Tag: Joe Reed

4 toughest cuts based on latest Chargers’ roster projection

Based on The Athletic’s latest roster projection, these notable Chargers players might be on the outside looking in.

One of the struggles for teams with strong rosters is that roster cuts get more challenging. Talented depth pieces fall victim to a numbers game every offseason and veterans with high cap hits are released to save salary room.

For teams like the Chargers, several notable players might be on the outside looking in. Based on The Athletic’s Daniel Popper’s latest roster projection, these players may soon be looking to find that foothold.

WR Joe Reed

Reed spent last season on the practice squad’s injured reserve following ankle surgery in September, which perhaps makes him a less difficult cut this time than if he had performed. Drafted in the fifth round in 2020, the Chargers used him as the primary return man as a rookie, as he logged 21 kick returns for an average of 20.7 yards. With DeAndre Carter now on the roster, Reed’s path to the roster is much murkier than it was months ago. However, he’s one of the fastest receivers on the roster, if not the fastest. Losing that speed in a room without many deep threats could preclude the team from pushing the ball downfield as often as offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has suggested they want to.

DL Breiden Fehoko

Arguably the best run defender from last year’s team, Fehoko may be caught in the numbers game on the defensive line. With four new additions to the position – Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox, and Otito Ogbonnia – every member of last year’s team could be on the chopping block. Jerry Tillery seems likely to make the roster, considering Tom Telesco has never been one to bail on high draft choices early on. Popper has touted veteran Christian Covington as a virtual lock to make the roster, but I’m not sure how strongly I agree with that sentiment. If that’s true, however, Fehoko would be the first odd man out, and I don’t anticipate he’d make it through waivers to be added to the practice squad. I’ve been a strong advocate for Fehoko to make the roster this season, but he’ll have to have a strong training camp to make the coaching staff make the tough decision to cut bait with a more established veteran.

CB Tevaughn Campbell

Although Campbell was the source of much consternation from Chargers fans last season, I think he is a decent depth piece who we know has a good grasp on the defensive system. The fact that he was forced into playing huge numbers of snaps isn’t his fault, after all. With JC Jackson and Bryce Callahan now on the roster, LA has four established corners (Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis). The battle for CB5 will come down to Campbell, special teamer Kemon Hall, and rookies Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard. In some ways, Campbell reminds me of former Charger Brandon Facyson, who never performed exceptionally well for LA but has hung around the league and figures to play a decent number of snaps for the Colts this season.

CB Deane Leonard

While it may be premature to call a seventh-round rookie with two seasons of football in the US under his belt a tough cut, Leonard made plays during seemingly every OTA session. If that production is maintained through training camp, he could make it very difficult for the Chargers to release him to get him to the practice squad. One barrier for Leonard, however, is that he’s primarily an outside corner. Brandon Staley has been clear that he wants this year’s Bolts squad to be multiple on defense, and that says to me that the corners further down the depth chart need to be able to play inside and outside. Jackson and Davis are boundary corners only, while Samuel and Callahan are flexible (although Callahan is primarily a slot corner). At CB5, the Chargers will likely want a player they can cross-train to plug in for anyone forced to miss time due to injury. That probably gives Taylor a leg up on players like Campbell and Leonard.

Shining Sophomore or Sophomore Slump? Grading Chargers 2020 draft class’ second season

Grading the Los Angeles Chargers 2020 draft class’ second season to determine if the sophomores slumped or shined.

When evaluating the previous season as a whole, it’s easy to make quick judgments on the rookie class. Yet, we forget about the group brought in the year prior.

With that, let’s take a look at whether the second-year players shined or slumped.

QB Justin Herbert

Many thought that Herbert could be in for a slump, given that teams finally had NFL tape on him, and he was playing for yet another offensive play-caller. However, there was nothing that slowed him down in Year 2. Instead, he turned it up just a notch from his outstanding rookie season. Herbert shined with his arm talent and athleticism and showed continuous growth weekly with reading complex coverages, all while dealing with a leaky right side of the offensive line. He finished with a 65.9 completion percentage, 5,014 passing yards, 38 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions, 302 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns en route to writing his name in the history books every week.

