Tag: Justin Herbert

Commanders watch as North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye impresses at pro day

Another Justin Herbert comparison for Drake Maye after his pro day performance.

“I would say the last ten minutes of that pro day can’t go much better.”

That was how ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky described Drake Maye’s workout today in front of NFL representatives, including Adam Peters and Dan Quinn.

As soon as the North Carolina pro day workout had concluded, ESPN went to a panel that discussed Maye’s passing workout.

Here is every Drake Maye throw from today’s UNC Pro Day.

“If you had asked me, Hannah (Storm), the number one thing that pops on tape is how good he throws the ball downfield. You know, the 15-25 yard throws.”

“When we were watching I said, ‘My goodness he has a hand cannon.’ Just the throws down the field, the last ten throws were absolutely spectacular. There was a couple misses early on. He missed a slant, he missed an out — that’s going to happen at times.”

“I think with what we saw, which was the great majority of his throws, you have to be really encouraged. I think the thing I was looking for most, Mike T (Tannenbaum), was how were his feet going to look?”

“Those definitely looked much improved when it came to the rhythm of his throwing, rather than the natural talent and athleticism of him throwing.”

Tannenbaum responded, “To that point, Hannah (Storm), I think he looked a lot like Justin Herbert: big, strong, and athletic. I think what we saw in the pro day sort of punctuated that because the ball came out really easy, and he could get the ball down the field flawlessly.”

Chargers get best player available, fill holes in Chad Reuter’s latest 4-round mock draft

Breaking down the Chargers’ picks in Chad Reuter’s latest four-round mock draft.

The Chargers have a smidge bit of leeway heading into the NFL draft after addressing a few positional needs in free agency, but there are still some critical spots on the roster that need to be filled next month.

In NFL Media’s Chad Reuter’s latest four-round mock draft, he sees Los Angeles taking the best player available at a glaring position of need in the first round and building out the depth chart the rest of the way out.

In Round 1, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. falls in their lap.

The Cardinals, who have the No. 4 overall pick, trade back with the Vikings in this scenario. Minnesota takes their quarterback of the future in J.J. McCarthy, leaving Harrison for the taking.

With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, the Bolts must add to the wideout room in the worst way.

Harrison is a bonafide star skill player with athleticism, speed, route-running savvy and elite ball skills. He would quickly develop close chemistry with Justin Herbert and boost the offense significantly.

In Round 2, L.A. takes defensive tackle Braden Fiske.

Fiske, the 6-foot-4 and 292-pounder, was a standout at the NFL Scouting Combine. He led all defensive tackles in the vertical (33.5″), broad jump (9’9), and 40-yard dash (4.78 seconds).

That immense athleticism shows up on the football field, as Fiske plays with good movement skills and quickness. While he possesses below-average length, Fiske is crafty with his hands and is strong at the point of attack.

The Chargers signed Poona Ford last week, but they still need to fill out the interior part of the defensive line depth chart.

In Round 3, the Chargers select cornerback DJ James.

James has a lot of experience, having spent his final two seasons at Auburn after three with Oregon. He is a great athlete with the desired coverage skills and knack for the football, as evidenced by leading the SEC in forced incompletions (15) in 2023.

With their first pick in the fourth round, Los Angeles selects running back Will Shipley.

Shipley shows the burst, decisiveness, and receiving ability to be a rotational back, which are all traits that the Bolts could use in the backfield as they look to finish building out the group.

With the additional fourth-round pick they got from the Bears in return for Keenan Allen, L.A. takes offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea.

Jim Harbaugh wants to be more physical up front to aid the running game and that means bolstering the offensive line with his guys. Laumea is an experienced player who logged 44 straight games between right tackle and right guard. He is a fleet-footed mover with a nasty streak.

Antonio Pierce calls GM Tom Telesco ‘magician’ in terms of drafting quarterback

Is Tom Telesco really the ‘magician’ in terms of drafting quarterback that Antonio Pierce thinks he is?

Regardless of how you feel about the hiring of Tom Telesco, for the Raiders, the former Chargers is seen as the right guy at the right time.

First and foremost, Mark Davis opted not to go with any first time GM’s because he had already decided to go with first time head coach Antonio Pierce. In this situation, Pierce was to be surrounded by experienced people to allow Pierce to focus on motivating his players.

But there’s also the issue with the Raiders heading into the draft with a need at QB for the first time in a decade. That’s an area where they like Telesco’s experience.

“I got Tom Telesco in there. Got the magician. Figure out what he’s got up his sleeve,” Pierce told NFL media’s Carol Smith. “He’s done it for a long time. I got a lot of trust in him. I think he’s seen it wherever he’s been. Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, becomes a GM with the Chargers, Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert. So he knows something about quarterbacks. So I’m going to let him figure it out.”

