Tag: Chargers 2020 season

4 Chargers who could become rising stars with strong 2020 season

The Chargers have done a fine job of grooming young stars.

The Chargers have done a fine job at adding young talent the past couple of years.

There have been some that have earned the status of stardom already like Derwin James, Austin Ekeler and Joey Bosa. But there are a few that could be among the crop with a strong 2020 season.

With a great showing in 2020, here are four Chargers who could enter the mix for that title:

WR Mike Williams

After being banged up during his rookie season in 2017, Williams has been the model of consistency since then. In 2018, the former Clemson product surpassed the 10-touchdown mark. In 2019, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. His 20.4 yards per reception ranked first in the league.

Williams has fallen in second and third tier of wide receivers, while his teammate, Keenan Allen, stacks up among the first tier by many pundits. That could quickly change with a stout campaign this upcoming season.

Some believe the change at quarterback may impact his production, but both Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert have shown to have success with the deep ball, which means there should be plenty of opportunities for the big-bodied target.

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Bleacher Report sets record prediction for Chargers in 2020

Will the Los Angeles Chargers have another underwhelming season?

As training camp is about to get underway, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox made his record predictions for all 32 teams in the NFL for the upcoming season.

For the Chargers, Knox believes they will win one more game than in 2019, finishing 2020 with a 6-10 record.

Here is a look at his reasoning as to why he believes Los Angeles will have another underwhelming year:

The Chargers need to figure out their goals for the 2020 season. If they’re eager to return to the playoffs after a 5-11 record in 2019, they may want to roll with journeyman quarterback Tyrod Taylor. If they’re hoping to develop rookie first-rounder Justin Herbert, the Oregon product will likely see the field sooner than later.

“We drafted him high to one day be our franchise quarterback, for sure,” head coach Anthony Lynn said, per Kevin Flaherty of 247Sports.com. “But I don’t want to put a timetable on this young man.”

While the Chargers may start out looking to chase a playoff berth, they may decide midway through the season that playing for the future is the right course of action.

Los Angeles has three tough games against the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers within the first five weeks of the season, and a rocky start is entirely possible. In a division with the Chiefs and improved Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos squads, the Chargers could find it tough to dramatically improve on their 2019 record.

I believe Los Angeles is capable of finishing 9-7 this season. My complete game-by-game predictions can be found here.

Quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert might not necessarily perform at a Pro Bowl level. But no matter how the quarterback play shakes up, the schematic changes on both sides of the ball and talent on the roster should be able elevate their success rate.

The biggest determining factor to their success will be the health of the team. The Chargers have shown that they can compete with any team in the league, but when the injuries to their key players start to stack up – just like last year – it will belittle them immensely.

Chargers have no players opt out of 2020 season

The Chargers will have all of their players as they head into the 2020 season.

For the past couple of weeks, a handful of players have been opting out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. But it appears no members of the Chargers will be sitting out this upcoming year.

Los Angeles is one of three teams in the NFL to not have any players opt out of the 2020 season, as Thursday’s 1:00 p.m. PT deadline for NFL players to opt-out of the 2020 season has passed.

Players will have the opportunity to opt out after the deadline if “a close family member gets seriously sick with COVID or if they themselves are newly diagnosed with a high-risk condition,” per the NFLPA.

Two types of opt-out plans are available. Players who qualify as having a high-risk condition will receive a $350,000 stipend that does not count as a salary advance, their contracts will toll, and they will earn an accrued season toward free agency.

Players who don’t qualify as high risk can choose the voluntary opt-out option, which includes a $150,000 salary advance for the 2021 season and a tolling of contracts but no credit of an accrued season.

PFF: Target Chargers TE Hunter Henry in fantasy football drafts

Pro Football Focus believes Chargers Hunter Henry will have a big season in 2020.

Chargers tight end Hunter Henry has been on the outside of being considered one of the NFL’s top tight end. It’s primarily because he has struggled to stay healthy consistently. But Henry should be near the top of fantasy owner’s draft board this year.

Pro Football Focus’ Ian Haritz made fantasy football predictions for all 32 teams ahead of the 2020 NFL season, and he believes that Henry will finish as the offense’s most fantasy-friendly asset relative to their position.

Henry has emerged as one of the league’s most-talented TEs; his average of 8.95 yards per target is the eighth-highest mark among 52 TEs with at least 100 targets since 2016. Charles Clay had over 500 yards in each of his three seasons with Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo in offenses that also included the likes of Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods. There’s a non-zero chance that Henry finds a way to lead the post-Philip Rivers Chargers in targets, and he’s talented enough to truly ball out with this type of role.

Henry flourished with Philip Rivers distributing the wealth to him, amassing 136 catches, 1,709 receiving yards, 12.6 yards per reception and 17 touchdowns in 41 games.

However, the quarterback change, whether it’s Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert, could lead to higher production than what he managed to do with Rivers.

When Taylor was the starter for the Bills from 2015-17, he favored tight end Charles Clay as his primary target, as Clay was targeted 238 times in 41 games. He caught 157 of them for 1,638 yards and six touchdowns.