Grade: A

LB Kenneth Murray

Expected to make a leap in Brandon Staley’s defense, Murray’s play did not reflect that early on before being sent to the injured reserve. Instead, his woes consisted of missing tackles, over-pursuing ball carriers, and struggling to shed blocks and work off contact. Soon after, Murray transitioned to an edge defender, hoping to elevate his game upon returning to the field. Still, that did not benefit him. It was a combination of limitations in his counters and strength, lacking a plan of attack when rushing and running too wide of the arc. Whether it was being held by an ankle injury and COVID-19 or the complexity of the system, Murray did not play like a first-rounder.

Grade: F

RB Joshua Kelley

One of the biggest questions heading into the season was who would establish themselves as the clear-cut backup behind Austin Ekeler. It took 14 weeks into the season for the Chargers to finally decipher that, and it was Justin Jackson who stepped up. Kelley didn’t have many opportunities early on, but when he did get more touches that came against the Giants, he turned ten carries into just 3.3 yards per carry. Kelley finished with 102 yards on 33 rushes (3.1 YPC). Given that Jackson is a free agent, it could lead to more snaps for Kelley. However, based on the lack of touches between him and Larry Rountree in 2021, it wouldn’t be surprising if the team instead went after a veteran in free agency to back up Ekeler in 2022.

Grade: C-

WR Joe Reed

Reed spent the 2021 season on the Chargers’ practice squad injured list with an ankle injury. However, he was recently signed to a Reserve/Future contract, indicating that he could be in to compete for the job as the starting returner.

Grade: N/A

S Alohi Gilman

Between a quad injury and COVID-19, Gilman’s season was cut to 11 games. It was a mixed bag of results when he was on the field. While he showed some flashes, like in Week 3 in the win over the Chiefs when he had the game-sealing interception, missed tackles in the open field were an issue late in the season. In coverage, Gilman allowed 10 receptions on 13 targets for 93 yards (9.3 yards per reception). Still, he showed enough to suggest that he will be a key rotational piece in the secondary next season.

Grade: B-

WR K.J. Hill

Hill survived cuts and was named to the 53-man roster over the likes of Tyron Johnson and Joe Reed. In the season opener, he caught three passes for 30 yards. Hill resumed his primary duties as the Chargers’ punt returner before being waived in favor of Andre Roberts. He amassed just 6.8 yards on six returns through the first six games. After clearing waivers, he was signed to the practice squad, where he remained the rest of the season. Hill was a surprise since he didn’t sign a Reserve/Future contract after the season, indicating that his time with the team is all but over.

Grade: C

Chargers sign WR Joe Reed to Reserve/Future contract

The Chargers have added one more young player to their growing list of players on future contracts

On Tuesday, the Chargers announced that they signed wide receiver Joe Reed to a Reserve/Future deal.

Reed, the team’s fifth-round pick of the 2020 NFL draft, spent this past season on the practice squad/injured reserve list after dealing with an ankle issue that he sustained in training camp.

In his rookie season, Reed appeared in 11 games and carried the ball five times for 29 yards and a touchdown.

By signing Reed to this deal, it gives Los Angeles offensive depth with a gadget player who’s capable of catching and running the football as well as returning kicks.

The Chargers have now signed 12 players to future contracts, as the team previously announced they had signed Michael Bandy, Andre Brown, Cole Christiansen, Ben DeLuca, Emeke Egbule, Maurice Ffrench, Ryan Hunter, Hunter Kampmoyer, Forrest Merrill, Jason Moore, Foster Sarell.

Chargers sign WR Maurice Ffrench to practice squad

The Chargers added a special teams standout to the practice squad.

The Chargers signed wide receiver Maurice Ffrench to the practice squad on Wednesday.

Ffrench takes the spot left by WR Joe Reed, who was placed on the injured list.

After going undrafted out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2020, Ffrench signed a rookie contract with the Chiefs and was added to their practice squad.

Following the season, Ffrench signed a reserve/future contract. After the preseason, he was added to the practice squad but ended up being released.

Ffrench never appeared in a regular season game.

Ffrench finished his collegiate career with 156 catches for 1,637 yards and 14 touchdowns in 45 games, while tallying over 600 yards and two touchdowns between punt and kick returns.

