Chargers training camp – Page 24

Chargers 2021 Training Camp Position Battles: How will wide receiver room shape up?

Assessing one of the more compelling positions to watch at Chargers training camp.

The Chargers head into camp with the wide receiver room being one of the deeper positions on the rosters, with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams leading the pack.

This season, Allen and Williams can be one of the better 1-2 punches under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, but the team still needs to identify their compliments.

Below them on the depth chart, Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and rookie Josh Palmer are all trying to prove themselves to the new coaching staff.

Last season, Johnson amassed 20 receptions for 398 yards (19.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns, with zero drops. Four of his first five receptions in the NFL went for 50 yards or more.

While he managed to put up decent production in his role, with 28 catches for 511 yards (18.3 yards per catch) and three scores, Guyton had six drops, and wasn’t quite as efficient as Johnson.

Palmer didn’t put up gaudy stats at Tennessee, never topping 500 receiving yards in a season due to playing in an offense that did him no favors, but he was a four-year contributor with a polished skill set and impressive size for this league.

However, unlike most teams, Los Angeles won’t likely have a bonafide No. 3 wideout.

The reason for that is because Lombardi’s offense is heavily predicated on matchups. Therefore, different receivers will consistently be rotating in depending on the defensive personnel they’re facing.

If speed is needed, one of Johnson or Guyton will be on the field. If the team needs another physical presence and someone who can get open with their route-running skills, they will roll with Palmer.

Either way, I expect all three to get a fair share of snaps this season.

The Chargers could head into the season with just Allen, Williams, Johnson, Guyton and Palmer, but they might elect to go in with six, which means there will be a battle on the back end for the last spot with Joe Reed, K.J. Hill, John Hurst, Jason Moore, Austin Proehl.

Reed, the team’s fifth-round draft pick of last year and Hill, the seventh rounder, are the presumed ones to beat.

Reed didn’t have many opportunities on offense. Instead, he served primarily as the kick returner. While he didn’t get to prove himself much, Reed’s special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield could be his selling point.

Hill, on the other hand, got more time on the field than Reed, but his productivity was nothing to boast about. He posted seven catches on 11 targets for 73 yards. In addition, Hill served as the team’s punt returner.

Proehl is another guy who could emerge. Signed this offseason, this will mark his fifth team since entering the league in 2018. With his surprising speed, ability to get open in all three areas of the field, competitiveness and special teams upside, Proehl might earn a spot.

Where Chargers’ skill players rank heading into 2021 season

Find out what Bill Barnwell thinks of the Chargers’ offensive weapons.

The Chargers enter the 2021 season with the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, quarterback Justin Herbert at the helms.

Beyond him are a slew of skill players that Herbert will have at his disposal, with the notables being Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Jared Cook.

The weapons don’t stop there, as Herbert will also have ascending pass-catching options like Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and Donald Parham.

In addition, there are young yet intriguing pieces that include Josh Palmer, Tre’ McKitty, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree III.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked the “offensive weapons” for all 32 NFL teams, from best to worst, and Los Angeles checked in at No. 20.

Here is what Barnwell wrote:

As impressive as Justin Herbert’s rookie season was, it’s hard to point to one of his weapons as having a similarly exciting campaign. Keenan Allen’s 100 catches generated just 992 yards, with the veteran fumbling three times and dealing with a hamstring issue. Mike Williams had his usual mix of mammoth games (wins over the Saints and Chiefs) and whisper-quiet performances (six games of 26 yards or fewer). Hunter Henry, who left for the Patriots in free agency, averaged under 44 yards per game. Austin Ekeler, coming off a breakout season, missed the better part of seven games with a hamstring injury and scored just three times. In true Philip Rivers fashion, Herbert coaxed the occasional big game out of guys on the bottom of the depth chart: Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and Donald Parham.

Now, with Herbert entering his second season and Joe Lombardi taking over as offensive coordinator, Los Angeles’ star weapons need to play their part. Allen can’t average fewer than 10 yards per reception again. Ekeler doesn’t need to be Derrick Henry, but he has to be effective across 200-plus touches. Williams, who is in a contract year, needs to put together his first consistent season as a pro. And with Henry gone, the Chargers need to find a solution at tight end between Parham and Jared Cook. On paper, they should have more than enough talent around their quarterback. Nothing good, however, ever comes from a sentence that starts with “On paper, the Chargers …”

To some, Barnwell’s ranking might be unfavorable, but he takes quarterbacks and scheme out of the equation and comes up with the list by projecting how team’s running backs and receivers would do if they were placed in the most average offense with the most average quarterback and coach.

Barnwell believes that the group looks promising on paper, but the stars must stay healthy and produce at a consistent level in new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system, which is something they struggled with last season, which forced them lean on others like Johnson, Guyton and Parham.

