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The Los Angeles Chargers lost one of their starting linebackers.
The Chargers will be without one of their starting linebackers for the remainder of the season opener against the Bengals.
Drue Tranquill was carted off the field after sustaining an ankle injury early on in the first quarter, and was officially ruled out.
Tranquill’s leg was put in an air cast as he was carted off the field.
To fill Tranquill’s void, the Chargers put in Nick Vigil at WILL.
We will update Tranquill’s long-term status as more information rolls out.
The Los Angeles Chargers lost one of their starting linebackers.
The Chargers will be without one of their starting linebackers for the remainder of the season opener against the Bengals.
Drue Tranquill was carted off the field after sustaining an ankle injury early on in the first quarter, and was officially ruled out.
Tranquill’s leg was put in an air cast as he was carted off the field.
To fill Tranquill’s void, the Chargers put in Nick Vigil at WILL.
We will update Tranquill’s long-term status as more information rolls out.
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.
looks like kenneth murray got the green dot and will start at MLB week 1 so thats one positive to this horrid year pic.twitter.com/gseHZPRxgV
— 😐 (@TyrellMoss16) September 11, 2020
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.
Could Chargers linebacker Kyzir White finally get meaningful playing time?
[jwplayer LoQYxYDM-ThvAeFxT]
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.”
The position battles are heating up at Chargers training camp.
Training camp is nearing an end for the Chargers as the team just 15 days until the regular season opener against the Bengals.
With only a few practices left, players are working hard to solidify one of the starting spots or simply a spot on the roster.
After two weeks has gone by, let’s take a look and see who has the advantage at every positional battle thus far.
Advantage: Tyrod Taylor
This should come as no surprise. Despite coach Anthony Lynn saying that there would be a quarterback competition between Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, Taylor was always going to be the starter. The coronavirus pandemic did Herbert no favors, as the first-round pick didn’t have a full spring of practices to work with his teammates. Now, he’s playing catch up. Taylor has developed a great chemistry with his skill players. It will be the 30-year old’s job to lose. If he plays well this season, he will remain the starter. If he fails to win games, the team will likely be forced to throw Herbert into the fire.
Advantage: Sam Tevi
The Chargers had the opportunity to fill the void left by Russell Okung this offseason, but chose to roll with their in-house options. According to coach Anthony Lynn, Tevi is “in the driver’s seat,” at the position. Tevi’s experience in the starting role gets the nod. He has been praised by the coaching all camp, highlighting his athleticism and quick feet. Meanwhile, second-year Trey Pipkins was thought to be the projected starter entering camp, but he has been playing with the second-team for the most part.
Advantage: Joshua Kelley
The Chargers are planning to run the ball more as the team transitions from a pass-heavy offense. Austin Ekeler is slated to be the first running back, but the team plans to use his versatility as a pass-catcher, which is why they need to figure out who is capable of getting a bulk of the carries throughout the season. Kelley, the fourth-round pick, has broken off several long runs against the first team defense, and has shown enough as a runner and a receiver to be a threat in the backfield. Justin Jackson has ran the ball well in practices, but the rookie has strung together more of an eyebrow-raising camp. As Kelley gets more accustomed to the playbook, he could make a significant impact.
Advantage: Push
The Chargers originally entered training camp with a competition for the third wide receiver spot, but Mike Williams’ injury opened up another spot. Jalen Guyton was the front-runner for WR3, but Tyron Johnson and Darius Jennings have pushed him in practices. Jason Moore is a candidate to replace Williams in the time being due to his 6-foot-3 frame. He started to receive first-team snaps this past week. Rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill have been performing at a high level, too. Reed has seen first-team reps as a running back and been impressive in the role. He is a candidate for the speed role on the outside. Meanwhile, Hill has consistently been making enough plays to warrant playing time. Los Angeles could consider a starting trio with Keenan Allen and Reed on the outside, while Hill plays in the slot. Either way, they need to figure out how they’re going to go about the group.
Advantage: Stephen Anderson
Hunter Henry is the starter and Virgil Green is the backup because of his ability as a run-blocker. Anderson, who was picked up last season and primarily served as a practice squad player, has raised some eyebrows as a pass-catcher, showing some chemistry with rookie Justin Herbert. Meanwhile, former XFL star, Donald Parham, has also stood out in the passing game. But Anderson earned some reps with the first team on special teams this past week, which gives him the slight advantage. This will be a tough decision for the coaching staff.
