Tag: K.J. Hill

WATCH: K.J. Hill catches punts while holding crazy amount of footballs

Do you think you can do this?

If you’ve followed former Ohio State wide receiver K.J. Hill’s career at all, it’s no surprise that he has some of the best hands we’ve ever seen. His ability to one-hand the ball like he has Stick’um on, is legendary. I mean, you don’t become the program leader in total receptions for a career by accident.

Hill’s pass-catching abilities were on display in a training camp competition with the Chargers this past week, but in a different way. Watch as Hill catches what looks like punts without dropping a ball in succession, each time having to find somehow to stow away the last ball amongst all the others on his person somewhere. It’s all courtesy of the Los Angeles Chargers official Twitter account.

By our count, it looks like Hill was able to catch the seventh ball after holding six at one time.

We’re not sure who ultimately won this competition, but it’s hard to think of anyone else doing this well, let alone catching more. Judging by the reaction of those watching, we’re going to crown him champ of this fun little competition.

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.

Where did Chargers’ 2020 rookie class rank in productivity?

The Los Angeles Chargers got a lot of out of their first-round picks in 2020.

The 2020 season is in the rearview, but it’s never a bad thing to reflect on the past.

Pro Football Focus ranked the production of each rookie class this past season, and the Chargers fared well.

Los Angeles was among the best, finishing sixth.

Why they’re ranked here: Quarterback Justin Herbert (No. 6 overall) was the only Chargers rookie to make a massive impact right away and ranked 14th in WAR generated in 2020. The second of their two first-round picks, linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr., was subpar at best and earned just a 55.4 PFF grade as a starter, ranking 45th of 88 qualifying off-ball linebackers. Nine other rookies from Day 3 and the UDFA pool played for L.A. but all combined for negative WAR.

How their top pick fared: There were some doubts about Herbert’s ability to immediately produce for the Chargers, but he silenced the critics convincingly in Year 1. Herbert earned a 78.6 passing grade through the regular season, tying for 12th in the NFL and ranking as the sixth-best mark we have ever recorded from a rookie. However, his performance was fairly reliant on plays under pressure — his 75.4 grade under pressure was actually the best in the NFL — which is slightly concerning given that play under duress is extremely volatile from year to year.

A big reason why the Bolts were among the top-10 was because of presences of first-round picks quarterback Justin Herbert and linebacker Kenneth Murray.

In only his second game as a pro, Herbert was thrusted into the starting role against the Chiefs after a team doctor accidentally punctured QB Tyrod Taylor’s lung.

It was then when greatness was born.

The former Oregon product finished with 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, breaking multiple records along the way and coming up only 38 yards shy of passing the rookie passing yard record held by Andrew Luck.

Herbert is currently the front-runner to win the prestigious Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Meanwhile, Murray recorded 107 tackles, three passes defended and one sack in his rookie season. The former Oklahoma product experienced growing pains right off the bat, but he made consistent growth week in and week out.

As for the rest of the class, there wasn’t much production.

Running back Joshua Kelley had spurts of dominance, but he was inconsistent, which resulted in him becoming a backup to Justin Jackson and Kalen Ballage as the season went on.

Wide receivers Joe Reed and K.J. Hill didn’t have many opportunities to prove themselves. Reed was relegated to a return specialist and Hill was out-snapped by Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson.

Safety Alohi Gilman was primarily a special teamer and didn’t receive playing time on defense until near the end of the season.

Report: Chargers expected to be without WR Mike Williams vs. Raiders

The Chargers could also be without Keenan Allen.

The Chargers will likely be without wide receiver Mike Williams, who is dealing with a back injury, on Thursday night against the Raiders, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

There’s a chance that Los Angeles could also be without WR Keenan Allen, who has a hamstring injury. If Allen does play, he will be limited, per Schefter.

Running back Austin Ekeler, who was questionable, is expected to play.