He reunites with wide receivers coach Chris Beatty, who held the same position at Pittsburgh during the 2019 season.

The team may look to elevate him to the active roster and give him a shot as a return specialist.

Chargers’ Brandon Staley talks decision to release WR Tyron Johnson

Deciding to let go of the ascending wide receiver was arguably the biggest surprise.

Among the biggest surprises with the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster was the absence of wide receiver Tyron Johnson.

After emerging as one of top pass-catching options last season, it was expected that Johnson was going to take another step. However, it won’t be in the blue and gold.

Upon seeing the report, fans quickly grew puzzled and wondered why Johnson wasn’t going to be back.

Following Tuesday’s practice, head coach Brandon Staley explained the decision to release Johnson, citing that it was a numbers issue and not having a place on special teams for him.

“It was a tough one, a really tough one,” Staley said. “T-Billy has done a lot for this team in the past and he did some good things for us in camp. That was one of the tougher conversations that I had today.

I think that we have a really deep receiver room. There’s a lot of competition. I think that it’s just one of things where it’s more numbers, not so much how we feel about him as a player, because I have a lot of respect for his game.

Just where we’re at from a numbers standpoint, and then the kicking game, being a big aspect of those back-end receiver roles. Just felt like going in this direction would be the right direction for us right now.”

Given that special teams upside is crucial, they elected to keep K.J. Hill as the fifth receiver. Hill made the team solely as the punt returner, with the ability to return kicks, too.

Johnson is a practice squad candidate, but if the Chargers decide to move on from him altogether, a handful of teams will likely be inquiring to bring in the speedy wideout who averaged 19.9 yards per reception in 2020.

Chargers injury updates: Chris Rumph II, Bryan Bulaga, Nasir Adderley

Checking in on the status of a few of the Chargers players.

The Chargers finished up their first of two practices with the 49ers on Thursday.

Los Angeles had the majority of their key players out on the field, but there were still a few that were non-participants.

Here’s a look at some of the notables that did not practice:

RT Bryan Bulaga (hip flexor)

S Nasir Adderley (migraine)

EDGE Chris Rumph II (heel)

OT Rashawn Slater (lower back)

WR Mike Williams (hip)

WR Joe Reed (ankle)

Head coach Brandon Staley said that Bulaga would be able to play if they were preparing for a real game.

Staley said Rumph is dealing with a little bone bruise on his heel. The injury is not considered serious, and they’re hopeful he’s able to back at practice next week.

Staley said Slater is “feeling good” and decided to play it safe by not having him practice today.

Staley said Williams is “trending positive” and the team is hopeful they will have him back soon.

While all of the updates from the non-participants appear to be positive, they’re unclear of the severity of Reed’s injury.

Updates on Chargers’ special teams position battles

Find out which kicker has the leg up and which return specialist is emerging.

Improving the special teams is one of the Chargers’ priorities ahead of the regular season after finishing as the league’s worst last year.

The team brought in a few players in hopes of aiding the department, and now they’re in the midst of position battles to solidify starting spots.

The most compelling is the competition for the starting kicker between the returner, Michael Badgley and the newcomers, Tristan Vizcaino and Alex Kessman.

The past two days at camp the team has kicked field goals, and it has been neck and neck.

Badgley made all five of his attempts — 32 yards, 36 yards, 55 yards, 49 yards and 52 yards. He did not kick on Tuesday.

Vizcaino is currently 9-for-10 — hitting from 33 yards, 41 yards, 45 yards, 49 yards and 52 yards yesterday. Today, he made his kicks from 40 yards, 44 yards, 48 yards and 51 yards and missed from 33 yards.

Kessman did not kick on Monday. On Tuesday, he went 4-for-5, hitting from 33 yards, 40 yards, 48 yards and 51 yards, with his miss coming from 44 yards.

Vizcaino appears to have the strongest leg out of the bunch.

Entering camp, the return specialist spots were wide open, but Austin Proehl appears to be moving the needle. Not only has he done well with the special teams unit, Proehl is proving himself as a pass-catching option.

Proehl, the free agent acquisition, has consistently been open, has caught nearly everything thrown his way and has found the end zone on multiple occasions.

