Now that the Los Angeles Chargers paid defensive end Joey Bosa, what are they going to do next?
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The Chargers gave defensive end Joey Bosa a well-earned massive contract on Tuesday.
Now with arguably the team’s best player locked up for the next six seasons, what’s next on general manager Tom Telesco’s to-do list?
Players like Melvin Ingram, Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, Mike Pouncey, Tyrod Taylor, Denzel Perryman, Rayshawn Jenkins, Desmond King, Michael Davis, Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp are all slated to be free agents after the season.
Well, what’s the money situation looking like?
The 2021 salary cap could drop to as low as $175 million after COVID-related lost revenues. However, Telesco isn’t phased one bit. “We’re set up pretty well for 2021, no matter what happens,” Telesco said.
From Telesco’s remarks, he sounds confident despite the anticipated shortage. Based on the team’s current estimated cap room, he has every right to. The Chargers are estimated to have $73,768,409, marking the second-highest in the NFL.
Telesco also has quarterback Justin Herbert, on a rookie deal, adding to the space he has to work with.
Even with a downturn in the cap, Los Angeles is sitting pretty in terms of finances moving forward.
At the moment, Allen is atop of most people’s priority list as for a potential contract extension. It just so happens that we could possibly see a deal done soon. According to NFL Media’s Jim Trotter, the Chargers are already engaged in negotiations to attempt to extend him.
As for the rest of the soon-to-be free agents, an extension probably isn’t likely before the season. Here’s how I would prioritize the list of players seeking another contract.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out what’s new with the L.A. Chargers and what camp battles are expected to take place.
The Chargers begin a new journey in 2020 in a new stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood, CA.
Here’s a look at what’s new and what camp battles are expected to take place prior to the regular season kicking off.
This content appears in print in the Sports Weekly NFL Fantasy Football Preview.
What’s new?
The Chargers offense will have several new faces this season. With the Philip Rivers era over, Tyrod Taylor is slated to lead Los Angeles into the season, but not without competition. The Bolts selected Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick with hopes he can be groomed into a franchise quarterback. Regardless of who is under center, Chargers will look to deploy more of a run-heavy offense. Austin Ekeler will take on the lead role after Melvin Gordon joined the AFC West rival Denver Broncos. Other key acquisitions on the offensive side of the ball include Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner, who were brought in to revamp a leaky line. On the defensive side, the Chargers brought in Chris Harris Jr., Linval Joseph and first-round pick Kenneth Murray with an eye on slowing down the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs offense.
Camp battles
While it may seem like there will be a battle for the starting quarterback spot between Taylor and Herbert in training camp, the team appears to be confident rolling with Taylor while Herbert develops. There are three other training camp battles to keep an eye on. After the departure of left tackle Russell Okung, the competition will be between Sam Tevi, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton, Forrest Lamp and Trent Scott. The front-runners are Tevi and Pipkins. Will Los Angeles roll with Tevi’s experience in the starting role or Pipkins’ unlocked potential? Looking to complement Keenan Allen, Mike Williams as the third wide receiver will be Andre Patton, Jason Moore and rookies K.J. Hill and Joe Reed. Ekeler will be the lead back, and the backup competition is between Justin Jackson and fourth-round rookie Joshua Kelley. Jackson has shown to be productive when healthy. Kelley has the skill set and durability to be effective in that role.
WR Keenan Allen was none too pleased with his ranking on the NFL top 100 list, but he may be even ore upset by this Mike Evans tweet.
The NFL Network’s Top 100 list always seems to cause a bit of controversy, and for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, it seems he’s had enough.
The receiver took to Twitter after he came in at No. 77 on the list and voiced his displeasure about his ranking. While that would’ve been understandable, Allen didn’t stop there. He decided to drag a few other receivers into his argument, saying guys like Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin weren’t better than him.
It seems Evans had something to say, responding to Allen with this tweet.
