Tag: Keenan Allen

Chargers QB Tyrod Taylor presents sleeper value in fantasy football

Tyrod Taylor is worth the selection in the later rounds of fantasy football.

After 16 seasons with Philip Rivers under center, the Chargers are left in the hands of Tyrod Taylor and rookie Justin Herbert. At the moment, Taylor’s in the driver’s seat to start and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him enter Week 1 as the starter due to his experience, which would allow Herbert to develop.

Rivers was a top option in fantasy football for more than a decade, but his replacement is capable of making fantasy owners happy this upcoming season.

Taylor has a couple of things going for him. The first thing is his familairty with coach Anthony Lynn’s system. In both 2015 and 2016 when Taylor and Lynn were on the Bills, the 30-year old threw for over 3,000 yards and 37 combined touchdowns as opposed to just 12 interceptions.

On top of that, Taylor rushed for 1,148 yards and 10 touchdowns on 199 carries in both those seasons combined.

The other thing that should benefit Taylor is that the team’s offensive skill players are flooded with talent. Keenan Allen (top-10 WR), Mike Williams (high-upside 20-30 WR), Hunter Henry (top-10 TE), and Austin Ekeler (top-10 RB) should all help make life easier on Taylor in 2020.

Taylor isn’t the perfect passer and is unlikely to surpass 4,000 passing yards, but if he has developed more of a downfield passing element as opposed to his play from recent seasons, along with his ability to limit turnovers and the skill players at his disposal then it will help his case.

Even if Taylor ends up being average as a passer, his rushing ability picks up the slack due to how valuable rushing yards are for fantasy scoring. For example, Bills’ Josh Allen finished as a top-10 quarterback in fantasy despite having the worst completion percentage of any starting quarterback.

It goes to show rushing yards/touchdowns are the most valuable thing a quarterback can do in fantasy. Taylor will have plenty of opportunities to flourish in that area as there will be plenty of zone read and other quarterback option runs in the team’s new offensive scheme.

If Taylor performs well this upcoming well, he presents himself as a solid QB2 or a high-end streaming option in all formats.

Touchdown Wire ranks Chargers offense in 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers have a talented crop of skill players, but can they put it all together with a new set of quarterbacks?

The Chargers offense will look slightly different this upcoming season.

At the quarterback position, Philip Rivers will longer be under center. Instead, it will be either Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert.

In the backfield, there will no longer be a No. 25 as Melvin Gordon is now currently a part of the Broncos. To fill the void is rookie Joshua Kelley.

The offensive line will feature a couple of new members – guard Trai Turner and tackle Bryan Bulaga. The same applies for the wide receiver position with the additions of rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

So how does this remodeled offense stack up against the rest of the units in the NFL?

Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield ranked all the league’s offenses, and Los Angeles placed 25th out of 32 teams.

Here is what Schofield had to say:

Like the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers face something of a transition at the quarterback position as the 2020 season looms. Philip Rivers, a mainstay with the organization for over a decade, has moved on to the Indianapolis Colts. Looking to pick up the baton are a pair of quarterbacks, veteran Tyrod Taylor and incoming rookie Justin Herbert. There are weapons around whomever wins the starting job, including Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at wide receiver and tight end Hunter Henry, but whether it is Taylor or Herbert, the Chargers might expect a step back offensively over the next season or so.

Like Schofield mentions, all eyes are on the quarterbacks. For more than a decade, the Bolts had the luxury of having a proven veteran who played at a high level. Now, they enter the season with two signal-callers who don’t necessarily have the experience or a skillset as a passer.

Because no one knows how the quarterback play will shake up, I mentioned how this could be an area that makes or breaks the 2020 season. The skill players are there, but that doesn’t matter if the team is unable to get the most out of Taylor or Herbert throwing the ball.

Along with that, the offensive line is still a slight mystery. From the center position (Mike Pouncey) all the way to the right tackle spot (Turner and Bulaga), the line looks stout. However, the quarterback’s blindside is still a mystery after failing to address the left tackle spot this offseason.

