Tag: Chargers sign

5 defensive tackles Chargers could consider signing

A look at five defensive tackles the Chargers should consider amid season-ending injuries to Christian Covington and Otito Ogbonnia.

The Chargers are down to three defensive tackles on the active roster following the season-ending injuries to Austin Johnson and, most recently, Christian Covington and Otito Ogbonnia.

Head coach Brandon Staley confirmed Monday that the team will promote Joe Gaziano from the practice squad and add two more players to fill the position group.

Tyeler Davison was signed off the Browns’ practice squad on Tuesday morning, which means they could look to sign one more.

Who else could Los Angeles add to the room?

Let’s take a look at five interior defenders that would make sense.

Report: Chargers planning to sign EDGE Jeremiah Attaochu

The Chargers are adding a reinforcement at the edge defender position.

The Chargers are planning to sign edge defender Jeremiah Attaochu, pending a physical, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

Attaochu is no stranger to the Bolts, as he was their 2014 second-round pick and played for them through the 2017 season.

Attaochu, 29, is in his ninth NFL season. He was with the Bears last season but tore his pectoral in Week 5 and was released in June. This year, he spent some time on the Ravens’ practice squad before being waived.

Attaochu has 20.5 sacks in eight seasons. He recently had a solid campaign in 2020 with the Broncos, logging 31 tackles, 21 pressures, five sacks, and nine quarterback hits in 13 games.

Following the loss to Joey Bosa, who was placed on the injured reserve list with a groin injury, there was no production at the edge defender position aside from Khalil Mack.

Chris Rumph II and Kyle Van Noy have struggled to get to the quarterback, amassing ten and eight pressures in seven games, respectively. Further, Rumph is expected to miss weeks with an MCL sprain.

Chargers sign DT Christian Covington

The Los Angeles Chargers are gaining additional depth up front.

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The Chargers are signing defensive tackle Christian Covington to a one-year deal, according to his agent David Canter.

Los Angeles did not address the position in the draft, despite it being a group that needed additional depth.

Covington, 27, brings six years of experience in the NFL, having played for the Texans, Cowboys and Bengals.

Covington possesses versatility up front as he has experience playing anywhere from nose tackle to outside of the tackles.

For his career, Covington has 132 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Best available free agents for Chargers position needs

The Los Angeles Chargers still have plenty of work to do with the construction of their roster.

The Chargers have made some moves up to this point, signing center Corey Linsley and guard Matt Feiler, while re-signing cornerback Michael Davis.

However, there’s still plenty of work to be done with the roster-building process, especially after a few former players found new homes.

With that being said, here’s a look at the best players available based on Los Angeles’ position needs.

5 things to know about CB Chris Harris Jr.

Get familiar with the Chargers newest addition.

The Chargers agreed to a two-year deal with cornerback Chris Harris Jr. on Wednesday.

In order to get familiar with the veteran corner, here are five things to know:

Polished college resume

Harris spent four years at the University of Kansas, where he received a handful of honors and awards for his efforts, which included KU defensive back of the year (2010), Freshman All-America Honorable Mention, Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and All-Big 12 Freshman Team (2007).

Defied the odds

In 2011, Harris was a long shot to making the Broncos roster after going undrafted. He made the final roster and was named the fourth cornerback on the depth chart behind the likes of Pro Bowler Champ Bailey. After injuries occurred throughout the season, he moved up the depth chart and eventually earned a permanent starting job. Harris finished his rookie campaign with 72 tackles, six passes defensed, and one interception in 16 games and four starts. He was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team.

Injury history

Harris doesn’t have a lengthy injury report for someone that has played at least 15 games in eight of his nine seasons. He suffered a torn ACL in 2013 and a broken fibula late in the 2018 season.

Cream of the crop

Harris has been regarded as arguably the NFL’s best slot cornerback within the best decade, earning four Pro Bowl selections and a First Team All-Pro nomination in 2016. Denver’s secondary which was regarded as “No Fly Zone” ranked among the league’s top five in passes defensed in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He has 20 interceptions, 86 passes defensed, 6 forced fumbles and 4.5 sacks in his career.

How he fits with Chargers

With the addition of Harris it’s uncertain if he will play on the outside or in the slot. He played on the outside last season, but he struggled against the league’s best receivers, allowing 731 yards and four touchdowns as opposing quarterbacks had a 114.3 passer rating when targeting him. I believe he will he will move back to his natural position in the slot to shore up a slot coverage unit that was third-worst in completion percentage above expectation last season on slot targets, per Next Gen Stats.

As for Desmond King who has manned the slot the past few seasons, the team could use him in a couple of roles if Harris will be starting inside. They could play him outside, as he has proven to be reliable in that role in college or he could be used as a dime linebacker, which is what Adrian Phillips played, where he will have more responsibilities as a blizter. Or, they could ultimately bank on Harris thriving as an outside corner in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s Cover 3 scheme while King stays inside.

4 things to know about new Chargers DT Linval Joseph

Get familiar with the Chargers new nose tackle.

The Chargers beefed up their defensive line with the addition of former Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

In order to get familiar with him, here are four things to know:

Early playing days

Joseph attended East Carolina University for three years, earning first-team All-Conference USA in his junior season in 2009. In his collegiate career, he posted 143 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Joseph skipped his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Giants in the second-round (No. 46 overall). Joseph won a Super Bowl with New York in 2012 and inked a five-year deal with the Vikings two years later. On his rookie contract, Joseph started 46 of 53 games, recorded 100+ tackles, 18 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Big man touchdown

Speed kills. But it’s even more deadly when it’s someone that weighs over 320 pounds. Joseph displayed that in 2018 in a game played against the Eagles where he scored his first defensive touchdown with a 64-yard fumble return. For reference, Joseph ran a 5.04 40-yard dash at 328 pounds out of college.

Where he thrives

Outside of his athletic ability like mentioned above, Joseph is a powerful take-on player with the backfield vision and handwork to make an impact vs. the run. Joseph plays physical, using his upper body and core strength to handle double-teams. His Pro Football Focus grade reflected that, earning a grade of 71.2 in 2019, marking the eighth straight season he’s received a grade above 70. In 2015 and 2017, he earned overall grades of 91.0 and 90.0, respectively.

How he fits with Chargers

The release of Brandon Mebane as well as Damion Square and Sylvester Williams hitting free agency meant that Los Angeles was in need of a nose tackle. Joseph projects as the Day 1 starter in the middle of the defensive line. However, it’s unlikely that he will play all three downs, given the fact that he played only 553 snaps last season which was just over 50%. Expect him to be on the playing field on rushing situations, while Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery rotate in on obvious passing situations. The 31-year old also provides the team with an impressive character in and away from the football field.

Chargers agree to deal with OT Bryan Bulaga

The Chargers are getting some much-needed help in the trenches.

The Chargers are getting some much-needed help in the trenches.

Los Angeles and former Packers offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga have agreed to a three-year deal worth $30 million, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

The former first-round pick out of Iowa has had two knee surgeries. But despite that, he has still managed to start 111 of his 115 games over the past nine seasons, showing exemplary toughness.

Bulaga has always been outstanding in pass protection, but he transitioned well to Matt LaFleur’s outside-zone scheme in the run game.

In each of his full seasons since 2014, Bulaga has ranked among the 10 best right tackles in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade, with three ranking in the top three.

Chargers’ new offensive line coach James Campen came over from Green Bay where he coached Bulaga from 2010 to 2017, so the familiarity likely helped lure in the 30-year old.