Tag: Chargers defense

Chargers DT Justin Jones loves how new defense gets players in favorable matchups

Brandon Staley’s defense should allow Justin Jones to have more opportunities to make plays.

Chargers defensive tackle Justin Jones has flashed in glimpses since entering the league back in 2018, but he hasn’t put it all together.

That could change for Jones this upcoming season.

In head coach Brandon Staley’s defense, Jones will have a role that will get him in favorable matchups and give him and his teammates more opportunities to disrupt plays.

“This year, I feel like I’m gonna get a lot more one-on-ones and that’s gonna let me really showcase my abilities and talents,” Jones said.

Last season, the Rams led the league in sacks with 53 under Staley while the Chargers had only nearly half of that.

The reason why the Rams were consistently getting home was because Staley utilized multiple fronts/alignments and schemed twists/stunts, pressure packages and 1-on-1 matchups.

The past few seasons, Jones was primarily used as an interior defender to use his strength to hold his own at the point of attack against run, but he has shown the movement skills and baseline pass rush moves to win matchups.

Other members, Linval Joseph, Jerry Tillery, Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu, among others will be in ideal situations to dominate in the trenches.

“We’ve got a lot more space now which frees a lot of us up. That’s going to give us opportunities to get these one-on-ones and expose them.”

Here’s an example of how Staley puts his front in position to succeed.

Aaron Donald crashes the B-gap to draw the double team and Sebastian Joseph-Day twists to only have a wide opening en route to sacking Russell Wilson.

Here, the guards are threatened with Leonard Floyd and Justin Hollins applying pressure and Aaron Donald aligned outside to draw the tackle. Morgan Fox now only has the center blocking him. Wins with quickness + swipe/rip to bring down Kyler Murray.

Sleepers to watch at each position on defense in Chargers training camp

Identifying some under-the-radar defensive players who could generate some buzz at Chargers training camp.

Each year, there are a few players for the Chargers who fly under the radar who come to the forefront in training camp.

With that being said, let’s a look at some sleepers at each position on the defensive side of the ball you may want to keep an eye out on this summer.

IDL: Breiden Fehoko

Linval Joseph, Jerry Tillery, Justin Jones and Christian Covington are the presumed interior defensive linemen to make the 53-man roster. There is likely a fifth and final spot that will need to be filled, however. Last offseason, Fehoko was signed as an undrafted free agent out of LSU. Promoted from the practice squad, Fehoko was active for two games during the regular season. While he didn’t record any stats, he still showed flashes. Look for Fehoko to show off his strength and effort to make plays, as well as his infectious energy to be a highlight of camp.

EDGE: Kyler Fackrell

Starting edge defenders Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu have stolen the majority of the headlines. But Fackrell, who was signed earlier this offseason, could be a valuable rotational defender. Since entering the league in 2016, Fackrell has wreaked havoc in opposing backfields. He has 20.5 sacks in five seasons. Fackrell is tall, long, and flexible with athletic range, closing burst and competitiveness to make plays when rushing the passer and defending the run.

LB: Kyzir White

Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill are slated to start in head coach Brandon Staley’s defense, but White should still see the field quite a bit. Last season, White started in 10 games in which he amassed 77 tackles, four tackles for loss and three passes defensed. This season, White has the versatility to be flexed in the slot (Star) and fill a sub-package safety-linebacker hybrid role (Money). His skillset should allow him to cover tight ends and support the run, which is what he did well coming out of college.

CB: Brandon Facyson

Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr. and Asante Samuel Jr. make up the starters, but Facyson is not to be forgotten. This spring, Facyson impressed the coaching staff, as he worked with the first team at outside corner when Harris Jr. would move in the slot. Standing at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, Facyson is a long press-man coverage CB, which makes him an ideal scheme fit for Staley’s defense. Facyson is an unfinished product, but he has unlocked potential and it will be intriguing to see if he can put it all together under the new coaches.

S: Mark Webb

Drafted in the seventh-round, Webb’s physical mentality and tackling ability were highly coveted to serve as a key special teamer, but like I’ve said before, don’t be surprised to see him make an impact on defense early on in his career. His versatility, athleticism and traits in coverage and against the run will serve him well in the secondary, whether that be in the deep parts of the fields, as a dimebacker or lined up in the slot. Seeing how he’s utilized at camp is something I’m looking forward to.

CB Chris Harris Jr. believes Chargers will have best defensive packages in NFL

The veteran cornerback believes Brandon Staley’s defensive formations will put the group over the top.

As the old saying goes, defense wins championships.

When the Chargers hired Brandon Staley to serve as the new head coach, his defensive expertise was one of the few reasons why the team was bought in with him leading the charge.