The Chargers roster on the offensive side of the ball is talented, but it’ll all fall on the coaching staff’s shoulders to implement the best system to play to Taylor’s and Herbert’s strength in order to them into the most optimal position to succeed.

4 factors that could make or break the Chargers in 2020

What needs to happen in order for the Los Angeles Chargers to have a successful season?

After a 12-4 season and a trip to the playoffs in 2018, the Chargers followed that up with a dud of a year in 2019, finishing 5-11 and last place in the AFC West.

There were a few reasons for their decline, and they’re hoping that 2020 will result in a different outcome. The first steps of that included bolstering the roster with a few veterans and rookies who should contribute.

With that being said, here are four factors that could make or break Los Angeles this upcoming season:

Quarterback play

The Philip Rivers era is officially over. Taking over is Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert. The Chargers benefited from Rivers’ experience and familiarity with the offense, along with a keen sense for the game and a unique skillset as a passer. Taylor and Herbert don’t possess many of those traits. While there are a slew of play-makers to spread the wealth to, there’s no guarantee that they will flourish. While Taylor and Herbert have the athleticism to beat defenses with their legs, there are still questions surrounding their abilities as passers. Even though he doesn’t throw a lot of interceptions, Taylor struggles with accuracy and seeing the middle of the field well, which is where tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Keenan Allen shine. For Herbert, he still needs time to develop his eye discipline, progressions and overall feel for the NFL before being taking the reins.

Offensive line

This has been an area where the Chargers have struggled for years, finishing near the bottom in pass protection efficiency. However, the team is hopeful that the group could become a strength with the acquisitions of tackle Bryan Bulaga, guard Trai Turner, the return of center Mike Pouncey and hiring of offensive line coach James Campen. While the necessary moves were made, the left side of the lines remains a slight concern on paper as the left tackle spot was not upgraded. Instead, Sam Tevi, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton and Forrest Lamp will be in competition for the job. This isn’t to say it’s a bad thing because Campen has a knack for developing offensive linemen and the deficiencies could be masked with a more mobile quarterback, but it’s a boom or bust situation. In a league where pass-rushers are becoming more and more elite, efficient offensive line play is a necessity.

Lack of pressure

The Chargers ranked No. 6 in total defense, but they finished second-worst in takeaways with a -17 turnover differential. A big reason why Los Angeles was unable to produce more turnovers was because of the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. L.A. finished 26th in quarterback pressures with 125. The number doesn’t come as a surprise as the unit blitzed only 75 times, which ranked last in the league. It’s a bit of surprise when you have a handful of players that should be used more in that role, but Bradley’s scheme from previous seasons, a Cover 3 system that involves a lot of zone coverage, forced them to play conservative and not allowing many opportunities to attack downhill. To ensure they’re getting more quarterback pressures moving forward, Bradley is going to start incorporating more man coverage. The reason why this is so critical is because the Bolts had a lot of close games where they were unable to stop their opponents on final drives due to conservative play, and lack of heat on the quarterback.

Injuries

Many analysts had the Chargers pegged as Super Bowl contenders prior to the 2019 seasons as they were coming off the outstanding 2018 year. Equipped with one of the best rosters from top to bottom heading into training camp, it started to take a downward spiral after they lost Russell Okung and Derwin James, both before Week 1. The injury bug stayed around throughout the season as notables like Hunter Henry, Adrian Phillips, Mike Pouncey, Nasir Adderley, Dontrelle Inman, Forrest Lamp, among others were forced to miss significant playing time. In total, 14 players were placed on the injured reserve. It became clear that they couldn’t overcome their losses. When they started to get key players back, it was way too late. Going into 2020, the Bolts are in a similar position. They have a talented roster, one that includes new faces like Chris Harris Jr., Bryan Bulaga, Linval Joseph, Trai Turner and draftees Justin Herbert, Kenneth Murray, Joshua Kelley, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill. But it comes down to player availability that could determine the outcome of their season.

Chargers sitting pretty in PFF’s wide receiver rankings

The Los Angeles Chargers present a strong wide receiver group.

