Tag: Chargers offseason

Chargers TE Donald Parham listed among free agency losers

Donald Parham was the Los Angeles Chargers’ TE1 for a brief moment.

With the big-name free agents all but gone for the most, some players will benefit from the new change of scenery or situation, while some won’t be in the most ideal situation, likely due to another player coming in.

For Chargers tight end Donald Parham, he was the No. 1 player on the depth chart for a brief moment after Hunter Henry chose to sign with the Patriots. However, that quickly changed after the signing of veteran Jared Cook.

The Athletic’s Eric Moody listed the winners and losers of free agency, and he believes this offseason was a loss for the former XFL star.

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Parham once Hunter Henry signed with the Patriots. The 6’8″, 23-year-old tight end caught three touchdowns last season in a very limited role for the Chargers. Parham runs a 4.6 40 and has a 36-inch vertical leap. The Chargers, unfortunately, pumped the breaks on the hype train when they signed free-agent tight end Jared Cook. Perhaps Los Angeles isn’t ready to make Parham a full-time player.

Signed last offseason, Parham took advantage of his limited opportunities, as well as the season-ending injury to Virgil Green, where he recorded 10 catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns on 20 targets in 2020.

Even before the signing of Cook, Parham likely wasn’t seen as someone capable of manning the full-time starting role. While he’s an intriguing receiving option and a mismatch in the red zone, his blocking still leaves a lot to be desired.

Cook isn’t known for his blocking prowess either, but he does have plenty of experience as a starter in the league. Stephen Anderson, who was re-signed last week, is the one tight end on the roster who brings the run and pass-blocking chops.

Nonetheless, Parham could see an uptick in production from last season due to the influence that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi will have from the Sean Payton type of offense, but he isn’t likely going to put up starter-like numbers.

A look at Chargers’ cap space, remaining needs

Breaking down the Los Angeles Chargers’ roster moves, cap space and positions of need.

We are two weeks into NFL free agency, and the Chargers’ roster under head coach Brandon Staley is taking shape.

Here’s a look at Los Angeles’ roster moves:

Gained

OL Corey Linsley

OL Matt Feiler

OL Oday Aboushi

TE Jared Cook

OLB Kyler Fackrell

QB Chase Daniel

Retained

CB Michael Davis

CB Brandon Facyson

TE Stephen Anderson

Lost

TE Hunter Henry (Patriots)

LB Denzel Perryman (Panthers)

QB Tyrod Taylor (Texans)

OL Dan Feeney (Jets)

OT Sam Tevi (Colts)

DL Isaac Rochell (Colts)

LB Nick Vigil (Vikings)

OL Cole Toner (Texans)

L.A. roughly has $25.7 million in salary cap space, according to Over The Cap. This does not reflect the signing of QB Chase Daniel and re-signings of TE Stephen Anderson and CB Brandon Facyson.

What are the team’s remaining needs?

Left tackle

If the Chargers wish to get the most out of quarterback Justin Herbert, they need to protect him at all costs. At the moment, Trey Pipkins is penciled in as the starter. Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick of 2019, has shown flashes but he’s still quite a bit away from being relied on in that role. Los Angeles also has Storm Norton on the roster, but he I believe he is nothing more than a swing option.

Cornerback

One of the biggest priorities for L.A. was re-signing Michael Davis, which they took care of. But even after making the move, the team still has a void to fill after releasing Casey Hayward. The Bolts still have Chris Harris, Jr. as the other starter and even though they re-signed Brandon Facyson, I don’t think he’s ready to step in as a permanent starter. Given how vital the position is in Brandon Staley’s system, they need more talent.

Safety

After the loss of Rayshawn Jenkins, there are only three safeties on the roster: Derwin James, Nasir Adderley and Alohi Gilman. The Chargers might be banking on Staley maximizing Adderley’s skillset in 2021 after a rough sophomore season, but given the fact that Staley likes to roll with three-safety looks, the team will be looking to add another one or two.

Guard

Los Angeles found their two probable starters in Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi. However, the depth behind them is practically nonexistent. For a team that has dealt with the injury bug up front, they could benefit from adding a couple to solidify the group for the upcoming season.

Interior defensive line

The Chargers have a solid foundation with Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery. While it’s not the most pressing need, Staley will look for guys that fit his mold, with that being explosive and versatile players with length. Cortez Broughton is a player that fits that shape, but look for them to upgrade.

2021 NFL draft: CB Jaycee Horn could be big-time playmaker for Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers could elect to address the defensive side of the ball in Round 1.

The consensus believes that the Chargers will be selecting their franchise left tackle with their first-round pick in this year’s draft.

However, if you’ve experienced a general manager Tom Telesco draft, expect the unexpected.

