Tag: Chargers season

6 reasons Chargers fans should be hopeful for next season

Fans of the powder blues should be ecstatic for next season.

The Chargers are not only having an electric offseason, but the franchise itself is undergoing a striking transformation. Fans of the powder blues should be ecstatic for next season and here are six reasons why.

Jim Harbaugh

The man. The myth. The legend. Harbaugh has already begun to change the culture of the Chargers organization. It’s like a Hollywood movie, a dream come true. Harbaugh not only takes the team to new heights, but brings a household sports name to the Los Angeles team. Harbaugh is known for rescuing losing teams and reshaping them into winning programs. He’s done so with Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan. Fans have been craving a purposeful change for years–and Harbaugh is it. 

Justin Herbert

Harbaugh said it best: Herbert is the “crown jewel of the NFL.” Chargers fans have known this since he started for the team, but other football fans have had their doubts about Herbert. This is because the Bolts’ most prized possession has been overshadowed by a struggling team. Nevertheless, Herbert is a talented asset on the field and has proven so time and time again. With a new coach leading the way, it’s likely Herbert will have his best season as he gets to develop under such a valuable teacher like Harbaugh and an offensive mindset in Greg Roman, who should aid Herbert by elevating the run and play-action game. 

Jesse Minter

Under Minter, Michigan had one of the most dominant units in all of college football, finishing in the top 10 in various categories. If you watched the Wolverines on defense the past two seasons, you would be able to take away that they attacked aggressively and made life difficult for opposing offenses. Minter believes in adapting the defense to your best players and your opponent, not forcing your players into your defense. This will apply to players like Derwin James, who struggled in Brandon Staley’s defense as he was forced to do too much.

The front office

In Harbaugh’s introductory press conference, he stressed the importance of the team’s togetherness. It may seem insignificant, but it’s unmistakable that everybody has the same goal starting from the top of the organization–everybody wants to win. The Spanos family hiring Harbaugh essentially remade the franchise. The front office made the right moves in the offseason to set up the team for success and it is sure to be one of the organization’s most exciting seasons. 

Joe Hortiz

While Harbaugh should have an impact on the Chargers, Hortiz should just as much, too. Hortiz was with the Ravens for a long time, where he helped build one of the most talented rosters in the league during his tenure. He has a good eye for talent in free agency and the draft. This should pay dividends when it comes to reconstructing the roster now and in the future.

No. 5 overall pick in the draft

As if this offseason couldn’t be any sweeter, the Chargers have the fifth overall pick in the upcoming draft. Though it’s unclear what position they will be going for, this is an opportunity to add even more star power to the team with someone like LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers or Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Hortiz revealed that the team will be choosing the best player available in every round they have a pick. 

Chargers’ most disappointing players in 2023

Here are a few Chargers players who disappointed the most in 2023.

The Chargers were supposed to make a name for themselves this season and cement their dominance in the AFC.

Instead, they had a nightmarish season, finishing with a 5-12 record. Here are the most disappointing players of 2023:

Austin Ekeler

Coming in at No. 1, Ekeler was by far the most disappointing player this season. 2023 was Ekeler’s opportunity to show the organization that he was worth a contract extension, especially since last offseason he requested a trade in March after he and the Chargers could not come to terms on a new contract. With the $2 million incentive Los Angeles gave him, there is no question whether he had the proper motivation to play at a high level this season. However, he had some of his most disenchanting performances this year. He ranked 38th in the league for rushing yards, totaling 628 on 179 carries (career-low 3.5 yards per carry), and he had just five rushing touchdowns. 

Derwin James 

James became the highest-paid safety in the league when the Chargers signed him to a four-year, $76 million extension in August 2022. In Brandon Staley’s scheme, James played five different positions. He had always played in dime packages when Staley was the team’s coach. But by the end of this season, he was playing limited snaps at safety. Against the Bills, James played slot defender for most of the game and was on the sideline at the end of the fourth quarter. He used to be fast. He used to be ferocious. But all of the playmaking that made him an All-Pro has since left, and it’s clear that he needs to revamp his caliber of play.  