If there is a switch at the quarterback position and the team decides to go with Herbert at some point during the season, Henry could quickly become the rookie’s go-to option.

During his time at Oregon, Herbert favored the team’s tight end in Jacob Breeland. The two linked up 74 times for 1,225 yards, 16.6 yards per reception and 13 touchdowns in four seasons.

Taylor and Herbert’s favoritism towards tight ends in the past could lead to a bright 2020 campaign for Henry, as he looks to earn a big contract extension. Health will be the biggest determining factor to his success.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2020: LB Drue Tranquill

The Los Angeles Chargers’ former fourth-round pick could be voted a team captain this season.

Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they were a backup, dealt with an injury or just improved as a player in the offseason.

This is the fifth and final story in a five-part series counting down the top Chargers players who I believe are most likely to have a breakout season in 2020.

Part 1: RB Justin Jackson

Part 2: DT Jerry Tillery

Part 3: FS Nasir Adderley

Part 4: OT Trey Pipkins

Drue Tranquill, the fourth-round selection in 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 tied for the most special teams tackles by any rookie (11), and finished second on the Chargers in the same category behind Derek Watt.

For his efforts, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team as the non-returner/kicker special teams player.

Even though he established himself as the team’s best linebacker in 2019, the former Notre Dame product will still likely split time with Denzel Perryman at MIKE, while rookie Kenneth Murray starts at WILL this upcoming season. The reason for that is because the coaching staff still loves Perryman.

Perryman will play middle linebacker on most — if not all — rushing downs, and Tranquill will fill that role on passing downs. If I was the one in charge, Tranquill would be a three-down player next to Murray.

I expect Tranquill to continue his dominance in coverage and against the run, as well as one special teams. It may seem like a long shot for him 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.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2020: DT Jerry Tillery

The former first-round pick could have a better season in 2020.

Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they were a backup, dealt with an injury or just improved as a player in the offseason.

This is the second story in a 10-part series counting down the top 5 Chargers players who I believe are most likely to have a breakout season in 2020.

Part 1: RB Justin Jackson

Jerry Tillery, Los Angeles’ first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, had expectations like any other first rounder would. He did not live up to those, failing to make his presence known in his rookie season.

He was drafted to give the interior part of the defensive line a boost in the pass rushing department. Even though he never put it all together, he still managed to do positive things that may have gone unnoticed since they weren’t on the stat sheet.

In 15 games, Tillery only finished with 17 tackles (nine solo), three quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and two sacks.

Tillery didn’t have a full offseason heading into in Year 1 since he spent the majority of it rehabbing his torn labrum that he suffered during his senior season at Notre Dame. Now healthy, Tillery had that to has full advantage to get bigger and stronger.

Tillery “didn’t take much time off in order to accomplish that,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said.

If he puts the pieces together, showing he can play with better leverage and out-power interior blockers, him, Justin Jones and newly acquired Linval Joseph could present a solid interior defensive line trio.

“I’m very confident that he will deliver big in his second year with the L.A. Chargers,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.

3 reasons for optimism as Chargers prepare for training camp

The Los Angeles Chargers may have a different look in 2020, but they are capable of making some noise.

Despite the ongoing worldwide outbreak that the coronavirus has caused, all signs are pointing to there being football this fall with the news that training camp will begin as originally planned.

With Chargers football near, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the team. But there is some concern as well, as Los Angeles is set to embark on a new era without the heart and soul of the team, Philip Rivers.

With that being said, I take a look at three reasons why fans should remain optimistic for L.A. in 2020.

New offensive identity

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s going to be different,” coach Anthony Lynn said when asked about the offense. With Rivers gone, the offense will be led by a quarterback with a completely skillset – whether it’s Tyrod Taylor, rookie Justin Herbert or Easton Stick.

With the new system in place, there will be more pistol formation, more play-action and more run-pass option. The offense is going to look a lot more like the Ravens offense last season. Coach Anthony Lynn and Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

Taylor and Herbert have the skill sets to run the concepts the Ravens do, like zone read and other quarterback option runs, which was hardly ever the case when Rivers was under center for Los Angeles.

We can expect to see more plays occur on the ground than in the past with Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley. But it will open things up to still involve Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, Andre Patton, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill in the passing game.

The bottom line is that the offense will hardly be recognized from what it looked like over the past decade. But with the creative signal-callers and vigorous skill players on the field, it could be a threat for opposing defenses.

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Chargers’ Mike Pouncey mentioned among NFL’s best interior offensive linemen

Having Mike Pouncey for the 2020 season is huge for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chargers center Mike Pouncey might have missed more than half of the season in 2019, but those in the league still think highly of him.

ESPN polled more than 50 NFL executives, scouts, coaches and players, and Pouncey was an honorable mention on the platform’s best interior offensive linemen list.

“He’s been hurt recently but I thought he was one of the highest-rated centers when he did play,” an AFC executive said.

Prior to last season, Pouncey looked like he had turned a corner. He started 37 straight games from 2017 until Week 5 of the 2019 season, which is when the unfortunate occurred.