Los Angeles’ most pressing need outside of left tackle is cornerback.

This year’s class features three top corners, with my top-ranked being South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, who I believe would be the best option for the Bolts, should they go the defensive route with their 13th pick.

Horn, the son of former NFL receiver Joe Horn, saw action in seven games in 2020, registering 16 total tackles along with two interceptions and a team-leading six passes defensed. Horn opted out of the remainder of the season to focus on draft prep.

Horn, the 6-foot and 200-pound corner, has a combination of lower body athleticism and mirror-match skills to stay on the hip of receivers and ball skills to make plays. His physical nature shows in coverage, especially at the line of scrimmage and in run support.

The physicality can get the best of Horn at times, as he can get a little too handsy down the field, resulting in penalties here and there. However, he isn’t one to give up big plays that often.

Overall, Comfortable primarily in press-man coverage, Horn is the type of playmaker who projects as an NFL starter early in his career due to his combination of size, competitiveness, football IQ, smoothness and ball skills.

Up to this point, Horn has been in contact with the Chargers a couple of times, according to Chargers Brawl Podcast. He said that he has a connection with defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley and shares the same agency (Athletes First) as safety Derwin James.

If Los Angeles was to take Horn, he would primarily line up on the outside opposite of Michael Davis, with the ability to move into the slot on occasion. His combination of speed and physicality are two traits that would serve him well on special teams.

How Chargers can replace safety Rayshawn Jenkins

Safety Rayshawn Jenkins is gone, now what?

Safety Rayshawn Jenkins showed his worth on the field and he was rewarded for it. However, it wasn’t by the Chargers. Instead, the Jaguars were the team who remunerated Jenkins.

Many, including myself, expected Los Angeles 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, the Chargers 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 head coach Brandon Staley, who’s proven to get the most out of his defensive players, sees this as an opportunity to maximize Adderley’s potential.

Scheme should play a factor, too. With Staley, he prefers two-high safety looks. Therefore, while he will still play the centerfield role, it wouldn’t be as often and the tasks would be less stressful.

Or maybe Staley sees guys in this year’s draft class that can replace Jenkins. A few worth noting are Ar’Darius Washington, Andre Cisco, Tyree Gillespie, Damar Hamlin, Shawn Davis, among others.

The Chargers could elect to dip into the free agency pool to sign one, with guys like Anthony Harris, Malik Hooker, Will Parks and Jaquiski Tartt being a few who I like to fill that role.

The bottom line is like the offensive line, cornerback, edge defender and tight end position, Los Angeles will have to address this spot at some point.

Chargers’ updated cap space after release of CB Casey Hayward

The Los Angeles Chargers are top-5 in salary cap space.

The Chargers made another move after releasing guard Trai Turner on Friday by letting go of cornerback Casey Hayward today.

Hayward is coming off one of his worst seasons yet and him not being a scheme fit for head coach Brandon Staley’s defense ultimately led to his release.

Releasing Hayward will save $9.5 million against the salary cap.

His release leaves Los Angeles with slightly north of $46 million in cap space, which would be the fourth-highest in the league.

L.A. is currently in great shape to re-sign some of their own like tight end Hunter Henry and cornerback Michael Davis, as well as reel in some of the top offensive linemen on the market.

Takeaways from Chargers press conference with GM Tom Telesco

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco had what would have been his pre-NFL Scouting Combine press conference on Thursday.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco spoke to the media about a variety of topics on Thursday, specifically about the NFL draft and free agency.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways:

What are the “needs” this offseason?

Telesco was asked where the team needs to improve this offseason and rather than naming specific position groups, he mentioned they need to be better on offense at running the football and in red zone. Defensively, pressure and takeaways are the priorities. On special teams, field position must improve. In addition on special teams, they didn’t have good enough play at the “gunner”, saying they didn’t “fit that right.”

Offensive line

Building the offensive line should be the focal point this offseason, but Telesco isn’t relegated to only fulfilling that. “We are trying to build a balanced football team. I don’t know if we are an offensive line away from a championship. We want to build a talented football team. There is a lot of avenues there,” Telesco said.

The plan with Hunter Henry

Henry headlines the team’s pending free agents and all options are on the table. Telesco mentions that their philosophy has always been draft, develop and re-sign. He added that it can’t apply to everyone but he did seem to imply that they want him back. Telesco didn’t rule out franchise tagging Henry again this year but did add the declining cap situation makes that decision tougher.

….Mike Williams

Williams is due $15.7 million in 2021, but the team could elect to rescind the fifth-year option or trade him this offseason. Telesco said they are going to keep all options open, adding that he is a “very talented player in this league.”

