Tag: Donald Parham

POLL: Grade Chargers’ offseason moves so far

What grade do you give GM Tom Telesco for his work in the offseason so far?

It’s been nearly three weeks since the NFL’s free agency period opened, and as it seems to be every year, the bulk of the madness happened in the first few days.

So how have the Chargers done?

This year’s offseason hasn’t been as intriguing as others since they don’t possess as much spendings as previous off-seasons. Their only external free agent signing has been linebacker Eric Kendricks and they’ve re-signed a few of their own.

Here’s the list of Los Angeles’ ins and outs so far in free agency, along with the team(s) that they went to and came from:

Gained

LB Eric Kendricks (Vikings)

Retained

QB Easton Stick

OT Trey Pipkins

TE Donald Parham

DL Morgan Fox

P JK Scott

CB Kemon Hall

Lost

LB Drue Tranquill (Chiefs)

OT Storm Norton (Saints)

DL Joe Gaziano (Falcons)

WR DeAndre Carter (Raiders)

DT Breiden Fehoko (Steelers)

LB Troy Reeder (Vikings)

There are still some players available that they could sign, but the team has made the direction of their plan to attack the draft very clear. They will need to prioritize wide receiver, tight end, edge defender and secondary and offensive line depth.

So grade do you give general manager Tom Telesco for his work in the offseason so far? Vote in the poll below.

[crowdsignal poll=12044476]

Chargers HC Brandon Staley talks state of tight end room

Tight end is a position of need for the Chargers.

The Chargers will return all their tight ends from last season: Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty and Stone Smartt.

Signed last offseason, Everett supplied the offense with a consistent piece in the passing game, finishing with career-highs in receptions (55) and receiving yards (555).

However, there was not much to boast about outside of Everett.

Parham appeared in six games after dealing with a hamstring injury he sustained in training camp and a concussion. McKitty was drafted in 2021 to be an inline blocker, but he was underwhelming in that department and did not offer much value as a receiver.

With Parham’s injury concerns looming and the stagnant status of McKitty, Los Angeles would benefit from a complete player at the position to complement Everett in 2023 and take over as the No. 1 when Everett hits the free agency market after this upcoming season.

Furthermore, new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s scheme is heavily predicated on 12 personnel, which means two tight ends on the field. Therefore, they will be looking for a tight end proven as a receiver but can assist in the run game as a blocker.

“That position, when you can find it, it changes the way people have to play you,” Staley said. “Kellen’s had a lot of success playing that way. …Gaps and vertical threats is how you really stress defenses. So I think we have a good room right now. But we’re always looking to add.”

Luckily for Los Angeles, this year’s tight end group is loaded with talent.

If they want to address the position in Round 1, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid or Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer would make sense. Beyond that, Georgia’s Darnell Washington, Iowa’s Sam LaPorta, South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft and Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker are also ideal targets.

Potential tight end prospects for Chargers in each round of 2023 NFL draft

Here’s a tight end prospect in each round of the 2023 NFL draft that could be a fit for the Los Angeles Chargers.

With Gerald Everett, Donald Parham Jr., and Tre’ McKitty all returning for the 2023 season, the Chargers return their top three options at tight end. But with Everett set to be a free agent after next season and Parham and McKitty yet to solidify themselves as premier NFL players, tight end remains a potential need for LA.

Here’s a prospect for every round that could fit the Chargers:

Report: Browns showing ‘significant interest’ in TE Donald Parham

The Browns have their eyes set on a new TE2 behind David Njoku

The new league year officially kicks off today after two days of the NFL free agency legal tampering period. The Cleveland Browns have already made a handful of moves, adding talent to their defensive line and re-signing some of their own. And now as free agency officially opens at 4 PM today, the Browns are expected to pursue tight end Donald Parham to upgrade their depth behind David Njoku.

According to Brad Stainbrook of The OBR, the Browns “are expected to have significant interest” in a new massive red zone target. As the Browns look to get more vertical offensively, adding an explosive 6-foot-8 target to their attack to pair with Njoku is a solid bet to make. In three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, Parham has racked up 479 yards receiving and seven touchdowns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”BuIu1n8G” type=”player”]

Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ tight ends

The Chargers only managed to get production out of Gerald Everett.

The tight end position is as important as it has ever been in the NFL, and the Chargers hosted five players at the spot in 2022. Led by veteran Gerald Everett, the group played a vital role in the team’s offense as a security blanket for Justin Herbert.

Though relatively modest compared to other tight ends around the league, Everett’s production this season wasn’t without merit. He tallied 555 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 58 catches, which was good for fifth place in the team leaderboard.

Behind Everett was third-year pass catcher Donald Parham Jr., whose enormous physical stature has proven to be a valuable asset for Herbert in the red zone and down the seams. However, he was limited to just ten catches for 130 yards and one touchdown in 2022 due to a hamstring injury and a concussion that kept him sidelined in all but six games.

The last three tight ends were non-factors. Tre’ McKitty, Stone Smartt, and Richard Rodgers combined for 93 yards on 15 catches over the year and were held out of the end zone for the 2022 campaign. McKitty started eight games for Los Angeles, while Smartt and Rodgers both made one start apiece.

With Parham’s injury concerns looming and the stagnant status of McKitty, the Chargers would benefit from a complete player at the position to complement Everett in 2023 and take over as the No. 1 when Everett hits the free agency market after the upcoming season.

Joe Lombardi speaks on how Chargers can find more offensive consistency

Keeping the unit out of three-and-out situations is crucial.

The Los Angeles Chargers have found a fair amount of success this season in quarterback Justin Herber’s third year under center. Nonetheless, there remains room for improvement, especially relative to the consistency that they are able to muster on offense week to week.