In 2020, the Rams defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL in both yards and points allowed with Staley overseeing the unit as their defensive coordinator.

Now with the 38-year old Staley bringing his master plan over to the Bolts, players are excited for what’s in store, including veteran Chris Harris Jr., who believes his extensive playbook will take the defensive group over the top.

“It’s going to be tough,” Harris said. “Our dime and nickel package should be the best in the league when you’ve got me, Derwin, and K Murray, or [Drue] Tranquill inside — or Kyzir White because he’s a guy who can cover, too. So we have a lot of packages that coach Staley is going to use and it’s going to be hard for teams to identify us.”

While Staley’s base defense is a 3-4 scheme, they will hardly be in it. Instead, their alignments will constantly be revolving, as Staley looks to keep offenses guessing and limit big plays by getting 1-on-1s in the run game and 2-on-1s in the passing game.

Most importantly, the Chargers have plenty of talent at all three levels to get the best of Staley’s packages. A major contributor: The do-it-all defender Derwin James, who is fully healthy after missing all of last season due to a knee injury.

“To bring back Derwin, it’s going to be an issue because now you have me and him that are positionless players, that you never know where we’re going to line up,” Harris said. “I can line up in his position. He can line up in my position. So you never know what we’re going to do.”

Aside from James and Harris Jr., other play-makers include Joey Bosa, Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Michael Davis, Linval Joseph and rookie Asante Samuel Jr.

Staley has a knack for getting the most out of his players, which means that Uchenna Nwosu, Jerry Tillery, Nasir Adderley, among others are going to be in a great position to breakout.

Staying healthy will be pivotal but this defense has a good chance of sitting atop of the ranks by the end of the season.

Chargers CB Chris Harris Jr. values familiarity with defensive system

Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. expressed his excitement to be playing in a system he’s familiar with.

This won’t be the first time that cornerback Chris Harris Jr. has been on the same team as Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.

Harris spent nine seasons with the Broncos, which included one with Staley (2019), who was then Denver’s outside linebackers coach.

His lone stint with Staley was also the only year that Vic Fangio coached Harris. This is significant because Staley’s scheme is going to draw some similarities to Fangio’s, so Harris already has a leg up.

“This year, I feel very comfortable [being in a system I’m familiar with]. I’m able to be that extra quarterback back there for these guys because they’re still learning the system, so it’s good to have me back there to be able to speed up their thinking and to help them out.”

In Staley’s defense, Harris, who has been practicing at multiple spots, will be tasked with playing his natural position inside the slot, near the boundary and dimebacker.

Harris will have more man coverage responsibilities, which is what he’s more comfortable with as opposed to heavy dosages of zone with former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley last season.

Harris said that Staley’s scheme is “night and day” and the “complete opposite” of Bradley’s scheme.

Who is Chargers’ best-kept secret in 2021?

Despite being an impactful defender, Chargers cornerback Michael Davis still does not get enough national recognition.

Despite being one of the best defensive players for the Chargers last season, cornerback Michael Davis still didn’t get the national attention that he deserved.

His hard work did not go unnoticed by the team, however. For his efforts, Davis signed a multi-year contract extension in March.

Even though he now sits atop of the depth chart, Davis is still flying under the radar. That is why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox tabbed him as Los Angeles’ best-kept secret.

Though he has played for the Los Angeles Chargers for four seasons, cornerback Michael Davis probably isn’t recognized by non-Chargers fans. An undrafted free agent out of Brigham Young in 2017, Davis has quietly developed into a quality starter.

While Davis hasn’t been named to a Pro Bowl yet, another season like the one he had in 2020 will likely change that.

After originally signing with Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent in 2017, Davis steadily developed into a quality starter, and 2020 marked his best as a professional.

As Casey Hayward and Chris Harris Jr. dealt with injuries throughout the course of the year, Davis slowed some of the league’s top receivers and made a few big plays in critical situations.

Davis was on the field for 92% of the team’s defensive snaps, logging 64 tackles, 14 passes defensed and three interceptions, all of which were personal bests.

Heading into the upcoming season, his versatility in coverage, length and athleticism make him a good fit for head coach Brandon Staley’s new defensive scheme.

Only 26 years of age, Davis’ best football is still ahead of him. He should and will likely finally get the national recognition.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2021: S Nasir Adderley

Heading into Year 3, Chargers safety Nasir Adderley is in prime position to turn things around.

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

This is the first story in a five-part series counting down the top Chargers players who I believe are most likely to have a breakout season in 2021.

