Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Highlighting the Chargers players who have shined at training camp up to this point.
Now eleven practices in, the Chargers will begin to ramp things up even further when preseason play begins this weekend against the Rams.
As we approach the first of three games, now is a good time to highlight the players who have shined at training camp up to this point.
Highlighting the notables of the Chargers’ simulation of a game-like atmosphere in the form of a practice on Sunday evening.
Day 10 of Chargers training camp was conducted as an intrasquad scrimmage at Jack Hammett Sports Complex.
Here are my takeaways from Sunday evening:
Chargers WR Keenan Allen talks about how he is feeling going into Year 10.
This will be Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen’s 10th season in the NFL. But according to the veteran, it feels like his first.
“Feels good,” Allen said. “Running around, not hurting, feeling young. I’m 30, so the game’s slowed down. Just having fun.”
With Allen feeling youthful, the connection with his young quarterback Justin Herbert is unblemished.
The duo made this clear at training camp this past weekend when they connected for a 10-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone.
Allen and Herbert continued to be in sync throughout full-team drills as they linked for two 20-plus-yard plays.
The seasoned route-runner has caught 14 touchdown passes with Herbert as quarterback these last two seasons, which is a testament to the duo’s chemistry.
Along with Allen, Herbert will have a couple of other talented wideouts to distribute the wealth to this season.
Allen will have his partner-in-crime back, Mike Williams, who signed a contract extension this offseason. But second-year Josh Palmer is another ascending with the talent to make a jump this year.
“He’s polished,” Allen said on Palmer. He was polished last year, but now he’s coming in and understanding more ways to do moves and more ways to get open on routes, and he will keep learning along the way.”
Allen’s accolades include five straight Pro Bowls, with 100-plus catches and 1,000 plus receiving yards in four of those five seasons.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer is looking to make a big jump in his second year.
Position battles are starting to heat up at Chargers training camp.
While Monday marked the first day of pads, which will see the needle start to move in certain groups, wide receiver Josh Palmer has been making his case as the third wide receiver since camp opened up.
Palmer, the second-year player, continued to shine in practice, consistently creating separation with great routes and catching everything thrown in his direction.
That included his highlight play of the day, a sliding catch near the sideline with cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. in tight coverage.
Palmer’s competition for the job, Jalen Guyton, has also made plays throughout camp by stressing corners vertically with his deep speed.
However, while Guyton is more experienced and faster, Palmer has proven that he has more of an all-rounded skill set to thrive as the Z receiver, with his impressive route running, reliability, and ball skills.
palms 10:5 pic.twitter.com/zzgLiHDm6o
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 1, 2022
Exploring Los Angeles Chargers’ six position battles to watch entering the start of 2022 NFL training camp.
After an offseason of retooling the roster, the Chargers are ready to hit the field for training camp which is slated to begin this week, Wednesday, July 27.
There are a few key spots yet to be filled, and the same goes for a few at the bottom of the depth chart at various positions.
With that being said, here are six positional battles for Chargers fans to keep an eye on this summer:
Taking a crack at projecting what the Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver room will look like in the 2022 season.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.
Next up, I project what the wide receiver room will look like heading into the 2022 season.
After dealing with injuries early on in his career, Allen has remained relatively healthy, where he’s been a consistent presence in the Chargers’ offense. Allen, the route-running technician, has amassed at least 100 catches and 1,100 yards in four of his last five seasons. 2021 marked a career-high in receptions (108), but he also had a fair share of dropped passes (8). Expected to be an area that will be cleaned up this season, the 30-year-old should resume his duties as a chain-mover with a knack for making big plays in the clutch.
Williams is coming off arguably his most productive season to date, as he set career highs with 76 receptions and 1,146 receiving yards. In addition, he added nine touchdown catches in 2021. As a result, Williams signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension this offseason. A large part of his breakout year was his new role under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Not only was he a deep-field 50-50-ball threat, like how he was strictly used early in his career, but as the ‘X’ receiver, Williams attacked in the short and intermediate areas of the field and ran various routes.
The 2021 third-round pick made his mark right from the jump last summer, showing off his size, ability to separate and catch everything consistently. It carried over to the regular season. However, his snap count was not reflective of his efforts. Instead, Palmer was overshadowed by Jalen Guyton, who was on the field nearly three times as much as Palmer, yet had not been as productive with his playing time until the midway part of the season, when he became more involved. Palmer ended up catching 33 passes for 353 yards with four touchdowns, one of which was a critical fourth-and-21 touchdown in Week 18 that helped the Chargers eventually force overtime against the Raiders.