Free agency vs. NFL draft

Telesco’s philosophy when it comes to the draft and free agency is that the team prefers to draft and develop their own, then subsidize to team through free agency to get better. Telesco believes it’s a good draft this year. When signing free agents, the team will have to factor in the duration of the contract from a financial standpoint. “For a one year deal, teams get hit with a full cap hit. With a multiple year deal, you are able to prorate that contract for the length of the deal.”

Scouting approach

Despite some players opting out or having a shortened season in 2020 due to COVID-19, Telesco credited his college scouts, saying he feels comfortable about where we are in the process, adding that they still have pro days but he is happy with the work everyone has done. The difference between this year and any other year is that scouts were unable to go on campuses, they had to watched more tape than usual, limited contact with the players and had to learn about them through Zoom.

Chargers have 9th-most salary cap space in NFL

Financially, the Los Angeles Chargers are in good shape.

The Chargers have the ninth-most salary cap space in the NFL, according to an estimate from Over The Cap. A $180.5 million cap estimate to calculate the current cap space for each time was used because the NFL has not yet set the official cap number for the 2021 season.

A look at the 10 teams that have the most cap space:

Team Salary Cap Space
1. Jacksonville Jaguars $82,022,150
2. New York Jets $67,948,314
3. New England Patriots $62,211,837
4. Indianapolis Colts $43,635,239
5. Denver Broncos $42,350,603
6. Washington Football Team $38,277,074
7. Cincinnati Bengals $37,665,630
8. Carolina Panthers $29,680,936
9. Los Angeles Chargers $23,801,246
10. Miami Dolphins $22,769,465

Los Angeles has the least amount of dead money at $58,009.

With free agency approaching, L.A. is currently in a great position to make some big moves. General manager Tom Telesco will have to re-sign some of the team’s own, but they can clear up some cap space by releasing or restructuring some players.

Chargers in search of special teams proficiency this offseason

The Los Angeles Chargers have areas they need to address this offseason and special teams sits near the top of the list.

As the Chargers reflect what they need to accomplish this offseason, one of the things that the team needs to make sure they are confident they come away with is special teams competency.

A combination of poor coverage and return skills, bone-headed penalties, kicking woes and a coaching change led to Los Angeles having the worst special teams unit in the NFL last season and the third-worst special teams unit ever tracked by DVOA.

The first step to fixing the broken special teams department was head coach Brandon Staley hiring Derius Swinton II as the new coordinator.

Swinton has 13 years as a special teams coach under his belt. He previously served as the Cardinals’ assistant special teams coach. Swinton has worked as the 49ers’ special teams coordinator in addition to coaching with the Bears, Broncos, Chiefs and Rams.

Swinton is confident that he will be able fix what went wrong with the players that were a part of the disastrous product. But the team can’t solely rely on that. Instead, they must target experienced players via free agency and the draft to give Swinton to work with.

Among the acquisitions L.A. could make is another kicker to compete with Michael Badgley. Things were looking good for Badgley at the beginning of the 2020 season, but things got shaky as the year went on. He missed a combined 12 kicks between field goals and extra points.

Another thing is establishing consistent return specialists. Joe Reed, Tyron Johnson and Nasir Adderley each received reps as the team’s kick returner while Desmond King (before he was traded) and K.J. Hill served as the punt returners, where he only averaged 6.92 yards per return.

Finding quality depth players that are physical, aggressive and most importantly, proven tacklers is also another key part of the team’s evaluation process to help upgrade their coverage unit on kick and punt returns.

Improving this department can go a long way to having a successful season in 2021 and beyond.

5 potential replacements for Chargers’ Melvin Ingram in 2021 NFL draft

The Los Angeles Chargers should be looking for more help off the edge this offseason.

Melvin Ingram will be one of the most sought out options this offseason. While Ingram has been a key piece of the defense and locker room for years now, his time in the blue and gold is up in the air.

If the Chargers choose to not re-sign Ingram, the team will be thin at edge rusher. There’s Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu but not much else behind them.

With that being said, here are five prospects that Los Angeles should consider as replacements for Ingram in this year’s draft.

Quincy Roche, Miami

Roche eclipsed 11 quarterback pressures in three games for the Hurricanes in 2020. In total, he posted 27 pressures and 3.5 sacks. The year before that, he amassed 68 quarterback pressures, 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks for Temple in 2019.

Roche, the 6-foot-2 and 243 pounder, is a slippery rusher with the initial burst, functional strength, and length to threaten the pocket on a regular basis and defend the run, projecting as a promising outside linebacker at the next level.

Jordan Smith, UAB

In his first season at UAB, Smith finished with 53 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one pass deflection. This past season in eight games, Smith amassed 22 tackles, nine for loss, 4.5 sacks, one pass deflection, and an interception.

Smith has the explosiveness, length and great agility to win around the edge and the ability to hold his own the run game. He needs to add some counter moves to be a more well-rounded player but with refinement, he could be a steal.

