Tag: denzel perryman

LB Kenneth Murray coming into his own in Chargers defense

The future is looking very bright for No. 56 in the blue and gold.

The Chargers’ defense has had its ups and downs this season, as the unit has been battered by injuries.

Among the positional groups that has seen players go down is the linebackers. Drue Tranquill was placed on the IR after the first game of the season. Denzel Perryman and Kyzir White have both missed a few games.

However, the one member of the crop that has played and started every single game this season is Kenneth Murray.

Murray, who Los Angeles traded up for in the first-round to draft, experienced growing pains with an expanded role right off the bat, but he’s made consistent growth over time.

“Every week there’s a little bit of growth that I go through,” Murray said. “I see something faster, maybe quicker, and I think the beauty of it [is], I’ve always been the type of guy that if we play a team once, when we come back and play them a second time, you’re able to see things and see how they do things to be able to capitalize on those things. I think that’s been another thing to my benefit being able to play our division teams twice a year.”

Murray has been at his best when making plays in front of him and laterally, stopping ball carriers as they try to escape. The area that’s improving, but he will need to continue to get better at is in coverage.

However, he has been put in a tough spot with both safety Derwin James and linebacker Drue Tranquill, two of the team’s best coverage defenders, out with injuries.

Murray has one game left to play, and he’s already surpassed over 100 tackles, marking the sixth Chargers linebacker since 2000 to post at least 100 tackles in a regular season. The other five are Junior Seau, Donnie Edwards, Stephen Cooper, Takeo Spikes and Thomas Davis.

In total, Murray has 104 tackles, five tackles for loss, three passes defensed, and a sack.

All in all, given the circumstances of a short training camp and no preseason, Murray has played extremely well this season and it’s safe to say that he is just scratching the surface.

Chargers LB Kenneth Murray has breakout game in blowout loss vs. Patriots

Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray was all over the place.

There weren’t many positives from the Chargers’ worst defeat in franchise history last Sunday to the Patriots.

But there was one player, despite what the scoreboard displayed, that played hard until the final whistle was blown. That player was rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray.

Playing every snap due to LBs Denzel Perryman and Kyzir White being out, Murray made the most of them, roaming around like his head was on fire.

The former first-round pick finished with a season-high 14 tackles, bringing his total to 89. He had seven run stops and two tackles for loss. Most notably, Murray also picked up his first professional sack.

Even as New England continued to rack up points, Murray still gave 100% effort. Nick Vigil was at MIKE calling the plays in nickel and base defenses while Murray was calling the plays when the team went to dime packages.

Murray was at his best at making plays in front of him and laterally, stopping ball carriers as they tried to escape. The area that he will need to continue to get better at is in coverage, where he hasn’t been the most comfortable.

However, he has been put in a tough spot with both safety Derwin James and linebacker Drue Tranquill, two of the team’s best coverage defenders, out with injuries.

All in all, given the circumstances, Murray has played well this season and it’s safe to say that he is just scratching the surface.

Chargers inactives: See who’s in and who’s out for Week 13 vs. Patriots

Sam Tevi won’t play.

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to play host to the New England Patriots in Week 13 of the regular season.

Here is a look at their inactives today:

Easton Stick

Joe Reed

Troymaine Pope

Denzel Perryman

Sam Tevi

Tyree St. Louis

Cortez Broughton

Tevi is with his wife today for the birth of their child. With Tevi out, Storm Norton will get the start at left tackle.

Edge defender Uchenna Nwosu, running back Kalen Ballage and cornerback Casey Hayward are all active today.

Chargers final injury report vs. Patriots: LB Denzel Perryman doubtful

The Los Angeles Chargers could be thin at the linebacker position.

The Los Angeles Chargers released their final injury report ahead of the Week 13 battle with the New England Patriots.

Here is a look at the report:

DOUBTFUL

Denzel Perryman

QUESTIONABLE

Kalen Ballage

Casey Hayward

Uchenna Nwosu

Joe Reed

The Chargers may very well be without linebacker Denzel Perryman, who suffered a back injury in last weekend’s loss to the Bills. The team could also be missing Kyzir White, who still remains on the COVID-19 list.

If Perryman and White can’t play, Nick Vigil and Cole Christiansen will split snaps at linebacker, according to coach Anthony Lynn.

If cornerback Casey Hayward has to miss the second consecutive game, Lynn hinted that Brandon Facyson would start over Tevaughn Campbell on the outside opposite of Michael Davis.

Report: Chargers LB Denzel Perryman not fined for hit on Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins

No fines for Chargers headhunter Denzel Perryman.

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The player responsible for taking Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins out of the Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Chargers will not be fined by the NFL according to a new report.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Chargers LB Denzel Perryman was not among the players fined by the NFL following his Week 2 hit on Watkins, which left him in the NFL’s concussion protocol. There was no flag on the play, but the NFL doesn’t need a flag in order to enforce a fine for helmet-to-helmet contact. Those who dole out fines examined the tape and determined it was not egregious enough to warrant a fine.

Following the Week 2 game, Chiefs HC Andy Reid was irate with the fact that it happened and wasn’t called a penalty on the field.

