Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Find out when the Chargers will start their offseason workout program.
The start of the 2023 regular season is still four months away, but preparation for it is set to get underway soon.
The NFL released the schedule for each team’s offseason workout programs, including the Chargers’ dates.
Below is the team’s official news release on the program schedule.
Here are some important dates for Chargers fans to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.
The 2022 NFL season has officially come to an end, and the Chargers are headed into their offseason.
With that, here are some important dates for Chargers fans to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.
April
Handing out awards to the Chargers players who stood out in the 2022 regular season.
The Chargers finished 10-7 and lost their first playoff game since 2018 in a season where they faced many injuries on both sides of the ball.
While many fans are ready to put this season to bed and focus on the offseason, it’s only right to reflect and hand out the season awards to certain players for their efforts on the field.
Examining the Chargers’ offseason, including team needs, pending free agents, and salary-cap space.
After finishing 10-7 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2018 in Brandon Staley’s second season as head coach, the Chargers are set to enter the offseason.
Los Angeles is still a couple of months away from the new league frenzy commencing, but it’s not too early to look at what to expect then, starting with 15 players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
The Chargers are projected to be $19.4 million over the salary cap in 2023, the fifth-worst situation in the NFL.
Edge defender: Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack’s time on the field in their first year together was short-lived after Bosa sustained a groin injury that kept him out for most of the season. While Bosa was out, the pass-rush production from the position group left a lot to be desired. Mack will be 32 when the 2023 season starts. Kyle Van Noy will be a free agent. Chris Rumph has not had much of an impact. In a pass-happy league, you need players to disrupt quarterbacks consistently. The Chargers would benefit from a premier pass rusher, especially as they start preparing for life after Mack.
Wide receiver: Mike Williams made an impact when he was on the field, as did Keenan Allen. But when they weren’t due to their respective injuries, their absences were felt significantly. Joshua Palmer made strides from his rookie to sophomore season. There is a possibility that Allen could be a cap casualty, whether that be releasing or restructuring him. But the bottom line is that the Chargers lack speed at receiver, and they must address it to create more explosive plays in the passing game, something they lacked this season.
Tight end: Gerald Everett supplied the offense with a consistent piece in the passing game, finishing with career-highs in receptions (55) and receiving yards (555). But the other guys in the tight end room were astray. Donald Parham appeared in six games after dealing with a hamstring injury he sustained in training camp and a concussion. Tre’ McKitty was drafted in 2021 to be an inline blocker, but he was underwhelming in that department and did not offer much value as a receiver. With Parham’s injury concerns looming and the stagnant status of McKitty, the Chargers would benefit from a complete player at the position to complement Everett in 2023 and take over as the No. 1 when Everett hits the free agency market after the upcoming season.
Safety: Nasir Adderley struggled down the final stretch of the season, which resulted in Alohi Gilman getting more playing time than Adderley, including the playoff game against the Jaguars when Gilman got the start. The Chargers not playing Adderley in the most important game of the season could be telling for his future status with the team since he will be a free agent in March. 2022 third-round pick JT Woods was taken with the idea of playing him as the deep safety to allow Derwin James to move all over the field. But that never came to fruition as Woods struggled as a tackler in the limited defensive snaps he played, and he was a non-factor defensively.
Linebacker: Drue Tranquill was one of the Chargers’ best defenders this season, leading the team in tackles and making an impact not just against the run but as a pass rusher and in coverage. Tranquill is a free agent, and even though he proved that he should be a priority re-signing, it would not surprise if the team let him go, considering they let Kyzir White walk in free agency last year despite him coming off a really solid season in 2021. Kenneth Murray still has not lived up to his first-round billing. Troy Reeder is a free agent. Nick Niemann and Amen Ogbongmeniga have been solid, just on special teams. While it’s not a premium position in Brandon Staley’s defense, Los Angeles could use another player that is prolific at stopping the run.
The Chargers possess the No. 21 overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft, and they are projected to have seven total picks.
Taking a look at the Chargers’ 10 biggest salary cap hits ahead of 2023.
The Chargers’ 2022 season is over. After finishing 10-7 in the regular season and losing in the Wild Card round to the Jaguars, their attention shifts to the offseason, where they will look to reconstruct the roster.
