Tag: bryce callahan

Chargers 2023 roster review: CB Ja’Sir Taylor

Ja’Sir Taylor is going to get a significant amount of playing time in his sophomore campaign.

Generally speaking, teams are pretty lucky to get any sort of contribution from a rookie sixth-round draft pick.

So, the Chargers were probably already pretty happy when Ja’Sir Taylor carved out a role as a core special teamer and the team’s best punt gunner early in the season.

They were probably even happier when Taylor started to see the field on defense and held his own.

Happy enough that they sat Asante Samuel Jr. in favor of Taylor in run defense situations late in the season, at least. Happy enough to let Bryce Callahan, a solid addition a season ago, walk in free agency, where he remains as of mid-July.

Now, Taylor seems to control perhaps not all of his destiny heading into 2023. To open the season, things will be simplest if JC Jackson isn’t ready to play following his torn patellar tendon last season. In that scenario, Samuel and Michael Davis will be the starters on the outside, with Taylor in the slot and Jackson in the training room.

But Jackson seems closer and closer to returning every time a new clip of him surfaces. If he is ready to go, how does the cornerback rotation break down? LA certainly isn’t going to put Jackson on the sideline, not with as large as his contract is. Davis earned a starting job with his play in 2022. Samuel has been up and down but could benefit from a move inside to the slot. Such a move bumps Taylor out, however, and it seems as though the coaching staff trusted Taylor more than their former second-round pick late last season.

Regardless of what you want to call him – the starter in the slot, CB3, CB4, whatever it may be – one thing is clear: Taylor is going to see the field more in 2023.

Contract: Taylor is in the second season of his 4 year, $3,792,012 rookie contract with a $132,012 signing bonus signed in 2022. Base salary of $870,000 with a prorated bonus of $33,003 for a cap hit of $903,003.

Acquired: Drafted in the sixth round and 214th overall in 2022 out of Wake Forest.

Quote: Defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley on Taylor’s mentality:

“He’s mature past his age. He’s a very quiet kid, very observant. He understands the big picture. He’s working hard, just like how the other stars are working hard. That is going to be an interesting battle once we get to camp.”

Highlight:

The NFL’s 11 best slot defenders

Doug Farrar continues his positional lists of the NFL’s best players with the 11 best slot defenders heading into the 2023 NFL season.

In the 2022 NFL season, defenses played nickel (five defensive backs) on 12,630 opponent passing attempts. Defenses played dime (six defensive backs) on 2,715 opponent dropbacks. With just 3,206 opponent dropbacks against four defensive backs last season, base defense is no longer base defense — nickel is the new base, and has been for some time.

Moreover, the influx of three-safety looks in the NFL has increased, as has the specific “big nickel” looks with three safeties and two cornerbacks.

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The point of this preamble? That slot defenders are more important than they’ve ever been. Whether it’s in a more traditional nickel or dime look with just one slot defender, or defenses aligning two slot defenders to the strong side of the 3×1 formation, slot defenders aren’t just pre-emptive starters anymore — they’re integral parts of modern defenses, and good luck having a great defense without at least one.

Slot defenders have their own skill sets. It’s not like it was 20 years ago, when the smallest, slowest defensive back on a roster was relegated to the slot. Now, those guys need to have the coverage skills of cornerbacks, the run-stopping abilities of strong safeties, and the blitz instincts of linebackers.

It’s a fascinating gig.

As Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup said in this week’s edition of the “Xs and Os” podcast/video, the requirements for top-tier slot defenders make it a unique position.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Building the perfect secondary

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“Slot defenders are an interesting breed. They can come in all shapes and sizes. They can be smaller, like Mike Hilton, who I think is one of the best slot defenders in the league. They can be bigger; it depends on what you want. But think of it this way — I know the numbers might be going down a bit, but teams line up in 11 personnel [one running back, one tight end, three receivers] a majority of the time. And teams are playing out of 11 personnel on first down — on second-and-3. What we consider normal down-and-distance situations where the run game is part of the offense. It’s not jst a third-down situation.