Pouncey sustained a severe neck injury that required surgery, which put his career in jeopardy. Months went by and he recently received great news when he was cleared to play in May.

Pouncey, 30, was a Pro Bowl selection three times with Miami before joining the Chargers as a free agent in the offseason of 2018. He earned Pro Bowl honors again in 2018 and, in September, signed a one-year extension to remain with the Chargers through the 2020 season.

Entering the final year of his contract, Pouncey looks to help anchor an offensive line that’ll now feature guard Trai Turner and tackle Bryan Bulaga. The play from the trenches will be a huge determining factor of the team’s success in 2020.

What was Chargers’ ‘riskiest’ move of the offseason?

Should the Chargers have held on to quarterback Philip Rivers for another season?

The Chargers made the decision to cut ties with quarterback Philip Rivers earlier this offseason after 16 seasons.

The move came after an underwhelming 2019 season. Rather than re-signing him, the franchise decided that it was best to look towards the future, which is why they used their first-round pick to select Justin Herbert.

Rivers ultimately signed to a one-year deal with the Colts, indicating that Indianapolis has faith that he still has enough juice in the tank to get the job done for them.

Did Los Angeles move on from Rivers too soon? Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes so.

Davenport laid out each team’s riskiest move of the offseason, and he thinks that L.A. ending their marriage with the 38-year old was it.

It may well be that crow will be served regarding this call in a year or two. If rookie quarterback Justin Herbert turns out to be the real deal and spends the next decade winning games for the Chargers, then 2020 will have been nothing more than a passing of the torch.

If he isn’t, though, that’s another story.

There’s no argument to be made that Philip Rivers didn’t have a lousy 2019 season. His turnovers were way up. His touchdowns and yards per attempt were way down. He looked, for lack of a better term, finished.

However, it wasn’t that long ago that Rivers looked like a very good veteran quarterback who made it to three straight Pro Bowls from 2016-2018. In 2017 and 2018 combined, the Bolts were 10 games over .500.

The decision to move on from Rivers this year is a franchise-definer, one that could ripple across southern California for years.

And potentially cost head coach Anthony Lynn and general manager Tom Telesco their jobs.

For many fans, they weren’t too fond of the decision to cut ties with Rivers. Those who weren’t happy believed that he had a rough season, but it wasn’t primarily his fault.

The injuries and up and down play from the offensive line were tabbed as the reason why Rivers didn’t perform at a high level. While that factors into it, his decision-making was not up to par.

The Chargers could’ve brought him back, bolstered the offensive line and gave him more skill players for one more go around. But they felt like this was the perfect opportunity to start a new identity with Herbert and Tyrod Taylor.

It’s easy to believe that Los Angeles might not have as much success as they would if someone experienced like Rivers was still under center in 2020. But no matter how the quarterback play shakes up, the roster is equipped to make some noice. It will ultimately come down to the health of the players.

As for the long-term outlook at the position, there’s no telling if Herbert is going to thrive in the NFL. But even if they still had Rivers on the roster, the time was now to draft his successor.

Could Chargers’ Forrest Lamp emerge as a surprise starter in 2020?

Does Forrest Lamp have what it takes to start this upcoming season?

Chargers guard Forrest Lamp has been one of the most highly anticipated players over the past couple of seasons. Unfortunately, he has let those down after failing to stay on the field due to various lower body injuries.

Lamp has shown flashes of a solid NFL lineman, but it’s been injuries that have held him back from reaching his full potential.

Primarily the team’s backup left guard behind Dan Feeney, Lamp has only made two starts in three seasons.

However, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes that Lamp is capable of emerging as a surprise starter this upcoming season. The only thing is, it wouldn’t be at left guard. It would be the starting left tackle.

Too much of an emphasis is placed on body type and arm length when evaluating offensive linemen. The quality of a prospect’s film is often overlooked when he doesn’t fit a certain mold.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ Forrest Lamp serves as a perfect example. Lamp played as well or better than any tackle prospect in the 2017 draft class. The Western Kentucky product ranked first overall in pass-blocking efficiency during his senior season, per Pro Football Focus.

Yet he never had an opportunity to play the position in the NFL before moving to guard.

Now, the Chargers have a left tackle problem after trading Russell Okung to the Carolina Panthers. Trey Pipkins and Sam Tevi, who previously started at right tackle, will compete for the starting spot. Give Lamp a legit shot to win the job, and he may just surprise.

The former Western Kentucky product was exclusively the Hilltopper’s left tackle from 2014-2016, but was moved inside due to his average height and arm length. But in each of his three collegiate seasons, Lamp was one of the most elite tackles in college football.

The coaching staff said that Lamp could be an option at left tackle since there will be a competition to fill the void at the position. But it’s a bit hard to believe that he would make the transition from guard to tackle, especially coming off of a broken leg.

Instead, it’s more likely that Lamp will push Dan Feeney for the starting left guard spot. In the end, I expect Feeney to win the job. Lamp’s only opportunity to see the field will be if an injury occurred to anyone along the offensive line, if he is able to stay healthy, that is.