Yes, Telesco has “seen” great quarterback play. Though he can’t really be credited much for it.

The Chargers landed franchise QB Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick after Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa had been selected. Making for one of the more no-brainer picks in the draft as the Chargers were moving on from Philip Rivers and there was a significant dropoff at QB in the draft after that. They were taking whichever of the three QB’s were on the board.

Andrew Luck’s selection carried even less suspense. Telesco had just been promoted to VP of football ops from director of player personnel. The Colts had the number one overall pick and Luck was the obvious choice at first overall.

Peyton Manning was also a number one overall pick and he was selected the same year Telesco joined the team as an area scout. So, needless to say Telesco was not influencing anything with that pick. Philip Rivers was already a veteran on the Chargers when Telesco joined those team.

So, at best Telesco may be a good judge of the kind of intangibles great quarterbacks should possess because he shared a building with several in his career. He’s been lucky enough to have only experienced one full season without one of those four quarterbacks behind center. And that was the notorious “Suck for Luck” season.

Pierce and the Raiders are banking on Telesco’s up-close-and-personal experience with these QB’s translating to the Raiders finding their own answer at quarterback in this year’s draft.

The Raiders currently sit at 13 overall. Most expect the top four quarterbacks — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and JJ McCarthy — to be off the board by then, with a dropoff at the position after that.

Next up would be Michael Penix and Bo Nix, but both are considered late first round or early second round prospects.

This means for the first time in his front office career Telesco’s QB magic skills will be truly put to the test.

5 potential landing spots for Odell Beckham Jr. after he pens goodbye letter to Ravens

We’re looking at 5 potential landing spots for Odell Beckham Jr. after his release from the Baltimore Ravens

The Odell Beckham Jr. era is over in Baltimore after the Ravens decided to release the veteran wide receiver with a Post June 1 designation.

Beckham confirmed the move with a goodbye on his Instagram account.

https://instagram.com/obj/p/C4olbKLPu29/?hl=en

“Swea on everything I appreciate the Flock more than yall could EVER imagine. Did everything I could wit the opportunities I had. Wish I got to do it big for yall. Thank you for the Vibez! To the City of Baltimore I f— wit yall forever FRRRR. And most importantly to my brothers over there this sh-t a lifetime sentence, I love yall! BiggestTruzzz”

The revision will allow Baltimore to spread the dead money out over 2024 and 2025, as opposed to it all hitting in 2024.

Beckham had 64 targets during his lone season in Baltimore, logging 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

With the move now complete, we’re looking at potential landing spots for the talented pass catcher.

The Chargers have failed Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert deserves better than the Los Angeles Chargers

*Audible sigh*

Why do the Chargers hate Justin Herbert? I ask that with only a hint of satire on my breath because the monumental disservice this organization has done to this quarterback is so bad that it’s actually impressive.

For starters, let’s talk about how horrid his defenses have been. Brandon Staley was supposed to be some defensive savior for the Chargers. Instead, their defense got worse after he took over. From 2021-23, the Chargers ranked 27th in defensive EPA per play, and they were 26th in success rate.

On top of that, the Chargers defense allowed 1,507 points in Herbert’s first 60 starts- Herbert put up 1,508 points, and Los Angeles was an even 30-30 in those games.

In his first 32 starts, the Chargers gave up 27 or more points in 19 of them. That’s 59 percent.

And as of November 13, 2023, no team has lost more games when scoring 30 or more points than the Chargers, who have lost six games when Herbert put up 30+ points. Yet all I seem to hear from Herbert’s biggest naysayers is that he can’t finish, or he can’t get the job done.

The biggest contradiction to those doubters came against the Lions last season. Herbert threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns, tying the game late in the fourth quarter, only for his defense to, once again, allow Detroit to march down the field and kick a field goal to win the game at the buzzer.

Even when the Chargers win those types of games, the defense tries their hardest to let down their extremely talented quarterback. In their matchup against the Vikings last season, Herbert went 40-of-47 for 405 yards and three touchdowns, and went 32-of-38 for 301 yards and three touchdowns against the blitz. His completions, attempts, and passing yards were the most of any quarterback in a game against the blitz since ESPN began tracking such numbers in 2006. Yet despite all of that, the game came down to the final play where the Vikings were in prime scoring position. Luckily, the Chargers picked off a Kirk Cousins pass to win the game, but the point is how was the result even in question when Herbert was systematically destroying Brian Flores’ defense for 60 minutes? Because the defense was that bad. Cousins threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns of his own, and the Vikings had 475 yards of offense.

Herbert also hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to offensive scheming and the players around him. Both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams missed significant time with injuries over the last few seasons. Allen has missed 11 games since 2022, and Williams has missed 18, including 14 last season. This has left Herbert to fend for himself with the likes of Josh Palmer, Jalen Guyton, DeAndre Carter, and other low-end receivers. While tight end Gerald Everett was a fine safety blanket, there was no one to stretch the field. Even when Allen was healthy, he isn’t exactly the fastest receiver anymore at almost 32 years of age.

