Tag: Chargers training camp

NFL executives, coaches rank Chargers QB Tyrod Taylor heading into 2020 season

Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor is near the bottom in the league.

The Athletic’s Mike Sando released his annual NFL veteran quarterback tier rankings based on voting from 50 coaches and executives in the league.

Per Sando, coaches and evaluators placed each quarterback in one of five tiers, from best (Tier 1) to worst (Tier 5).

Once ballots were collected, results were averaged to create a ranking. The unanimous Tier 1 choices averaged 1.00, while the lowest-rated player averaged 4.30. Quarterbacks fell into the tiers in which they received the most votes.

Chargers QB Tyrod Taylor was placed in Tier 4, alongside Raiders’ Marcus Mariota, Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick, Broncos’ Drew Lock, Jaguars’ Gardner Minshew, Bears’ Mitch Trubisky, Redskins’ Dwayne Haskins, Patriots’ Jarrett Stidham and Panthers’ Kyle Allen.

A Tier 4 quarterback is described as an unproven player with some upside or a veteran who is ultimately best suited as a backup.

Taylor, the 30-year old signal-caller, is slated to take over as Los Angeles’ starter after Philip Rivers had the duties of doing so for the past 14 seasons.

While Taylor may not be as superior as Rivers in a handful of categories, there are a couple of things he does better, which are limiting turnovers and having the ability to win with his legs.

“Tyrod is not going to turn the ball over, but he is not going to throw it and he does not throw it (downfield) inside the numbers, the hash, because he can’t see,” a defensive coordinator said. “His intelligence and the way he can run the ball will keep him in games, but he is not going to beat you with his arm.”

Taylor gets scrutinized because a lot because he has been unable to find a stable starting job the past few seasons. But when he was a starter with the Bills – which was also under coach Anthony Lynn for a couple of seasons – he played well.

In both 2015 and 2016 when Taylor and Lynn were on Buffalo’s squad, the 30-year old threw for over 3,000 yards and 37 combined touchdowns as opposed to just 12 interceptions. On top of that, Taylor rushed for 1,148 yards and 10 touchdowns on 199 carries in both those seasons combined.

“He smoked us in Buffalo a few years ago,” a defensive coach said. “We couldn’t tackle him. I think he’s a legit starter. They are not going to be super shitty with him in there.

It’s Taylor’s job to lose. He will likely stay under center as long as he’s leading the team to wins. If the Chargers start to fall off the wagon, then rookie Justin Herbert will take the reins. The longer Taylor starts, the more Herbert will be able to develop.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2020: OT Trey Pipkins

The Los Angeles Chargers’ former third-round pick could have a breakout season in 2020.

Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they were a backup, dealt with an injury or just improved as a player in the offseason.

This is the fourth story in a 10-part series counting down the top 5 Chargers players who I believe are most likely to have a breakout season in 2020.

Part 1: RB Justin Jackson

Part 2: DT Jerry Tillery

Part 3: FS Nasir Adderley

Trey Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft, wasn’t expected to take a single snap in his rookie season. However, that narrative took a turn when Russell Okung dealt with a combination of a serious health issue and injuries.

Pipkins was forced into the action as early as Week 4 and saw the bulk of his playing time come starting in Week 10. Like any rookie offensive lineman, he experienced some struggles against NFL pass-rushers, but as he received more playing, his strengths became more apparent.

Plays like this exemplified what Pipkins is capable of doing.

Going into the 2020 season, the ball is in Pipkins’ court for the starting job after the team didn’t acquire a left tackle this offseason. He will have to fend off others that will be in contention for the role, which includes Sam Tevi, Storm Norton, Trent Scott and possibly Forrest Lamp.

For most, not addressing the left side of the line was a mistake. But the team is hopeful that offensive line coach James Campen — one of the best developers of offensive linemen in the league — and a change in offensive scheme will elevate the play.

Pipkins has done a great job at transforming his body after coming into the league fairly leaner than most at his position. With the schematic change, it’ll be more molded for his strengths, as Pipkins is a very good athlete and moves smoothly in open space.

“He gets what you’re asking him to do. I think he has a lot of potential,” Campen said about Pipkins.