“Your slot defender is not just a pass defender. Your slot defender has to be able to defend the run, because there are a lot of teams that run toward the slot defender, because they know he’s not as good a run defender as you’d see running to the other side, where you might have bigger bodies. He also has to be part of pressure schemes. How often do we see slot defenders in today’s NFL as blitzers?

“So, not only do you have to play man coverage against receivers who have a two-way go, you also have to play underneath zone coverage, which is different than playing underneath zone coverage if you’re an outside cornerback. There are different rules, because zones all have their own rules.”

As has been the case with other defensive backs on this year’s list, the transfer of power from season to season is inconsistent, at best. Just two slot defenders from last year’s list — Derwin James and Kyle Dugger — made it in the 2023 group. Sometimes, that was about positional changes; other times, the performances from last year’s top slot defenders were simply eclipsed by the new guys.

No matter how you slice it, it’s tough to be a great slot defender in today’s NFL, and here are out 11 best heading into the 2023 season.

The NFL’s 11 best cornerbacks
The NFL’s 11 best safeties

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated). 

12 remaining free-agent cornerbacks the Panthers could still sign

Here are 12 notable cornerbacks who are still available in free agency:

On Wednesday, ESPN NFL insider Field Yates suggested that the Carolina Panthers add some cornerback depth before the offseason comes to an end. But let’s be honest, we really didn’t need a reminder.

Between injuries to starters Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson as well as the lack of reliable reinforcements behind them, the Panthers are still quite thin at the position. So, if they end up dipping back into the free-agent market this summer, here are 12 corners that could get a call.

6 remaining free agents Chargers should consider signing

There are some position groups the Chargers still need to shore up.

After free agency and the draft, the Chargers’ roster is nearly set ahead of training camp. Still, there are some position groups that need to be shored up.

With that being said, here are six free agents Los Angeles could consider signing.

List of Chargers free agents who remain unsigned

There are seven Chargers free agents who are still unsigned.

The Chargers came away with seven new rookies from the 2023 NFL draft and a handful from the undrafted free agency pool.

Los Angeles’ roster reconstruction is nearing completion, but they could still look to address some positions of need before entering camp. That includes potentially bringing back some of their own free agents on the market.

There are seven Chargers free agents who are still unsigned. Here’s a look:

8 veteran free agents the Jaguars should consider after 2023 NFL draft

Now that the 2023 NFL draft is in the books, which veteran free agents still on the market could give the Jaguars a boost?

The Jacksonville Jaguars played it safe in free agency, keeping a few of their own and setting themselves up for two or three compensatory draft picks in 2024.

But now that the dust has settled on the 2023 NFL draft, there are a few spots on the Jaguars’ roster that could use a little boost.

Fortunately for Jacksonville, any player signed at this point in the offseason won’t factor into the compensatory picks awarded next year. And after doing some contract maneuvering, the Jaguars currently have about $14 million worth of space under the salary cap.

A little over $3.1 million of that space will go toward the 2023 rookie class, but that still leaves room to add a veteran or two.

Here are eight players who would make sense for the Jaguars to target:

Remaining Chargers free agents still on the open market

Here’s a full list of Chargers players that currently remain free agents.

It has been two weeks since the free agency period opened up, and the Chargers have been steady with their roster reconstruction. They added linebacker Eric Kendricks and re-signed a few of their own.

With that being said, several players that were on Los Angeles’ roster in 2022 are still available to sign.

Here’s a full list of Chargers players that currently remain free agents:

Tracking where Chargers’ free agents signed, who remains unsigned

Here’s a look at those that signed and remain unsigned through the first wave.

The Chargers have been steadily reconstructing their roster by signing Eric Kendricks and returning some of their own from this past season.

There are still some in-house players that either have signed with another team or remain unsigned.

Here’s a look at those that have signed and remain unsigned through the first wave.