Schematically, Herbert hasn’t exactly been dealt the best hand, either. Joe Lombardi didn’t stretch the field with his offense in 2022. There was a lot of out routes six-eight yards downfield, a lot of underneath throws- nothing that took advantage of Herbert’s massive arm. Because of this, Herbert’s yards per attempt went from 7.5 in 2021 to 6.8 in 2022. His yards per completion also went down from 11.3 to a career-low 9.9.

The change from Lombardi to Kellen Moore at offensive coordinator helped some, but the overall concepts of the offense were still focused on the shallow to intermediate portion of the field. Moore’s scheme just utilized the middle of the field more, rather than looking outside the numbers constantly like Lombardi’s offense. Herbert still only had 24 big time throws, per PFF, which was less than the likes of Baker Mayfield and Sam Howell.

Schematically, it’s hard to find comparable situations where a legitimately great quarterback was so handcuffed by the offense in which he was tasked to operate. Aaron Rodgers in the final season of Mike McCarthy is one that instantly comes to mind, but even then, Rodgers was still putting up good numbers. The Packers went 6-9-1 in McCarthy’s final year, but Rodgers was still a Pro Bowler and threw for over 4,400 yards with 25 touchdowns and just two interceptions. However, Rodgers was just 17th in EPA+CPOE composite that season. When Matt LaFleur took over in 2019, Rodgers’ numbers didn’t jump immediately, but in 2020 and 2021, he was the best quarterback in football, winning consecutive league MVPs.

If you want to point to the Steelers and Matt Canada, that’s a fair point to make, but it’s also evident that Kenny Pickett wasn’t, and isn’t anywhere near the level of Herbert. But for the sake of the argument, Pickett is 32nd in EPA+CPOE composite over the last two seasons amongst quarterbacks with at least 320 snaps played. The point being that there are few, if any cases that parallel that of Herbert and the incompetency he has had to consistently deal with.

Now, instead of getting Herbert an offensive coordinator that suits his style of play and his strengths, new head coach Jim Harbaugh hired his buddy Greg Roman, whose offense is arguably the worst fit for a quarterback like Herbert. The Roman offense is best utilized with a mobile quarterback running heavy RPOs and leaning into the run game and utilizing tight ends in the pass game. Justin Herbert isn’t a guy that will run the ball 10-15 times a game on read options like Colin Kaepernick or Lamar Jackson, who Roman has previously worked with- both of which resulted in him being fired because the Greg Roman offense has a very short shelf life. And while the Harbaugh hiring felt like a great one at first, his hiring of Roman garners no confidence in what will come for Herbert, who now doesn’t have a legitimate No. 1 receiver or tight end on the roster, a defense that still needs patching, and an offensive coordinator that mixes with him like oil mixes with water.

Ultimately, it looks as if Herbert’s career path will be similar to that of Matthew Stafford, just sped up a little bit. We all know how talented he is, and he’s showcased how great he is on multiple occasions. He had 69 touchdown passes in his first two seasons, and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of nearly 3-1. What happens in 2024 is anybody’s guess, but my guess is, like Matthew Stafford, he’ll eventually get traded away from a bad organization, go to a team that will use him correctly, and win instantly. Eli Manning dodged the Chargers bullet by saying he wasn’t going to play there, and maybe Herbert should have done the same thing. Because season after season, he’s been tasked with making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, and it looks as if that will be his duty once again in 2024. Herbert deserves better than this. He deserves better than the Chargers, who found the hardest thing to find in the NFL- an elite franchise quarterback- and have completely wasted him.

Chargers re-signing QB Easton Stick

The Chargers are bringing back a familiar face.

The Chargers are re-signing quarterback Easton Stick, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.

Stick, a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, had served as the backup with zero experience as a starter until this past season when Justin Herbert was sidelined with a finger injury.

Stick went on to start the final four games and finished with 1,129 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception while adding 144 rushing yards and a score on 27 carries.

With a new regime, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they addressed the backup quarterback spot with another veteran. But given Stick’s athleticism paired with Greg Roman’s run-heavy offense, the pairing made sense.

Additionally, the Chargers brought back Shane Day to be the team’s quarterbacks coach. He previously worked with Stick in 2021 and 2022.

Chargers OC Greg Roman emphasizes importance of strong running game

Greg Roman has always boasted strong rushing offenses.

Jim Harbaugh spotlighted improving the running game at his introductory press conference. In hopes of having his vision materialized, Harbaugh hired Greg Roman, a run offense specialist, to oversee the offense.

Roman believes that running the ball effectively will aid Justin Herbert’s play.

