Tag: Chargers training camp

Chargers RB Joshua Kelley reflects on transition from virtual offseason to first training camp

Chargers running back Joshua Kelley is happy to finally be on the practice field.

Chargers rookie running back Joshua Kelley should be very familiar with his new teammates, coaching staff and the team’s training facility by now. But that’s not the case, as the coronavirus outbreak put all in-person activities to a delay.

Kelley, along with the rest of the first-year players, arrived a little over a week ago for training camp, and are now able to put all the virtual activities to bed after being limited to it since the spring.

Kelley wasn’t too bummed about not being able to take the practice field months ago. Instead, the Zoom meetings helped get him a lot of mental reps. He eventually was able to get some reps in with his positional group prior to reporting to camp.

“Usually you’re in the meeting rooms and you go out on the field (but) this year has been different, it’s been an adjustment,” Kelley said. “Luckily for me, I’ve worked out with Austin (Ekeler) and Justin (Jackson,) so I’ve been able to get these reps with those guys.

For me, I was almost just stealing some reps this offseason where a lot of guys didn’t have that. It was almost kind of a seamless type of feel for me, because I’ve worked through these reps, I’ve worked through this with these guys, so it’s really helped me in walk throughs so far. But, I’m not perfect. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, so I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’ll get better.”

Kelley has gotten the help from players like Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Hunter Henry as he transitions to the professional level.

“They’ve been great,” he said. “They’re fantastic role models. They’re great people, great players. They’re pretty much just teaching me how to be a professional. And for me as a rookie, that’s the best thing you can ask for, veterans just taking you under their wing and teaching you how to be a pro.”

Kelley, the former UCLA product, was productive in college. While he has the opportunity to take on a big role in the backfield, he admits that the game is a lot faster going from virtual to in-person activities, and he needs to get caught up to the speed of the NFL first.

“The biggest thing is getting a chance to see how fast things are going. For me, I’m in the huddle so I have to really process information (and) get lined up, and it just goes by really fast. I’m pretty sure when the vets get here, it’ll be light speed.”

3 under-the-radar Chargers to watch at training camp

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out three players who are worthy of your attention that aren’t getting enough love.

Training camp is officially underway.

The majority of the talks have been of the big-name players. But there are some members that aren’t getting enough attention that should, as they could carve up a role on the team when all is said and done.

Here are three under-the-radar Chargers to keep an eye on at training camp:

S Alohi Gilman

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers drafted Gilman in the sixth-round of this year’s draft. He led an Irish defense that finished No. 5 nationally in pass efficiency and No. 8 in yards per play allowed in 2019.

Los Angeles lost a few key special teamers this offseason, including Adrian Phillips and Derek Watt. Gilman should step in as a special teams ace, but he could carve up a larger role than just that.

With Phillips gone to the Patriots, Gilman will be in contention not only for the backup strong safety spot to Derwin James, but for the team’s dimebacker – the sixth defensive back in dime packages.

Gilman plays with the read-react skills, toughness and swagger required to thrive at the position. His play has been highly praised by coach Anthony Lynn and general manager Tom Telesco.

“He’s super smart, tough and he hits,” Telesco said. “Those are some traits that are good to have in the secondary. We think between safety and some special teams, he has a real chance here.”

If the former Notre Dame product shows out in camp, expect to see him on the field in his rookie season.

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4 defensive storylines to watch at Chargers training camp

The Los Angeles Chargers look to finish as a top-5 unit in 2020.

Here are four defensive storylines to watch for the Los Angeles Chargers during training camp.

Deciphering crowded secondary

The Chargers have one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL, but the unit is jam packed with players vying for playing time.

Nasir Adderley, Los Angeles’ second-round pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, had high expectations heading into the summer, as many thought that he would make a nice tandem alongside safety Derwin James. But he was derailed by a lingering hamstring issue that had been ongoing even before he was drafted.

Meanwhile, Rayshawn Jenkins emerged in 2019 as a long-term solution at that position. This offseason, they signed Chris Harris Jr. to play in the slot, which has also left Desmond King with limited options to find playing time.

One possibility is playing Adderley at dimebacker — the sixth defensive back in the dime packages. Or he could play free safety in those packages, with Jenkins moving to dimebacker. In either of those scenarios, King likely wouldn’t be able to see the field.

The bottom line is that having a crowded secondary is a good problem to have. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

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5 offensive storylines to watch at Chargers training camp

The Los Angeles Chargers will have a new look on the offensive side of the ball.