You tagged the wrong Chris Godwin lol and don’t be mad at us we ain’t make the rankings or care about em. I like the confidence but be realistic you not on my level bro https://t.co/AONodMpfkW
First, kudos to Evans for having Godwin’s back (Godwin’s Twitter name is @CGtwelve_). And second, that tweet by Evans belongs in the Hall of Fame.
What makes this tweet even better is that the Chargers visit the Bucs in Week 4, meaning we’ll get to see which of these receivers has the bigger day. Circle your calendars, folks.
The NFL’s top 100 list had the social media world going crazy.
The annual NFL Top 100 players list started its rollout, as NFL Network revealed numbers 100-71 on Sunday night.
Among the players who checked in the back end of the rankings was Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, who was ranked as the No. 77 overall player heading into the 2020 season.
Allen was not pleased with it, feeling like he was ranked too low. The 28-year old went to his Twitter, where he claimed himself as a better receiver than Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill and Buccaneers’ Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
He also said that he is the best wideout in the AFC West.
Allen’s tweet has stirred up plenty of debate. With that being said, here is a look at some of the top tweets in regards to Allen being snubbed on the top 100 player’s list.
Tyreek hill plays with mahomes mike Evans plays with Brady and Keenan Allen played with Philip rivers and now Tyrod Taylor / Herbert …give him either of the other QBs and he’s ranked higher lmao pic.twitter.com/PrU9MpFu8j
— PlantBasedPapì 🇭🇹🌱✨ (@LifeOfVenzel_) July 27, 2020
Missed games over the last three years: Tyreek Hill – 7 Mike Evans – 4 Chris Godwin – 2 Stefon Diggs – 4 Adam Thielen – 6 Amari Cooper – 3 Davante Adams – 7 Keenan Allen – ZERO Yet Keenan is the one who is injured too often???
— Guilty As Charged Podcast (@GACPodcast17) July 27, 2020
I’ll fasho take Keenan Allen over everybody in that discussion
So let me get this straight…Keenan Allen had a better year in 2019 than in 2018 in every statistical category WITH far worse QB play…and he drops 36 spots?? SMFH #NFLTop100
Keenan Allen is the best route runner in the game. Evans ain’t even the best 50/50 guy. Gimme Julio, Odell, and Hopkins over him on the 50/50 ball. If you aren’t the best at what you do, don’t say the guy that IS the best at what he does isn’t on your level
The NFL Network began its yearly countdown of the Top 100 players in the league. Players are starting to react.
My family just finished a wonderful week down in the Outer Banks, a socially-distanced vacation of course. During the hours spent on the beach taking in the sun and collecting sea shells, my wife spent some time catching up on some celebrity magazines. One of her favorites, “Us Weekly,” has a section titled “Stars, they’re just like us!” In that section various celebrities are photographed doing everyday things like pumping gas, picking up takeout, and wearing masks.
If anyone wanted to create a version of that concept, they could start here: “NFL Players, they’re just like us: They overreact to rankings!”
Those of us who cover the game, or love the game (or both!) spend way too much time on Twitter and elsewhere overreacting to rankings. Whether they are Madden ratings, Pro Football Focus rankings, the Touchdown Wire Top 101, or in recent hours, the NFL Network’s list of the game’s Top 100 players. The NFL Network released the first group of names on Sunday night, and players themselves took to Twitter to react.
One of the more notable names to make his case on social media is Los Angeles Chargers wideout Keenan Allen. First was his initial reaction:
Credit to Allen for tagging Mike Evans and Tyreek Hill in defense of himself, but you have to feel for Chris Goodwin. Not the Tampa Bay WR, but rather the professional business trainer who has not tweeted since 2013.