Despite lacking a productive WR3 in 2019, the Chargers still managed to boast one of the league’s finest dynamic duos that consisted of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Allen posted a career-high in receptions (104) that went for 1,199 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Williams surpassed the 1,000-receiving yard mark, as well as a league-high 20.4 yards per catch.

Los Angeles knew that they were missing pieces to compliment the tandem, which is why they drafted Joe Reed and K.J. Hill to shore up the positional group.

Heading into the 2020, Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey sees the unit as being stout, ranking them No. 7 overall among the rest of the 32 teams in the league.

Here is what Linsey had to say about the state of the wide receivers:

There are questions at the quarterback position for the Chargers; there are questions about the left side of the offensive line, as well. Where there shouldn’t be too many questions, though, is at the skill positions on offense. Keenan Allen is one of the best route-runners in the NFL and is the fourth-highest-graded wide receiver in the league over the last three seasons. Mike Williams is an effective downfield threat, averaging over 20 yards per reception in 2019 on his way to the first 1,000-yard season of his career. Outside of Hunter Henry and Austin Ekeler, both of whom are among the top receiving options at their respective positions, one player who could surprise in 2019 is K.J. Hill. He has an NFL-ready skill set for the slot, and Andre Patton was a complete non-factor in that role for the Chargers last season (56 receiving yards on 303 routes run).

Wide receiver will be one of the top positional battles to watch in training camp and preseason. While Allen and Williams man the top-two spots, the competition for the final three or four spots is bound to be heated.

Reed, the fifth-round pick, brings versatility. Hill, the seventh-round pick, brings route-running ability and secure hands. Andre Patton has shown flashes and has two seasons under his belt. Darius Jennings’ special teams experience will help his case.

Recently, I took a crack at projecting the wide receiver group. That can be found here.

Regardless of how the quarterback play shakes up between Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, they should benefit from the slew of wide receivers, as well as running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Hunter Henry.

Projecting the Chargers’ post-draft depth chart at wide receiver

There will be quite a few players fighting for the final wide receiver spots behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Going into the offseason, filling out the wide receiver room was seen as a priority. The Chargers did so by drafting rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill and signing Darius Jennings.

Now that Los Angeles is set at the position with the additional bodies, it’s time to predict how I think the depth chart will shake up heading into the upcoming season.

WR1: Keenan Allen

Allen, arguably one of the league’s route runners and separation gainers, isn’t going to lose his spot as the go-to wideout for the Chargers. The former Cal product finished with 104 receptions for 1,199 yards and six touchdowns. Allen has proven that he can stay durable after a slew of injuries early on in his career. He is tied for sixth with most games with receiving yards since 2017 (12).

WR2: Mike Williams

After being hampered by an injury in his rookie season, Williams has shown flashes of dominance as a jump ball and red zone target. In 2018, the former Clemson product had 10 touchdown receptions. In his third season, his scoring production dropped, but he still managed to top 1,000 receiving yards, while leading the league in 20.4 yards per catch. The team made it clear that he is a priority after having his fifth-year option picked up. If Justin Herbert plays this season, he should have a lot of fun with throwing deep to Williams.

WR3: K.J. Hill

This is where the competition begins. The Chargers have a few that will be in contention for this job, and while each of the newly acquired players bring their own unique skillset, Hill’s is likely to have the most success in the NFL. The team’s seventh-round selection has a knack for getting open and catching everything thrown his way. That’s a large reason why Hill is Ohio State’s reception leader (201), and is a must in the pros. Even though he will be limited to the slot, Allen is capable of playing outside, which will allow them to both be on the field at the same time.

WR4: Joe Reed

Reed will provide some versatility as he has experience out wide, in the slot and occasionally in the backfield. He will be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to the role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last season. He could also develop into the deep option, given his speed (4.47), but his route-running needs refinement. Reed should help out with special teams as he averaged 33 yards a return and took two touchdowns to the house. It wouldn’t be surprising if he is the starting kick returner.

WR5: Andre Patton

Patton was the frontrunner to winning the WR3 job entering the offseason after the Chargers released Travis Benjamin, but the acquisitions of Hill and Reed are bound to not make it an easy task for him now. When given the opportunity to step up after injuries hit Benjamin and Geremy Davis, the two-year practice squad member only managed to haul in six passes for 56 yards on 17 targets in 13 games last season.