Part 1: WR Tyron Johnson

Part 2: DT Jerry Tillery

Part 3: EDGE Uchenna Nwosu

The Chargers drafted Nasir Adderley in the second-round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Delaware with the hopes of pairing him with Derwin James to create a dynamic safety tandem.

Unfortunately, Adderley’s rookie season was short-lived as a hamstring injury kept him out for the majority of the season. After being fully recovered last season, while he showed some flashes in spurts, he was inconsistent in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s system.

Adderley allowed 14 catches on 18 targets (77.8%), four of which went for touchdowns, and missed 12 tackles in 2020.

Heading into Year 3, Adderley is in prime position to turn things around, as he will be playing under head coach Brandon Staley, who has had plenty of success at maximizing his defensive player’s potential. Staley has full faith in Adderley, despite his struggles.

“He’s our type of safety,” Staley said. “He can see in the deep part of the field. He’s smooth. He’s got a lot of DB traits for us. We really think that he’s a smooth athlete. We think he’s going to be a good fit for how we want to play.”

Instead of relegating Adderley to the free safety position, Staley believes that he will be able to make full use of him by utilizing his versatility, where he can be flexed in the slot (Star) and fill a sub-package safety-linebacker hybrid role (Money).

While he has the athleticism and range to play in the deeper parts of the field, Adderley’s instincts, short area quickness and ball skills could go a long way closer to the line of scrimmage.

If everything clicks, Adderley will be an integral part of the backend of the defense.

Better or Worse: Evaluating Chargers defense ahead of NFL draft

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down the state of Los Angeles’ defense.

The Chargers lost a few of their starters from last season, but added some in correspondence via free agency.

But how do they compare now to after the 2020 regular season?

First, was the offense. Next, is the defense.

Defensive Line

Offseason moves: Lost Isaac Rochell as an unrestricted free agent to Colts.

Summary: On paper, the Chargers possess a good-looking interior in head coach Brandon Staley’s 3-4 defense, with the starters being Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery. Joseph will start at nose tackle after a promising season that saw him not only command double teams, but make impactful plays against the pass and run. Jones has yet to unlock his full potential, but as a defensive end in the new scheme, his traits will do him wonders. Like Jones, Tillery will fit in perfectly as a defensive end, where his skillset profiles better to, given his length, strength and power. Behind them there’s Cortez Broughton and Breiden Fehoko. Broughton was a seventh-round pick in 2019 and has some versatility. Fehoko, an undrafted free agent, showed promise at nose tackle in his rookie season in 2020. The team could benefit from adding some more juice up front, which can be done in this year’s draft.

Verdict: Same

Edge Defender/Outside Linebacker

Offseason moves: Signed Kyler Fackrell from Giants. Lost Nick Vigil to Vikings. Melvin Ingram remains unsigned.

Summary: With Ingram no longer taking the spotlight, Nwosu enters the season as a starter. Yet to display himself with a full-time role, the anticipation with Nwosu going into the 2021 season is real. Not only has he flashed enough to be an impactful starter, but the sky is limit knowing what Staley was able to do with Leonard Floyd with the Rams last season. Bosa will play on the “edge” of the defense, but he will move around a lot. Fackrell along with Emeke Egbule will come on the field as rotational pass-rushers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team draft one that fits Staley’s mold, with that being an explosive and lengthy player.

Verdict: Slightly worse

Inside Linebacker

Offseason moves: Lost Denzel Perryman to Panthers.

Summary: The highly anticipated duo of Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill was short lived this after Tranquill suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the 2020 season. After having nearly a full year to recover, the boys will be back in town. Murray experienced growing pains right off the bat, but he made consistent growth week in and week out, with his best football coming towards the end of the season. He should be in for a strong sophomore season. Having Tranquill’s play-making skills, both against the run and pass, will be very beneficial. Kyzir White has drawn some injury concerns, but he showed major strides this past season. Like Tranquill and Murray, he could be due for his best season yet. Los Angeles might look to add a cheap veteran or late-round/undrafted free agent for depth.

Verdict: Same 

Cornerback

Offseason moves: Signed Ryan Smith. Re-signed Michael Davis and Brandon Facyson. Released Casey Hayward.

Summary: Davis will fill in as one of the starters on the outside. Chris Harris, Jr. will mainly man the slot, but he will move outside in base. Facyson is likely just a depth piece. Smith has experience as a starter, but he was signed to be a special teams ace. The team also has Tevaughn Campbell, Donte Vaughn and John Brannon on the roster, but they all don’t have the experience to be counted on as starters. Therefore, even after re-signing Davis and Facyson, the positional group is not a finished product and they will need to add another player with the ability to start, which will likely be done with one of their first two draft picks.

