Tag: Jalen Guyton

Chargers WR Mike Williams ‘out for a while’ with shoulder injury

Someone will have to step in for the injured Mike Williams.

Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams was listed as week-to-week on Monday after hurting his shoulder at practice the day before.

But Williams’ absence could be a bit longer than anticipated.

On Tuesday, coach Anthony Lynn said Williams will be “out for a while,” adding that he’s not certain if he will be ready for Week 1 against the Bengals.

With Williams out, someone will have to step up. Lynn says he likes the competition between the young wide receivers who are having to fill in with Williams sidelined indefinitely.

Jaylen Guyton, Darius Jennings, Jason Moore, Tyron Johnson and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill will have opportunities to prove they can step in for the absent Williams during the last couple weeks of practices.

Chargers WR Jalen Guyton working with first-team offense

We might have a front-runner for the third wide receiver spot.

The battle for the third wide receiver spot is one of the most monitored training camp competitions for the Chargers.

Heading into camp, it was Andre Patton who was expected to have the leg up for the job. But in a surprising manner, Los Angeles released him.

Now that Patton is off the team, there are a few contenders for WR3. But it might be Jalen Guyton who could be leading the pack.

According to SB Nation’s Michael Peterson, Guyton was seen working with the first-team during the 11-on-11 portion of Monday’s practice.

Other wideouts in contention for the job include Jason Moore, Darius Jennings, Tyron Johnson and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

The one element that Guyton has that separates himself from the pack is speed. When asked what the team is specifically looking for in terms of the evaluation process, coach Anthony Lynn highlighted “speed.”

Guyton, the 6-foot-1 and 202 pounder, ran a 4.35 40 at his college Pro Day at North Texas. He has the breakaway speed to be a threat on the outside.

It will be interesting the see the rest of the competition unfolds.

3 under-the-radar Chargers to watch at training camp

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out three players who are worthy of your attention that aren’t getting enough love.

Training camp is officially underway.

The majority of the talks have been of the big-name players. But there are some members that aren’t getting enough attention that should, as they could carve up a role on the team when all is said and done.

Here are three under-the-radar Chargers to keep an eye on at training camp:

S Alohi Gilman

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers drafted Gilman in the sixth-round of this year’s draft. He led an Irish defense that finished No. 5 nationally in pass efficiency and No. 8 in yards per play allowed in 2019.

Los Angeles lost a few key special teamers this offseason, including Adrian Phillips and Derek Watt. Gilman should step in as a special teams ace, but he could carve up a larger role than just that.

With Phillips gone to the Patriots, Gilman will be in contention not only for the backup strong safety spot to Derwin James, but for the team’s dimebacker – the sixth defensive back in dime packages.

Gilman plays with the read-react skills, toughness and swagger required to thrive at the position. His play has been highly praised by coach Anthony Lynn and general manager Tom Telesco.

“He’s super smart, tough and he hits,” Telesco said. “Those are some traits that are good to have in the secondary. We think between safety and some special teams, he has a real chance here.”

If the former Notre Dame product shows out in camp, expect to see him on the field in his rookie season.

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Opportunities opened up for Chargers’ rookie wide receivers

The battle for the third wide receiver spot just got more intense.

The battle for the third wide receiver will be one of the most compelling position competitions this training camp for the Chargers.

On Friday, I laid out what the team is specifically looking for and who might be the frontrunner.

Andre Patton was who I believed would win the job because of his experience. But in a surprising fashion, Patton was among six players released to get the roster down to 80 players.

With Patton gone, the attention has been shifted to two specific players – Joe Reed and K.J. Hill – both of whom provide the position with their own unique skillsets.

Reed, the fifth-round pick, can provide some versatility as he has experience out wide, in the slot and occasionally in the backfield. He can be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to the role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last season. He has the speed that the Chargers are looking for (4.47) to stretch the field.

Reed should help out with special teams as he averaged 33 yards a return and took five touchdowns to the house during his career at the University of Virginia.

Meanwhile, Hill, the seventh-round selection, isn’t the fastest wideout, but he has a knack for getting open and catching everything thrown his way. That’s a large reason why Hill is Ohio State’s reception leader (201). Even though he will likely be limited to the slot, Keenan Allen, the team’s natural slot receiver, is capable of playing outside.

Lynn specifically highlighted “speed” as the main thing the coaching staff is looking for during the evaluation process.

Therefore, I believe Reed has the slight advantage over Hill. A player I mentioned that should get some attention heading into camp is Jalen Guyton. Guyton, who has the breakaway speed (4.3) to be a threat on the outside.

Who will emerge as Chargers’ No. 3 wide receiver, what will their role look like?

This will be one of the more heated positional battles of training camp.

The Chargers struggled to get production from their No. 3 wide receiver last season. Aside from the one-two punch of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, it was slim pickings.

When the topic of the third receiver was brought up to coach Anthony Lynn’s attention on Wednesday, he said the No. 1 thing Los Angeles is looking for in the No. 3 wide receiver is “speed,” similar to what Tyrell Williams brought.

L.A. thought they had that with Travis Benjamin, but his inconsistent hands and injuries were maddening, which is why they elected to part ways.

At the moment, Andre Patton is the frontrunner because of his experience, and gives the Chargers what they’re looking for at that position with his 4.4 speed.

Patton appeared in 13 regular season games in 2019. He caught six passes for 56 yards last season. In the 2019 preseason, Patton caught six passes for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Los Angeles added some pieces to the room by selecting Joe Reed in the fifth-round and K.J. Hill in the seventh-round of this year’s draft.

Reed and Hill should push Patton, but their skillsets don’t necessarily match what Lynn’s looking for in that role. Reed has the quicks, but he wasn’t much of a deep threat in college. Meanwhile, Hill isn’t known for his speed. Instead, he’s coveted for his route-running ability and ball skills.

Rounding out the rest of the group is Darius Jennings, Jason Moore, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, Jeff Cotton and Dalton Schoen.

Guyton is a guy to keep an eye on, as he ran a 4.3 40 at his college Pro Day.

At the end of the day, Reed and Hill will make it a battle, but I expect Patton to ultimately win the job. His familiarity with the offense, experience and the shortage of training camp should earn the role.