Tag: Desmond King

ESPN analyst introduces potential trade idea for Chargers

ESPN Field Yates believes the Chargers should trade for a left tackle.

Chargers cornerback Desmond King has been thrown into trade conversations after the team signed Chris Harris Jr. earlier this offseason. Talks slowed down, but they have started to arise again after a player-for-player trade idea was proposed by ESPN’s Field Yates.

Yates proposed a makeshift trade that would send King to the Vikings for offensive tackle Riley Reiff. Minnesota would also agree to pay $3.8 million of his base salary.

Los Angeles did a great job by reconstructing the offensive line by adding Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner. However, the team did not address the left tackle position that needs to be filled after the departure of Russell Okung.

Yates believes that Reiff would be a “dependable” option and he wouldn’t cost all that much, either.

“In this maneuver, Reiff would be acquired for two years and up to $18.85 million, a fair market price for a 31-year-old starter. Because Reiff does not have any guaranteed money due to him in 2021, the Chargers would have the chance to evaluate Reiff fully this season and reevaluate the need to address the left tackle spot further next offseason,” Yates said.

The Vikings could afford to trade Reiff because they drafted his eventual replacement, Ezra Cleveland in the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Rather than letting King play his final season under contract, the Chargers could be in a position where they could deal him to a team that’s in need of a proven cornerback, like the Vikings, and get a player that addresses a glaring position of need in return.

It’s difficult to see a player that was an All-Pro two seasons ago be shipped, but given how his presence might not be as needed due to the arrival of Harris Jr. and if they don’t foresee him being an extension candidate, it might not be as bad of an idea after all.

Third down defense needs to be point of emphasis for Chargers in 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers have a talented defense, but they need to be better on third down.

While the Chargers finished with a top-10 defense in 2019, they struggled to stop opposing offenses on third-down situations and in the red zone on crucial possession downs, ranking 29th and 30th in the league, respectively.

A big reason why Los Angeles was unable to get off the field in those situations was because of the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks and conservative coverage.

L.A. finished 26th in quarterback pressures with 125. The number doesn’t come as a surprise as the unit blitzed only 75 times, which ranked last in the league.

However, it’s inexcusable when the Chargers have arguably the best pass-rushing duo with defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.

Gus Bradley’s scheme from previous seasons, a Cover 3 system that involves a lot of zone coverage, forced them to play conservative and did not allow many opportunities to attack downhill.

To ensure they have more success on third downs moving forward, Bradley is going to incorporate more split safeties and tighter coverage, which could lead to more takeaways.

This offseason, the Chargers brought in more personnel to help, signing cornerback Chris Harris Jr. to add to the room that consists of Casey Hayward, Michael Davis and Desmond King. They also signed defensive tackle Linval Joseph and drafted linebacker Kenneth Murray.

Having safety Derwin James for a full 16-game slate will also be beneficial. James made a major impact on third-down situations in his rookie season. Unfortunately, he was limited to a few games in 2019 due to a foot injury.

The team is hopeful that defensive tackle Jerry Tillery takes a step forward after an underwhelming rookie campaign. Drafted for his ability to get after the quarterback, Tillery is working hard this offseason to improve his game.

The bottom line is that more pressure and different coverage alignments will hopefully be the solution to improving Los Angeles’ third-down defense in 2020.

ESPN names 5 Chargers as candidates for contract extensions

The Los Angeles Chargers have some tough decisions to make.

While players are gearing up to start taking the field soon, accountants and salary-cap managers are hard at work, looking to see if they can lock up some of their key players whose contracts expire at the end of the season.

The Chargers have a handful of notable players who are set to become free agents after the 2020 season. To ensure they’re on the roster beyond this season, deals could get done before training camp or the regular season.

ESPN named over 50 players who could be considered for a contract extension before the 2020 campaign arrives. Los Angeles has five players mentioned.

Here are the Chargers players as well as what ESPN had to say about them:

WR Keenan Allen: “Allen has at least 97 catches and at least 1,100 yards in each of his past three seasons, just turned 28 and is set to make $10.75 million in the final year of his contract.”

