargers go in, that would normally be Adrian Phillips’ role. But not that he is no longer on the team, Desmond King is the frontrunner.
Rayshawn Jenkins is listed as the starting free safety. If and when the Chargers go into their two-deep looks, Nasir Adderley will be on the field at the same time.

5 takeaways from Chargers’ 2020 schedule

The Los Angeles Chargers have a fairly manageable schedule for the 2020 season.

The 2020 schedule for the Chargers has been released, and for the most part, it’s fairly favorable. There are some challenges along the way, but with the talent on the roster, they’re capable of finishing with over a .500 record.

Here are my takeaways from Los Angeles’ schedule:

First exposure

The first game of the season, the Chargers will be on the road to take on the Bengals, the team that finished with the worst record in the NFL last season. As part of their roster reconstruction, Cincinnati selected quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Despite how talented he is, it’s rare that a rookie signal-caller flourishes in their professional debut. On top of that, the only weapon Burrow was given was wide receiver Tee Higgins, the Bengals’ second-round pick. Going up against a tough Chargers defense, the growing pains could be experienced right off the bat.

Tough home opener

After their bout on the road, the Chargers return home the week after to make their opener in their brand new stadium (SoFi Stadium). Fans are eager to see the Bolts in the 70,240-seat stadium, but it might not be a warm welcoming for them as they take on the reigning Super Bowl champions. While Los Angeles will look to make their mark with a victory over Kansas City, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company will be eager to crash the party. The Chiefs have defeated the Chargers in front of their home crowd in the past seven consecutive seasons.

Primetime might not be so prime

The Chargers had three primetime games in 2019. This year will only be two. However, either one of those games against the Saints or the Raiders, won’t be at SoFi Stadium. They will both be on the road, which means Los Angeles will have to earn the league’s respect after failing to show they could bring fans the past three seasons after the move to L.A. The Rams, on the other hand, will have five primetime matchups, with three of those being at the brand new stadium.

Facing two of the greatests back-to-back

After taking the league by storm with the Patriots, Tom Brady starts a new chapter with the Buccaneers. The Chargers will travel to face Brady and company in Week 4, looking to knock him off, likely for the last time in his professional career. But the quarterback play doesn’t get any easier the week after, as Los Angeles travels to New Orleans to take on the Saints on Monday night. Like Brady, this will be the last time the Bolts see Drew Brees as a professional. The Chargers have yet to beat Brady and Brees within the past decade.

Might get a little chilly

The Chargers, who are used to relatively warm weather year around, might have to be a little uncomfortable for two consecutive games. The Week 11 and Week 12 matchups against the Broncos and Bills, respectively, could draw in some cold temperatures, potentially some snow. The Week 17 bout against the Chiefs won’t bring warm temperatures, either. Regardless, Los Angeles has showed in the past that they are able to fare well in colder climates.

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Chargers WR Joe Reed named Day 3 pick who could make immediate impact

The Los Angeles Chargers have a few rookies who should carve up a role in 2020.

The Chargers have a knack for using the third and final day of the draft to find players that go on to make their presences known as early as their rookie seasons.

Recently, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski named fourth-round pick running back Joshua Kelley as his prediction to be the most productive rookie for Los Angeles.

Well, you can add another player into the mix.

ESPN’s Todd McShay, who wasn’t able to partake in the draft coverage because he was diagnosed with COVID-19, released his thoughts from the event, which included his instant-impact Day 3 picks.

Among the five listed was former Virginia wide receiver Joe Reed, the team’s fifth-round selection.

Reed is built like a running back at 6-foot and 224 pounds, and he has some speed. But what I really like about this pick is his versatility. Reed has experience out wide, in the slot and occasionally in the backfield. And I love the fifth-rounder’s special-teams ability — he has 17 career tackles with that unit and was one of the more dangerous return men in the country at Virginia. He might not see a ton of targets early on behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but his ability to line up all over and make contributions on special teams should provide an impact in Year 1.

It was expected that the Chargers were going to take a wide receiver a lot earlier on, but they were unable to because they didn’t have a Day 2 selection after sacrificing the picks to move up and get linebacker Kenneth Murray.

The expectations also included them getting a true vertical threat. With Reed, the 6-foot and 224 pound wideout, he was primarily used on short passes. But he typically turned them into big gains, forcing 15 missed tackles on 77 receptions, per Pro Football Focus.

Reed isn’t slow by any means, as he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he was hindered by the poor quarterback play in college, which resulted in limited opportunities down the field.