“Can you imagine Justin Herbert with a great running game?” Roman said, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “… We don’t know, but I can imagine what it might look like. So that’s kind of the vision.”

The Chargers have not had an efficient running game since LaDainian Tomlinson donned the blue and gold. Since 2008, they have finished outside the top 10 in rushing yards per game, most recently finishing 24th.

“I think in this league, you can really, really help dictate the defenses if you have a strong running attack,” Roman said. “If you really talk to most defensive coordinators in this league and got them off to the side when they’re playing a really good running team, they’re sweating a little bit. They’re sleeping a little less that week.”

During Roman’s four seasons as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator (2019-2022), they led the league in rushing yards per game (175.2). When he was Harbaugh’s OC with the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, they were second in the NFL in that time frame in rushing yards per game (139.3).

Roman had Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson as his quarterbacks, and they’re known for their athletic prowesses and the ability to use their legs.

Herbert, on the other hand, is athletic enough to run. But he is more of a prominent passer, which has many wondering how Roman will balance a heavy run game and still let Herbert do his thing through the air.

“It’s going to be a little different,” Roman said. “I think you’re going to see probably a multiple running game. You’ll probably see the use of motions and shifting, and then you’ll see a pretty diverse passing game.

“… Right now, everybody’s got a blank slate of who we can be or what we can do. Could be anything right now, our principles and whatnot of what we do offensively won’t change, but how they come to life on the field will.”

While Roman isn’t known for his passing game, Marcus Brady, who was hired to be the team’s passing game coordinator, should help maximize the offense in that department.

“We’re trying to be great at running the ball, and we’re trying to be great at throwing the ball. We’re trying to be great at both all the time.”

Chargers crack top 10 in attendance during 2023 season

SoFi Stadium was one of the hot spots to be this past season.

SoFi Stadium was among the hot spots to be this past season.

NBC Sports released the top 10 teams in attendance during the 2023 season, and the Chargers came in at No. 10 with 1.19 million fans.

This was total attendance, so home and away team fans were factored in. Nonetheless, it’s promising to know that seats were being filled.

Looking ahead to this upcoming season, the Bolts have a strong chance of surpassing the previous total, as they will be one of the most polarizing teams with Jim Harbaugh coming to Los Angeles.

After finishing with a 5-12 record, the hope is that Harbaugh can turn things around and make the Chargers a winning team, which will bring in more blue and gold in the crowd.

Key dates for Chargers fans to know for 2024 offseason

Here are some important dates for Chargers fans to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.

The 2023 NFL season has officially come to an end, and the Chargers are headed into their offseason.

With that, here are some important dates for Chargers fans to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.

February

  • Feb. 27-March 4: NFL Scouting Combine (Indianapolis, IN)

March

  • March 5: Deadline for teams to designate franchise or transition tag players
  • March 11-13: Teams are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents
  • March 13: At 1 p.m. PT, the 2024 league year and free agency begin; trades can be executed
  • March 24-27: Annual League Meeting (Orlando, FL)

April

  • April 1: Clubs that hired a new head coach may begin offseason workout programs.
  • April 19: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
  • April 25-27: NFL Draft (Detroit, MI)

May

  • May 2: Deadline for clubs to exercise fifth-year option for players selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft

A prediction is in for the Commanders to win the NFC East in 2024

This seems a bit early.

The Washington Commanders will look drastically different in 2024. There’s a new general manager (Adam Peters) and a new head coach (Dan Quinn).

Quinn just recently completed his coaching staff. It’s a staff full of experience, with former head coaches and coordinators joining Quinn in Washington. The Commanders will also likely have a new quarterback in 2024.

With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Washington is positioned to land one of the draft’s top three quarterbacks. The Houston Texans, with a new head coach last season and a quarterback selected second overall, won their division and a playoff game in 2023.

Could the Commanders follow a similar path in 2024?

It’s way too early for those types of predictions. We don’t know who Washington will select in the draft or sign in free agency.

But Colin Cowherd, on Friday’s edition of “The Herd,” believes the Commanders will follow Houston’s path in 2024.

“Commanders win their division,” Cowherd said. “Why Commanders? $75 million in cap space. Love Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury as a staff. I think the Eagles and the Cowboys, because of age and drama, are vulnerable. I think the Commanders, we have a surprise team every year in the league. I think they get Drake Maye. I think Drake Maye is like Justin Herbert as a comp. Played in a simple college offense and will be better than people think immediately. Herbert was, C.J. Stroud was. I think Drake Maye is that guy this year.”

Cowherd makes some good points here. The NFL does have surprise teams every year. And who knows what happens with the Cowboys and Eagles with head coaches on shaky ground.

The Commanders seem far away right now, but they are set up for an immediate turnaround with a strong offseason.