Today at media availability, special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II named Larry Rountree III, K.J. Hill and Proehl as other options at kick returner aside from Nasir Adderley.

Chargers 2021 Training Camp Position Battles: How will wide receiver room shape up?

Assessing one of the more compelling positions to watch at Chargers training camp.

The Chargers head into camp with the wide receiver room being one of the deeper positions on the rosters, with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams leading the pack.

This season, Allen and Williams can be one of the better 1-2 punches under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, but the team still needs to identify their compliments.

Below them on the depth chart, Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and rookie Josh Palmer are all trying to prove themselves to the new coaching staff.

Last season, Johnson amassed 20 receptions for 398 yards (19.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns, with zero drops. Four of his first five receptions in the NFL went for 50 yards or more.

While he managed to put up decent production in his role, with 28 catches for 511 yards (18.3 yards per catch) and three scores, Guyton had six drops, and wasn’t quite as efficient as Johnson.

Palmer didn’t put up gaudy stats at Tennessee, never topping 500 receiving yards in a season due to playing in an offense that did him no favors, but he was a four-year contributor with a polished skill set and impressive size for this league.

However, unlike most teams, Los Angeles won’t likely have a bonafide No. 3 wideout.

The reason for that is because Lombardi’s offense is heavily predicated on matchups. Therefore, different receivers will consistently be rotating in depending on the defensive personnel they’re facing.

If speed is needed, one of Johnson or Guyton will be on the field. If the team needs another physical presence and someone who can get open with their route-running skills, they will roll with Palmer.

Either way, I expect all three to get a fair share of snaps this season.

The Chargers could head into the season with just Allen, Williams, Johnson, Guyton and Palmer, but they might elect to go in with six, which means there will be a battle on the back end for the last spot with Joe Reed, K.J. Hill, John Hurst, Jason Moore, Austin Proehl.

Reed, the team’s fifth-round draft pick of last year and Hill, the seventh rounder, are the presumed ones to beat.

Reed didn’t have many opportunities on offense. Instead, he served primarily as the kick returner. While he didn’t get to prove himself much, Reed’s special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield could be his selling point.

Hill, on the other hand, got more time on the field than Reed, but his productivity was nothing to boast about. He posted seven catches on 11 targets for 73 yards. In addition, Hill served as the team’s punt returner.

Proehl is another guy who could emerge. Signed this offseason, this will mark his fifth team since entering the league in 2018. With his surprising speed, ability to get open in all three areas of the field, competitiveness and special teams upside, Proehl might earn a spot.

6 Chargers with the most to lose at training camp

Identifying Chargers players who could lose a starting role or a roster spot altogether at training camp.

As it is with every training camp, the Chargers will have a number of position battles to watch. Every summer, there are always players with more to lose than their teammates on the roster.

That could come in the form of simply losing a starting role or it could result in them losing a roster spot altogether. With training camp less than two weeks away, here are six players with the most to lose.

QB Easton Stick

Drafted in the sixth-round of the 2019 NFL draft, Stick has gotten the short end of the stick (no pun intended), having limited experience after not having a preseason last year due to COVID-19. He will battle it out this year with veteran Chase Daniel for the backup spot, but I would not be surprised if he is on the outside looking in since Daniel’s familiarity with the offense and mentorship is why he was brought in to begin with. Assuming the team rolls with two quarterbacks, Stick is still a practice squad candidate.

RB Justin Jackson

Austin Ekeler enters this season as RB1, but the team will need to find his compliments since he will be deployed as a pass-catcher in the slot in addition to his duties in the backfield. Jackson will have to fend off second-year Joshua Kelley and rookie Larry Rountree III. Even if the team decides to keep four backs on the roster, Jackson will be fighting for his role as RB2. While Jackson has proven to be impactful, his time on the field has been limited due to lingering injuries since entering the league.

WR K.J. Hill

The wide receiver room was already deep prior to the draft, but it only deepened after the Chargers took Josh Palmer in the third-round. Assuming that Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson and Palmer are locks, that leaves a battle for the sixth spot. Hill flashed in spurts, but he struggled with drops. He will have to fend off Joe Reed, Jason Moore and John Hurst in camp. In my wide receiver projections, I gave the last spot to Reed because of his special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield.