Here are five offensive storylines to watch for the Los Angeles Chargers during training camp:

A new era

All eyes will be on the quarterback position after the 16-year marriage between the Chargers and Philip Rivers came to an end earlier this offseason.

Taking over is Tyrod Taylor, the 10-year veteran. Taylor has spent most of his career as a backup but did start three seasons with the Bills, leading them to a playoff appearance in 2017. In 43 starts, Taylor has a 62.6 completion percentage and has thrown 51 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions.

But it won’t be without competition.

Los Angeles drafted Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft with the hopes of him becoming the long-term solution. Herbert faces an uphill challenge after an unusual virtual offseason program that kept him from taking the practice field.

While Herbert has the size, athleticism and arm strength to get by, his accuracy needs to improve, as does his anticipation. His development will be key in order to best of him. The team is hopeful that quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton will help aide in that.

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Chargers cut 6 players, get roster to 80 players prior to NFL deadline

A notable player was cut by the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers cut bait with six players on Saturday, bringing their roster to 80 players.

Those players are as followed:

  • WR Andre Patton
  • DT P.J. Johnson
  • OT Koda Martin
  • TE Jared Rice
  • S Roderic Teamer
  • TE Andrew Vollert

Los Angeles could have started training camp with the traditional 90-man roster but needed to get down to 80 prior to the agreed-upon deadline of August 16 that the NFL and NFLPA settled in their negotiations for how the league will handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

By making cuts now, it gets the Bolts ahead of the pack, and also opening up the door for some of those waived players to find a new team ahead of the upcoming season.

Below is the official team statement:

The Los Angeles Chargers today announced the release of defensive tackle P.J. Johnson, tackle Koda Martin, wide receiver Andre Patton, tight end Jared Rice, safety Roderic Teamer and tight end Andrew Vollert. The moves bring the roster to 80 players for the start of training camp.

Johnson was a seventh-round selection by Detroit in the 2019 NFL Draft and finished the season on the Bolts’ practice squad.

Martin spent the 2019 season on injured reserve after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent.

Patton initially signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2017, spending two seasons on the practice squad before appearing in 13 games last year.

Rice was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Fresno State this offseason.

Teamer, an undrafted rookie free agent, made the 53-man roster in 2019, playing in seven games.

Opportunities opened up for Chargers’ rookie wide receivers

The battle for the third wide receiver spot just got more intense.

The battle for the third wide receiver will be one of the most compelling position competitions this training camp for the Chargers.

On Friday, I laid out what the team is specifically looking for and who might be the frontrunner.

Andre Patton was who I believed would win the job because of his experience. But in a surprising fashion, Patton was among six players released to get the roster down to 80 players.

With Patton gone, the attention has been shifted to two specific players – Joe Reed and K.J. Hill – both of whom provide the position with their own unique skillsets.

Reed, the fifth-round pick, can provide some versatility as he has experience out wide, in the slot and occasionally in the backfield. He can be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to the role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last season. He has the speed that the Chargers are looking for (4.47) to stretch the field.

Reed should help out with special teams as he averaged 33 yards a return and took five touchdowns to the house during his career at the University of Virginia.

Meanwhile, Hill, the seventh-round selection, isn’t the fastest wideout, but he has a knack for getting open and catching everything thrown his way. That’s a large reason why Hill is Ohio State’s reception leader (201). Even though he will likely be limited to the slot, Keenan Allen, the team’s natural slot receiver, is capable of playing outside.

Lynn specifically highlighted “speed” as the main thing the coaching staff is looking for during the evaluation process.

Therefore, I believe Reed has the slight advantage over Hill. A player I mentioned that should get some attention heading into camp is Jalen Guyton. Guyton, who has the breakaway speed (4.3) to be a threat on the outside.

Chargers top 5 breakout season players in 2020: LB Drue Tranquill

The Los Angeles Chargers’ former fourth-round pick could be voted a team captain this season.

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 fifth and final story in a five-part series counting down the top 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

Part 4: OT Trey Pipkins

Drue Tranquill, the fourth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, made an impact upon arriving to camp in his rookie season. As the season went on, he became a key piece on the defensive side of the ball.

In 15 games played, three of which he started, Tranquill racked up 64 tackles (50 solo), four tackles for loss and one pass defended. On top of that, he finished tied for the most special teams tackles by any rookie (11), and finished second on the Chargers in the same category behind Derek Watt.