How much did Chargers improve this offseason?

Are the Los Angeles Chargers equipped to make some noise in 2020?

Some can make the argument that the Chargers got better this offseason, while others would beg to differ. They brought in a crop of players that should help put the team in position to win, but they also lost some key players from the previous season.

Los Angeles lost offensive tackle Russell Okung, running back Melvin Gordon, safety Adrian Phillips, fullback Derek Watt, but most importantly, quarterback Philip Rivers – the heart and soul of the franchise of the past 16 seasons.

Heading into the new decade, the Bolts may have suffered some losses, but they received some reinforcements with Bryan Bulaga, Trai Turner, Chris Harris Jr. and Linval Joseph via free agency and some through the draft, including first-round picks Justin Herbert and Kenneth Murray.

What does a panel of analysts think of the Chargers’ offseason? ESPN ranked teams based on how much they improved, factoring free-agent signings, trade acquisitions, draft selections, coaching changes and even, in some cases, long-term injuries or retirement.

For Los Angeles, they ranked No. 22 overall out of the 32 teams.

As they begin the eventual transition from Rivers to Herbert, the Chargers oddly signed three veteran free agents — Bulaga, Joseph and Harris — who are each 31 years old. Perhaps they wanted to load up for one run with veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor before turning the offense over to Herbert. It might be the Chargers’ best play under the circumstances of the pandemic, but it’s not easy to argue that the Chargers have a better team than they did in 2019.

I believe Los Angeles is still capable of getting the job done with Tyord Taylor or Herbert, especially with the new offense that they’re going to run, which should be similar to the Ravens of last season, and given the amount of talent they have from top to bottom.

The most vital key to any kind of success for them is health of the players. Like last year, if they can’t stay injury-free it’ll be hard to have a bounce-back season. If they do, the Chargers are capable of making some serious noise during the regular season and into the playoffs.

Another key to success will be dethroning the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, who are 27-3 against AFC West teams since 2015 and have claimed four straight division titles.

Anthony Lynn talks Chargers quarterback competition heading into training camp

The Los Angeles Chargers’ quarterback battle will be the main headline this training camp.

The Chargers begin training camp next week. There will be plenty of storylines to monitor, but the one that will get the majority of the attention is the quarterback battle between Tyrod Taylor and rookie Justin Herbert.

There are plenty of reasons to believe that Taylor will be the Week 1 starter over Herbert due to his experience in the league and familiarity with the offense.

While many are pegging Taylor to start, coach Anthony Lynn isn’t set on making anything official until training camp concludes.

“I’m very familiar with Tyrod,” Lynn said. “But no position is final until we get to training camp right now.”

Los Angeles took a swing on who they view as the long-term answer at the quarterback position, drafting Herbert with their first-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

“We drafted him high to one day be our franchise quarterback, for sure,” Lynn said. “But I don’t want to put a timetable on this young man.”

Both signal-callers may not necessarily have the experience or be as talented of a passer as Philip Rivers is, but they all bring a unique skillset which includes athleticism to put the team in position to win games.

“It’s a mobile group that allow you, I think, to open your offense up and do some different things,” Lynn said. “They put pressure on the defense in a different way than before.”

Despite Lynn’s remarks I believe Taylor will be the team’s starter, and it will remain that way unless he gets hurt or the Chargers aren’t winning any games with him under center.

Chargers 53-man roster projection ahead of training camp

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez predicts the team’s 53-man roster ahead of training camp.

Here’s a look at my prediction for how the 53-man roster will look like for coach Anthony Lynn and the Chargers as the start of training camp in 2020 finally nears.