WR6: Darius Jennings

The special teams department has been a major concern for the Chargers the past few seasons, and it’s clear that they made it a priority to shore up after the acquisitions of Reed and Jennings. Over the last two seasons, he returned 31 kickoffs for 894 yards, including a 94-yarder for a touchdown. Jennings would unlikely see the field on a consistent basis, but having him as insurance on special teams would be a plus (assuming Reed wins the starting job).

Cris Carter talks Chargers WR K.J. Hill’s success in college, forecasts NFL career

Hall of Famer Cris Carter talks about how K.J. Hill’s consistency at Ohio State will translate to the next level, along with more.

Chargers rookie wide receiver K.J. Hill is known for one major accomplishment at Ohio State.

Hill left as the Buckeye’s reception leader with 201 catches, surpassing the the likes of Michael Jenkins, Boston Scott and Hall of Famer Cris Carter.

Hill wouldn’t have made the record books if it wasn’t for the advice of Carter. Carter persuaded Hill to stay in college for his senior season rather than making the leap to the NFL.

“I think sometimes when you’re in pursuit of an NFL career, you lose sight of what you went to college for. I also believe that there are skills that he could show in his senior year that would give him potential to have a longer career,” Carter said.

Hill could’ve joined his former teammates Parris Campbell (Colts) and Terry McLaurin (Redskins) in being drafted last year, but the advice of Carter’s paid off in 2019 for Hill.

“It’s always a lot of pressure to put up good numbers because guys want to be drafted high and earn senior awards. And when you’re on a team that’s in the top-5 for the most part, you have to sacrifice. He never got selfish and chase stats compared to being a leader, being consistent, continuing to develop as a football player, and he ended up having a heck of a season.”

Carter highlighted his strengths that helped him become the all-time receiving leader for the Buckeyes which include great hands, route-running ability, and understanding leverage. He also mentioned that the majority of the guys that he surpassed to get the record went on to have great careers at the next level, and he expects the same for Hill.

Going into the draft, Hill was projected as a mid-round pick by many draft analysts but instead, he saw himself slip to Day 3 in a surprising manner. The Chargers weren’t anticipating selecting a wide receiver in the seventh-round having already taken a wideout two rounds before that (Joe Reed). But a player like Hill was too hard to pass up on.

Considered being overlooked on draft day, Hill now has the opportunity to make the other 31 teams that passed on him regret their decisions because not only is Los Angeles getting a good player, but a good person, as well.

“He’s really developed since he’s come to Ohio State, on and off the field. He’s been very, very consistent. He played on the outside and inside. He’s also played on special teams, and I believe he can win a job in the NFL because of his overall versatility,” Carter said.

“And having guys around him that were recruited over him, because that’s what he’s got there with the Chargers. If he’s going to be a slot receiver, he will have Keenan Allen there, which allows him to learn from one of the absolute bests.”

Being able to learn from Ohio State’s wide receiver coach Brian Hartline to Allen now should pay huge dividends. With the traits, skillset and mentorship he’s receiving, Hill will look to leave his mark with the Chargers, just like how he did with the Buckeyes.

5 players with Chargers ties named to PFF’s All-Decade top 101

The Los Angeles Chargers have had a slew of great players within the past decade.

Pro Football Focus recently released its list of the 101 best players of the 2010s decade, and five of those players with ties to the Chargers were among the crop.

Three of the players who made the cut are still with the team, while the other two are no longer with the Bolts. However, their contributions still impacted the franchise, in a positive way.

Here’s who made the cut, along with analysis from PFF’s Sam Monson:

12. CB CHRIS HARRIS JR.

“Chris Harris Jr.’s career has been a remarkable thing to behold. An undrafted player out of Kansas, Harris forced his way onto the team as a nickel corner, played so well he earned snaps outside in base and then so well at that that he became a true No.1 cornerback who didn’t even play in the slot anymore. Harris has been targeted over 600 times in the decade, and yet surrendered just 6.3 yards per reception. Over the course of the 2010s, only Richard Sherman allowed fewer receiving yards per snap in coverage than the 0.89 Chris Harris did, and nobody did it with a more varied role within his defense or a tougher path to success than hitting the league as an undrafted free agent.”

