Tag: Ja’Sir Taylor

Chargers Highlight: Joey Bosa punches the ball out for second takeaway

Joey Bosa forced a fumble on Raiders running back Zamir White, resulting in the Chargers’ second takeaway of the game.

It’s been an incredible day for the tandem of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.

In the first half, Mack and Bosa had sacks of Gardner Minshew on back-to-back plays to force a Raiders punt. Minshew then fumbled a ball on an unforced error inside two minutes to go in the first half, which was recovered by Mack and returned 22 yards inside the Raiders’ 15-yard line.

In the third quarter, it was Bosa’s turn to make an impact on the turnover battle. Minshew handed the ball to running back Zamir White on a 1st and 14 play. White burst through the left side of the line and gained ten yards, but Bosa made a tackle pursuing from the backside. He punched at the ball, knocking it free and nearly recovering it himself before the ball careened to the turf.

Ja’Sir Taylor, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness earlier on the drive, was the man on the bottom of the pile for the Chargers, turning the Raiders over for the second time of the game.

Los Angeles was not able to convert the opportunity into points, however, maintaining a 9-7 lead over the Raiders.

https://twitter.com/chargers/status/1832900381829173681

5 Chargers players to watch in preseason opener vs. Seahawks

While several high-profile starters won’t play, there are still plenty of players to follow on Saturday.

We’re just a day out from the Chargers’ 2024 preseason opener against the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

While several high-profile starters won’t play, there are still plenty of players to follow on Saturday.

OT Joe Alt

Alt, the team’s first-round pick, has lived up to his draft billing in training camp, holding his own against Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. While it’s expected that he should perform admirably well in pass protection, I’m curious to see his impact in the run game.

RB Jaret Patterson

Jim Harbaugh said that Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins won’t play, which means that the guys competing for spots on the back end of the positional room will have their opportunities to prove themselves. Among the crop is Patterson, who has had a great training camp. Patterson spent most of last year on the team’s practice squad.

WR Quentin Johnston

A player with the most to prove is Johnston, last year’s first-round pick. His rough rookie season was riddled with struggles to create separation and dropped passes. While he has shown some progress in the route-running department, Johnston has still dealt with drops at times in training camp. How will he look in live-game action?

EDGE Chris Rumph II

Rumph was on the roster bubble coming into training camp. However, he’s been playing his way into making the 53-man roster. Looking noticeably bigger, physique-wise, Rumph has been a force at rushing the passer and defending the run. He must continue to perform at this level to lock up his spot.

CB Tarheeb Still

Still has been a standout in the secondary this summer. He has made multiple plays on the football, something that he did at Maryland as he finished his final season at Maryland with five interceptions. As he looks to beat out Ja’Sir Taylor for the starting slot corner spot, Still needs to keep up this level of play.

5 Chargers players who need to improve in 2024

The Chargers have some players who struggled during the 2023 season.

The Chargers are looking to turn things around under Jim Harbaugh after finishing as one of the worst teams last season.

They have the talent to make it happen, but it’s a collaborative effort and some players need to improve from the previous season to bring success.

Here are five players who need to make some strides in 2024.

WR Quentin Johnston

The Chargers drafted Johnston in the first round last year, thinking they would get an instant playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. That did not materialize, however. Johnston struggled to create consistent separation and dropped passes. The wide receiver group is not strong after the departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, so Los Angeles will be banking on an improved Johnston to get the most out of that positional group.

G Zion Johnson

Another former first-round pick, Johnson has yet to live up to his billing. This was even after he transitioned from right guard to left guard, his natural position. Despite being next to tackle Rashawn Slater, he struggled to create a surge in the run game and had his hiccups in pass protection. Johnson has the tools to be a dominant guard, but it’s a matter of whether it can come to fruition with the new coaching.

CB Kristian Fulton

The Chargers signed Fulton to a cheap deal this offseason. Currently, he is the front-runner to start on the outside opposite Asante Samuel Jr. However, they need Fulton to come on strong in that role after struggles on the field and with injuries during his time with the Titans. If he can stay healthy, Fulton has shown the ability to be a good coverage corner.

CB Ja’Sir Taylor

As of now, Taylor is the starting nickel corner. But that’s purely based on having the most experience at the position. His spot is not guaranteed, however, as Taylor will be competing with fifth-round pick Tarheeb Still for the job. After flashing as a rookie in 2022, Taylor’s play declined slightly, eventually leading to him losing his starting job midway through last season. In particular, Taylor must improve as a run defender.

DT Poona Ford

Ford is another player the Chargers signed at a discount with the intent of contributing right away. Ford took a step back in 2023 while with the Bills. He only played eight games and was a healthy scratch for 11 games due to his struggles. Once one of the best run-defending interior defenders during his time with the Seahawks, Ford must return to his old ways while continuing to flash as a pass rusher to help contribute to a thin defensive tackle room.

Projecting the Chargers’ cornerback depth chart in 2024

Taking a crack at projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers cornerback room will look like entering the 2024 season.

Over the next few weeks ahead of training camp, I will continue to break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Offensive line

Edge rusher

Interior defensive line

Linebacker

Next, I project what the cornerback room will look like heading into the 2024 season.