With Williams out, the Bolts will roll with Tyron Johnson in his spot. Johnson is coming off an impressive outing, where he recorded six receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.

This also means added opportunities for Jalen Guyton, K.J. Hill and possibly Joe Reed.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen added to injury report, questionable vs. Raiders

The Los Angeles Chargers could be without their top skill player against the Las Vegas Raiders.

There’s a possibility that the Chargers could be without their top skill player against the Raiders on Sunday.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen was added to the injury report due to an illness and listed him as questionable on Saturday.

Allen has grown to be quarterback Justin Herbert’s favorite target, as he’s being targeted at least 10 times in all but one contest.

In seven games, Allen has 53 catches for 548 yards and three touchdowns.

If Allen isn’t able to go or if he’s held to limited snaps, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill will be forced to step up. Luckily, Los Angeles will be facing a pass defense that ranks near the bottom in the NFL.

Along with Allen being added to the injury report, the team also placed cornerback Brandon Facyson on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Facyson missed Friday’s practice with what was considered an “illness.”

The Chargers will also likely be without their top defensive player, Joey Bosa, who is doubtful with a concussion.

Chargers HC Anthony Lynn explains scratching WR Joe Reed consecutive games

Chargers wide receiver Joe Reed was thought to be used in similar way as 49ers’ Deebo Samuel.

The Chargers drafted wide receiver Joe Reed in the fifth-round with the hopes of him becoming an offensive chess piece. However, Reed has only made three appearances with very little production.

Reed was healthy scratches the past two games, leaving many scratching their heads, especially because he was showing some promise as the team’s returner.

Coach Anthony Lynn was asked at media availability on Friday why Reed has been inactive, and he said they’re trying to get Reed up to speed and active on game days, but that he’s just not ready yet.

Lynn pointed to the injuries in other areas and said having him active is a luxury they haven’t been able to afford the last few weeks. In other words, the team covets his return ability, but he’s still raw as a receiver.

It was thought that Reed would be used in a similar way as 49ers’ Deebo Samuel in jet sweeps, shovel passes and slants. But L.A. believes he has a lot of developing to do as a receiver despite his polarizing physical traits.

It remains to be seen when Reed will return to the action. Until then, we can expect to continue to see a receiver combination of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, K.J. Hill and Tyron Johnson.

Report: Chargers WR Mike Williams not expected to play vs. Bengals

The Los Angeles Chargers will be without one of their starting wide receivers.

The Chargers will be without their starting center, and will now be without one of their starting wide receivers in the season opener.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mike Williams, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, is not expected to play in Week 1 against the Bengals.

Williams was a limited participant all week at practice, and coach Anthony Lynn said that he would be a game-time decision.

Williams hadn’t practiced since injuring his right shoulder during training camp on Aug. 23.

The next men up to fill the void will be second-year wideout Jason Moore and rookies K.J. Hill and Joe Reed. One of those will line up next to starters Keenan Allen and Jalen Guyton on Sunday.

The matchup between Los Angeles and Cincinnati kicks off at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Chargers optimistic WR Mike Williams will play Week 1 vs. Bengals

There’s a chance that the Chargers will have Mike Williams on the field for the season opener.

Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams sustained a shoulder injury in practice last Sunday, which left his availability for the season opener against the Bengals up in the air.

However, there’s a good chance that Williams could be a go in Week 1.

“Mike’s gotta be ready to play,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said. “I think Mike has got that mindset to be ready to play. We look forward to having him on September 13.”

Steichen’s remark is very promising, considering coach Anthony Lynn said that Williams was going to be “out for awhile.”

We will have a better feel for Williams’ status once the injury reports roll out throughout the week of practice leading up into the first game of the 2020 season.

If Williams is good to go, he will resume his duties on the outside. But the player opposite still remains to be seen.

Los Angeles has been hard at work trying to determine who the third wide receiver will be. It’s been a tight battle between Jalen Guyton, Jason Moore, Tyron Johnson, Darius Jennings and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.