WR Hunter Henry: “The Chargers’ franchise player will make $10.607 million this year if he doesn’t reach agreement on an extension by July 15.“

DE Joey Bosa: “Bosa’s option year is this year, and he’s slated to make $14.36 million. Franchising him in 2021 would cost something in the $17 million to $18 million range. Remember that Bosa and the Chargers had trouble agreeing to the details of his slotted rookie contract the year he was drafted. No rumblings of this yet, but would anyone be surprised if Bosa turned out to be a guy who held out for a new deal with one year left?”

DE Melvin Ingram: “Bosa isn’t the only Chargers pass-rusher in the final year of his deal. Melvin Ingram III has $14 million coming in 2020 and nothing after. He’s 31 years old. Can the Chargers keep both of these guys?”

CB Desmond King: “King is an extremely valuable player for the Chargers in the return game as well as the defense.”

Chargers 2017 draft class bookended as one of the best in NFL

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler is quite high on the Los Angeles Chargers’ 2017 draft class.

It’s always a fun exercise to revisit previous draft classes by using on-field production in the player’s professional careers to critique how general managers did with their selections and undrafted free agent signings.

That’s exactly what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler did, ranking each NFL team’s 2017 draft classes. With three seasons of play under their belts, he was able to accurately judge the hauls.

For the Chargers, they had one of the better classes among the rest of the league, finishing No. 10 overall.

To recap, here’s a look at GM Tom Telesco’s haul:

Round 1, (No. 7 overall) Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

Round 2, (No. 38) Forrest Lamp, G, Western Kentucky

Round 3, (No. 71), Dan Feeney, G, Indiana

Round 4, (No. 113) Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Miami

Round 5, (No. 151) Desmond King, S, Iowa

Round 6, (No. 190) Sam Tevi, OT, Utah

Round 7, (No. 225) Isaac Rochell, DT, Notre Dame

Brugler highlighted the players that are still on the team, and it just so happens that Los Angeles is the only squad that has managed to retain each one of their picks from that draft.

Wide receiver Mike Williams has turned into a solid vertical threat, leading the league league in yards per catch in 2019. Williams had his fifth-year option picked up earlier this offseason.

Guard Forrest Lamp entered the league as one of the best linemen from that class. However, injuries over the past few seasons have hampered him from reaching his full potential.

Guard Dan Feeney has been a starter since his rookie season. After facing some bumps in Year 1, Feeney has improved as years have gone on. He has made 41 of 46 possible starts.

Rayshawn Jenkins has taken over as the starter at free safety after beginning his career as a strong safety. There are still deficiencies to Jenkins’ game, but he led the team in interceptions last season (3) and the coaching staff covets him.

Cornerback Desmond King has proven to be a great value pick as the impactful defender has been stout in both coverage and against the run. While he may have lost his starting job as the starting slot corner with the signing of Chris Harris Jr., King could still contribute in the dime linebacker role.

Offensive tackle Sam Tevi was drafted to serve as a swing tackle, but injuries to other players forced him into the starting lineup. He hasn’t performed well in each of his three seasons, but the coaching staff is hopeful that new offensive line coach James Campen will help improve his game.

Defensive end Isaac Rochell has been a key contributor as a rotational pass-rusher, playing in all 16 games the last two seasons and posting seven sacks and 46 tackles in his career.

2017 was also significant because it marked the year that running back Austin Ekeler was signed as an undrafted free agent. Brugler cites Ekeler as the second-best pass-catching back behind Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey. Ekeler finished 2019 with 92 catches for 993 receiving yards and eight scores.

3 best bargain contracts for Chargers in 2020

General manager Tom Telesco has done a fine job at acquiring players on great deals.

The Chargers present one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. A handful of those players were obtained by general manager Tom Telesco on great deals, too.

With that being said, here is a look at three of the best bargain contracts that Los Angeles has on the roster for the upcoming season:

OT Bryan Bulaga

Average salary: $4,833,333

In need of solid play along the offensive line, the Chargers were able to land one of the best players at the right tackle position for a heck of a deal. Bulaga was signed to a three-year deal worth $30 million. There are 37 tackles in the league that will make more than him this upcoming season, some of which are backups. The 10-year veteran should accelerate the transition process for new offensive line coach James Campen who coached him during their shared time with the Packers. But most importantly, protect Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert and aide in paving the way for the members of the backfield.