I believe that the unit is capable of finishing within the top-10, but sustaining durability will be key to making it come to fruition.

For reference, the team’s offensive weapons ranked No. 16 in 2020 and No. 11 in 2019.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert positioned to finish with most pass attempts in 2021

Look for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to distribute the wealth a lot in 2021.

The Chargers found success last season when they kept the ball in the hands of reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, quarterback Justin Herbert.

Herbert went on to finish the year with 595 passing attempts, marking the fourth-most in the NFL.

Had he played in the season-opener, Herbert could have possibly had the most in the league over Matt Ryan (624), given the fact that he was averaging 39 passes per game.

This upcoming season, Herbert is in a position to finish as the league leader in that category.

Joe Lombardi’s offenses average the most passing attempts among all offensive coordinators and offensive-minded head coaches with previous NFL experience as a play-caller.

During his time as the Lions OC in 2014, Lombardi ran a very pass-happy offense that averaged 39.35 passing attempts per game.

That season, QB Matthew Stafford finished fifth in the league in attempts (605), according to Fantasy Points’ Graham Barfield. No matter the situation Detroit was in, Lombardi still allowed Stafford to air it out.

When games were within a score, 63% of the plays were passes (2nd-highest rate). When the Lions were ahead, 54% of the plays were passes (7th). When they were trailing, 69% of the time it was a pass (13th).

With the way Los Angeles’ offense is built with the revamped line and his pass-catching weapons coupled with Lombardi’s philosophy of shaping it around his strengths like he did with Saints’ Drew Brees and Stafford, it should allow Herbert to distribute the wealth early and often.

With that being said, don’t be surprised if Herbert is sitting atop of the league in passes attempted and pushing for over 5,000 passing yards in 2021.

Chargers EDGE Kyler Fackrell talks about decision to sign with Chargers

Chargers edge defender Kyler Fackrell explains his decision to play for Los Angeles.

To add depth to the edge defender room, the Chargers signed Kyler Fackrell back in March.

Fackrell brings plenty of experience to Los Angeles, having six seasons in the NFL under his belt, four with the Packers and one with the Giants.

The decision to make the move to the West Coast was primarily to play for the defensive-minded head coach Brandon Staley.

“It had a lot to do with coach Staley,” Fackrell said. “I know Corey (Linsley) and I’m very excited to be back on a team with Corey and Bryan Bulaga. I was there (in Green Bay) with Jared Cook, too.

Those are all great guys. But really, it was the conversation that I had with coach Staley and learning his passion for football and for defense and it was kind of the energy that he brings.”

Serving as a backup to Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu, Fackrell is a guy that the team will be able to rely on.

Fackrell has 20.5 sacks in five seasons, with his most productive season coming in 2018 when he had 10.5 sacks with Green Bay.

This season, Fackrell will have the opportunity to match his personal best by playing in Staley’s system that will get the most out of him by putting him in one-on-one situations and favorable matchups.

“It’s gonna be great for me, for us as EDGE players, and for us on defense.”

3 position groups where Chargers should improve in 2021

Three specific position groups for the Chargers have their arrows pointing upwards heading into the 2021 season.

The Chargers addressed a variety of position groups via free agency and the draft, but there were a few whose arrow pointed upwards based on the additions and some of the players that will be returning in 2021.

With that being said, let’s take a look at three units that should see the most improvement in comparison to last season.

Offensive line

The offensive line ranked near the bottom in the NFL last season and a great amount of their success lies in the hands of quarterback Justin Herbert, which is why general manager Tom Telesco made the point to build it from the ground up.

It first started with hiring with offensive line coaches, Frank Smith and Shaun Sarrett. Smith worked with the likes Jermon Bushrod, Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs and Carl Nicks, all of whom were named to the Pro Bowl during his time with the Saints while Sarrett spent eight years with the Steelers.

In free agency, Corey Linsley was the biggest splash signing as he is one of the best centers in the league. Guards Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi have proven themselves for their previous teams. Bryan Bulaga, who is coming off an injury riddled season, is back to man the right tackle position.

In the draft, first-round pick Rashawn Slater was one of the event’s biggest steals, solidifying Herbert’s blindside protection. Fifth-round pick Brenden Jaimes is an enticing depth piece who will likely kick inside, but he has versatility to protect the edges in a pinch.

Secondary

The Chargers’ secondary had high expectations entering the 2020 season. But with Derwin James being ruled out injured before Week 1, Desmond King being traded away a few games into the year, Chris Harris Jr. being limited to just over half the season, and Casey Hayward having arguably one of the worst seasons of his career, those expectations weren’t quite met.