Offense

Position Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
QB Tyrod Taylor Justin Herbert* Easton Stick
RB Austin Ekeler Justin Jackson Joshua Kelley*
FB Bobby Holly*
WR Keenan Allen K.J. Hill*
WR Mike Williams Joe Reed*
WR Andre Patton Darius Jennings
TE Hunter Henry Virgil Green Donald Parham
LT Trey Pipkins Storm Norton
LG Dan Feeney Forrest Lamp
C Mike Pouncey Scott Quessenberry
RG Trai Turner Trent Scott
RT Bryan Bulaga Sam Tevi

Notes

  • Like they’ve done in previous seasons, the Chargers will start off with three quarterbacks as opposed to two, which means Easton Stick makes the cut. If they roll with two, I expect Stick to remain on the practice squad.
  • It will be a tight race between undrafted free agents Gabe Nabers and Bobby Holly for the fullback spot, but I give the slight leg up to Nabers.
  • The Chargers start the season with six receivers. Jason Moore and Jalen Guyton miss the cut.

Defense

Position Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
LDE Joey Bosa Isaac Rochell
NT Linval Joseph Damion Square
DT Justin Jones Jerry Tillery
RDE Melvin Ingram Uchenna Nwosu
SAM Kyzir White Emeke Egbule
MIKE Drue Tranquill Denzel Perryman
WILL Kenneth Murray* Nick Vigil
CB Casey Hayward Brandon Facyson
CB Michael Davis
SLOT Chris Harris Jr. Desmond King
FS Rayshawn Jenkins Nasir Adderley
SS Derwin James Alohi Gilman* Roderic Teamer

Notes

  • The starting linebacking core will consist of Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill and Kyzir White. But given the amount of time spent in sub-packages, Desmond King will likely be the candidate as the team’s dime linebacker, which will limit White’s snaps.
  • Nasir Adderley could be a candidate to play the dimebacker. Jenkins enters the season as the starter, but I expect Adderley to push him midway through.

Special Teams

Position Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
PK Michael Badgley
P Ty Long
PR Darius Jennings
KR Joe Reed*
LS Cole Mazza

 

3 reasons for optimism as Chargers prepare for training camp

The Los Angeles Chargers may have a different look in 2020, but they are capable of making some noise.

Despite the ongoing worldwide outbreak that the coronavirus has caused, all signs are pointing to there being football this fall with the news that training camp will begin as originally planned.

With Chargers football near, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the team. But there is some concern as well, as Los Angeles is set to embark on a new era without the heart and soul of the team, Philip Rivers.

With that being said, I take a look at three reasons why fans should remain optimistic for L.A. in 2020.

New offensive identity

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s going to be different,” coach Anthony Lynn said when asked about the offense. With Rivers gone, the offense will be led by a quarterback with a completely skillset – whether it’s Tyrod Taylor, rookie Justin Herbert or Easton Stick.

With the new system in place, there will be more pistol formation, more play-action and more run-pass option. The offense is going to look a lot more like the Ravens offense last season. Coach Anthony Lynn and Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

Taylor and Herbert have the skill sets to run the concepts the Ravens do, like zone read and other quarterback option runs, which was hardly ever the case when Rivers was under center for Los Angeles.

We can expect to see more plays occur on the ground than in the past with Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley. But it will open things up to still involve Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, Andre Patton, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill in the passing game.

The bottom line is that the offense will hardly be recognized from what it looked like over the past decade. But with the creative signal-callers and vigorous skill players on the field, it could be a threat for opposing defenses.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

3 Chargers who need strong showings at training camp

There will be plenty of competitions on the offensive side of the ball for the Chargers.

The Chargers, along with the majority of the other teams in the NFL, are preparing for training camp, which is slated to begin on July 28.

With teams not having spring practices, training camp will be more crucial than ever for players who are fighting for starting or roster spots.

With that being said, here are three players who need a strong outing at training camp:

WR Andre Patton

The competition for the third wide receiver spot will be one of the more compelling positional battles during training camp. While Keenan Allen and Mike Williams lead the pack, the guy behind them remains to be seen.

Last season, Patton had the opportunity to step up in the WR3 role after injuries hit the corps, but the two-year practice squad member only managed to haul in six passes for 56 yards on 17 targets in 13 games.

Now, he will have to fend off a couple of new faces that will be in contention for the spot led by draft selections Joe Reed and K.J. Hill. Patton has the upper hand with his experience and familiarity, but the rookies have the skillset to beat him out.

OT Trey Pipkins

Even though the decision to not address the left tackle position has had many scratching their heads, the coaching staff has made it clear that they like their in-house options going into training camp.

Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft, wasn’t expected to take a single snap in his rookie season. However, that took a turn when Russell Okung missed quite a bit of action. Like any rookie offensive lineman, he experienced some struggles against NFL pass-rushers, but as he received more playing time, he managed to hold his own.

Sam Tevi, who will also be fighting for the starting job, could win this solely based on experience as a starter. That is why Pipkins will have to show that he has fixed his weaknesses from his last season, which include increased strength and improvement with his handwork, in order to win the spot.

RB Justin Jackson

Expected to run the ball more, the Chargers will have a competition for RB2. between Jackson and rookie Joshua Kelley. Jackson, the seventh-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, has averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 79 touches.

There is no denying that he can produce. The only issue is that he struggled to stay healthy last season, managing to play in only seven games. While the team is still “high” on him, Kelley, the fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, is out to win a spot and he has the skillset to do so.

Look: QB Justin Herbert spotted in new Chargers helmet

The Chargers rookie was seen rocking the new threads.

Players have yet to take the field as a team yet due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, that hasn’t stopped them for getting on-field work before training camp starts at the end of July, especially rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.

It didn’t take long for Herbert to get down to California after he was drafted with the first-round pick. Since then, he’s been getting work in with tight end Hunter Henry, along with some of the other Chargers players.

Herbert was recently on the field throwing where he supporting the new helmets, which will be debuted this upcoming season.

Check it out:

Tyrod Taylor, who is the front runner to win the starting job, was also seen wearing the new helmet recently.

The players are slated to begin training camp on July 27, barring any changes.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler gives first impressions of QB Justin Herbert

Austin Ekeler knows that it will take some time for Justin Herbert to develop.

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler will have a new signal-caller distributing the wealth to him after having the luxury of Philip Rivers do so the past three seasons.

Tyrod Taylor will likely start out under center in 2020, but then the torch will eventually be passed on to first-round pick Justin Herbert.

While Ekeler and Herbert have been unable to develop a chemistry on the field due to the coronavirus outbreak, they have still partook in virtual meetings together.

Ekeler, who was featured on NFL Media’s Around The Horn, was asked about what he can say about Herbert so far.

“Definitely has a lot to learn. The NFL can be a big workload, especially for a quarterback coming in expected to learn the offense and play within the first couple of years. I think there’s going to be a workload that’s he going to have to work through and translate to the field when it comes to that time.”

Ekeler knows that it could take time for him to adapt, citing that it’s nearly always a struggle with rookie quarterbacks. He also mentions that it hurts not only Herbert’s development, but other rookies, without organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp.

Herbert is in an ideal situation by not being forced to start. Under quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, the former Oregon product needs to continue to work on his mechanics and develop a better sense of the game from a mental standpoint before taking the reins.

Over time with the development, Herbert could be in a great position by playing in a system tailored to his strengths alongside a slew of solid skill players.

Herbert, Ekeler along with the rest of the team will take the field for the first time on July 28, as that marks the expected start date for training camp.

Chargers now have training camp start date barring changes

Progress is being made.

With COVID-19 still sweeping headlines, there are still a handful of uncertainties with the 2020 season. However, progress has been made as NFL teams now know when they’re expected to get ready for the upcoming campaign.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, teams will open up training camps 47 days before their Week 1 season opener.

For the Chargers, that date will be July 28. 29 other teams will open up camp on the same date, while the Chiefs and Texans, the two teams playing in the season opener on Sept. 10, will begin on July 25.

“This makes the training camp reporting date more uniform across the league. It used to be much more scattered, with teams reporting on various days over a weeklong period,” Schefter reported.

“There even used to be business departments that would push teams to start camp on a Wednesday so they could schedule the first padded practice four days later on a weekend, so as to best appeal to fans.”

It remains to be seen if fans will be allowed to attend sessions. If they are granted access, it’s likely that the capacity will be limited and there will be protocols to help prevent and limit any potential infection or spread of COVID-19.

NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero also reported on Wednesday that the league and players’ union are discussing the possibility of shortening the 2020 preseason from four games to two games to allow for a longer “ramp-up” period.