S Derwin James

Average salary: $3,378,806

It only took a season for James to make his mark as one of the league’s best safeties. His 105 tackles (75 solo), six quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in his rookie campaign hardly showed how phenomenal he was, as the do-it-all defender helped take the defense to another level. Had he not been hurt in Year 2, the former Florida State product would have been a prime candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors. There are 37 safeties who are set to make more than James during the 2020 season. If James cranks it up another notch this season, a contract extension could be in discussion.

CB Desmond King

Average salary: $2,202,998

The Chargers boast a strong secondary, but one player who hasn’t gotten as much recognition as he should is King. He has been tabbed as Second-Team All-Pro (2018), snubbed from a couple of Pro Bowls and has the second-highest three-year Pro Football Focus grade on defense from the 2017 NFL Draft (90.7). There 62 cornerbacks set to make more than the former Iowa product this upcoming season. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, it would be difficult to see a key defensive back leave, but the signing of Chris Harris Jr. might leave him out of a job with the team after 2020.

4 most under-appreciated Chargers

Which Chargers players don’t get that much love?

I asked fans on our Facebook and Twitter pages who they believe are the most under-appreciated players on the Chargers. For the most part, the answers were mutual.

With that being said, here are the four most under-appreciated members of Los Angeles heading into the 2020 season:

WR Mike Williams

The first season of Williams’ professional career wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as the former Clemson product was hampered by injuries. However, he quickly turned things around in his sophomore season, emerging as the player they were hoping to get. In 2018, Williams posted 10 touchdowns. In his third year in the league, he saw a decline in the touchdown category (2). But he still surpassed the 1,000-yard mark and had a league-high 20.4 yards per catch. The 25-year old had his fifth-year option picked up earlier this offseason, and he will be hoping to land a long-term commitment by doing what he does best by using his size, strength and coordination to make plays on the ball down the field look routine.

DE Melvin Ingram

For years now, Ingram has been a consistent anchor for the Chargers’ defensive line. He’s had a knack for pressuring the quarterback, drawing double-teams from opposing offensive linemen to allow other defensive linemen to get to the quarterback and serving as a stout run defender. Ingram failed to play a full season in 2019, but he still managed to tally 39 tackles, seven sacks, five passes defended and an interception in 13 games. Ingram’s presence is well-known for the work he does on and off the field, but it’s Bosa who gets the majority of the love. There’s a possibility that this could be Ingram’s final season with the Bolts as he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent after 2020. Ingram also has the largest salary cap hit on the roster ($16 million), which could lessen the chances of him re-signing.

CB Desmond King

The Chargers boast a strong secondary, but one player who doesn’t get as much recognition as he should is King. The former fifth-round pick from 2017 has proven himself as being one of the biggest draft steals for what he’s done since his rookie campaign. The former Iowa product has manned the slot position at a high level. For his hard work, he has been tabbed as Second-Team All-Pro (2018), snubbed from a couple of Pro Bowls and has the second-highest three-year Pro Football Focus grade on defense from the 2017 NFL Draft (90.7). His football IQ, vision, instincts and solid tackling ability are reasons why he has flourished. Heading into 2020, King likely won’t see the field as much at his natural position after the signing of Chris Harris Jr. But I expect the team to use him as an outside corner and dime linebacker.

K Michael Badgley

It wasn’t long ago when the Chargers’ games were determined by a field goal. In need of finding a consistent kicker after a carousel of them, Badgley was the guy they had been needing all along. In two seasons with the Bolts, the former Miami product has given the team no reason to look elsewhere. He has posted 28-of-32 on field goals with a long of 59 yards and is 46-of-47 on extra points. Along with being a good kicker, his character is well-liked among the players on the team.

What Chargers’ Gus Bradley said at media availability

Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley touched on handful of topics.

Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley spoke to the media on Wednesday via Zoom teleconference.

Going into the 2020 season, Bradley will have more pieces to utilize which include cornerback Chris Harris Jr, defensive tackle Linval Joseph and rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray.

Harris, the four-time Pro Bowl selection, brings a proven veteran presence to the cornerback room. Bradley said he met him at the Pro Bowl in 2019, and loves how competitive he is and feels like he will be a good addition to the defense.

To fill the void after Thomas Davis released earlier this offseason, Los Angeles traded up 14 spots to snag Murray with the No. 23 overall selection in this year’s draft. Bradley said his intensity, leadership, and length were some of the reasons why they picked him.

