Tag: Chargers training camp

Sights and sounds from Chargers training camp: Day 1

Some footage from Day 1 of Chargers training camp.

The Chargers started training camp on Wednesday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, CA.

Training camp can be attended for free if you are able to snag some tickets here, but if you’re unable to attend, you will still be informed of all the action throughout the course of it.

I will have coverage of training camp with updates from practice below, courtesy of media members in attendance along with fan posts.

Opportunities arise for Chargers RBs Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III

The battle in the backfield is anyone’s game.

The battle in the backfield will be one of the most heated competitions for the Chargers during training camp. However, it will feature one less member to begin with.

Running back Justin Jackson was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, which means that it opens up opportunities for others competing for the backup spot to Austin Ekeler.

Jackson was already on the bubble due to his inability to stay healthy on a consistent basis, but him being out to start camp does not help his case to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree III and Darius Bradwell are the others fighting for the spot.

There was plenty of hype surrounding running back Kelley, last year’s fourth-round pick, heading into the 2020 regular season after he was one of the training camp standouts.

Unfortunately, Kelley was unable to live up to the summer hype after his confidence deteriorated, following fumbles in back-to-back games early on, which then negatively impacted his special teams performance.

There’s no denying Kelley’s skillset and work ethic to produce in this league. He has the power to run through defenders, good change-of-direction, vision, burst, adequate speed and passing game ability.

However, in front of a new coaching staff, Kelley must show an improvement from last year on the ground and on special teams to be counted on as the second back.

Rountree, the sixth-round selection, may enter camp with the advantage over Kelley because he is one of the players the coaching staff drafted, which is an important factor in the roster-evaluation process.

Rountree is a well-built and productive back who is an explosive runner with good feet, contact balance and second-level vision, as well as passing game impact to be counted on to take some of the load off of Ekeler.

Bradwell, a former undrafted free agent, was one of former head coach Anthony Lynn’s guys. With very little experience and not as much buzz as Kelley and Rountree, his uphill climb may be a bit steeper.

If that’s the case, Los Angeles could anticipate entering the season with Ekeler, Kelley and Rountree. But the team may elect to bring in a current free agent like Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, T.J. Yeldon, among others.

Only time will tell who emerges as the No. 2 RB, but it’s anyone’s game at the moment.

Watch: Chargers players arrive at training camp

The boys are back in town.

The Chargers begin training camp tomorrow, but players started arriving at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, CA on Tuesday morning.

Quarterback Justin Herbert

Running back Austin Ekeler

Cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

Safety Derwin James

Wide receiver Keenan Allen

For more details, see the training camp schedule here.

Chargers’ Forrest Merrill could grab last defensive tackle spot

The undrafted free agent could fill out the interior part of the defensive line.

The Chargers have had a great amount of success when it comes to bringing in hidden gems that went undrafted, which includes tight end Antonio Gates and running back Austin Ekeler, among others.

Who could be the undrafted rookie that steals the show this year? Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox revealed his top UDFAs for each team and for Los Angeles, he listed defensive tackle Forrest Merrill.

Merrill is purely a down lineman who isn’t going to provide much as an edge-defender. However, he still has the goods to contribute quickly as an early-down run-defender and rotational player alongside defensive tackles like Linval Joseph, Christian Covington, Jerry Tillery and Justin Jones. Look for the Chargers to give Merrill a legitimate shot at a roster spot and then stash him on the practice squad if he doesn’t pass final cuts.

The Chargers’ starting defensive line consists of Justin Jones, Jerry Tillery and Linval Joseph, with Christian Covington set to serve as a backup. Behind those four, the depth at the position is thin, which means Merrill has the opportunity to secure a spot.

Battling Breiden Fehoko and Cortez Broughton, Merrill is an effective one gap penetrator who uses his explosiveness, strength and active hands to slip through tight areas and be disruptive. In addition, he is able to occupy double teams at a high level.

Over the course of his career at Arkansas State, Merrill amassed 106 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.

Typically, experience favors the youth, but given the fact that the new coaching staff brought in Merrill, that alone gives him a slight advantage heading into camp. Should he make the 53-man roster, Merrill would serve as a backup to Linval Joseph.

Chargers 2021 Training Camp Position Battles: Who will play opposite CB Michael Davis?

