Tag: Josh Palmer

10 biggest stars of Chargers’ preseason

Highlighting 10 Chargers players who stood out during the three-game preseason slate.

The Chargers concluded their 2021 preseason with a loss to the Seahawks on Saturday night. They are now hard at work to determine the 53 players that will go into Week 1 of the regular season.

Quite a few players made their case for a starting spot, depth role or just the rights to remain on the team. Here’s a look at the 10 biggest stars from the past month of preseason action.

Chargers WR Josh Palmer reveals who he models his game after

Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer’s skillset is pro-ready.

Everybody in the NFL has somebody they model their games after.

For Chargers rookie wide receiver Josh Palmer, he patterns his game after Falcons’ Julio Jones and Buccaneers’ Antonio Brown.

Having not played a single regular season game yet, Palmer is nowhere near the two from a talent standpoint. But you can see some similarities that could eventually put Palmer in position to produce as much as they have.

While Palmer’s physical profile is more comparable to Jones, all three have good initial releases off the line of scrimmage to get into their routes in a hurry, explosive and crafty ways of consistently getting open.

Palmer’s pro-ready skillset and size have been on display all summer, as the former Tennessee product has raised eyebrows with his ability to separate and catch everything on a regular basis.

“He’s polished,” Keenan Allen said of Palmer. “You can tell he’s polished and knows what to do. He obviously knows releases, he knows leverage. He just knows how to run routes already.”

Entering camp, the battle for the third wide receiver between Palmer, Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton was anyone’s game, but the rookie gradually stood above the pack.

Even though offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi constantly rotates his receivers in based on the defense’s package they’re in, it will be hard to keep Palmer off the field.

With his ability to win at all levels of the field and make things happen with the football in his hands, Palmer should quickly become one of Justin Herbert’s go-to targets.

Studs, duds from Chargers’ preseason victory over Rams

Highlighting the Chargers players who helped and hurt their stocks in the preseason opener.

The Chargers kicked off their 2021 preseason slate with a 13-6 victory over the Rams on Saturday night.

In games like this, the scoreboard is irrelevant and it’s the individual performances that matter the most.

Here are the best and worst outings that I saw:

6 takeaways from Chargers’ preseason victory over Rams

Highlighting what stood out from the Chargers’ preseason victory over the Rams.

The Chargers kicked off the 2021 preseason with a win over the Rams in the first game that fans were allowed in SoFi Stadium by the score of 13-6.

With that being said, here are six of my biggest takeaways from the contest.

 

Chargers vs. Rams: Takeaways from first half of preseason opener

Highlighting the first half of the preseason matchup between the Chargers and Rams.

The Rams and Chargers are currently tied up in the preseason opener by the score of 6-6.

Here are a few quick takeaways from the first half of play:

Short lived, but so good

Rashawn Slater only played in the first drive of the game, but he showed a lot of promise. The majority of his work came against his former Northwestern teammate, Earnest Brown IV and he kept him at bay in pass protection and provided a charge in the running game by clearing lanes with pure strength and physicality.

Josh Palmer has the makings of a PPR monster

If you play fantasy football and you’re in a points per reception league, you just might want to target Palmer in your drafts. The rookie currently has six receptions for 36 yards. While the majority of his work has came in the short parts of the field, Palmer has consistently been open, which mirrors what he’s been showing throughout camp.

The Drue Tranquill and Kyzir White show

On defense, Tranquill and White were lights out. They were let loose, not only serving as defenders to fill holes at the line of scrimmage, but act as blitzers and move freely in space to prevent the pass and run, highlighting their speed.

Special teams coverage is still a work in progress

One of the main priorities was rebuilding the special teams department, including the coverage units, but they have done nothing to provide reason to be optimistic. Returners have had too much space to run. As a result, the Chargers have allowed a 25-yard average on kick returns and 23 on punt returns.

3 offensive players to watch in Chargers’ preseason opener vs. Rams

Identifying three Chargers players on the offensive side of the ball to keep an eye on when they take on the Rams.

Even though we likely won’t see much of the starters for the Chargers in the preseason opener against the Rams, there will still be enough to keep your eyes on Saturday night.

With that being said, here are three players on the offensive side of the ball to watch for when the two Los Angeles teams clash in SoFi Stadium, eager to make statements.

OT Rashawn Slater

The Chargers struck gold with quarterback Justin Herbert and now they must protect him at all costs to keep his longevity. Up to this point at training camp, Slater has lived up to his first round billing, holding his own against the elite edge defender, Joey Bosa.

Confirmed by head coach Brandon Staley that he will play in the opener, Slater will have the opportunity to showcase to the nation why he’s generated a great amount of buzz and a glimpse of a potential Pro Bowl tackle, even if it’s against second and third-team pass rushers.