Los Angeles will have roughly $10 million over the cap for the 2023 season, the fifth-worst situation in the NFL. This number is before a potential contract extension for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Therefore, L.A. will likely need to cut or restructure the contracts of players on the team to make space for that and any additional free agents.
With that, let’s look at their top 10 cap hits for 2023 (numbers via Spotrac):
It’s time to unseal the envelope for the 2022 Los Angeles Chargers training camp awards.
The Chargers are done with training camp and the preseason, and they will now finalize their 53-man roster by 1 pm PT on Tuesday.
With that, it’s a good time to hand out some awards.
I cover different bases, from the best offensive and defensive players to the biggest disappointments.
The envelopes, please…
Taking a crack at projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers tight end room will look like in the 2022 season.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.
Next, I project what the tight end room will look like heading into the 2022 season.
After a one-year stint with Jared Cook as the Chargers’ top tight end, the team the younger route with the signing of Everett this offseason. Everett played on the Rams the same year (2020) that Brandon Staley was their defensive coordinator. Last season with the Seahawks, Everett caught 48 passes for 478 yards and four touchdowns. Everett will provide the offense with someone who can move all over the formation, with vertical and horizontal field-stretching capabilities, yards-after-the-catch ability, and the toughness to make contested catches.
Parham made strides in his second season with the Chargers, improving his blocking to follow his pass-catching prowess. He finished with 20 receptions on 27 targets for 190 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games before his year ended when he suffered a devastating concussion in Week 15 against the Chiefs. Parham should resume his role as the secondary pass-catching tight end to Everett.
McKitty was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft to supply the room with a reliable blocker, which he proved capable of in his rookie season. As a result, he should resume his duties in the in-line spot. However, McKitty has the athleticism, the frame, great hands, and impressive power and contact balance to gain yards after the catch to be more of an asset in the passing game.
Here are the five players who represent their best bargains in 2022 based on their cap numbers.
One of Tom Telesco’s specialties has been his ability to maintain cap space.
This season was no different, as the thoughtful moves leading up to the offseason gave the Chargers enough room to sign impact players like Sebastian Joseph-Day and JC Jackson and trade for Khalil Mack.
Going into the 2022 season, there are still several bargain-value players on the roster. In my opinion, these are the five most significant values by cap hit for this season.
This is the only player on a rookie contract I’m allowing myself for this exercise, but I couldn’t resist putting Herbert on here after the season he had in 2021. His 2022 cap hit for his third season is just 26th in the league among QBs, just ahead of the $6.5 million the Dolphins gave Teddy Bridgewater as their backup. With another elite season, Herbert could make the consensus elite tier of QBs alongside Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers. Their cap hit ranks for 2022? 2nd, 15th, 17th, and 5th, respectively. Of course, Herbert is extension-eligible next offseason, so this bargain will undoubtedly be off the table relatively soon.
While Everett isn’t a world-beater at tight end, he is an upgrade over Jared Cook, whose 2021 cap hit was half a million dollars higher than Everett’s in 2022. A cap hit of $4 million is good for 21st among TEs, sandwiched between Chris Manhertz and Dallas Goedert. Of course, part of the reason for Everett’s low cap hit this season is that he signed a multi-year deal – his cap hit doubles in 2023 to $8 million. Even so, that’s currently slated to be the 16th highest among TEs, just below David Njoku. For a team needing a veteran presence at the position with Donald Parham and Tre’ McKitty still developing, that’s excellent value for a player good for a consistent 40+ receptions and 450+ yards every season.
The Chargers also benefit from SJD being in the first year of his three-year, $24 million contract, as his cap hits in 2023 and 2024 rise to $9 million and $10 million, respectively. Still, a 2022 hit of $5 million is 32nd in the league among defensive linemen, and his future numbers are below market value for the position. Part of this could be because Joseph-Day is tailor-made for the Brandon Staley defense, which isn’t ubiquitous across the NFL. That scheme limitation does hurt his value league-wide, but it also means that the Chargers get him at a lower price since they’re not bidding against the majority of the league.
Van Noy was available as a free agent until early May, mostly because he was a Patriots cap casualty on the wrong side of 30. But the BYU product is still a productive, versatile player – one who figures to play a valuable role all over the formation for the Chargers in 2022. His cap hit is tied with Solomon Thomas for 80th highest among EDGE players, according to OverTheCap, a paltry number when you consider how much value he’s already added as a leader with a championship mentality, according to Brandon Staley. LA benefits from signing him late in free agency to a one-year “prove-it” deal, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s a steal.
