Tag: Chargers offseason

5 biggest bargains on the Chargers’ roster

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.

QB Justin Herbert: $7,248,751

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.

TE Gerald Everett: $4,000,000

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.

DL Sebastian Joseph-Day: $5,000,000

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.

EDGE Kyle Van Noy: $2,250,000

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.

CB Bryce Callahan: $1,047,500

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.

4 toughest cuts based on latest Chargers’ roster projection

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.

WR Joe Reed

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.

DL Breiden Fehoko

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.

CB Tevaughn Campbell

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.

CB Deane Leonard

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.

1 big question for every Chargers offensive position in 2022

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.

Chargers announce start date for 2022 training camp

The NFL announced the report dates for every team.

The Chargers are less than three months from opening up regular season play against the Raiders. Before that, the team will spend a good chunk of time on their practice field, where players will fight for starting spots and a shot at the 53-man roster.

The NFL announced that the team’s rookies will return to Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, CA on July 19, with the veterans set to arrive a week later on July 26.

Below are the report dates for every team.

Austin Ekeler needs Chargers’ running backs to step up

Running back will be one of the most monitored positions during the Los Angeles Chargers training camp.

Running back has been one of the larger points of discussion in the Chargers fandom this offseason, but Austin Ekeler gave us a glimpse into the potential future.

“I was mainly a special teams guy, and then I was splitting with Melvin [Gordon], and now we’re in a position where I’m looking for some of these young guys to come up and earn some more reps,” Ekeler said.

The sixth-year pro called the running back by committee approach his “upbringing” and something he wants to work back towards this season after logging a career-high 206 carries in 2021.

For Ekeler, longevity is a focus. He said on Wednesday that “I wanna play a long time, so I want guys to come in and earn some reps.” But despite these desires, the candidates to contribute as complements to Ekeler are far from proven.

“I want someone to be like, no, we wanna get this guy in here because he’s showing he can play.”

You could easily argue that in 2021, none of the backfield options behind Ekeler saw time because they showed they could play. While Justin Jackson was the best amongst them, the Chargers elected not to retain his contract. He’s now at Cardinals minicamp on a tryout basis.

2021 rookie Larry Rountree III averaged a paltry 2.4 yards per carry, while second-year pro-Joshua Kelley averaged 3.1. Meanwhile, Ekeler plugged away for 4.4 YPC. It’s little wonder why Ekeler said that “all those guys are gonna have to grow.”

Ekeler was asked a number of times about rookie Isaiah Spiller, who seems poised to take over that secondary running back position. While the veteran couldn’t give too much of a character assessment considering he met Spiller earlier this week, he did say that the rookie has stood out in terms of being vocal in the meeting room.

Ekeler talked at length about what his role as a team leader means for guys like Spiller, especially in terms of helping them find ways to avoid getting overwhelmed.

At the end of the day, Ekeler said, “I want these guys to come challenge me.” To him, that means an obligation to help them be the best football players and men off the field they can be. The sixth-year pro yearns for competition, at one point asking the other guys to “bring it”, because that atmosphere only helps him be at his best as well.

At the end of the day, I think it’s unlikely that any of Spiller, Kelley, or Rountree are going to take a huge amount of carries away from Ekeler. It’s more likely that they become embroiled in battles further down the depth chart, both against one another and against undrafted rookies Kevin Marks Jr. and Leddie Brown, both of whom will be eager to try to follow in Ekeler’s footsteps from the anonymous camp body to the star-quality starter.

Spiller is and has been since the day he was drafted, the most likely player to replace Justin Jackson’s 68 carries from a season ago. But first and foremost, he’ll have to adjust to being an NFL player in a new city and new offense. Kelley is the highest investment on the roster in terms of draft capital, but he’s had ball security issues since entering the pros and will need to prove he can hold on to the rock.

Rountree profiles as a power back, but a lack of plus vision held him back even in short-yardage situations as a rookie. Perhaps another year to marinate in Joe Lombardi’s offense unlocks something in him. Brandon Staley did also say Wednesday that both Kelley and Rountree have approached their potential roles on special teams with a renewed mindset this offseason.

Whoever it may be, it’s clear Ekeler wants a running mate as he had with Melvin Gordon. It’s a proposition that’s beneficial to both team and player: Ekeler stays fresh and has a longer career, the Chargers get an additional playmaker and don’t run their established one into the ground. The only question now is who it’ll be.