This season, however, should be completely different. Under head coach Brandon Staley and defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill, who are two of the best in this league at getting the most out of their defensive backs, the unit has the opportunity to be a solid group altogether.

Michael Davis is ascending into one of the better boundary corners. The usage of Nasir Adderley’s versatility should see him finally come into his own. Rookie Asante Samuel Jr. was one of the nation’s top corners. Mark Webb is an intriguing piece with potential to play a role in Year 1. Harris Jr. is familiar with the defense. James is back and eager to regain his All-Pro status.

Health is key, considering the safety group is top heavy, with the depth being slim. But should they stay injury-free, the sky is the limit.

Special teams

A few of the Chargers’ games from last season were lost due to the poor special teams department. The first step to fixing the unit was 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.

The team brought in experienced special teams players via free agency and the draft to give Swinton to work with, including two new kickers to compete with Michael Badgley, with those being Tristan Vizcaino and Alex Kessman.

In addition, proven coverage players were added like veterans Ryan Smith and Kyler Fackrell and the majority of their rookies have experience to aide in that department.

NFL Network to air every Chargers preseason game live in 2021

The Chargers’ three-game preseason slate will be aired on NFL Network.

The Chargers are just a little less than a month away from kicking off their three-game preseason slate, and you’ll be able to tune in to each one.

Starting on Aug. 14 when the Bolts face their hometown rival, Rams, NFL Network will broadcast the action live.

The decision to show every one of Los Angeles’ games comes by no surprise, considering they are one of the most highly-anticipated teams in the league, having a talented roster under first-year head coach Brandon Staley.

In addition, this will mark the second year at SoFi Stadium, the home of the Chargers and Rams, which will be played with fans in attendance for the first time.

It remains to be seen how much playing time the starters will receive, but there will be plenty of rookies and veterans fighting for rotational roles and just a spot on the 53-man roster.

Here’s a look at the preseason slate:

Chargers at Rams | Saturday, Aug. 14 | 7 p.m. PT.

Chargers vs. 49ers | Sunday, Aug. 22 | 4:30 p.m. PT.

Chargers at Seahawks | Saturday, Aug. 28 | 7 p.m. PT.

NFL Network to air every Chargers preseason game live in 2021

The Chargers’ three-game preseason slate will be aired on NFL Network.

The Chargers are just a little less than a month away from kicking off their three-game preseason slate, and you’ll be able to tune in to each one.

Starting on Aug. 14 when the Bolts face their hometown rival, Rams, NFL Network will broadcast the action live.

In addition, this will mark the second year at SoFi Stadium, the home of the Chargers and Rams, which will be played with fans in attendance for the first time.

It remains to be seen how much playing time the starters will receive, but there will be plenty of rookies and veterans fighting for rotational roles and just a spot on the 53-man roster.

Here’s a look at the preseason slate:

Chargers at Rams | Saturday, Aug. 14 | 7 p.m. PT.

Chargers vs. 49ers | Sunday, Aug. 22 | 4:30 p.m. PT.

Chargers at Seahawks | Saturday, Aug. 28 | 7 p.m. PT.

Fantasy football outlook, projection for Chargers TE Jared Cook

Entering Year 13, Jared Cook is in a great position to have another productive season.

With fantasy football drafts soon to be in full swing, I am going to do a series for each Chargers skill player and how they will fare this upcoming season and the production I project them to put up.

Today, we start with tight end Jared Cook, who replaces Hunter Henry.

Cook signed with Los Angeles this offseason after playing the best football of his career over the past three seasons with the Raiders and Saints.

In 2018, under Frank Smith, the Chargers’ offensive line coach, who was his position coach with the Raiders then, Cook had a career year, catching 68 passes for 896 yards and six TDs en route to his first Pro Bowl.

Cook spent the last two seasons with the Saints alongside offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who served the quarterbacks coach then. He had 80 catches for 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Cook’s 14.2 yards per reception over the past three seasons are more than any other tight end in the NFL with at least 100 receptions over that span, per Pro Football Focus.

This season, Cook will be joined by Donald Parham and Tre’ McKitty. Parham is an ascending option who could see an uptick in targets. McKitty will primarily serve as an in-line blocker, with potential to receive targets down the road.

As for Cook, he will provide a big frame in the middle of the field and in the red zone for Justin Herbert. 22 of Cook’s 41 career touchdowns were inside 20 yards and in 12 seasons, he has 100 career receptions of 20 yards or more.

With Lombardi transferring some of the New Orleans concepts over to L.A., the familiarity should only maximize his potential connection with Herbert.

During the final season that Lombardi called plays for the Lions, QB Matthew Stafford targeted the tight end on nearly 25% of his passes. In addition, Saints’ Drew Brees relied heavily on his tight ends.