RB Joshua Kelley

The battle in the backfield is one of the most compelling storylines heading into the three-game preseason slate. With Austin Ekeler not set to play at all and Justin Jackson likely to be on limited snaps, there will be an audition for the backup spot behind them between Kelley and rookie Larry Rountree.

After an underwhelming rookie season, Kelley has shown signs of improvement in camp, especially in the passing game. There’s no denying his potential, but Kelley must put it all together and display more confidence as a runner and that he can be an asset on special teams.

WR Josh Palmer

Palmer, the team’s third round pick, has been one of the better wideouts at camp, showing the ability to consistently get open at all three levels of the field even against the top corners and catching everything thrown his way.

Looking to establish himself as a reliable rookie, Palmer will have plenty of opportunities on the field to show his polished skill set and impressive size could make him a dangerous complementary target, even in a deep receiver room.

Chargers preseason: 4 position battles to watch vs. Rams

Even though some of the Chargers starters aren’t likely to play much, there are still a few position battles to watch.

The Chargers finally take the field on Saturday night for the first preseason matchup between the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Don’t expect to see the starters on the field for all that long, but there are still some position battles that will need to be monitored closely.

Here are four position battles to keep an eye on:

Running back

Austin Ekeler is not expected to play a single snap this preseason, which means that the spotlight is on those who will be fighting for the roles behind him: Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree and Darius Bradwell.

Up to this point, Jackson has gotten the higher-up reps. Kelley, on the other hands, has looked improved, including in the passing game. Rountree hasn’t received a lot of attention, but his physicality as a runner has stood out.

Wide receiver

Like Ekeler, Keenan Allen isn’t likely to play in the preseason, and it wouldn’t be surprising to not see Mike Williams all that much, either. Nonetheless, who shines among the trio Tyron Johnson, Jalen Guyton and rookie Josh Palmer is an intriguing thing to watch for.

On the back end of the position, there’s going to be an intense battle for the last spot(s). After being drafted last year, K.J. Hill and Joe Reed need to prove themselves to the new coaching staff. But summer standouts like Austin Proehl and Jason Moore will be giving them a run for their money.

Swing tackle

The Chargers have their starting tackles set in stone with rookie Rashawn Slater and Bryan Bulaga, but if one of them goes down with an injury, who will be the next man up to fill the void?

Returning players who are vouching for the second spot on the depth chart are Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton. Added into the mix are rookies Brenden Jaimes, Darius Harper and Kyle Spalding.

Pipkins and Norton are the current front-runners, but have they improved from last season to be counted on? The two must show more functional strength to hold up against stronger pass-rushers on a snap-to-snap basis.

Defensive tackle

The four players presumed to earn a spot are Linval Jospeh, Jerry Tillery, Justin Jones and Christian Covington, but the final spot(s) is up for grabs.

The battle will be between returners Breiden Fehoko and Cortez Broughton has been a polarizing one up to this point, as the two have looked notably improved as pass rushers.

Sights and sounds from Chargers training camp: Day 12

Some footage from the 12th day of Chargers training camp.

The Chargers continued training camp on Wednesday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, CA.

Training camp can be attended for free if you are able to snag some tickets here, but if you’re unable to go, you will still be kept up with all of the action throughout the course of it.

I will have coverage of training camp with updates from practice below, courtesy of media members and fans in attendance.

Future is bright for Chargers WR Josh Palmer

The Chargers are expecting big things from rookie Josh Palmer.

Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer never surpassed 500 receiving yards or five touchdown catches in his four seasons at Tennessee, but based on each of his showings at training camp, he is bound to be a lot more productive in this league.

Palmer, the team’s third round pick, has been putting on a clinic, steadily building a solid rapport with quarterback Justin Herbert, with his ability to get consistently get open at all three levels of the field and reeling in all of his targets.

Behind Keenan Allen, Palmer has been the second-best wideout up to this point. Mike Williams has been quiet. Tyron Johnson flashed early on, but he has missed the last three practices. Jalen Guyton hasn’t done anything to move the needle.

Despite the lack of production in college, his polished skill set and impressive size were tailor-made for the NFL, and it’s been on display at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Defensive backs have struggled to make up for his precise route-running and downfield speed.

Entering camp, the battle for the third wide receiver was anyone’s game but Palmer is gradually making his mark each and everyday at camp.

Even though offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi constantly rotates his receivers in based on the defense’s personnel, it will be hard to keep Palmer off the field if he continues to perform at a high level.

With his ability to separate at all levels of the field and make things happen with the football in his hands, Palmer could quickly become one of Herbert’s go-to targets this upcoming season and beyond.

Sights and sounds from Chargers training camp: Day 5

Some footage from Day 5 of Chargers training camp.

The Chargers continued training camp on Monday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, CA, marking the first time in full-pads.

Training camp can be attended for free if you are able to snag some tickets here while they last, but if you’re unable to attend, you will still be informed of all the action throughout the course of it.

I will have coverage of training camp with updates from practice below, courtesy of media members in attendance along with fan posts.