Asante Samuel Jr.

Samuel is coming off his best season in coverage, finishing with a 75.6 overall grade in that department. He posted a career-high 13 passes defended and has nabbed two interceptions in each of his three seasons. Samuel will play a vital role in Jesse Minter’s defense, as they will be counting on him as the No. 1 corner. He must continue to shine in coverage while showing improvements in run defense.

Kristian Fulton

The Chargers signed Fulton to a prove-it deal after he battled injuries during his four-year tenure with the Titans. He has showcased the coverage skills to stick with starting wide receivers, but due to the injuries, the sample size isn’t large. He is the front runner to start at outside corner opposite Samuel, but Fulton must stay on the field to hold down that spot.

Ja’Sir Taylor

Taylor is coming off his first full season as a starter after his rookie campaign was primarily spent on special teams, with some starts towards the end of 2022, including a masterful performance against the Dolphins that year. His sophomore season was a mixed bag of results. While he was solid in coverage for the most part, Taylor struggled as an open-field tackler. Entering Year 3, Taylor has the opportunity to really break out under Minter. He will have to fend off rookie Tarheeb Still for the starting slot corner spot.

Deane Leonard

Primarily a core special teamer, Leonard was called on to start in three games last season. He showed some good things, forcing three incompletions. An ankle injury prevented him from finishing out the year. Heading into his third season, Leonard will make money on special teams, but he could also push for meaningful playing time.

Tarheeb Still

Still was selected in the fifth round out of Maryland. He finished his final collegiate season with five picks, tied for the fifth-most in the FBS. Still has already raised eyebrows, as he was a summer standout at minicamp. He can play outside or inside but will likely play in the slot and compete with Taylor for the starting job.

Cam Hart

After drafting Tarheeb Still, Los Angeles dipped at the position by adding Hart, who was a great value pick. He fell because of limited ball production and some shoulder injury concerns. At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Hart is a big corner with good speed to carry receivers downfield and plus zone coverage skills to read, react and make plays on underneath routes. He has the traits to push for playing time early on.

Chargers minicamp: Rookie CB Tarheeb Still shines on Day 2

Tarheeb Still is going to compete for the starting slot spot.

Mandatory minicamp is an excellent way for rookies to catch the attention of the coaching staff ahead of training camp.

On Day 1, it was wide receiver Ladd McConkey. On the second day, it was cornerback Tarheeb Still who stole the show.

According to the team’s writer, Eric Smith, Still nabbed an interception in a seven-on-seven drill and added a pair of pass deflections.

“Tarheeb has, probably in the last three or four practices, made a really, really good jump that you sort of expect a guy to make after being able to digest five or six practices,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said.

Still, the fifth-round selection of this year’s draft, was a ball magnet coming out of Maryland as he finished his final collegiate season with five picks, which was tied for the fifth-most in the FBS. He was one of only two players to have two multi-interception games.

Still has a refined skillset, with the reactive athleticism to stay with receivers in coverage and the ball skills to create turnovers.

Still can play inside or outside, but he is likely to play in the slot and compete with Ja’Sir Taylor for the starting job.

Highlights from Day 2 of Chargers mandatory minicamp

The Chargers wrapped up their second day of mandatory minicamp on Wednesday, which saw standout performances from Justin Herbert and Tarheeb Still.

The Chargers wrapped up their second day of mandatory minicamp on Wednesday.

To experience some of the action that went down at Hoag Performance Center, here are a few clips from the team’s official Twitter account and members of the media.

Chargers’ Ja’Sir Taylor named one of NFL’s top slot defenders

Ja’Sir Taylor received high praise from Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.

Chargers cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor was recognized as the 11th-best slot defender by Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.

Here is what Farrar had to say about Taylor making the list.

Of all the slot defenders I studied to compile this list, Ja’Sir Taylor is the one with the least national name recognition. One might expect that to change for the 2022 sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest now that new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is in charge under Jim Harbaugh, who had Minter at Michigan.

Even in a weird Brandon Staley defense in 2023, Taylor proved to be quite adept in the slot. He had 207 coverage snaps in the slot last season, allowing 29 catches on 47 slot targets for 337 yards, 168 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, one interception, seven pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 74.5.

Taylor is coming off his first full season as a starter after his rookie campaign was primarily spent on special teams, with some starts towards the end of 2022, including a masterful performance against the Dolphins that year.

Taylor’s sophomore season was a mixed bag of results. While he was solid in coverage for the most part, Taylor struggled as an open-field tackler. As a result, he finished with a 29.9 tackling grade.

Entering Year 3, Taylor has the opportunity to really break out under new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. He will have to fend off rookie Tarheeb Still for the starting slot corner spot.

But if he keeps his job, Taylor will provide the defense with a strong cover man with the ability to blitz.

Chargers DBs coach Steve Clinkscale prioritizing versatility in the secondary

Steve Clinkscale is prioritizing versatility in the defensive backfield.

Chargers defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale had his first media availability of the offseason. Clinkscale laid out some of Jesse Minter’s defensive vision as well as his expectations for the secondary.

