Tag: Chargers position battles

Cameron Dicker vs. Dustin Hopkins: Making case for Chargers’ starting kicker

The Chargers have a tough choice to make between Dustin Hopkins and Cameron Dicker for the kicker position.

In a more unique turn of events in Chargers history, the team has two solid kickers working for the number one spot this coming season.

Cameron Dicker and Dustin Hopkins were facing off in mini-camp, with Dicker winning the starting spot on the current 53-man roster prior to the start of training camp.

With training camp a month away, I make a case for Hopkins and Dicker as the team’s starter.

Dustin Hopkins

Hopkins is a tough and rugged football player. He doesn’t leave anything to be wanted in a special teams player. Before Hopkins’ hamstring injury, he was having a near-perfect season and managed to help carry the bolts to a win playing through his injury that ultimately ended his season. For Bolts fans, it was an impressive feat. The Chargers are used to having tough players who refuse to go down – Phillip Rivers being the guy most people think of first in this archetype. Hopkins was a reliable kicker for the team, and the dedication he displayed while kicking through his injury was incredible to see. He also brings a much-needed veteran presence to the special teams unit. Hopkins has been in the league since 2013, longer than most players in the unit which brings experience and leadership to the crew that they could be lacking otherwise. Unfortunately, this is also one of his cons. Hopkins is competing against a much younger kicker which provides a bright long-term future for the team. Fantastic kickers in the NFL last 10-15 years on average. With Hopkins entering his 10th year, it is safe to say that there could be a time in the next 3-5 years when his play caliber declines and he slides into a relief role. Especially if his injury from the 2022 season comes back to haunt him.

Cameron Dicker

Dicker the kicker was one of the best mid-season acquisitions of the 2022 season. Dicker, fresh out of the University of Texas, was signed as an undrafted free agent to the Los Angeles Rams prior to the start of the 2022 season. From there, Dicker was passed around from team to team before making his first NFL appearance in the Eagles Cardinals game on October 9th where he executed 2/2 field goals including a game-winning 23-yarder. He was named NFC special teams player of the week before being released by the Eagles and subsequently signed by the Chargers on November 3rd. Dicker was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week only three days later. Throughout the season Dicker was completely reliable making 100% of all PATs and missing only 1 field goal all season – making his record 42/43 or 95.5%. The Chargers have an opportunity here to make Dicker their franchise guy, similar to what the Ravens did with Justin Tucker back in 2012. Dicker is about to enter his second NFL season, and if he continues to perform as he has then it would be in their best interest to get him on a long-term deal to secure their special teams future. Unfortunately, Los Angeles has a long and tiresome history with special teams units and fantastic first-year performers – including kickers like Michael Badgley who had a near-perfect season but immediately faced decline the following years. Since leaving the Chargers, Badgley has had great consistency which begs the question – was it really the kickers or was it the coaching? Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken is arguably one of the best in the game and took the special teams unit to the next level. Working with three kickers in one season, Ficken managed to have incredible consistency and draw up plays that greatly impacted the outcome of multiple games. With Ficken on staff, it is less likely that we would see a drop in Dicker’s production should he remain in the starting position that he is currently in on the 53.

Dicker will be kicking as the presumed starter in training camp this summer, but we should see both of them taking kicks in the pre-season games this August in a last-ditch effort to solidify who the Chargers will take with them moving forward.

6 position battles to watch at Chargers training camp

Exploring Los Angeles Chargers’ six position battles to watch entering the start of 2022 NFL training camp.

After an offseason of retooling the roster, the Chargers are ready to hit the field for training camp which is slated to begin this week, Wednesday, July 27.

There are a few key spots yet to be filled, and the same goes for a few at the bottom of the depth chart at various positions.

With that being said, here are six positional battles for Chargers fans to keep an eye on this summer:

Battle for starting right tackle underway for Chargers

Right tackle is one of the most position battles to watch for this summer for the Los Angeles Chargers.