The Bolts released Brandon Mebane, too. To fill the nose tackle spot, the team signed Joseph. Bradley hasn’t met Joseph yet, but said that he has heard a lot about the leadership he brings, highlighting his spirited nature and feels like has a chip on his shoulder.

Bradley said that he wants to be more active at the position as a whole.

He believes Justin Jones will benefit from the changes that the team is making with the defensive scheme. As for Jerry Tillery, who didn’t wow as many people in his rookie season, Bradley highlighted his flashes. But the one thing needed to be improved upon was his strength and simply getting bigger. He said Tillery has been working hard this offseason.

A couple of the bigger questions heading into training camp is what role is Desmond King going to play after the signing of Harris, and how will Nasir Adderley see the field more as he showed a lot of promise before having his season come to an end after sustaining a hamstring injury.

Bradley said that King could play safety in their dime package. He said they may move him to the outside. King is going to have a lot on his plate heading into the final year of his contract, but he is a versatile player that they could move around.

Adderley was in the mix for the starting free safety spot, but the injury kept him off the field nearly the entire season. Heading into Year 2, Adderley could earn a job at the position, especially because Bradley said he wants to implement more two-deep safety looks and man coverage this season as opposed to just his Cover 3 system that relies heavily on zone coverage.

Rayshawn Jenkins, the team’s starting free safety from last season, showed have the same role. But Bradley thinks Jenkins might play more linebacker and strong safety this season to help with the dime linebacker void after Adrian Phillips left in free agency.

Bradley said that he could see Adderley, Jenkins or rookie Alohi Gilman in that spot.

One of the biggest goals this season is creating more takeaways. He said the defense didn’t do a good enough job of taking the ball away last season. The unit ranked second-worst in the league with a -17 turnover differential.

The bottom line is that we can expect the majority of the players on the defensive side of the ball to be moved around quite a bit this upcoming season, and a possible change to the scheme could benefit the group as a whole.

Which Chargers veterans could be on the trading block?

There are three members of the Los Angeles Chargers who could be involved in a trade package to move up in the draft.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco didn’t shy away from making a trade up on Thursday night to secure a player that was loved by the coaching throughout the pre-draft process.

Telesco jumped up 14 spots to draft linebacker Kenneth Murray, trading their second and third-round picks with the Patriots.

After giving up both picks, Los Angeles will not be making any selections on Friday evening, at least for now.

“You never know. It’s not like we’re going to take tomorrow off,” Telesco said when asked about the possibility of trading up again to make a selection on Day 2 of the draft.

Without a second or third-round selection, it might be tricky to strike a deal with a team unless it involves a veteran player.

Should Telesco see a player at the wide receiver or offensive tackle position that’s high on their big board that they want to snag once again, who might he look to include in a possible trade?

Three names come to mind – cornerback Desmond King, linebacker Denzel Perryman and defensive end Melvin Ingram.

King has been talked about as a potential option ever since the signing of Chris Harris Jr.

With Harris expected to start in the slot, King is left as a key rotational piece inside or outside. Even if he took the role as the dime linebacker, formerly played by Adrian Phillips, his snaps would significantly decrease from what they were the past few seasons.

King has proven himself as one of the league’s best slot corners, so it’s hard to believe that teams wouldn’t be interested in him, especially when factoring how young he is still.

Perryman could be an option because he only has one more year remaining on his contract and after the emergence of Drue Tranquill, signing of Nick Vigil and selection of Murray, they could be planning for the life after him.

Ingram is the least likely out of the two because he is a focal point to the team for his contributions on the field and in the locker room.

However, like Perryman, he has one more year remaining. Ingram also has the largest salary cap hit on the roster ($16 million), and former second-round pick Uchenna Nwosu has shown to be nearly as promising in his role.

Los Angeles has also had a lot of success finding diamond in the rough pass-rushers that have been productive all throughout training camp and preseason, yet they never make the 53-man roster.

I’m sure they wouldn’t have an issue of striking gold at the position in the late rounds or from the undrafted free agency pool for additional depth.

The bottom line is that it’s evident Telesco won’t shy away from making a trade, as seen yesterday. If he finds himself getting the itch to move up again, it’s likely a player would be required and the ones mentioned would be my best bet to be shipped out as part of the trade package.