“Sammy (Watkins) got a hit to the head that was very questionable,” Reid said following the game. “Anyway, he got a hit to the head — we’re not supposed to have those in our game ever.”

Watkins took to social media following the game to let fans know that he was alright. He was wobbly getting up from the play and had to be helped to the sideline as he clutched his head. He wanted everyone to know that he harbored no ill-will for the helmet-to-helmet hit.

Watkins is currently listed as questionable for Monday’s game. Andy Reid’s latest comments on his status were positive, though.

“He practiced in full the last couple days,” Reid said. “He had a stiff neck, and tribute to the kid, he lived in the training room and got the knot in there worked out and I think he feels pretty good right now. So, we’ll just monitor him as we go and see how he does.”

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LB Kenneth Murray taking on role as Chargers’ field general

The Los Angeles Chargers are leaning on their first-round pick to call the defensive plays.

The quarterbacks are the ones on offense who relay the plays and makes adjustments. But those responsibilities belong to someone on the defensive side of the ball, too.

For the most part, they are given to a veteran. But in this instance, for the Chargers, they fall on rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray’s shoulders.

Murray posted a picture of his helmet on Instagram, which had a green dot on top of the crown. That green dot indicates that he will have a radio in his helmet to receive the play calls from the defensive coaches.

It’s common for middle linebackers to have the green dot, which indicates that Murray is due to get the start at the position this Sunday against the Bengals.

This isn’t a new sight for Murray, though. The team’s first-round pick made the calls and checks all three years at Oklahoma, showing the ability to quickly process a playbook at a young age.

Los Angeles praised Murray for his high football IQ after they selected him with the No. 23 overall, hinting that he could be given the play-call responsibilities. Now, it’s official.

Murray, the new man in the middle of the defense, will share the field with Denzel Perryman, Drue Tranquill and Kyzir White.

We will have a better feel for the playing time and alignment for each player as the game rolls on Sunday.

Chargers LB Kyzir White proving his worth at training camp

Could Chargers linebacker Kyzir White finally get meaningful playing time?

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After flashing very early on in his rookie season, Chargers linebacker Kyzir White’s year was cut short after sustaining a knee injury.

White used the time off to get healthier, stronger and bigger. He started the 2019 season as the starting middle linebacker while Denzel Perryman was nursing an ankle injury for the first two games.

White struggled in that role, so Perryman took over. With Thomas Davis serving as the starting WILL, that only left White with one option: SAM. With the Chargers playing a lot of nickel and dime packages, that means the SAM doesn’t see the field as much.

Because of that, White didn’t play as much as many were expecting. When White did see the field, though, he was making plays. The former West Virginia product finished with 40 tackles, two passes defensed and one tackle for loss.

Heading into Year 3, White is hoping to not be lost in the shuffle and earn some meaningful playing time.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said that White “is really coming on strong now,” adding that the team has been moving him around a lot and he’s been making a lot of plays throughout training camp.

White’s recent play has suggested that he’s worth an expanded role. Like I mentioned, if he plays the SAM, then he won’t have much of an opportunity to make an impact, given the majority of the time the defense is in a sub-package.

Speaking of sub-packages, there is a void at the dime linebacker spot, which was played by Adrian Phillips the past couple of seasons, that still needs to be filled. White is capable of manning the spot, given his experience at both linebacker and safety.

He could also rotate inside with rookie Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill.

The bottom line is that White needs to see the field more, as long as he can stay healthy. To Bradley, this is the “strongest linebacker group he’s had since he’s been in Los Angeles.”

Chargers’ Kenneth Murray focused on one spot at linebacker position

The Chargers see Kenneth Murray as the long-term answer at middle linebacker.

The Chargers traded up and selected linebacker Kenneth Murray in the first-round of this year’s draft with the hopes of him adding dynamic element to the position.

Originally, the thought was that Murray was going to overtake the WILL (weakside linebacker) spot that was played by Thomas Davis last season. But it appears that the team wants him to hone in on learning the MIKE (middle linebacker) spot before the team can move him around more.

The MIKE role has been held by Denzel Perryman for the past few years. But second-year Drue Tranquill played there in his rookie season, as well, where he excelled.

Los Angeles knows that they need to have Tranquill on the field as much as possible, which is why his primary position has been at WILL thus far at camp, and it appears that he will be the permanent starter.

Meanwhile, Murray and Perryman have been competing in training camp for the starting MIKE role.

Perryman worked with the first-team while Murray dealt with some soreness that kept him out during the first week of practices.

But Murray has been back in team drills the past two days, and during walkthrough 11-on-11s on Tuesday, Murray replaced Perryman as the MIKE linebacker with the starting defense, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

The team still covets Perryman for his ability against the run, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he enters Week 1 as the starting middle linebacker. But if Murray catches on quickly, he could overtake his job, especially because he has more of a complete skillset than Perryman does.

Looking towards the future, Murray and Tranquill are the future at the linebacker position. This could mark Perryman’s last year with the team, knowing he is slated to become a free agent after 2020.

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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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.