Given his increase in target share towards the end of 2021, I gave Palmer a leg up to win the third receiver spot. However, Guyton should still see the field for 30-40% of the offensive snaps, as he is the Chargers’ best deep-field speed option. Last season, Guyton turned 48 targets into 31 catches for 448 yards (14.5 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. Furthermore, Guyton is expected to make an impact on special teams. With his great size and speed combo at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds and a 4.3 40-yard dash, the coaching staff is using that to their advantage by lining Guyton up at gunner with the punt team during OTAs and minicamp.
I see the Chargers electing to roll with five wideouts, making this a battle for the final spot between a handful of candidates, including the most notable, Joe Reed. Reed had ankle surgery in September after a training camp injury last summer and spent the season on the practice squad injured list. Selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft, Reed would offer a versatile speed element at the position. But, ultimately, I believe Carter will earn the last spot. Signed this offseason, Carter finished third in yards averaged per kickoff return (25.11) and finished second to former Chargers’ Andre Roberts in total kickoff return yards last season. He was also one of only eight players who returned a kickoff for a score.
Brandon Staley highlighted Jalen Guyton as a standout player.
While position battles won’t take shape until training camp begins next month, organized team activities (OTAs) is still plenty for coaches to take away from practices with the new season’s roster.
For the Chargers, wide receiver Jalen Guyton was a player who raised eyebrows throughout the sessions.
Guyton, who will be competing with Josh Palmer for the third spot at the position, shined not only at catching the football but also on special teams.
“Jalen Guyton was fantastic in the offseason,” Brandon Staley said. “This guy made a lot of big plays for us in the spring. Really did a nice job on special teams. We kind of challenged him to be a factor in the kicking game. I think he’s looked really good out there.”
Last season, Guyton turned 48 targets into 31 catches for 448 yards (14.5 yards per reception) and three touchdowns.
Known for his great size and speed combo at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds with a 4.3 40-yard dash, the coaching staff is using that to their advantage by lining Guyton up at gunner with the punt team.
“To be a good receiver, you have to beat press, so that’s a natural part of your job,” Staley said of Guyton playing gunner. “Trying to create as much value for him as possible. Understanding that’s going to be a big factor in him being in the league for a long time and hopefully making his way in this league.”
A gunner is a member of the special teams in charge of getting down the field and tackling the kick returner on kicking plays.
As new special teams coordinator, Ryan Ficken looks to construct his best personnel, Guyton could ultimately be a valuable piece for his group.
Touchdown Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick dives into Josh Palmer’s All-22 to see why he should be the Chargers’ WR3.
There are a few young players around the league looking to make a jump in prominence and production in the second years of their NFL careers. One of those players is Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer. So far in minicamp, Palmer has lined up as the WR3 with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and he’s already turning some heads.
“He’s been much more confident,” quarterback Justin Herbert has said of Palmer. “He’s a guy that came in really early last year and he picked up the offense pretty easily. But this year it’s a different Josh Palmer out there. He knows exactly where he’s going. We throw a bunch after practice. I feel comfortable with him.”
Selected in the third round of the 2021 draft out of Tennessee, Palmer is a 6-foot-2 possession receiver who can get early separation with his route running, and he can also grab contested balls over the top. Last year, Palmer ended the season with 33 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns: while only playing a total of 38% of the offense’s total snaps.
Let’s go to the film to see why Palmer should be the third option in the Chargers’ offense!
The 2022 season will be a significant one for the Los Angeles Chargers. There are three players who are poised to have big years.
Every season, there are players who break out onto the scene who may not have been dominant the season before, whether they had limited snaps, dealt with an injury, or just improved as a player in the offseason.
It’s no different for a few Chargers players poised to have breakout campaigns and help the team with genuine Super Bowl hopes this upcoming season.
Drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, Samuel strung together a solid rookie season. On 58 targets, he surrendered 36 completions while registering 11 passes defended and two interceptions, which tied for a team-best with safety Derwin James. Samuel, however, suffered two concussions, which limited him to 12 games. Now fully healthy, Samuel will enter his sophomore season in a secondary that now features All-Pro J.C. Jackson. With Jackson aboard, it will allow Samuel to play inside or outside, depending on the package, where he should resume his playmaking skills and establish himself as one of the top young corners in this league.
The third-round pick out of Tennessee made his mark right from the jump last summer, showing off his size, ability to separate and catch everything consistently. It carried over to the regular season. However, his snap count was not reflective of his efforts. Instead, Palmer was overshadowed by Jalen Guyton, who was on the field nearly three times as much as Palmer, yet had not been as productive with his playing time until the midway part of the season, when he became more involved. Palmer ended up catching 33 passes for 353 yards with four touchdowns, with one of them being a critical fourth-and-21 touchdown in Week 18 that helped the Chargers eventually force overtime against the Raiders. Los Angeles will return Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Guyton. Still, given his increase in target share towards the end of 2021 and another entire offseason with Justin Herbert, Palmer should be an integral piece of the offense in 2022.