Michael Davis 

The Chargers’ defense had some of its worst performances this season and one of the unit’s weakest points was the pass defense. A big contributor to their woes in the secondary was Davis, who gave up 55 completions on 84 targets. The defense allowed opposing teams to average over 260 passing yards per game. Like James, Davis was a ball magnet, but he only recorded one interception the entire season and had far too many lapses in coverage. 

Offensive Line

Along with several issues with the defense, the offense also had some performances that were disheartening for fans. The Chargers offensive line allowed 43 times this season. If a quarterback has no protection, he can’t do his job. There were several occasions where the offensive line added pressure on Herbert instead of giving him time to run deep plays.

Chargers’ home, away opponents for the 2024 NFL season

Check out the full list of upcoming opponents for the Chargers in 2024.

The 2023 season is in the rearview, and all eyes are set on what the 2024 season will hold for the Chargers.

Los Angeles knows who they will have to go through during the regular season as they look to make a potential deep run to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, LA.

The actual schedule that dictates the order of the games won’t be revealed until later this offseason.

Here’s a look at the 14 teams on next year’s list of opponents

Chargers PFF grades: Best and worst performers from 2023 season

Here are the highest- and lowest-graded players, both on offense and defense. 

The Chargers concluded their 2023 season on Sunday, finishing with a 5-12 record.

Now that the season is in the rearview, we’re taking a look at the final Pro Football Focus grades for the Bolts (minimum 100 snaps).

Here are the highest- and lowest-graded players, both on offense and defense.

Top 5 offense

WR Keenan Allen — 86.3

QB Justin Herbert — 85.4

OT Rashawn Slater — 76.6

WR Mike Williams — 74.6

WR Joshua Palmer — 67.6

Bottom 5 offense

RB Joshua Kelley — 52.0

OL Brenden Jaimes — 49.8

WR Jalen Guyton — 49.6

TE Stone Smartt — 44.1

TE Nick Vannett — 42.9

Top 5 defense

EDGE Khalil Mack — 91.8

S Alohi Gilman — 86.1

EDGE Joey Bosa — 78.4

CB Asante Samuel Jr. — 73.9

LB Eric Kendricks — 72.3

Bottom 5 defense

LB Kenneth Murray — 52.9

DT Otito Ogbonnia — 50.4

EDGE Justin Hollins — 47.2

DT Austin Johnson — 45.7

DT Scott Matlock — 36.8

Chargers 2024 first-round draft pick set

The Chargers are sitting pretty in terms of positioning.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ season concluded Sunday afternoon after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Finishing with a 5-12 record, their position for the first round of the 2024 NFL draft is locked in.

The Chargers own the No. 5 overall pick. Had the Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, Los Angeles would’ve held the No. 4 overall selection.

The previous five players selected No. 5 overall have been cornerback Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks), edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux (Giants), wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals), quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) and linebacker Devin White (Buccaneers).

The NFL draft kicks off from Detroit, MI on April 25th and ends on April 27th.

We’ll be spending the next few months covering potential draft prospects for the Chargers, and there will be plenty of mock drafts.

Chargers sign two more players to the practice squad

The Chargers added a veteran safety and tight end.

The Chargers signed safety Dean Marlowe and tight end Nick Vannett to the practice squad on Thursday.

After the additions of wide receiver Alex Erickson, Marlowe and Vannett, there are two vacant spots on the practice squad.

Marlowe spent the second half of the 2022 season with the Bills after being traded by the Falcons. He became a full-time starter after Damar Hamlin’s horrifying injury.

Before that, Marlowe had three stints with the Bills from 2018-2020. He also played a season for the Lions in 2021.

Marlowe started his NFL career with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of James Madison University in 2015, where he played under Brandon Staley, the defensive coordinator and secondary coach.