Chargers’ Derwin James limited at mandatory minicamp

Chargers safety Derwin James underwent shoulder surgery in February.

The Chargers opened up their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. While the team had every player in attendance, not everyone participated in all of the drills, including star safety Derwin James.

According to head coach Brandon Staley, James had surgery on the labrum in his left shoulder after the Pro Bowl in February. As a result, he was limited to 11-on-11 walk-through drills at a jogging pace.

“Derwin didn’t participate in any of the seven-on-seven this spring because of him coming off the labrum surgery,” Staley said. “We wanted to make sure he stayed out of the competitive seven-on-seven. He did all the individual work.”

Staley called it “precautionary,” and that James should be ready to go when training camp starts next month.

In 15 games last season, James had two interceptions, five passes defended and three forced fumbles. This came after being limited to five games in his sophomore season and missing all of the 2020 season with a knee injury.

4 quotes from Week 3 of Chargers OTAs that stood out

Donald Parham was among four Chargers that spoke at media availability in Week 3 of OTAs.

The Chargers continued their voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) this past Tuesday, which was then followed by media availability where three players and one coach spoke.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

DC Renaldo Hill: “We have a lot to work with right now.”

Hill’s time on the podium was all about diversity on the defensive end, something he said was a focus for the team going into the offseason. Hill also mentioned that most of the additions were guys they felt fit the defensive scheme better than last year’s players did and said linebacker Kyle Van Noy as a “jack of all trades” that the team is excited to have in the building. Later on, Hill also emphasized the importance of competition in the secondary in ensuring that backups are prepared to play if their number gets called.

That competitive atmosphere and its benefits can probably be extended to the defensive line as well, where several players have uncertain roles or roster spots heading into the heat of summer. It sounds as though year two of Staley and Hill’s scheme will emphasize versatility, which could lead to some surprise roster decisions down the line. It also means that the defense should be better equipped to deceive opposing offenses.

DL Morgan Fox: “I’m grateful and happy to be part of this room.”

Fox confirmed what’s been shown on Twitter for the last few days by telling reporters that the defensive line room has been getting along swimmingly despite so many new additions this offseason. He also confirmed that the calls and verbiage of the defense are the same as when he played for Staley on the other side of town.

While there’s not any evidence that morale was low on the defensive line last season, it’s refreshing to see that the entire room is having as good of a time as they are this year. Locker room morale is an oft-underrated aspect of on-field performance, and the early returns this season seem to suggest that these successful new relationships between teammates will engender more success on the field.

Another point of comfort for Chargers fans: if all the nuances of the defensive scheme are truly the same as they were for the Rams in 2020, the defense has a leg up on fine-tuning their knowledge with so many former Rams now in the building to serve as tutors. Fox, Joseph-Day, and linebacker Troy Reeder all have prior experience in the system and should be able to pass along their tips and tricks to the rest of the team, which could lead to big returns.

LB Kyle Van Noy: “I’m trying to get the most out of players around me.”

Van Noy echoed Hill’s comments about competition, saying that he wants every guy on the team to do well because that competitive atmosphere will inspire him to be his best. He also said that everything about the Chargers organization convinced him to come to play in LA before telling reporters that his exact role in the defense is a “secret.”

Van Noy’s enthusiasm for the culture that the Chargers have built under Brandon Staley is excellent news for keeping talent home and convincing them to come to LA. While traditionally a “big market” team, the Rams have always seemed to have better luck luring talent to the City of Angels than the Chargers have. Van Noy’s comments suggest that it may be shifting in favor of the Bolts, although it’ll still be even at best given the Rams’ continued hyper-aggressiveness.

The fact that Van Noy declines to tell reporters what his exact role in the defense is going to be is notable, as it implies that he’s going to be asked to do just about everything on the field. That’s something that many fans guessed when he was signed, but I think it does lend credence to the theory that he’ll spend time at off-ball linebacker to supplement Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray. Of course, that’s in addition to his role as a secondary edge rusher behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.

TE Donald Parham Jr.: “I had to take my time and just think about if this was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my career.”