For the most part, the Chargers have all of the starting jobs fulfilled ahead of the regular season. However, the right tackle spot is one of the very few exceptions.

Los Angeles entered this offseason with the position seen as one of its holes after Bryan Bulaga was released. However, after passing up on the free agency pool and draft altogether, the team seems comfortable with returners Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton battling it out for the job.

Following the first day of organized team activities (OTAs), Brandon Staley reiterated that, saying that they are excited to see Pipkins and Norton “duke it out” throughout the summer. Staley also added that they’re also considering Matt Feiler for the right tackle position.

Norton was the starting right tackle last season, and he had his fair share of struggles, allowing 60 pressures and nine sacks. Pipkins played well in his two starts in 2021 and has spent this offseason working with highly touted offensive line developer Duke Manyweather.

As for Feiler, he has played right tackle in his career while he was with the Steelers. However, it would not surprise if, ultimately, the Chargers want to keep the left-side trio of tackle Rashawn Slater, Feiler, and center Corey Linsley intact.

But should Feiler actually make his case to be the starting right tackle, second-year Brenden Jaimes and rookie Jamaree Salyer would compete for the starting left guard spot, while first-round pick Zion Johnson mans right guard.

This will be one of the most compelling position battles this summer.

Chargers’ defensive position battles heading into preseason finale

See where the Los Angeles Chargers have their biggest position battles on defense heading into their final preseason game.

The preseason finale is set for Saturday night, as the Chargers will take on the Seahawks at Lumen Stadium in Seattle, WA.

Here’s a closer look at the top positional battles on the defensive side of the ball ahead of Los Angeles’ matchup against Seattle.

Interior defensive line

The guys up front have all been impressive this past month, which has made the evaluation process rather difficult. Cortez Broughton has looked like the best that he has since entering the league, but Joe Gaziano and Willie Yarbary have also made some noise. Meanwhile, Breiden Fehoko and Forrest Merrill have been neck and neck for the backup spot to Linval Joseph. All eyes should be on the play in trenches tonight.

Linebacker

There are four players that will fill out the room, with those being Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Kyzir White and Nick Niemann. If the team decides to roll with five, it will likely be filled by either Amen Ogbongbemiga or Cole Christiansen. Ogbongbemiga is not going to play, as he is dealing with an AC joint sprain. Despite not playing, Ogbongbemiga still has the slight leg up due to his special teams upside. However, Christiansen has been a tackling machine, which could change the coach’s minds.

Cornerback

Like the linebacker group, there are four spots that are locked up by Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr., Asante Samuel Jr. and Brandon Facyson. The team will likely carry nine defensive backs, leaving one for a corner. Ryan Smith was seen as a lock, but he’s been out with a core muscle injury. Los Angeles could place Smith on injured reserve, and he would be allowed to return sometime during the season. Kemon Hall, John Brannon and Tevaughn Campbell, who have all shined, will be fighting for the job.

Kicker

It appeared to be all Tristan Vizcaino throughout the summer, but Michael Badgley kicked his way into having a slight advantage this past week. Head coach Brandon Staley said that he wants both kickers to have a fair shot, which likely means more field goal opportunities will be given on a rotational basis. Leg strength on kickoffs will also be an important deciding factor.

Chargers’ offensive position battles heading into preseason finale

There are still several unsettled position battles on the offensive side of the ball for the Chargers.

The preseason finale is set for Saturday night, as the Chargers will take on the Seahawks at Lumen Stadium in Seattle, WA.

Here’s a closer look at the top positional battles ahead of Los Angeles’ matchup against Seattle.

Backup quarterback

Despite Easton Stick outperforming Chase Daniel this summer, I’m still a believer that Daniel has the advantage due to his experience in this league, familiarity with Joe Lombardi’s offense and mentorship for Justin Herbert. What this could ultimately come down to is Stick’s performance to potentially have the coaching staff consider keeping three quarterbacks on the roster.