S Nasir Adderley

Status: Retired

CB Bryce Callahan

Status: Unsigned

WR Deandre Carter

Status: Unsigned

C Will Clapp

Status: Unsigned

DT Christian Covington

Status: Unsigned

QB Chase Daniel

Status: Unsigned

DT Tyeler Davison

Status: Unsigned

DL Morgan Fox

Status: Re-signed with the Chargers

OT Trey Pipkins

Status: Re-signed with the Chargers

LB Troy Reeder

Status: Signed with the Vikings

TE Richard Rodgers

Status: Unsigned

P J.K. Scott

Status: Re-signed with the Chargers

QB Easton Stick

Status: Re-signed with the Chargers

LB Drue Tranquill

Status: Signed with the Chiefs

LB Kyle Van Noy

Status: Unsigned

Chargers 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ cornerbacks

After J.C. Jackson went down, Michael Davis stepped up and had an outstanding season in 2022.

In the modern pass-first NFL, solid play from cornerbacks is a must, and the Chargers have found some skillful players at the position in recent years. Asante Samuel Jr. was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. And with the addition of J.C. Jackson via free agency last offseason, pundits expected big things from the Chargers’ secondary in 2022.

Signed on a five-year, $82.5 million deal, Jackson’s season ended after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon back on Oct. 24 against the Seahawks. Before getting hurt, Jackson left much to be desired as he was working his way back from off-season ankle surgery and struggled to get acclimated with the coverage concepts in Brandon Staley’s defense. He finished his shortened season with 15 tackles and two passes defended in five games.

In Jackson’s place, Michael Davis was thrust back into the starting role on the outside and looked like a rejuvenated player after having a down season in 2021, locking wide receivers down and getting his hands on the ball. In 12 games started, Davis had a career-high 15 passes defended. So what went from being pegged as a potential cap casualty this offseason turned into a possible contract extension for Davis.

While their modest ball production left something to be desired, Samuel’s three-interception game against the Jaguars in the playoffs was a legendary display of dominance that won’t soon be forgotten. Despite this excellent showing, he managed just two interceptions in the regular season and made 48 solo tackles, tying for first place in the category among Los Angeles’ cornerbacks.

Bryce Callahan, who was also signed to a one-year deal last offseason, led Los Angeles in interceptions, coming down with three on the year to add to his 47 combined tackles. Callahan proved to be a major contributor to the defense, starting 11 games in 15 appearances to help lift the Chargers’ secondary to dominant performances.

Among others who saw snaps for the team at cornerback in 2022 was Ja’Sir Taylor. The Chargers drafted Taylor as a core special teams player, which he proved to be. However, Taylor ended up seeing some playing time on the defensive side of the ball toward the back end of the season.

Taylor had some lapses in coverage, especially when he had to play as an outside corner. But his standout performance came in the big primetime win over the Dolphins, where he locked down Jaylen Waddle. Additionally, he came on strong as a tackler in open space and a blitzer. With Callahan set to be a free agent in March, that could lead to a more prominent role for Taylor in his second season.

Kemon Hall and Deane Leonard should be considered developmental depth and core special teamers for the next season.

Don’t be surprised if the Chargers invest in the cornerback position throughout the coming offseason, but expect the dollar amount of any moves to be relatively minimal. With their three starting spots locked down by Davis, Samuel and Jackson, anyone they might add would be competing for looks in dime packages and other defensive-back-heavy sets on passing downs.

4 pending free agents Chargers must prioritize re-signing

The Chargers have 15 pending free agents heading into the offseason.

The 2023 free agency period on the NFL calendar begins on March 15, but it will be before you know it. The Chargers have 15 pending free agents heading into the offseason.

General manager Tom Telesco will have to be selective when deciding who’s worthy of being brought back next season since the team does not have a lot of spendings this go around.

Los Angeles is projected to be $19.4 million over the salary cap in 2023, the fifth-worst situation in the NFL. However, they could free up some of that with internal moves.

With that, here’s a look at the top priorities based on their play from this past season when Los Angeles begins that process.