Parham was candid with the media in saying he wasn’t sure he’d ever return to the field after a nasty concussion against the Chiefs in week 15 that kept him from playing for the rest of the season. He said he didn’t feel back to normal until the end of February to early March. Now, Parham is fully healthy and feels motivated by a locker room that he said: “makes me feel like part of a family.”

On the one hand, it’s a frightening look at the reality of concussions to hear that Parham didn’t feel himself until nearly three months after his injury occurred. Nobody could blame him for not being willing to risk returning after an injury like that. On the other hand, it’s again a testament to the culture Staley and GM Tom Telesco have built that Parham feels so strongly about his teammates that he decided he was willing to battle back from such a severe setback.

Few players have worked more challenging to get to where they are than Parham, who has risen from the XFL to even be on the roster, let alone play such a significant role as the second tight end next to Gerald Everett. We should all hope he breaks out in a big way and stays healthy in 2022.

3 undrafted free agents with best shot to make Chargers’ 53-man roster

Looking at the Los Angeles Chargers’ undrafted free agents with the best chance to make the 53-man roster.

The Chargers have a storied history of turning undrafted free agents into productive players, including a 20+ year streak of an undrafted rookie making the opening day roster that ended in 2020.

Players like future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates, special teams ace Kassim Osgood, and starting running back Austin Ekeler are among those who have made a name for themselves in powder blue after clawing their way to a roster spot as rookies.

With that being said, here are three players with the best chance to join those ranks this season.

RB Kevin Marks Jr.

Marks will have to prove that he’s more deserving of a roster spot than former draft picks Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree III, as well as fellow UDFA Leddie Brown, but he brings a quickness that the RB room lacks outside of Ekeler. As a rusher, he’s a bit too eager to find a big play instead of taking what the defense gives him, which can often turn an easy three or four-yard gain into a prolonged one or two-yard loss. However, his quick feet in space could make him a valuable receiving option if Ekeler is forced to miss time for any reason.

TE Erik Krommenhoek

If Los Angeles elects to carry four tight ends, as they did a season ago, I think the fourth spot will come down to Krommenhoek and Hunter Kampmoyer. Gerald Everett and Donald Parham will be the primary receiving threats from the position, while second-year pro-Tre’ McKitty continues to work towards rounding out his game as the versatile Y-tight end. That could leave room for a pure blocker on the roster, which fits Krommenhoek’s game. However, he’ll have to first surpass Kampmoyer and then convince the staff that the fourth tight end spot shouldn’t be passed over in favor of carrying an extra defensive lineman, where spots are also hard to come by.

EDGE Ty Shelby

Shelby is probably the most talented UDFA the Chargers signed, although he has a long way to go before he’s considered a finished product. All-Pros Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack are locked in, as is veteran Kyle Van Noy, which leaves one or two spots up for grabs between Shelby, 2021 fourth-round pick Chris Rumph, and Canadian Football League signee Jamal Davis II. Tom Telesco’s regime has proven willing to give draft picks a long developmental leash, putting Shelby at a disadvantage in the EDGE4 race behind Rumph. Carrying five pass rushers is a possibility, especially if Van Noy will split time at inside linebacker, but this is a talented roster with very thin margins. Expect whichever combination of the three that don’t make the opening roster to be priority practice squad additions.

6 quotes from the first week of Chargers OTAs that stood out

Highlighting six quotes that stood out from Justin Herbert, Brandon Staley and Derwin James.

The Chargers completed their first week of voluntary organized team activities (OTAs), which also marks the first media availability for most members of the organization since the draft.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

Justin Herbert: “We’re miles ahead of where we were last year.”

Entering his third season in the NFL, Herbert has been afforded continuity this offseason that many young quarterbacks lack early in their careers. With offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi returning, neither Herbert nor any returning offensive players need to learn a new offensive system. That allows the team to focus less on lining up correctly and more on pure execution, which could pay huge dividends early in the season. With two divisional games leading the schedule off, LA will take any advantage.

Herbert: “You can go to Chase Daniel and you trust him.”