Evans did not pass up the chance to respond:
You tagged the wrong Chris Godwin lol and don’t be mad at us we ain’t make the rankings or care about em. I like the confidence but be realistic you not on my level bro https://t.co/AONodMpfkW
You tagged the wrong Chris Godwin lol and don’t be mad at us we ain’t make the rankings or care about em. I like the confidence but be realistic you not on my level bro https://t.co/AONodMpfkW
Of course, not everyone was as frustrated as Allen. Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey cracked the Top 100 for the first time in his career and was appreciative of the recognition:
Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen did not hold back with how he felt about the ranking.
NFL’s annual top 100 list, which gets released prior to the season, is always prone to stir up some hot debates and arguments.
On Sunday night, No. 71-100 were unveiled, and the Chargers had their first representative, which was wide receiver Keenan Allen – checking in at No. 77 overall.
When it came out, Allen was not happy with it, at all. He tweeted that he was “tired” of keeping quiet when it came to the rankings. He said he was better than Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Buccaneers’ Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Allen’s tweet drew responses from Evans and Godwin.
You tagged the wrong Chris Godwin lol and don’t be mad at us we ain’t make the rankings or care about em. I like the confidence but be realistic you not on my level bro https://t.co/AONodMpfkW
Allen is entering Year 8 with the Bolts. He was selected to his third straight Pro Bowl in 2019 after tallying 104 catches for 1,199 yards and six touchdowns. It was the third straight season he’s had more than 1,000 yards receiving and six touchdown receptions.
After three straight Pro Browl seasons in which Los Angeles Chargers wideout Keenan Allen has played all 16 games, totaled at least 97 catches and 1,196 yards while snagging six touchdowns in each of those years, it’s more than safe to say he’s one of the most consistent and productive talents at WR in the league.
Is he among the elite names like Michael Thomas, Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins and others? He might be in the tier just below.
The NFL Network’s top 100 players list is coming out for 2020, and despite Allen’s terrific 2019, he went from being ranked 38th to 77th overall, which is strange. Allen went off on Twitter in response and said he was better than some other big names:
Is he really better than Tyreek Hill, who had fewer receiving yards than Allen last year? Is he better than Mike Evans, who has scored more touchdowns in the past two seasons? Even if you agree or disagree, we can all say that dropping Allen that many spots after a great year is just weird.
With the three-receiver set the new default in the NFL, slot receivers are more important than ever. Here are the NFL’s 11 best.
In the 2019 regular and postseason, per Pro Football Focus data, slot receivers regardless of position (receivers, running backs, and tight ends) accounted for 32% of all targets, 31.6% of all receptions, 32.3% of all receiving yardage, and 34.3% of all receiving touchdowns. In a league where the three-receiver set is by far the default formation (it happened on 69% of all snaps last season, per Sports Info Solutions), having a versatile and productive slot receiver is an absolute necessity in the modern passing game.
Moreover, there is no one kind of slot receiver in the modern NFL. It used to be that you wanted the shorter, smaller guy inside, and your bigger, more physical receivers on the outside. Then, offensive coaches started to realize that by putting bigger receivers and tight ends in the slot, you could create mismatches with slower linebackers and smaller slot cornerbacks. Teams countered this by acquiring linebackers built like safeties, eager to do more than just chase after run fits, and also by moving their best cornerbacks into the slot in certain situations.
Now that offensive and defensive coaches have worked hard to create as many schematic and personnel ties in the slot as possible, the best slot receivers are the ones who consistently show the ideal characteristics for the position. These receivers know how to exploit defenders who don’t have a boundary to help them — they’ll create inside and outside position to move the defender where they want him to go. They understand the value and precision of the option route, and how you can hang a defender out to dry with a simple “if this/then that” equation based on coverage rules. They know how to work in concert with their outside receivers to create route combinations which create impossible math problems for defenses. And they know how to get open in quick spaces.
But don’t automatically assume that slot receivers are just taking the dink-and-dunk routes — they’re actually tasked to catch everything from quick slants to vertical stuff down the seam and up the numbers. Last season, per PFF data, the NFL average for yards per completion for outside receivers was 11.28. For slot receivers, it was 11.63. So, over time and based on the play design and the makeup of the receivers, teams could find just that many more yards by throwing to their slot targets.