Should Chargers trade CB Desmond King?

Could Desmond King be on the trade block?

The Chargers are equipped with one of the best secondaries in the NFL after signing cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

However, the acquisition could potentially leave one player out of the equation, Desmond King.

Harris is expected to start in the slot this upcoming season, which is the same position that King has been playing since this 2017 season.

There’s speculations of King converting to the team’s dime linebacker, which is the same role that Adrian Phillips was responsible for the past two seasons. But that would mean that King’s snaps would significantly decrease.

Then you have former second-round selection Nasir Adderley. Adderley’s rookie season was cut short due to injuries. If Rayshawn Jenkins is going to man the free safety position, could Adderley be a candidate for the dime linebacker role in order to receive playing time?

Or, Jenkins could be in position to play the dime linebacker role while Adderley slides into the free safety slot.

It’s certainly possible, but the fact of the matter is that the crowded secondary is likely to leave one player out. That leads to the question if the Chargers should deal King.

In a mailbag on Wednesday, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper said he believes there’s a chance King could be on the trading block.

Rather than letting him play his final season under contract, Los Angeles could be in a position where they could deal him to a team that’s in need of a proven cornerback and get valuable compensation in return.

Popper mentions two teams – Lions and Redskins. Trading with Detroit would include trading up to the No. 3 spot, where they would then likely secure the quarterback of the future. Trading with Washington would give L.A. their long-term left tackle in Trent Williams and a draft pick.

While King has proven to be an impact defender, the acquisition of Harris could be hinting that he is now viewed as a trade candidate.

With that being said, we want to know if you believe it would be worth it to ship the former All-Pro selection.

Vote in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=10534123]

How acquisition of CB Chris Harris Jr. impacts Chargers’ secondary

The secondary got deeper with Chris Harris, but how will the Los Angeles Chargers go about ensuring key players see the field?

The Chargers bolstered their defense on Wednesday by coming to an agreement with four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

The addition of Harris gives Los Angeles the label of being one of the top defenses in the NFL, which features the likes of defensive end Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, safety Derwin James and cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Desmond King.

However, with Harris joining the Bolts, it means there will be some retooling to the back end of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s defense.

Harris is arguably one of the league’s top slot corners, which is where he has spent the majority of his career playing. That is also the position King has played the past few seasons.

The 30-year old Harris did play on the outside last season, but he struggled in that role, allowing 731 yards and four touchdowns as opposing quarterbacks had a 114.3 passer rating when targeting him.

There was some speculation right off the bat that Harris might be able to rejuvenate in that role in a Cover 3 system. But according to Harris himself, the Chargers told him that he will be playing in the slot this upcoming season, according to the guys over at Pro Football Focus.

That means that King’s time in the inside has come to an end. So where does that leave the former Iowa product?

King played on the outside during college where he won the Jim Thorpe Award. But it appears that Los Angeles is going to be moving him to safety (which can also be heard in the video clip).

If that is indeed the case, it means that King will replace Adrian Phillips, who had a variety of roles on the defensive side of the ball, but mostly as the team’s dime linebacker and nickel linebacker.

King would be used near the box, where he would use his run defense skills to sniff out run plays while also using his coverage skills in the short-to-intermediate zones.

So if Harris is going to play in the slot and King is going to take on a hybrid linebacker role, what does that mean for the other outside corner position?

The coaching staff really likes Michael Davis, given the fact that they placed the second-round tender on him. Davis earned the starting job on the outside in his second season where he was decent in the role.

Another option is moving former second-round selection Nasir Adderley to the cornerback position full-time. Adderley was drafted to play free safety, but a hamstring injury kept him off the field. Rayshawn Jenkins started there all 16 games in 2019, and the coaching staff has faith in him in that role.

Moving Adderley to corner wouldn’t be a bad idea because he did play that position the first two seasons at Delaware and his skillset would make out to be an easy transition.

I do expect the Chargers to address the cornerback position at some point in the upcoming draft for the sake of depth and in case that potential plan mentioned doesn’t pan out.

The bottom line is that the addition of Harris makes Los Angeles’ defense a whole lot better, but now it’s just a matter of seeing how the bodies on the roster are going to see the playing field.