This one is more complex than saying the Chargers got a starter in May for the veteran minimum. Because yes, Callahan should be the starter at slot corner as things currently stand. And yes, he’s been a quality player throughout his career. But whether or not this is truly a steal will come down to health – Callahan has never played every game in an NFL season, turns 31 in October, and now plays for a team so historically snakebitten by injury luck that it’s become a meme. On the bright side, Staley’s team-building philosophy has always put health first, and last season was one of the healthiest years in recent Chargers history. If that program keeps Callahan on the field, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to call him a bargain, especially if he plays up to the level he has throughout his career.
Based on The Athletic’s latest roster projection, these notable Chargers players might be on the outside looking in.
One of the struggles for teams with strong rosters is that roster cuts get more challenging. Talented depth pieces fall victim to a numbers game every offseason and veterans with high cap hits are released to save salary room.
For teams like the Chargers, several notable players might be on the outside looking in. Based on The Athletic’s Daniel Popper’s latest roster projection, these players may soon be looking to find that foothold.
Reed spent last season on the practice squad’s injured reserve following ankle surgery in September, which perhaps makes him a less difficult cut this time than if he had performed. Drafted in the fifth round in 2020, the Chargers used him as the primary return man as a rookie, as he logged 21 kick returns for an average of 20.7 yards. With DeAndre Carter now on the roster, Reed’s path to the roster is much murkier than it was months ago. However, he’s one of the fastest receivers on the roster, if not the fastest. Losing that speed in a room without many deep threats could preclude the team from pushing the ball downfield as often as offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has suggested they want to.
Arguably the best run defender from last year’s team, Fehoko may be caught in the numbers game on the defensive line. With four new additions to the position – Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, and Otito Ogbonnia – every member of last year’s team could be on the chopping block. Jerry Tillery seems likely to make the roster, considering Tom Telesco has never been one to bail on high draft choices early on. Popper has touted veteran Christian Covington as a virtual lock to make the roster, but I’m not sure how strongly I agree with that sentiment. If that’s true, however, Fehoko would be the first odd man out, and I don’t anticipate he’d make it through waivers to be added to the practice squad. I’ve been a strong advocate for Fehoko to make the roster this season, but he’ll have to have a strong training camp to make the coaching staff make the tough decision to cut bait with a more established veteran.
Although Campbell was the source of much consternation from Chargers fans last season, I think he is a decent depth piece who we know has a good grasp on the defensive system. The fact that he was forced into playing huge numbers of snaps isn’t his fault, after all. With JC Jackson and Bryce Callahan now on the roster, LA has four established corners (Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis). The battle for CB5 will come down to Campbell, special teamer Kemon Hall, and rookies Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard. In some ways, Campbell reminds me of former Charger Brandon Facyson, who never performed exceptionally well for LA but has hung around the league and figures to play a decent number of snaps for the Colts this season.
While it may be premature to call a seventh-round rookie with two seasons of football in the US under his belt a tough cut, Leonard made plays during seemingly every OTA session. If that production is maintained through training camp, he could make it very difficult for the Chargers to release him to get him to the practice squad. One barrier for Leonard, however, is that he’s primarily an outside corner. Brandon Staley has been clear that he wants this year’s Bolts squad to be multiple on defense, and that says to me that the corners further down the depth chart need to be able to play inside and outside. Jackson and Davis are boundary corners only, while Samuel and Callahan are flexible (although Callahan is primarily a slot corner). At CB5, the Chargers will likely want a player they can cross-train to plug in for anyone forced to miss time due to injury. That probably gives Taylor a leg up on players like Campbell and Leonard.
As much as fans may feel confident in the Chargers, there are still questions that need to be answered to determine the season’s outcome.
The 2022 training camp for the Chargers will kick off in a month, putting us closer to the start of the NFL season. During this time, fans and analysts are left to speculate about how the team will play in the upcoming campaign.
For Los Angeles, this is a massive summer in terms of the direction of the organization, with the Super Bowl in sight. Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley spent the offseason revamping the team on both sides of the ball in hopes of finally making the deep run.
On paper, the Bolts look like one of the most talented units. But that’s just one thing, and if the team expects to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, every positional group needs to gel. This leads to many questions about what is in store for this season.
With that said, here are answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding the offense of the Chargers.