The Chargers will have a battle for the starting right tackle spot between Pipkins, Storm Norton, and potentially Matt Feiler. Therefore, this is more of an assumption by slotting Pipkins here. But I’m a firm believer that Pipkins has the leg up for the job. Pipkins played well in his only two starts in 2021, both in pass protection and run blocking, and has spent this offseason working with highly touted offensive line developer Duke Manyweather. Meanwhile, Norton was the starting right tackle last season, and he had his fair share of struggles, allowing 60 pressures and nine sacks. And ultimately, I think the plan, for now, is to keep Feiler at left guard. Given his gradual progress each season and playing for another contract, whether, with Los Angeles or another team, Pipkins could be viable in a full 17-game slate.
After the various comings and goings, assessing where the Chargers stand at each position on the offensive side of the ball.
With the free agency frenzy period slowed down and the draft weeks away, now is an excellent time to reset where the Chargers’ depth chart stands and what their strategy at each position could be.
First up: the offensive side of the ball.
Justin Herbert, Chase Daniel, Easton Stick
The Chargers are set for many years to come with Herbert at the helm. After backing Herbert up last season, the team decided to bring back their veteran, Daniel. Stick remains as the other quarterback rostered.
Draft Strategy: There’s no reason to select one, and the team is likely to resort to an undrafted free agent to offer competition with Stick.
Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree
Ekeler thrived in his first season under Joe Lombardi, reaching 20 total touchdowns, which tied for the most in 2021. However, he will need a running mate moving forward to ensure longevity, and that guy doesn’t appear to be on the roster. Justin Jackson is no longer on the roster. Kelley and Rountree had their opportunities but left a lot to be desired.
Draft Strategy: Instead of bringing in a veteran via free agency, the Chargers have chosen to resort to the draft for the third-straight year in hopes of finding their RB2. Look for the team to address the position with a powerful back, like Baylor’s Abram Smith, Alabama’s Brian Robinson, Florida’s Dameon Pierce, Michigan’s Hasaan Haskins, among others.
Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Joshua Palmer, Joe Reed, Jason Moore, Michael Bandy, Maurice Ffrench, DeAndre Carter
The Chargers have a strong core heading into the season with the dynamic duo of Allen and Williams coupled with the ascending talent of Palmer. However, one thing is certain: Los Angeles still needs a speed/yards-after-the-catch weapon.
Draft Strategy: The Chargers are in a position to pounce on one of Alabama’s Jameson Williams or Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave, should one of them fall to them in the first round. However, if the team decides to go in another direction at No. 17, Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson, SMU’s Danny Gray, Memphis’ Calvin Austin and Rutger’s Bo Melton could be in play.
Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Tre’ McKitty, Hunter Kampmoyer
The Chargers signed Everett, who will take over as TE1, formerly held by Jared Cook last season. The move to sign Everett also indicated that Parham needs more time to develop before taking on a full-time role. McKitty showed plenty of promise as a blocker in his rookie season, and he should resume his duties in the in-line spot. Stephen Anderson was another pleasant surprise as the hybrid fullback/H-back, but the Cardinals signed him.
Draft Strategy: The Chargers will look to find someone who’s a capable blocker but offers receiving ability in the H-back role, likely with one of their Day 3 selections. Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely, Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert, Maryland’s Chigoziem Okonkwo, and San Diego State’s Daniel Bellinger are a few options.
Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Storm Norton, Trey Pipkins, Brenden Jaimes, Ryan Hunter
The Chargers are set with their starting left tackle and center in Slater and Linsley. While slated to start at left guard, Feiler is a candidate to move over to fill the right tackle position, which is a current void after Bryan Bulaga was released and Norton struggled in the starting role. If Feiler makes the switch, Jaimes could play left guard. In the five games as the starting right guard, Oday Aboushi was solid. But unfortunately, his one-year stint was cut short after suffering a torn ACL. Aboushi is still a candidate to be brought back. But if the Chargers don’t see him as a part of their plans moving forward, they will need someone to fill that spot.
Draft Strategy: If the Bolts want to move Feiler to right tackle, they could address the interior part of the offensive in Round 1 with either Boston College’s Zion Johnson or Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green. If they want to keep Feiler where he is, Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning is a strong possibility, or Mississippi State’s Charles Cross should he fall. Tackles beyond the first round who would fit include Washington State’s Abraham Lucas, Louisiana’s Max Mitchell, UTSA’s Spencer Burford, Florida’s Jean Delance, and San Diego State’s Zachary Thomas. As for interior offensive linemen, Memphis’ Dylan Parham, Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer, Oklahoma’s Marquis Hayes, Wake Forest’s Zach Tom, UCLA’s Sean Rhyan, and Chattanooga’s Cole Strange would make sense.