Across seven seasons, Marlowe has 119 tackles, seven passes defended, two interceptions and a pair of tackles for loss.

Vannett, 30, spent last season with the Saints and Giants, playing nine games with three starts. He totaled six catches for 55 yards.

He also has played for the Seahawks, Steelers and Broncos.

A third-round pick by Seattle in 2016, Vannett has 90 receptions for 874 yards and six touchdowns in his career.

Projected win total for Chargers and their opponents in 2023

Here’s a look at the projected win totals for the Chargers, their opponents and the over/under odds.

The Chargers are coming off a 10-7 season that resulted in a disappointing loss to the Jaguars in the Wild Card round.

Will Los Angeles surpass their win total from 2022? DraftKings Sportsbook released its projected win totals for the 2023 NFL season and has theirs set to 9.5 wins, with the over being -125 and the under being +105.

What about their opponents?

Here’s a look at the projected win totals for the Bolts’ opponents and the over/under odds.

Chargers 2023 first-round draft pick set

With the Chargers’ season now complete, their position for the first round of the 2023 NFL draft is locked in.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ season concluded Saturday night after a massive collapse to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With Super Wild Card Weekend now complete, their position for the first round of the 2023 NFL draft is locked in.

The Chargers own the No. 21 overall pick after the Cowboys beat the Buccaneers on Monday night. Had Tampa Bay defeated Dallas, Los Angeles would’ve held the No. 20 overall selection.

The previous five players selected No. 21 overall have been cornerback Trent McDuffie (Chiefs), edge defender Kwity Paye (Colts), wide receiver Jalen Reagor (Eagles), safety Darnell Savage (Packers) and center Billy Price (Bengals).

The NFL Draft kicks off from Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27th and ends on April 29th. So we’ll be spending the next three months covering potential draft prospects, and there will be mock drafts.

Predicting Chargers’ remaining schedule: How many wins in final 10 games?

Taking a crack at predicting how the Los Angeles Chargers will finish the 2022 regular season.

The Chargers, standing at 4-3, are heading into a 10-consecutive game stretch after their bye week.

With a slew of injuries to players at various positions, Los Angeles is hopeful that the week off was a time to regain full health for some of them and that the adjustments pay off.

As we head into the second half of the season, let’s take a crack at predicting the Bolts’ final 10 games.

Chargers LB Kenneth Murray using setbacks as motivation

Chargers LB Kenneth Murray returned to the practice field after undergoing ankle surgery in April.

Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray faced plenty of adversity during his sophomore season.

Since training camp last year, Murray dealt with ankle issues. It worsened during practice before Los Angeles’ Week 4 Monday night game against the Raiders. As a result, he spent five weeks on the injured reserve and some time on the COVID-19/Reserve list.

When on the field, Murray struggled with missed tackles, over-pursuing ball carriers, and struggling to shed blocks and work off contact. He ended up experiencing a new position as an edge defender late in the season when the team was limited with players at the spot, and that was a challenge.

Murray had ankle surgery in early April and opened training camp on the physically unable to prepare (PUP) list. On Monday, it marked him being cleared to come off and his first day of practice since undergoing the procedure.

Murray acknowledged that all of the time in the rehab room by himself while his teammates got work on the field was difficult. All of Murray’s setbacks this past year are fuel to make an impact in 2022.

“I think everything happens for a reason,” Murray said. “Honestly, I truly do believe that everything that I’ve been through up to this point has been preparing me for this moment.”

The Chargers plan to ease him back into football shape, but Murray is confident that he will be ready to play for the season opener against the Raiders.

When he is ready to take the field in full capacity, Murray will start in base packages, while Drue Tranquill and Kyle Van Noy will start in nickel packages.

“He’s a very versatile player. He’s physical, has size and speed. Just really brings a lot more depth to that inside linebacker room,” Staley said on what Murray adds to the team. “He’s been in the NFL for two years now, so he’s acquired some experiences.”