Corey Linsley – Page 3 – Syndication Server

The NFL’s All-Underrated Team: One Secret Superstar for all 32 teams

From Matt Milano to Denico Autry to Tyler Lockett to Tony Pollard, here are the NFL’s most underrated players by team.

Why are great players underrated in any sport?

There are all kinds of reasons. In football, it could be that the guy playing your position is even better than you are, and he’s been doing it longer. Maybe we only have the attention span for one great player at your position Maybe you’re on a team that doesn’t get much national praise, or you’re part of a unit that… well, stinks… and you’re one of the few bright spots. Or, you’re just getting started on the ascent, and the world hasn’t quite caught up yet.

No matter the reason, there are many NFL players who ply their trade at an exceedingly high level, and they’re not given their proper due. Here, we look to rectify this in 32 individual instances with the most underrated player for every NFL team. Some of these guys have been doing it the right way in the shade for a long time for their teams; a few are new in their uniforms.

No matter why, all 32 of these NFL players deserve more love than they get, and here’s why. Here is every NFL team’s most underrated player.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated).

3 Chargers poised to have breakout seasons in 2023

Highlighting three Chargers players who could be positioned to break out during the 2023 season.

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

It’s no different for a few Chargers players poised to have breakout campaigns and help the team with genuine Super Bowl hopes this upcoming season.

Corey Linsley says improving Chargers’ run game is a ‘collective effort’

Corey Linsley said that improvement in the Chargers’ running game will be a “collective effort.”

For all the fireworks that the Chargers brought to the offensive side of the ball last season, their running game was wildly inconsistent. Despite a herculean effort by Austin Ekeler to carry the team on the ground, Los Angeles couldn’t seem to find their rhythm when they ran the ball.

Still, center Corey Linsley is hopeful that L.A. can improve this key aspect of their attack in 2023.

Linsley spoke to the media after practice on Wednesday about what a fix for the running game might look like. Though the solution would, obviously, be complex, Linsley was optimistic that a more deliberate strategy to their ground game would pay dividends next season.

I think the focusing part of it will help us a lot. There was a little bit of where we didn’t ever get good at one thing last year in the run game. We had our plays that were successful, but they were individual plays. There wasn’t a scheme and we never felt like we got in a flow. Some of it’s on us, some of it is on coaches, some of it is on everybody, right? It’s a collective effort here and it always will be. Majoring in something, just like you said, I think it will help us take a step forward.

Having Ekeler back should help. The return of Rashawn Slater, who missed most of the 2022 season with a torn biceps should, as well. Additionally, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will be a vital piece. In his four years as OC for the Cowboys, Moore coached the seventh-best rushing offense in that timespan.

With a more honed-in approach, the Chargers should be able to find far more sustained success when they run the ball. If Los Angeles can find its identity on the ground during training camp and the preseason later in the summer, the team could surprise opponents with a dynamic offensive attack that isn’t totally reliant on Justin Herbert to move the ball upfield and score points.

PFF projects Chargers breakout player for 2023 season

PFF went through all 32 teams and named a breakout candidate from each one.

Pro Football Focus’ Zoltan Buday went through all 32 teams and named a breakout candidate from each one. For the Chargers, Buday pegged second-year guard Zion Johnson as his.

Johnson is another second-year player who struggled a bit early in his rookie season, but he showed plenty of promising signs as the season went on to make Chargers fans excited about a potential leap in Year 2. Even though he ranked just 39th in PFF grade among guards on the season, his 70.8 grade over the last seven weeks of the regular season was good for 12th best at his position. Also, his 73.5 run-blocking grade over that span ranked fifth among guards.

Selected No. 17 overall out of Boston College in the 2022 NFL draft, Johnson was thrown into the fire in his first season, filling in as the team’s starting right guard from the get-go.

He appeared in every game, playing 100% of the offensive snaps, except for Week 11 against the Raiders when he came off the field for 11% of the snaps due to a shoulder issue that he experienced.

Johnson experienced rookie growing pains, particularly in pass protection, as he was tasked to go up against elite competition. However, he was steadily strong as a run blocker alongside Trey Pipkins.

Johnson is expected to move from right to left guard, the spot he played in college, where he will play next to the young and talented tackle Rashawn Slater, which should only benefit his play.

Chargers’ Jamaree Salyer explains difference in approach between guard and tackle positions

Jamaree Salyer talked about the different approaches that are necessary to excel at the guard and tackle positions.

The Chargers need their offensive line to come through in a big way for them in the 2023 season, and Jamaree Salyer is poised to play a key role for the unit after taking on a starting spot as a rookie last year.