For his efforts, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team as the non-returner/kicker special teams player.

Even though he established himself as the team’s best linebacker in 2019, the former Notre Dame product will still likely split time with Denzel Perryman at MIKE, while rookie Kenneth Murray starts at WILL this upcoming season. The reason for that is because the coaching staff still loves Perryman.

Perryman will play middle linebacker on most — if not all — rushing downs, and Tranquill will fill that role on passing downs. If I was the one in charge, Tranquill would be a three-down player next to Murray.

I expect Tranquill to continue his dominance in coverage and against the run, as well as one special teams. It may seem like a long shot for him to make the Pro Bowl at the linebacker position in Year 2, but he’s more than capable of landing on the team as a special teamer.

Who will emerge as Chargers’ No. 3 wide receiver, what will their role look like?

This will be one of the more heated positional battles of training camp.

The Chargers struggled to get production from their No. 3 wide receiver last season. Aside from the one-two punch of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, it was slim pickings.

When the topic of the third receiver was brought up to coach Anthony Lynn’s attention on Wednesday, he said the No. 1 thing Los Angeles is looking for in the No. 3 wide receiver is “speed,” similar to what Tyrell Williams brought.

L.A. thought they had that with Travis Benjamin, but his inconsistent hands and injuries were maddening, which is why they elected to part ways.

At the moment, Andre Patton is the frontrunner because of his experience, and gives the Chargers what they’re looking for at that position with his 4.4 speed.

Patton appeared in 13 regular season games in 2019. He caught six passes for 56 yards last season. In the 2019 preseason, Patton caught six passes for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Los Angeles added some pieces to the room by selecting Joe Reed in the fifth-round and K.J. Hill in the seventh-round of this year’s draft.

Reed and Hill should push Patton, but their skillsets don’t necessarily match what Lynn’s looking for in that role. Reed has the quicks, but he wasn’t much of a deep threat in college. Meanwhile, Hill isn’t known for his speed. Instead, he’s coveted for his route-running ability and ball skills.

Rounding out the rest of the group is Darius Jennings, Jason Moore, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, Jeff Cotton and Dalton Schoen.

Guyton is a guy to keep an eye on, as he ran a 4.3 40 at his college Pro Day.

At the end of the day, Reed and Hill will make it a battle, but I expect Patton to ultimately win the job. His familiarity with the offense, experience and the shortage of training camp should earn the role.

Check out the car Chargers’ Melvin Ingram showed up to training camp in

Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram showed up to training camp in a fresh whip.

Rookies showed up to training camp on Monday, while veterans arrived on Tuesday.

It’s been a long time coming since players have taken the field, but they’re back. Excited to be back, some of them showed up to camp in style, including Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram.

Ingram showed up in a 2020 Blue Steel Slingshot – a show stopping three-wheeled bat mobile.

Ingram posted the photos of him along with the whip to his personal Instagram account.

The team’s official social media account captured him in it, too. Seen in the video is a film crew recording Ingram, which is likely going to be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks.

Chargers’ Anthony Lynn talks Joey Bosa’s extension, quarterback situation

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn spoke to the media on Wednesday.

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Chargers coach Anthony Lynn spoke with the media about a handful of topics. By no surprise, the main topic that was addressed was defensive end Joey Bosa’s huge contract extension that he received on Tuesday.

“Joey is tied down for a little while, and we’re all excited about it. We have some other guys with contracts coming up,, but time will tell,” Lynn said. “It’s one less distraction you have to deal with.”

Lynn knew that there was the possibility of Bosa holding out had he not received a bigger paycheck, similar to the situation of Melvin Gordon last offseason.

“It didn’t work out with Melvin last year but glad it worked out now. “It’s my job to build these players up and make them feel like Superman. When they want to get paid like Superman I step back.”

Bosa, along with 85 other players, have reported to training camp, per Lynn. He is not aware of anyone having to be placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. There have not any players that have approached him about opting out, either.

One of the hottest headlines entering training camp is the team’s quarterback room with Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, and how that will shake up. We’ve been assuming that Taylor will be the Week 1 starter, and from Lynn’s comments, that’s likely how it’ll play out.

“He’ll probably be our Day 1 starter,” Lynn said.

Lynn believes that Herbert is in the ideal situation being able to sit behind Taylor because of his work ethic and their similar introverted personalities. Lynn added that quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton is “doing a hell of a job with him right now.”