The Los Angeles Chargers have a battle for the other outside cornerback spot.

The Chargers have two of their starting corners set, with those being Michael Davis and Chris Harris Jr.

Davis will play on the outside, as will Harris but just in base packages, which is what head coach Brandon Staley doesn’t play all that often in.

Instead, Los Angeles will be playing in sub-packages; nickel (five DBs) and dime (six DBs) for the majority of their defensive snaps.

When the unit goes into those packages, Harris will slide into the slot, which means they need to establish who will then line up opposite Davis.

At training camp, it will be a competition between rookie Asante Samuel Jr. and Brandon Facyson.

Drafted in the second-round, Samuel posted 97 tackles, 29 passes defensed and four interceptions over 31 games at Florida State.

His quickness, instincts and ball skills are NFL-ready and he should be able to step into a role right off the bat, but he has to still earn his playing time.

Pushing him for the spot is Facyson, who was in an unfavorable situation in Gus Bradley’s defense. At minicamp and OTAs, the majority of his snaps came with the first-team.

Facyson has excellent athleticism, size and length and experience in a variety of techniques and coverage, which are traits Staley covets.

While he hasn’t been able to put it all together on the field, the coaches believe they can help Facyson unlock his potential in this new system.

Normally, the experience outweighs the youth, but Samuel was taken in Round 2 for a reason. I believe he wins the job, and he will have an expanded role, too.

Like how Staley used Troy Hill with the Rams, Samuel will be in a similar situation, playing inside and outside.

With the newfound coaching coupled with his natural talent, Samuel can be a dynamic piece in this secondary.

Look: Chargers WR Mike Williams cuts off dreads

Chargers WR Mike Williams will be sporting a new look.

Heading into the new season, Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams will be donning a new look.

Williams posted a picture of him to his Instagram story after getting a haircut, which saw his dreadlocks completely cut off.

During his college career at Clemson, Williams had shorter dreads but this is the shortest that it has been that I can recall.

Looking to earn a contract extension, whether that be with Los Angeles or elsewhere, Williams may believe the new hairdo is the model of what could be the best playing days ahead of him.

Under new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Williams could experience his best season to date, given the system and how it favors the role that he will be playing.

Chargers 2021 Training Camp Position Battles: Who will serve as backup to Austin Ekeler?

The battle royale in the Chargers’ backup will be one of the most intriguing in training camp.

Among the most intriguing positional battles lies in the backfield, where there will be an audition for the spots behind RB Austin Ekeler, who will be a key piece in Joe Lombardi’s system with his multi-dimensional skillset.

Those candidates vying for the jobs are Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, rookie Larry Rountree III and Darius Bradwell.

Jackson, who’s entering Year 4, has only played in 29 out of 48 regular season games. While he’s struggled to stay healthy, he’s been a good compliment to Ekeler, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

When he’s on the field, Jackson brings great vision and elusiveness coupled with pass-catching skills. Another thing to note is that Jackson is entering the final year of his contract.

Kelley, the 2020 fourth-round pick, dealt with growing pains last season. He experienced back-to-back fumbles early on in the season, which deteriorated his confidence when running the ball and on special teams.

Prior to that, Kelley was one of the most impressive players at training camp last year.

Rountree, the sixth-round pick, joins L.A. after proving himself as one of the most productive backs in the SEC the last three seasons at Missouri, having posted 3,720 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Bradwell, a former undrafted free agent, was one of former head coach Anthony Lynn’s guys, so he will really have to prove himself to the new coaches to earn a roster spot.

You can make the argument for Jackson getting cut because he has missed 19 games due to injuries. However, he’s arguably the team’s second-best back when healthy.

You can make the argument for Kelley getting cut based on his showing in his rookie campaign. However, he could make a major turn for the better in his sophomore season.

Given the fact that the new coaching staff used one of their draft picks on Rountree, I can’t see a scenario where he’s let go of unless he was to get hurt this summer, and that alone may give him a slight advantage over Jackson and Kelley.

With very little experience and having a crowd of guys ahead of him, Bradwell is the one who will likely be on the outside looking in.

This will be one of the toughest decisions that the coaches will have to make, which could ultimately come down to who shines on special teams, an area that will be pivotal in 2021.

My prediction is that the team decides to head into the season with four backs; Ekeler, Jackson, Kelley and Rountree.