DT Cortez Broughton

The Chargers have a solid trio at the top depth chart with Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery. However, the rotational pieces have yet to be shaped, and among the players who will be fighting for their job is Broughton. Had the team not signed Christian Covington, Broughton’s seat would likely not be hot. The fifth and likely final spot may ultimately be given to a nose tackle to back up Joseph, whether that be Breiden Fehoko or undrafted free agent Forrest Merrill. Therefore, Broughton will really have to standout to garner a roster spot.

TE Stephen Anderson

The tight end room was as slim as it got after letting go of Hunter Henry earlier this offseason. But in correspondence, the team signed Jared Cook and drafted Tre’ McKitty in the third-round. Anderson was re-signed, but that doesn’t mean his spot is secure. He would like have to beat out Donald Parham, but Anderson doesn’t offer as much upside as a pass-catcher to keep around.

K Michael Badgley

The Chargers steadily improved the special teams department this offseason, but the final piece to the reconstruction could include a new kicker. Badgley struggled last season, missing nine field goals over 45 yards. Heading into camp, he will have to fight off the two guys that the team brought in this offseason, with those being Tristan Vizcaino and undrafted free agent Alex Kessman.

Projecting the Chargers’ wide receiver depth chart in 2021

The Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of talent at the wide receiver position.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be breaking down the depth chart at each position for the Chargers.

Quarterback

Running Back

Next up, I project what the wide receivers room will look like heading into the 2021 season.

WR1: Keenan Allen

Still not given the respect that he deserves, Allen has proven himself as one of the league’s most efficient receivers. Allen has averaged 100 receptions and over 1,000 receiving yards over the past four seasons, with Pro Bowl appearances coming in each one of them. As long as he stays healthy, the crafty route-runner will remain as one of quarterback Justin Herbert’s go-to targets in the upcoming season.

WR2: Mike Williams

Since being selected in the first-round of the 2017 NFL draft, Williams has yet to live up to that status. While he has delivered in clutch situations as a big-play threat throughout the years, Williams has failed to surpass 50 catches, has just seven touchdowns over the past two seasons and has dealt with a injuries along the way. That could change in 2021, as Williams is expected to be an integral piece in Joe Lombardi’s offense as the ‘X’ receiver, which is the same role that was held by one of the league’s best wideouts, Saints’ Michael Thomas.

WR3: Tyron Johnson

This is where the battle begins. There are a handful of players fighting for the final spots, but basing it off of last season, Johnson is the front-runner for the job. Proven as a reliable option behind the two starters, Johnson amassed 20 receptions for 398 yards (19.9 yards per reception) and three touchdowns, with zero drops. Four of his first five receptions in the NFL went for 50 yards or more. In a way, Johnson reminds me of former Saints’ Brandin Cooks, who Lombardi spent a few seasons with. They are solid route runners, have speed to take the top off a defense and have reliable hands.

WR4: Jalen Guyton

Guyton entered the 2020 season as the third wide receiver. While he managed to put up decent production in his role, with 28 catches for 511 yards (18.3 yards per catch) and three scores, Guyton had six drops, and wasn’t quite as efficient as Johnson. While Guyton’s speed should still have some value, Johnson has the leg up on him because his hands are more superior and he’s a better route-runner.

WR5: Josh Palmer

Drafted in the third-round out of Tennessee, Palmer will be in contention for the third spot alongside Johnson and Guyton. However, since this is a projection for the first week of the season, Palmer’s inexperience in the league will start him off lower on the depth chart. Nonetheless, with his ability to separate at all levels of the field, especially vertically, Palmer could quickly receive more playing time as the year goes down, especially considering that Lombardi goes through a lot of different personnel packages.

WR6: Joe Reed

The first five receivers listed are the presumed locks to make the 53-man roster. Assuming the team rolls with six wideouts, the final spot is a battle between five players: K.J. Hill, John Hurst, Jason Moore, Austin Proehl and Reed. Reed, the team’s fifth-round pick of last year’s draft, didn’t have many opportunities on offense. Instead, he was relegated to a return specialist, but was dethroned by Nasir Adderley in that role later in the season. While he didn’t get to prove himself much, Reed’s special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield could be the selling point to Lombardi and company.