Running back

In somewhat of a surprise, it’s been rookie Larry Rountree who’s been the highlight of the backfield. Aside from him, Darius Bradwell has raised eyebrows as a runner and contributions on special teams. Could Bradwell sneak into one of the four spots? It’s certainly possible, knowing Justin Jackson has still struggled to stay healthy and Joshua Kelley hasn’t produced much on the ground.

Wide receiver

There are five spots that are presumably filled, with those being by Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Josh Palmer, Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson. Assuming the team keeps six wideouts, it’s up for grabs between K.J. Hill, Joe Reed, Jason Moore, John Hurst and Michael Bandy. I believe Hill has a slight leg up, given the fact that he’s been the first-team return specialist during the preseason.

Swing tackle

This was a position battle that flew under the radar heading into the summer because the Chargers had their starters solidified, yet the lack of depth was always evident. It became very clear last weekend when Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton had no answers for the 49ers pass rushers. Even head coach Brandon Staley noted it. Someone needs to step up or else this could be a serious issue this season.

Chargers preseason: 4 position battles to watch vs. Rams

Even though some of the Chargers starters aren’t likely to play much, there are still a few position battles to watch.

The Chargers finally take the field on Saturday night for the first preseason matchup between the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Don’t expect to see the starters on the field for all that long, but there are still some position battles that will need to be monitored closely.

Here are four position battles to keep an eye on:

Running back

Austin Ekeler is not expected to play a single snap this preseason, which means that the spotlight is on those who will be fighting for the roles behind him: Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree and Darius Bradwell.

Up to this point, Jackson has gotten the higher-up reps. Kelley, on the other hands, has looked improved, including in the passing game. Rountree hasn’t received a lot of attention, but his physicality as a runner has stood out.

Wide receiver

Like Ekeler, Keenan Allen isn’t likely to play in the preseason, and it wouldn’t be surprising to not see Mike Williams all that much, either. Nonetheless, who shines among the trio Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and rookie Josh Palmer is an intriguing thing to watch for.

On the back end of the position, there’s going to be an intense battle for the last spot(s). After being drafted last year, K.J. Hill and Joe Reed need to prove themselves to the new coaching staff. But summer standouts like Austin Proehl and Jason Moore will be giving them a run for their money.

Swing tackle

The Chargers have their starting tackles set in stone with rookie Rashawn Slater and Bryan Bulaga, but if one of them goes down with an injury, who will be the next man up to fill the void?

Returning players who are vouching for the second spot on the depth chart are Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton. Added into the mix are rookies Brenden Jaimes, Darius Harper and Kyle Spalding.

Pipkins and Norton are the current front-runners, but have they improved from last season to be counted on? The two must show more functional strength to hold up against stronger pass-rushers on a snap-to-snap basis.

Defensive tackle

The four players presumed to earn a spot are Linval Jospeh, Jerry Tillery, Justin Jones and Christian Covington, but the final spot(s) is up for grabs.

The battle will be between returners Breiden Fehoko and Cortez Broughton has been a polarizing one up to this point, as the two have looked notably improved as pass rushers.

Chargers training camp: Needle slightly tilted towards kicker Tristan Vizcaino

Tristan Vizcaino had a bounce-back performance.

Chargers kickers Michael Badgley and Tristan Vizcaino’s performances were showered in boos by over 30,000 people that were in attendance for practice at SoFi Stadium this past Sunday.

At practice Wednesday, it was Vizcaino who had a bounce-back outing, finishing with a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals. Badgley, on the other hand, went 3 of 5, with his longest being from 46 yards.

Undrafted free agent Alex Kessman has been overshadowed by the two because he hasn’t rotated in with the first team all that often and he finished 2 of 6 this past weekend.

Practices have been a gauge as to who has the early leg up (no pun intended), but the preseason games will tell all. Not only will there be field goals and extra points to be made, kickoffs will also be a determining factor.

In my latest 53-man roster, I have Vizcaino winning the starting job but only will time tell.