At the moment, ESPN has him ranked 23rd out of 35 tight ends heading into the summer. But Cook, who has been playing the best football of his career since turning 30, is a strong TE2, with potential to finish top-12 at his position.

My projection: 68 Tgts | 47 Rec | 642 Yds | 6 Rec Tds

6 Chargers with the most to lose at training camp

Identifying Chargers players who could lose a starting role or a roster spot altogether at training camp.

As it is with every training camp, the Chargers will have a number of position battles to watch. Every summer, there are always players with more to lose than their teammates on the roster.

That could come in the form of simply losing a starting role or it could result in them losing a roster spot altogether. With training camp less than two weeks away, here are six players with the most to lose.

QB Easton Stick

Drafted in the sixth-round of the 2019 NFL draft, Stick has gotten the short end of the stick (no pun intended), having limited experience after not having a preseason last year due to COVID-19. He will battle it out this year with veteran Chase Daniel for the backup spot, but I would not be surprised if he is on the outside looking in since Daniel’s familiarity with the offense and mentorship is why he was brought in to begin with. Assuming the team rolls with two quarterbacks, Stick is still a practice squad candidate.

RB Justin Jackson

Austin Ekeler enters this season as RB1, but the team will need to find his compliments since he will be deployed as a pass-catcher in the slot in addition to his duties in the backfield. Jackson will have to fend off second-year Joshua Kelley and rookie Larry Rountree III. Even if the team decides to keep four backs on the roster, Jackson will be fighting for his role as RB2. While Jackson has proven to be impactful, his time on the field has been limited due to lingering injuries since entering the league.

WR K.J. Hill

The wide receiver room was already deep prior to the draft, but it only deepened after the Chargers took Josh Palmer in the third-round. Assuming that Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson and Palmer are locks, that leaves a battle for the sixth spot. Hill flashed in spurts, but he struggled with drops. He will have to fend off Joe Reed, Jason Moore and John Hurst in camp. In my wide receiver projections, I gave the last spot to Reed because of his special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield.

DT Cortez Broughton

The Chargers have a solid trio at the top depth chart with Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery. However, the rotational pieces have yet to be shaped, and among the players who will be fighting for their job is Broughton. Had the team not signed Christian Covington, Broughton’s seat would likely not be hot. The fifth and likely final spot may ultimately be given to a nose tackle to back up Joseph, whether that be Breiden Fehoko or undrafted free agent Forrest Merrill. Therefore, Broughton will really have to standout to garner a roster spot.

TE Stephen Anderson

The tight end room was as slim as it got after letting go of Hunter Henry earlier this offseason. But in correspondence, the team signed Jared Cook and drafted Tre’ McKitty in the third-round. Anderson was re-signed, but that doesn’t mean his spot is secure. He would like have to beat out Donald Parham, but Anderson doesn’t offer as much upside as a pass-catcher to keep around.

K Michael Badgley

The Chargers steadily improved the special teams department this offseason, but the final piece to the reconstruction could include a new kicker. Badgley struggled last season, missing nine field goals over 45 yards. Heading into camp, he will have to fight off the two guys that the team brought in this offseason, with those being Tristan Vizcaino and undrafted free agent Alex Kessman.

Chargers need bounce-back season from Bryan Bulaga in 2021

The Chargers need the veteran right tackle to step up this upcoming season.

In order for the Chargers to have a successful 2021 season, all cylinders need to be firing. That means players from last year, who either underachieved or missed some time due to an injury need to step it up this fall.

Among the few who need to have a bounce-back season is veteran offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga.

Arguably the biggest free agent acquisition last offseason was the signing of Bulaga, who inked a three-year deal. Bulaga was expected to be the heart and soul on a fairly inexperienced offensive line, but instead, he spent the majority of the season on the sidelines.

Bulaga made 10 starts, but he only played 37.87% of the offensive snaps. Without him, the Chargers were forced to play backups Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton, leading to a disastrous outcome up front, especially on the right side where guard Trai Turner was exploited.

On the year, Bulaga earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 66.1, which marked a career-low.

Heading into the new season, Bulaga will be playing next to better players after general manager Tom Telesco upgraded each spot on the line this offseason with Corey Linsley, Matt Feiler, Oday Aboushi and rookie Rashawn Slater, but ensuring his durability is essential.

The talent of Bulaga is there, but his injury history is concerning. If he’s unable to stay on the field, the team will be forced to shuffle the group, likely shifting Matt Feiler from left guard to right tackle and plugging rookie Brenden Jaimes at LG, or playing Pipkins or Norton at RT.

During his rookie campaign, quarterback Justin Herbert excelled under pressure. While there’s no denying Herbert could perform under the same circumstances, continuity upfront could ultimately determine how far the Chargers can go this season.