Hamilcar Rashed, Oregon State

Earning first-team All-American honors in 2019, Rashed burst onto the scene in 2019. That season he amassed 62 total tackles, 14.0 sacks, and 22.5 tackles for loss. Despite a lack of production in his senior season, his tools still translate to the next level.

His pass-rush arsenal lacks variety, and his production is based more on effort and athleticism than technique. However, Rashed is only scratching the surface of his ability and shows the athleticism, competitive toughness and physical traits to be a productive NFL pass rusher.

Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma

Perkins had at least five sacks in every season and had a career-high 13.5 tackles for loss in 2019. He followed that up with arguably his best season in 2020.

In only six games, Perkins had 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for losses en route to being named Pro Football Focus’ second-best edge defender.

Perkins is a naturally gifted pass rusher, with an excellent first step, a very good ability to get up the arc and out-leverage tackles and closing burst, while showing great competitive toughness and physicality.

He doesn’t have the ideal length and he must improve his use of hands at the next level, but he is a guy who could be posting double-digit sacks in the NFL.

Shaka Toney, Penn State

Toney led the Nittany Lions this past season with five sacks and his 7.5 tackles for loss were second. In his 47-game Penn State career, Toney finished with 20.5 sacks, which was eighth on the program’s all-time list, and had five games with two or more sacks.

Overall, Toney is a twitchy & athletic pass rusher, who has the ideal profile to play in space as a 3-4 OLB. His ability to string pass rushing moves together, while utilizing his excellent quickness, cornering/flexibility at the top of the arc and speed in space is invaluable.

How Chargers can fix offensive line this offseason

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez rebuilds Los Angeles’ offensive line.

I feel like a broken record saying this, but the time is now for the Chargers to revamp the offensive line in the offseason.

After putting it off year after year, general manager Tom Telesco is finally realizing that the line is a glaring issue that needs to be resolved.

“There’s a lot of improvement that needs to be made in that area,” Telesco said about the team’s offensive line at his end-of-season press conference.

Numbers don’t lie. Quarterback Justin Herbert was pressured on 27.6% of his attempts in 2020, the seventh-highest rate among QBs with at least 200 attempts, according to SportRadar.

Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus had the unit ranked the worst in the NFL.

Injuries hindered tackle Bryan Bulaga and guard Trai Turner. Meanwhile, there was inconsistent play from center Dan Feeney, guard Forrest Lamp and tackle Sam Tevi.

At the moment, Feeney, Lamp and Tevi are slated to be free agents. Turner is a potential cut candidate to free up some cap space after his disappointing season. Bulaga is likely safe, but there are some serious durability concerns.

The bottom line is that if Los Angeles wants to have a high octane offense moving forward with Herbert at the helm, they need to get better in the trenches.

Starting with the in-house options, I believe the team loves Feeney, Lamp and Tevi. I don’t feel comfortable with anyone of them in a starting role moving forward, but I believe for the sake of continuity, they’re good enough to be brought back as depth pieces.

As for Turner, I elect to move on from him to clear up $11.5 million in cap space.

Looking ahead to free agency, I am going all in for the best interior free agent offensive linemen available. All eyes are on Brandon Scherff, Joe Thuney, Corey Linsley.

In this scenario, I’m able to sign Linsley to fill the center spot.

Looking to the second tier of free agents, my attention is shifted to Nick Easton, Larry Warford, Jon Feliciano and Denzelle Good.

I sign to Warford to serve as the starting right guard.

Moving on to the NFL draft, my focus is landing a plug-and-play tackle and guard in the first two rounds.

On the clock at pick No. 13, the Chargers land USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker. Vera-Tucker projects best as a guard at the next level, but his tape from 2020 tells me that he can thrive on the outside.

Fast forward to pick No. 45, Los Angeles takes Notre Dame’s Aaron Banks. A proven guard, Banks’ pass protection will help secure the inside of a line early on and he will add value as a run blocker with his power.

The work doesn’t stop there. After addressing the cornerback and edge defender position with the team’s two third-round picks, I add a high upside player in Clemson’s Jackson Carman to kick off Day 3.

The 6-foot-5 and 335 pounder has the athleticism, strong hands, leverage in pass protection and mauling mentality in the running game. Carman can play tackle at the next level, but he has the skill set to play guard, as well. That versatility is a plus for L.A.

My new line, from left to right, would look something like: Vera-Tucker, Banks, Linsley, Warford, Bulaga. Depth includes Feeney, Lamp, Tevi, Carman, Storm Norton, Trey Pipkins and Scott Quessenberry.

If the Chargers want to get the most out of Herbert for many years, they must keep him as clean as possible and a line like this can go a long way.