Verdict: Slightly worse

Safety

Offseason moves: Lost Rayshawn Jenkins to Jaguars.

Summary: I was thinking that Los Angeles was going to re-sign Jenkins, with the expectation that he was going to form a tandem with Derwin James coming back next season. Now L.A. has a hole at free safety. On the roster, they have Nasir Adderley, who is coming off a rough sophomore season. While he showed some flashes in spurts, he was too inconsistent in the single-high role in Gus Bradley’s system. Maybe Staley sees this as an opportunity to maximize Adderley’s potential. Scheme should play a factor, too. Either way, given the fact that Staley likes to use three-safety formations, the team needs to add more talent.

Verdict: Slightly worse

Chargers LB Uchenna Nwosu poised for breakout season in 2021

The time has come to unleash Uchenna Nwosu.

After being relegated to a rotational role the past three seasons, linebacker Uchenna Nwosu is positioned to take a big leap this upcoming season.

Last season, Nwosu proved to be the team’s second best pass rusher behind Joey Bosa and a consistent run defender, but he was never rewarded for his efforts.

Instead, he wasn’t given a set role, being used as an off-ball strongside linebacker on top of being a situational pass-rusher.

Now heading into his fourth season, Nwosu currently projects as a starting outside linebacker in head coach Brandon Staley’s 3-4 system, with Melvin Ingram no longer taking the spotlight.

The anticipation with Nwosu going into the 2021 season is real. Not only has he flashed enough to be an impactful starter, but the sky is limit knowing what Staley was able to do with Leonard Floyd with the Rams last season.

Floyd is coming off his most productive year as a pro after totaling career-highs in sacks (12.5), tackles (55) and quarterback hits (19), as well as a career-best 52 total pressures.

With his defensive snaps being under 40% in each of his three seasons, Nwosu has still totaled 10 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 48 quarterback pressures and 22 hurries.

Under the guidance of Staley, Nwosu could be in for a monstrous season. One that may earn him another contract, considering he will be a free agent at the end of the 2021 season.

Chargers agree to terms with LB Kyler Fackerell

The Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell.

The Los Angeles Chargers have added depth at outside linebacker.

According to the Chargers’ official website, the club has reached an agreement with Kyler Fackrell.

The former Green Bay Packers 2016 third-round pick has generated 127 combined tackles, 20.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and interception in his 73 career games, 18 of which he has started.

The Utah State product’s breakout season was in 2018 with the Packers when he set a single-season high with 10.5 sacks. In 2019, Fackrell signed with the New York Giants and provided 4.0 sacks and a 46-yard interception returned for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 11, 2020.

In 2020, the Chargers had 7.5 sacks from defensive end Joey Bosa to lead the team. Fellow defensive end Uchenna Nwosu had 4.5. Fackrell’s 4.0 with the Giants would have been good enough for third-best for Los Angeles last season.

Fackrell gives the Chargers an experienced pass rusher as they revamp the defense with new coach Brandon Staley and defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill.

LB Kenneth Murray coming into his own in Chargers defense

The future is looking very bright for No. 56 in the blue and gold.

The Chargers’ defense has had its ups and downs this season, as the unit has been battered by injuries.

Among the positional groups that has seen players go down is the linebackers. Drue Tranquill was placed on the IR after the first game of the season. Denzel Perryman and Kyzir White have both missed a few games.

However, the one member of the crop that has played and started every single game this season is Kenneth Murray.

Murray, who Los Angeles traded up for in the first-round to draft, experienced growing pains with an expanded role right off the bat, but he’s made consistent growth over time.

“Every week there’s a little bit of growth that I go through,” Murray said. “I see something faster, maybe quicker, and I think the beauty of it [is], I’ve always been the type of guy that if we play a team once, when we come back and play them a second time, you’re able to see things and see how they do things to be able to capitalize on those things. I think that’s been another thing to my benefit being able to play our division teams twice a year.”

Murray has been at his best when making plays in front of him and laterally, stopping ball carriers as they try to escape. The area that’s improving, but he will need to continue to get better at is in coverage.

However, he has been put in a tough spot with both safety Derwin James and linebacker Drue Tranquill, two of the team’s best coverage defenders, out with injuries.

Murray has one game left to play, and he’s already surpassed over 100 tackles, marking the sixth Chargers linebacker since 2000 to post at least 100 tackles in a regular season. The other five are Junior Seau, Donnie Edwards, Stephen Cooper, Takeo Spikes and Thomas Davis.

In total, Murray has 104 tackles, five tackles for loss, three passes defensed, and a sack.

All in all, given the circumstances of a short training camp and no preseason, Murray has played extremely well this season and it’s safe to say that he is just scratching the surface.