The best slot receivers in the game bring unique and highly valuable traits to the game, and here are the best among them.
Had we dropped the qualifying floor to under 50% slot snaps, two guys would have easily made it — Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, and Baltimore’s Marquise Goodwin. Evans led all slot receivers with at least 25 targets with a passer rating when targeted of 151.3, and Brown was an absolute force against defenses in the slot — especially when he was using his speed in empty formations.
Lamar Jackson led the NFL with six touchdown passes out of empty formations last season. Because when you have to spy the QB, and you're facing one-on-one across, and the QB can drop it in like this, and you're catching up to Marquise Brown… well, yikes. pic.twitter.com/DIaEfbInQo
San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, who was probably the MVP of the first half of Super Bowl LIV before things started to go backward for his team, would have received a mention as well — Samuel had just 33 targets, but caught 28 of them and helped his quarterback to a 135.3 rating when he was targeted in the slot. Kansas City speed receiver Mecole Hardman had just 23 a lot targets, but he was also highly efficient with them, helping his quarterbacks to a 133.9 rating. Though Danny Amendola was the only Lions receiver to make the 50% threshold, both Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay were highly efficient when tasked to move inside. Other former slot stars like Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs and Minnesota’s Adam Thielen saw their roles change more to the outside in 2019 from previous seasons.
Of the receivers who actually qualified, Nelson Agholor of the Eagles was quietly efficient and had just two drops in the slot last season — which would go against several memes on the subject. Buffalo’s Cole Beasley just missed the cut, through he was one of several receivers on the Bills’ roster who didn’t always get the accuracy and efficiency they deserved from quarterback Josh Allen. And though Randall Cobb was productive for the Cowboys last season and should be so for the Texans in 2020, his nine drops as a slot man… well, we can only have one guy with nine slot drops on this list. More on that in a minute.
This might be the Golden Era of wide receivers in the NFL. Who are the best of the best?
Prior to the 2020 NFL Draft, Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network shared some old scouting notes from New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick, dating back to Jeremiah’s time as a scout with the Baltimore Ravens. The notes, dated from 1991, provide tremendous insight into how the coach views the offensive positions:
I think you’ll enjoy this… We were given this handout during a scout school from my time with the Ravens. Coach Belichick has held true to almost all of this over the years. pic.twitter.com/pWB3oqo5JU
Given the proximity to the draft – and the fact that Tom Brady had just decided to leave New England for Tampa Bay – many focused on the quarterback section of this scouting sheet to try and ascertain what Belichick might do about the quarterback position.
But take a look at the wide receiver notes, and see how many of those still hold up today. Winning at the line of scrimmage; hands; route-running; discipline; ability after the catch, and more. Speed? Well that enters the equation “only…in relation to players’ ability to escape the [line of scrimmage]. Good leap and timing are more important than speed.”
Keep those traits in mind when you work through this list of the game’s best boundary wideouts.
Best Wide Receiver Duo
(Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports)
There are many potential choices for the best receiver pair in the game today. You could make a case for what the Dallas Cowboys are building in the NFC East, with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. Oh, and adding CeeDee Lamb to the mix certainly does not hurt. The New Orleans Saints have another great pair now, between Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. You could also make a case for Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill in Kansas City, or even Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry in Cleveland. I, for one, am very excited to see what Justin Jefferson does as a rookie with Adam Thielen alongside him.
But it is hard to bet against what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have in place this upcoming season. Yes they added Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, but shift your eyes towards the boundaries and you’ll find a pair of tremendous receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They combined for 153 receptions, 2,490 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, and they did that with a quarterback throwing 30 interceptions. With Brady now under center, those numbers could skyrocket.