It’s expected that Reed will be used as a gadget player, lining up in the slot, out wide, and even in the backfield. He will be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to the role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last season. He could also develop into the deep option that Los Angeles could benefit from.

Along with that, he should be the frontrunner to win the starting kick returner job, given his impressive production for the Cavaliers, which included becoming the first player in school history with two kickoff returns in the same season.

Joining Kelley and Reed is K.J. Hill, the team’s seventh-round selection, who could make an immediate impact in Year 1. Hill, the savvy route runner and ball magnet, could carve up a role in the slot.

Could RB Joshua Kelley be Chargers’ most productive rookie in 2020?

Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley has the makings of a feature back.

Every year, the Chargers have a Day 3 selection that always outperforms people’s expectations in Year 1. In 2019, it was linebacker Drue Tranquill who raised eyebrows.

Could fourth-round selection, running back Joshua Kelley be the player that makes the most noise?

In a recent piece by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, he wrote about every team’s impact rookie for the 2020 season. For the Bolts, it was Kelley as he is no-nonsense runner who immediately gives the backfield a more physical presence.

The 212-pound back isn’t simply a short-yardage specialist. His 4.49-second 40-yard-dash speed also makes him a home-run threat.

Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn views the rookie as a potential Pro Bowl talent.

“We feel like he can get to that point, I can tell you that,” Lynn said, per Chris Hayre of the team’s official site.

For some, it may be surprising to not see linebacker Kenneth Murray here given the fact that he’s the only one of the team’s six selections who is seen as an immediate starter.

For the rest of the draft class, there will be a competition to earn one of the spots, and that includes Kelley.

Kelley joins a talented backfield that consists of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson. Even though the running back position needed to be addressed heading into the draft, the position was filled a lot earlier than many were anticipating.

After Melvin Gordon left in free agency to join AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos, the feature back role is up in the air. Ekeler, who signed a four-year contract extension, is capable of manning that, but the Chargers like to use his pass-catching abilities in the slot or out wide, too.

Jackson showed a lot of promise when he touched the ball the past couple of seasons, but he dealt with an injury in 2019 that kept him off the field for the majority of the year.

Insert Kelley.

I mentioned before that Kelley is only being seen as just a short-yardage specialist by many, but I believe he’s going to be used more than that.

While Kelley has the power to run through defenders, which would come in handy in those situations, he also has good change-of-direction, vision, burst, decent speed and passing game ability to make an impact on any down.

Kelley showed that he is capable of taking on a big load for UCLA in 2018 and 2019, receiving 225 and 229 touches, respectively. However, he made the most with them, posting 1,000-plus rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in both seasons.

For someone that has that type of production and was taken that high over other positions of need like offensive tackle, wide receiver or cornerback, they’re certainly seen as more than just a bruiser.

I expect the Chargers to have a committee approach for their backfield early on in the season, but for them to give the majority of the load to Kelley eventually.

“My work ethic is impeccable,” Kelley said about what the Chargers are getting. “I love the game of football. I’m extremely passionate about it. I’m a consistent runner. Consistency is the key. I’m always looking to get North-South. I like to keep my feet churning after contact. I don’t fumble the ball. I have great ball security.

You’re getting a guy that truly loves the game. I’m competitive and consistent. I’m gonna give it my all for whichever organization I end up with. I’ll embrace any and every opportunity I get. I’m a silly guy (laughs). I have a lot of personality but I take this game very seriously. I’m very excited for what’s next.”

Over/Under for Chargers wins in 2020 set

How do the oddsmakers feel about the Los Angeles Chargers going into the 2020 season?

Following an outstanding 2018 season that resulted in a 12-4 record and a trip to the playoffs, the Chargers failed to replicate that in 2019, finishing with a 5-11 record and last place in the AFC West.

As Los Angeles moves into a brand new stadium this upcoming season, they hope to bounce back and start the new decade on a good note.

There are many that believe the Bolts will have a turnaround year in 2020, but what do the oddsmakers think?

BetMGM released their over/under for 2020 season wins for all 32 teams, and for the Chargers, it’s set at 7.5 wins.

7.5 seems fair because while Los Angeles does have a stacked roster on both sides of the ball, the quality of the quarterback play remains a mystery. After having Philip Rivers under center the past 14 seasons, Tyrod Taylor and rookie Justin Herbert take over.

I am taking the over, predicting the Bolts to finish with a 9-7 or 10-6 record. Taylor or Herbert may not necessarily perform at the level of Rivers’ better campaigns. However, no matter how the quarterback play plays out, the talent on the roster should be able elevate their success rate.

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