Herbert credited Daniel for filling in the gaps in his knowledge a year ago, calling the veteran “another coach out there.” The third-year signal-caller also said that he’d be comfortable with Daniel stepping in for him if he had to miss time, an endorsement that many Chargers fans should be happy to hear. Of course, keeping veterans like Daniel around is always a point of contention for some fans. On the one hand, he’s thrown just 261 passes in 12 seasons, and the proposition of going from Herbert to him if Herbert were to miss time would be indeed bleak the season outlook. But on the other hand, having a second coach on the field who Herbert trusts can go a long way toward unlocking his seemingly limitless potential.

Derwin James: “My job right now is to help guys like Khalil Mack, and JT Woods get up to speed.”

James fielded a few questions on Monday about his upcoming contract negotiations, which seem poised to make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid safeties. James himself doesn’t seem too worried about it at this juncture, saying that “whenever that takes care of itself, it will take care of itself.” There’s little reason to think that James put pen to paper, considering he’s been among the NFL’s best players regardless of position when healthy. Whether the extension comes this summer or during the season, expect Derwin to remain in powder blue for the foreseeable future.

Brandon Staley: “Both of those guys played quality football for us.”

“Both of those guys” refers to right tackle options Storm Norton and Trey Pipkins here, as Staley again insisted that Norton and Pipkins will be the leading two players battling for the starting job next to rookie guard Zion Johnson. The right tackle competition has been a gigantic debate point this offseason, and rightfully so. On paper, it’s the only hole on the entire offense, and another season of poor play could be just enough to tip the scales out of the Chargers’ favor. However, Staley did say that left guard Matt Feiler and “some of these young guys” – likely Brenden Jaimes and Jamaree Salyer, who played tackle in college, could be in the mix if the staff is unimpressed by both Norton and Pipkins this summer.

Staley: “[Jerry Tillery is] going to fit into that competition of guys that’s going to have to earn a role.”

After Tillery’s unexplained absence at OTAs on Monday, Staley used a question about it to discuss the competition on the defensive line. LA’s head coach singled out Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson as “proven NFL players,” all but confirming that they will be 2 of the three starters on the interior against the Raiders in Week 1. Beyond that, Staley characterized everyone else as “guys trying to prove themselves”: Tillery, rookie Otito Ogbonnia, the recently signed Morgan Fox, Christian Covington, Breiden Fehoko, Joe Gaziano, and Forrest Merrill. Ogbonnia, Fox, and Covington were listed as virtual locks for the roster by The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, which brings the group to 5 players, as many as they carried in 2021.

This season, a sixth is likely, and I’m not convinced Covington is as strong of a lock as Popper suggests. Fehoko was arguably the best run defender on the team a season ago and could take Covington’s job this offseason. As for Tillery, Fox seems like his 1-to-1 replacement as an interior pass rusher while also providing more of a presence against the run. OTAs rarely mean much, but Staley’s comments on Monday show that Tillery may have a looser hold on a roster spot than many thought.

Staley: “We just feel like that versatility is really going to help us”

Staley’s quote here refers to linebacker Kyle Van Noy, but the same sentiment was expressed when talking about Bryce Callahan. Staley praised Callahan’s chops in the slot, calling him one of the top slot corners in the league, but also made sure to mention that he’s played on the outside during his NFL career. When the topic shifted to Asante Samuel’s role, Staley pointed out that Callahan’s addition doesn’t force LA to play the second-year corner on the inside. Instead, this summer will be about finding “our best combination of secondary players,” per Staley.

As for Van Noy, Staley mentioned the veteran’s ability to play on the edge or off-ball and praised his instincts, calling him a “playmaker.” I think it’s interesting that there’s so much emphasis on Van Noy’s versatility, especially considering the lack of depth at linebacker behind Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill. While Van Noy’s likely role will be as a third pass rusher, I think Monday’s offerings show that he may also get thrown in the mix as an off-ball linebacker, perhaps in some disguised pressure packages.

Report: Chargers signing long snapper Josh Harris

The Chargers are adding pieces to shore up their special teams.

The Chargers are adding pieces to shore up their special teams this offseason.

According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, Los Angeles is signing former Falcons long snapper Josh Harris to a four-year deal.

The deal is worth $5.6 million deal with $1.92 million guaranteed.

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn in 2012, Harris spent his entire career with Atlanta before joining Los Angeles.

Last season, Harris made his first Pro Bowl appearance and was named second-team All-Pro.

Harris will take over for Matt Overton, who was the team’s starting long snapper in 2021.