Honorable Mentions
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
When I was given my assignments for this Top 100 project, there were two lists that I knew would be next to impossible to put together. Quarterbacks was the first that came to mind, since everyone has a quarterback take. I mean, everyone. But I also knew that whittling a list down to the Top 11 boundary WRs was going to be a tall task. I’d rather spend a day at the dentist atop a skyscraper. That sounds silly but I get queasy on a stepladder so…
Conservatively, you could make a case for around two dozen players to be included on a list like this. In a passing league dominated by 11 personnel, you are going to generate a ton of choices for inclusion. How can you take off a player like Terry McLaurin, who put up impressive numbers as a rookie, and as basically the main option, in a struggling offense? Or Kenny Golladay, who looks to be the next in a long line of tremendous Detroit WRs? Stefon Diggs is an incredible route-runner and an elite-level downfield target, how can he not make such a list? A.J. Green usually shows up in these pieces, but missing all of 2019 made him ineligible. What about other younger players such as A.J. Brown, who was tremendous last season for the Tennessee Titans, or Courtland Sutton with the Denver Broncos? Every single one of those wide receivers is worthy of inclusion. T.Y. Hilton? Emmanuel Sanders? DeVante Parker, who seems to be living up to the expectations coming out of college? Parker posted 72 receptions for 1,202 yards last year and nine touchdowns, and had a heck of a game against Stephon Gilmore in Week 17.
You know, the Defensive Player of the Year and a new member of the “Madden 99” club?
And yet, here they are, on the outside looking in.
That just speaks to the level of talent at this position in the NFL today.
This list was tough to put together. If your favorite player or your team’s best receiver did not make the cut, I apologize. Dock me ten thousand internet points and pray for my soul.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez predicts the team’s 53-man roster ahead of training camp.
Here’s a look at my prediction for how the 53-man roster will look like for coach Anthony Lynn and the Chargers as the start of training camp in 2020 finally nears.
Offense
Position
Starter
2nd
3rd
4th
QB
Tyrod Taylor
Justin Herbert*
Easton Stick
RB
Austin Ekeler
Justin Jackson
Joshua Kelley*
FB
Bobby Holly*
WR
Keenan Allen
K.J. Hill*
WR
Mike Williams
Joe Reed*
WR
Andre Patton
Darius Jennings
TE
Hunter Henry
Virgil Green
Donald Parham
LT
Trey Pipkins
Storm Norton
LG
Dan Feeney
Forrest Lamp
C
Mike Pouncey
Scott Quessenberry
RG
Trai Turner
Trent Scott
RT
Bryan Bulaga
Sam Tevi
Notes
Like they’ve done in previous seasons, the Chargers will start off with three quarterbacks as opposed to two, which means Easton Stick makes the cut. If they roll with two, I expect Stick to remain on the practice squad.
It will be a tight race between undrafted free agents Gabe Nabers and Bobby Holly for the fullback spot, but I give the slight leg up to Nabers.
The Chargers start the season with six receivers. Jason Moore and Jalen Guyton miss the cut.
Defense
Position
Starter
2nd
3rd
4th
LDE
Joey Bosa
Isaac Rochell
NT
Linval Joseph
Damion Square
DT
Justin Jones
Jerry Tillery
RDE
Melvin Ingram
Uchenna Nwosu
SAM
Kyzir White
Emeke Egbule
MIKE
Drue Tranquill
Denzel Perryman
WILL
Kenneth Murray*
Nick Vigil
CB
Casey Hayward
Brandon Facyson
CB
Michael Davis
SLOT
Chris Harris Jr.
Desmond King
FS
Rayshawn Jenkins
Nasir Adderley
SS
Derwin James
Alohi Gilman*
Roderic Teamer
Notes
The starting linebacking core will consist of Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill and Kyzir White. But given the amount of time spent in sub-packages, Desmond King will likely be the candidate as the team’s dime linebacker, which will limit White’s snaps.
Nasir Adderley could be a candidate to play the dimebacker. Jenkins enters the season as the starter, but I expect Adderley to push him midway through.