Advantage: Kenneth Murray & Drue Tranquill
The future is now. The Chargers made it clear that they envisioned a starting linebacker duo with Tranquill and Murray after the team traded up for the former Oklahoma product in this year’s draft. Tranquill has been working as the starting weakside linebacker (WILL), while Murray surpassed Perryman as the starting middle linebacker (MIKE) this past week in practice after returning joining the team after he sat out the first week due to a hamstring injury. This may suggest that Perryman will serve as a depth piece after being a starter the past few years. He will be a free agent after this season.
Advantage: Push
A key role on defense is the dimebacker role, which is a hybrid between a safety and a linebacker, formerly played by Adrian Phillips. Nasir Adderley, the second-year player, who was hurt the majority of his rookie season, has been making plays all over the field. The team is eager to get him on the field, whether it’s there or at free safety, which could then force Rayshawn Jenkins moving from free safety to dime backer at times. Desmond King is also a candidate for the job. King has look solid in coverage, against the run and as a pass-rusher. There’s a possibility of King sliding into the slot at times, but it may be difficult as Chris Harris Jr. has been playing in the slot, while Casey Hayward and Michael Davis have been on the outside with the first-team. I expect Gus Bradley to move his defensive backs all over the place early in the season to decide what’s his best secondary rotations. Rookie Alohi Gilman has also looked good in practices.
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.
The Chargers have done a fine job of grooming young stars.
The Chargers have done a fine job at adding young talent the past couple of years.
There have been some that have earned the status of stardom already like Derwin James, Austin Ekeler and Joey Bosa. But there are a few that could be among the crop with a strong 2020 season.
With a great showing in 2020, here are four Chargers who could enter the mix for that title:
After being banged up during his rookie season in 2017, Williams has been the model of consistency since then. In 2018, the former Clemson product surpassed the 10-touchdown mark. In 2019, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. His 20.4 yards per reception ranked first in the league.
Williams has fallen in second and third tier of wide receivers, while his teammate, Keenan Allen, stacks up among the first tier by many pundits. That could quickly change with a stout campaign this upcoming season.
Some believe the change at quarterback may impact his production, but both Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert have shown to have success with the deep ball, which means there should be plenty of opportunities for the big-bodied target.
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.
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.
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.
LB Drue Tranquill has been by far the best rookie in this year's draft class and if it weren't for DE Joey Bosa, I would consider him the best player in the front seven, easily. pic.twitter.com/ctrRfHVQDK
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) October 14, 2019
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.
Pro Football Focus isn’t as high on the Los Angeles Chargers’ linebacker corps.
The Chargers’ linebacker positional group has been a work in progress the past few seasons.
The team has prioritized the unit, adding a handful of players throughout the years. Heading into 2020, they have a decent-looking corps on paper led by Denzel Perryman, Drue Tranquill and rookie Kenneth Murray.
Where do they rank among the rest of the league’s linebacker rooms? Pro Football Focus stacked up all 32 units heading into the upcoming season, and Los Angeles was slotted No. 18 overall.
Perryman, the sixth-year player, is entering the final year of his contract, and will have to do a lot in order to stay on the roster beyond the 2020 season. 2019 was the first time since his rookie campaign in which he played in 14 or more games, finishing with 68 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.
However, his playing time decreased due to the emergence of last season’s rookie standout Drue Tranquill, who took a significant amount of snaps away from the former Miami product.
Going into this year, Perryman will likely see the field first, but him and Tranquill will split snaps. Perryman will play on rushing downs while Tranquill will play on passing downs. By the end of the year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the second-year player with more snaps.
The Chargers weren’t aggressive in trading up for Murray in this year’s draft to serve as a depth player. The team clearly had a role for him and that’s to start in the spot that was played by Thomas Davis last season.
Murray needs to needs to clean up his overaggressive tendencies and enhance his ability in coverage, but the combination of his instincts, range and closing speed quickness will translate to remarkable production in the running and passing game.
With his leadership and football IQ, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the one responsible of handling defensive play calls.
Kyzir White will start as the SAM linebacker. White started last season as the starting MIKE while Denzel Perryman was nursing an ankle injury for the first two games. White struggled in that role, so Perryman took over. With Davis serving as the starting WILL, that only left White with one option: SAM.
With the Chargers playing a lot of sub-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, he was making plays. The former West Virginia product finished with 40 tackles, two passes defensed and one tackle for loss.
Desmond King, Rayshawn Jenkins and Nasir Adderley will likely be the candidates as the team’s sub-package linebacker, which will limit White’s playing time.
Los Angeles also added Nick Vigil via free agency, and they will have Malik Jefferson, Cole Christiansen and Asmar Bilal all fighting for final roster spots.