First, he spoke about Minter’s system:

The beauty with Jesse is that he’s a defensive back guy himself. We speak the same language. I can anticipate the issues that he wants, his pet peeves, my pet peeves. It’s been an easy transition to teach those guys what Coach Minter is looking for. With him being a back end guy, we do put a lot of responsibility on the secondary. We put a lot of work into those guys. We want to make sure that they’re going to do things right. That’s a reflection of him and I, right away, the secondary. His vision on the defense is that we’re going to communicate. We’re going to destroy blocks. We’re going to disrupt the ball. We’re going to have great effort and angles. We’re going to finish and make tackles. That’s what we want to put on film week-in and week-out. If you do those fundamental things, whatever he calls, we should be able to work. Sometimes, they’re going to give us something that’s going to be an issue for the coverage, but as long as what our guys know what to go to when in doubt with the check, then when the ball is snapped to enforce our separators, our fundamental approach to the game, we’ll be fine.

Clinkscale also spoke at length about newly signed cornerback Kristian Fulton and what he’s seen from him so far:

I’ll be honest with you, he’s got kind of the rookie mentality. ‘Coach, teach me. Whatever it is, I want to learn. I want to learn. I want to get better at this.’ This is a new lease on life for him. You see it out there. He moves very fluid. You can tell he’s experienced. He’s able to adjust. He’s able to put it in our language fast. He’s a pro. When I got here, you think, ‘Oh, college is different.’ The pros want to learn just like [S] Derwin James [Jr.]. They want to learn. [S] Alohi [Gilman], they all want to get better and look at things a little different way so they can be successful. It’s been great because we all meet together. That’s what we do. We’re all DB coaches. [Safeties] Coach [Chris] O’Leary coaches the nickels, corners, safeties. We’re all together in the room. Just bringing those guys together, getting them on one page — it’s been special. I believe in the mentality has to be right. Working with Kristian and anybody in there, it’s just been special for those guys to come in and know that we’re going to work, I’m going to hold them accountable, now. I’m going to get on them if they’re not doing things right, but they’re going to go out there and they have the ability to execute for our defense to be special.

Clinkscale was asked about what specific roles he envisions for both Fulton as well as Asante Samuel Jr. Regarding slot and outside corner distinction, the former Michigan coach made it clear that everyone in the secondary has to be prepared to do both. “They are all going to rotate in there…I’ve rotated them at corner and at nickel, like I said, so that they have that versatility.”

Clinkscale hit on theme of versatility several times in his preser. Another quote on that subject that drove the point across: “All of the corners have to know nickel and all of the safeties have to know nickel and dime as well as the safety position.” The issue of potential injuries and preparing for that by having secondary players cross-trained for those potential circumstances was also a clear motivating factor for this coaching staff’s approach.

When it came to Derwin James, Clinkscale also mentioned his versatility and potentially putting him at weakside linebacker and slot corner at times. He mentioned the usage of the safeties at Michigan in that context.

It’s still too early to tell who the starters will be in the secondary and at which spots, but it’s clear that this defensive staff wants to be able to move their defensive backs around while not pigeonholing themselves in regards to depth.

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Packers

Here’s why you should be worried about the Chargers dropping to 4-6.

At 4-5, the Chargers have fallen off the picture for the AFC playoff bracket. A win against the Packers on Sunday could put them back into the thick of things, but LA’s loss against the Lions reminded fans that the team has lingering issues they just can’t find a fix for.

Here’s why you should be worried about Los Angeles dropping to 4-6.

Brandon Staley on J.C. Jackson trade: ‘There was a body of work to go off of’

Brandon Staley spoke for the first time since J.C. Jackson was traded to the Patriots.

On Thursday, Brandon Staley spoke at the Chargers’ media availability for the first time since J.C. Jackson was traded to the Patriots last week. Staley opened his press conference by responding to the first question about Jackson by saying this:

We just felt like this was the best course for our team. There was a body of work to go off of. We felt like this direction was the best for our football team.

When asked to clarify if “body of work” meant on-the-field or off-the-field concerns, Staley said, “In all ways.”

The Chargers head coach was also asked about Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero’s report, which stated that Jackson had refused to enter the game against the Raiders when Michael Davis injured his ankle.

Staley refused to comment, saying, “I’m not talking anymore about J.C. We’re moving forward as a team, and that’s behind us.”

Staley also said that the Chargers fully believe in their secondary group without Jackson:

We believe in that group. That group is where we’ve played our best football as a team since we’ve been here. We have full trust in those guys. Those guys have played really well together. Now, they get to play together full time.

Michael Davis, Asante Samuel Jr., and Ja’Sir Taylor will attempt to hold down the secondary as the Chargers move forward. Deane Leonard and newly signed cornerback Essang Bassey will be the depth players in the room.

The ramifications of the Jackson signing not working out will eventually loom large for the Chargers. Specifically, a dead cap charge over $20 million will hurt them in balancing the books for 2024.

But for now, a clean break is the main story in the interim. Staley and the team hope it leads to a bounce back for a secondary group that’s primarily underperformed this season.