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi went in-depth on his unit’s ability to find their groove and stay in it in his comments to the media on Thursday. Keeping his unit out of three-and-out drives, he said, would be crucial to their success moving forward.

“The guys play hard every week,” Lombardi said. “But, you’ve all felt that, there’s just a spirit, sometimes, that gets into a group. There’s a little bit of, I don’t know if the momentum is real, but it sure feels like it’s real sometimes. Sometimes, you just feel like things are going your way. It’s easier to be excited and to bring that energy into the huddle, into the games. I never question our guys’ overall effort, but sometimes there’s just a little bit more hop in their step.

“Sometimes, you’re getting success early, and that helps. One play builds into the next. When you get on an early run and things are going, it feels like you’ve got that energy, and when you’re going three-and-out, it feels like you don’t. I definitely know what [Head Coach] Brandon [Staley] is talking about. Hopefully, we can keep having consistent drives. I think that everyone will feel that way.”

The Chargers are ninth in total yards per game (359.8), fourth in passing yards per game (268.2) and 13th in points per game (22.7). Despite having the third-worst rushing offense, averaging only 91.6 yards per game, they showed signs of improvement with a 192-rushing yard performance against the Rams last Sunday.

With elimination games starting in earnest next week, the Chargers will need to play their best football to make a push for a chance to win a Super Bowl title in February. If they can keep their offense in rhythm and find the consistency Lombardi talked about, they should have no issues being a hard out against the best teams that the AFC has to offer.

Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 17

Statistically, here is where the Chargers stand on offense, defense and special teams entering the final week of the regular season.

The Chargers are 10-6 following a 31-10 victory over the Rams.

Now that we are nearing the end of the 2022 regular season, let’s see how the Bolts rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL.

Here here is where L.A. stands.

Offense

Scoring: 22.7 points per game (13th)

Total offense: 359.8 yards per game (10th)

Passing offense: 268.2 yards per game (5th)

Rushing offense: 91.6 yards per game (30th)

Third down offense: 43.21% (8th)

Red zone offense: 52.63% (19th)

Defense

Scoring defense: 22.1 points per game (18th)

Total defense: 338.3 yards per game (19th)

Passing defense: 196.3 yards per game (6th)

Rushing defense: 142.1 yards per game (27th)

Sacks: 38 (T-12th)

Third down defense: 39.04% (16th)

Red zone defense: 52.27% (9th)

Special teams

Kickoff return: 19 yards per return (30th)

Punt return: 11.2 yards per return (4th)

Field goal conversion: 93.6% (3rd)

Punts inside the 20-yard line: 26 (T-7th)

Kickoff coverage: 317 yards allowed (4th)

Punt coverage: 58 yards allowed (1st)

Chargers’ running game gets rolling at right time

The Chargers’ running game showed some life in the victory over the Rams.

As the playoffs inch closer, the Chargers need to be sharp in all three phases of the game, and one area, in particular, is the offense which requires a balanced approach.

It had been the running game that was lackluster for most of the season. However, last Sunday, in the victory over the Rams, the Bolts broke through by running wild.

Los Angeles produced 192 yards on 31 attempts with two scores on Sunday, which was the second-highest rushing total of the season. 

“We knew we were capable. We were just trying to get back to it, which is not easy. Simple, but not easy,” running back Austin Ekeler said. 

“And then, guess what? We’re going to have to do it again. That’s going to start to, I guess, gives us that confidence, ‘OK, we’re starting to run the ball a little bit more.’ Give [Offensive Coordinator] Joe [Lombardi] that confidence in the run game to call more runs if we are able to continue to establish ourselves.”

Ekeler rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Not only was his 72-yard touchdown run the longest of his career, but it was also the boost the ground game needed, as the offense had struggled to get blocking efficiency on the edge from tight ends and receivers.

“I think we have one more game with the Broncos coming up where it’s like, ‘Alright, let’s dominate the run game again.’ Then I think that opens up the playbook for us a lot more and makes us a little bit more of a dynamic offense when we are going into the first round of the playoffs,” Ekeler added. 

“Definitely trying to get that going because we know that Justin [Herbert] is going to come out there and do his thing. It’s like, ‘Okay, is the run game going to show up today or not?’ So, we have to make sure we are out there doing that.”

Even without Ekeler’s big touchdown, the Chargers would have averaged four yards per carry on Sunday. A balanced offense is a winning offense, and the Bolts are looking sharp enough through the air and on the ground to make a legitimate run in the playoffs. 

“I do think that it was the hardest we have played, [Sunday] on offense. I thought we finished our plays, run and pass, but particularly in the run game,” head coach Brandon Staley said. 

The day after: Final takeaways from Chargers’ victory over Colts

Recapping the Chargers’ win over the Colts on Monday night.

The Chargers defeated the Colts on Monday night to clinch their spot in the playoffs.

Here are my final takeaways from the Week 16 win.

Chargers activate TE Donald Parham from injured reserve

The Chargers are getting some help back on offense.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”3vssd2iPPe-2423256-7498″]

The Chargers are getting some help back on offense.

Tight end Donald Parham was activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday. In correspondence, the team waived wide receiver Jason Moore Jr.

In addition, Los Angeles elevated defensive lineman Christopher Hinton and safety Raheem Layne from the practice squad.

Parham went on injured reserve on Nov. 5 with a hamstring injury, the same issue that forced him to miss most of training camp and the first four games to start the season.

Parham has played only two games this season, making three catches for 53 yards. He finished the 2021 season with 20 receptions on 27 targets for 190 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games.