As for who finishes second in carries to Ekeler this season, I believe Rountree does. In Year 1, he has to skillset profiles well to grow into be a well-rounded back that can contribute on multiple downs.

Drew Brees on Chargers QB Justin Herbert: ‘He can be a 15-year franchise guy’

The future Hall of Fame quarterback knows the Chargers have a good one on their hands.

The Chargers got 15 years out of Philip Rivers and now the team is hoping to get the same duration out of Justin Herbert. Future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees believes that the franchise will be able to.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, Brees had plenty of praise for the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, specifically lauding his attributes.

“I don’t think I’ve seen an athlete quite like him. We played them last year, and I was impressed,” Brees said. “Then I saw him at mini-camp in OTAs and was amazed at how big and strong he is.

“His forearms and hands look like he has been digging fence-post holes his entire life. He is good, smart and has those leadership qualities. You talk about building an offense around a guy, he can be a 15-year franchise guy.”

Brees spent some time with Herbert at Los Angeles’ mandatory minicamp last month for a mock meeting with NBC Sports. There, Brees also talked highly of Herbert, saying that “his physical tools are as good as anybody he’s ever seen.”

Having previously played under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi with the Saints, Brees believes that his system will be tailor-made for Herbert, and the tools and weapons that he has around him will only further his chances to succeed.

Chargers 2021 Training Camp Position Battles: Who will be primary swing tackle?

There will be a competition for the backup to Rashawn Slater and Bryan Bulaga at Chargers training camp.

After shifting their primary focus to the offensive line this offseason, the Chargers’ starting tackles are set in stone, with rookie Rashawn Slater slated to protect quarterback Justin Herbert’s blindside and veteran Bryan Bulaga returning to man the right side.

However, for a team that has dealt with injuries up front along the edges in the past, especially to Bulaga last season, they have to be prepared for worst-case scenario. That is why the battle for the backup tackle spot is an intriguing competition during training camp.

Returning players who are vouching for a spot are Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton.

Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick of the 2019 NFL draft, has made eight starts. He has shown some growth but not enough to move the needle, yet the team still remains bullish on him. Norton, on the other hand, who was signed last offseason, played well in his three starts at right tackle.

Added into the mix will be rookies Brenden Jaimes, Darius Harper and Kyle Spalding.

Drafted in the fifth-round out of Nebraska, Jaimes set a school record with 40 consecutive starts. Even though he played his entire collegiate career at tackle, Jaimes projects as a guard due to his lack of measurements. However, he has proven to play tackle at a high level.

Harper earned All-AAC Honorable Mention in 2020 at right tackle for Cincinnati. He was a part of a unit that allowed a AAC-low nine sacks. Spalding, the former San Diego State product, was a First-Team Mountain West selection last season after allowing one sack.

Given the professional experience, Pipkins and Norton are the front-runners for the spot. However, heading into camp, the two must show improvement with their functional strength to hold up against stronger pass-rushers on a snap-to-snap basis.

While I ultimately expect Pipkins and Norton to be the next men up on the depth chart, Jaimes is the one who could prove his worth to the coaching staff for the role, with upside to start over the two if called upon.

Meanwhile, Harper and Spalding will likely be competing for a spot on the practice squad.

WR Josh Palmer inks rookie deal with Chargers, 2 remain unsigned

One of the Los Angeles Chargers’ third-round pick officially signed

Wide receiver Josh Palmer is officially a Charger.

Palmer, the team’s third-round pick, signed his rookie contract on Friday. The wideout out of Tennessee was the No. 77 overall selection, and the first of two players chosen by Los Angeles.

With Palmer signing, seven of the the Bolts’ nine picks have now officially signed with the team. First-round pick Rashawn Slater and the other third rounder Tre’ McKitty are the only ones who have yet to sign.

Slater joins quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Trey Lance is the only first rounders who remain unsigned.

Slater not being signed yet may draw some concern, but when considering the Chargers didn’t sign last year’s first rounder Justin Herbert until July 26, there’s should not be anything to overthink.

I expect both Slater and McKitty to ink their rookie deals sooner than later. Even if it isn’t prior to the start of training camp this week, expect them to still be in attendance based on the fact that they both attended minicamp and OTAs.