Originally drafted as a guard, Salyer played tackle in 2022 following an injury to Rashawn Slater, who held down the left side of Los Angeles’ line early in the season. Now slated to move back to guard in 2023, Salyer talked about the difference in approach between the two positions.

“Tackle, it calls for more explosion, as far as with your feet,” He explained. “Guard, I feel like, is more quick twitch. Things happen a lot faster on the inside than they do on the outside. Most of the time, as a tackle, you blocking, probably, the best pound-for-pound player on the field, he’s a good athlete, but you’re normally just blocking that person for like 70 percent of the game.

“At guard, there are twists, linebackers, nickels that come, safeties that show up on the inside, so you have to think a lot faster at guard, whereas at tackle, you have to play a lot faster, but it’s not as much thinking – most of the time, you’re just kind of out there playing the game.”

Clearly, his experience playing outside of his natural position last year gave Salyer valuable insight regarding the nuance of playing at the tackle position. He would be wise to leverage his newfound versatility moving forward, as his ability to fill in at multiple spots on Los Angeles’ front-five could prove to be a boon for the team if injuries play a role in their 2023 season.

Trey Pipkins details Corey Linsley’s role as anchor on Chargers offensive line

Trey Pipkins heaped high praise on Corey Linsley.

The Chargers are going to lean on their offensive line to help Justin Herbert put up eye-watering numbers in 2023.

Right tackle Trey Pipkins told reporters in a recent interview about the line’s outlook for next season and pointed to center Corey Linsley as a key player in the success of the team’s front five.

Asked about what it means for the unit to have an established talent like Linsley as an anchor, Pipkins didn’t hold back any praise for the dominant center.

It’s huge. Any time you can have [a] veteran like Corey [Linsley], who’s been through so much, has been to multiple Pro Bowls, all of that type of stuff, he can teach you so much about the game, about succeeding in the way that you want to succeed and helping you out in your own personal game. Even though he doesn’t play tackle or anything like that, the knowledge he has about the game is great. He helps a ton.

Despite missing two games, Linsley continued to show why the Chargers signed him two offseasons ago. The 31-year-old Linsley was dominant in pass protection, finishing with Pro Football Focus’ best pass block grade in the league and zero sacks allowed.

Having Linsley in the mix to buoy the line and elevate the play of other players up front is sure to have a major impact on the offense’s trajectory in 2023 and beyond as Los Angeles looks to find significant success in the postseason moving forward.

Chargers’ 2023 offensive depth chart update, draft strategy

After the various comings and goings, we assess where the Chargers stand at each position on the offensive side of the ball heading into the draft.

With the 2023 NFL draft just a week away, now is an excellent time to reset where the Chargers’ depth chart stands and what their strategy at each position could be.

First up: the offensive side of the ball.

Chargers 2023 NFL draft preview: Where does Los Angeles stand at offensive line?

Our Chargers’ NFL draft preview series continues with the offensive line.

After taking a steady approach in free agency, signing just one external player in linebacker Eric Kendricks and re-signing a handful of their own, the Chargers now have their sights set on the draft where they will look to bolster their roster with their selections and make a deeper run in 2023.

Before, we’re going position by position to break down where Los Angeles stands entering the draft.

Next up is the offensive line.

Catch the previous previews here:

Report: Chargers re-sign Will Clapp

The Chargers locked up their backup center.

The Chargers re-signed center Will Clapp on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Clapp was signed by Los Angeles last offseason after four seasons with the Saints. A seventh-round pick of the 2018 NFL draft out of LSU, Clapp appeared in 34 games, seven being starts.

Clapp started three games while Corey Linsley was out with a knee injury and a concussion. He was strong in pass protection, allowing just four pressures on 252 pass-blocking snaps.

With Clapp staying in the blue and gold, the Chargers have their backup center to Linsley locked up through the upcoming season.

Ohio State football class of 2023 scouting report: Luke Montgomery

Ohio State football class of 2023 scouting report: Luke Montgomery #GoBucks

The Ohio State football recruiting class of 2023 is complete and despite some murmurs of negativity in the crowd, this class is fantastic from top to bottom. One of the studs of this class is a four-star homegrown talent interior offensive lineman from Findlay, Ohio in Luke Montgomery.

Montgomery is widely viewed as a top 120 prospect in the class of 2023 and a top-five interior offensive lineman and of course a top-five prospect in the state of Ohio. The offensive line was great last season, but with the departure of a few studs, there could be potential for a youngster to see time sooner than expected. Let’s dive into what we can expect from Montgomery.

Name: Luke Montgomery

High School: Findlay (Findlay, OH)

Height: 6-feet, 4-inches

Weight: 295 pounds

4-Star Interior Offensive Lineman