15. S ERIC WEDDLE

“The best — and most consistent — safety over the past decade, Eric Weddle retired after last season after never earning a season grade as low as even average. At a position where consistency is incredibly hard to maintain, Weddle was phenomenal year after year in every facet of play. Weddle was a modern-day prototype safety who could do everything that was asked of him at an extremely high level, and he showed later in his career that he could do exactly the same thing in a new team with new requirements. Weddle had three seasons this decade that earned an overall PFF grade above 90.0.”

24. CB CASEY HAYWARD JR.

“Hayward just outperformed expectations from Day 1 in the NFL. His rookie season was one of the greatest statistical performances we have ever seen from a corner covering the slot, and he only got better as his play earned him a greater role within defenses and, ultimately, a job with the Chargers as a No. 1 corner. For the decade, he has the highest forced incompletion rate of any cornerback (18.6%) and has been one of the most underrated coverage players of his generation. Hayward doesn’t get remembered as a shutdown corner along with the biggest names at the position, but he should.”

64. QB PHILIP RIVERS

“Rounding out the bottom half of the second-tier of quarterbacks, Rivers has had a few ups and downs throughout his career, but he had six top-10 finishes during the decade. Even when it doesn’t look pretty, Rivers has the anticipation and feel to mitigate a decrease in arm strength, and he remains productive at all levels of the field. Even more impressively, Rivers played behind one of the worst pass-blocking offensive lines for the better part of the decade, yet he still stood in there and made big-time throws at a high level. The big criticism for Rivers is the lack of postseason success, but he’s one of the most underrated regular-season quarterbacks in NFL history and clearly one of the top eight signal-callers during the 2010s.”

83. WR KEENAN ALLEN

“One of the slickest route-runners in the game, Keenan Allen doesn’t have the mind-blowing athletic profile of some other receivers, but he can match anyone from a production standpoint. Allen has reeled in more than 90% of the catchable passes thrown his way since he entered the league and generated more than two yards for every pass pattern he has run. There is no real weakness to his game, and he has consistently shown that he will get open at will with some of the best releases off the line of any receiver in football.”

Chargers’ Keenan Allen included in top WR/CB battles for 2020 season

Los Angeles Chargers WR Keenan Allen will be looking to put cornerbacks on skates once again.

It’s never easy for cornerbacks when being tasked with lining up across from Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen.

Allen is arguably one of the league’s most premiere route-runners and it never fails to see him put even the best corners on skates on a weekly basis.

This season is no different as he will draw some tough competition, but Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller particularly notes the Week 11 matchup against the Bills as Allen will be shadowed by CB Tre’Davious White.

White is an underrated superstar with awesome timing, awareness and technique to hang in coverage against wide receivers both big and small, fast and powerful. He has all the footwork and agility you need in an elite cornerback. But stopping Keenan Allen will take all of that and maybe more.

Allen is the best route-runner in the NFL with excellent footwork. His moves should be cut up and put in a training video for young receivers. He’s silky smooth without being overly big or fast, but he always finds himself open while basically playing chess with cornerbacks thanks to his array of moves and his understanding of the game.

Allen vs. White doesn’t have the high-profile athleticism of the other matchups listed before them, but the art of their technique makes this must-watch.

The two have faced off twice in their professional careers.

In 2017, which was White’s rookie campaign, Allen went off for 156 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions. The year after in 2018, Allen hauled in six passes for 67 yards.

In both contests, Allen managed to have success against White. However, White took a step forward in 2019, slowing some of the league’s best receivers. He was named to the Pro Bowl in which he tied for the league lead in interceptions with six and had a team-high 17 passes defensed.

Last season, Allen continued his dominance, finishing with 104 receptions on 149 targets for 1,199 yards and six touchdowns. He also earned a trip to the Pro Bowl.

It’s uncertain how the quarterback play will shape up with Tyrod Taylor and/or Justin Herbert under center, but one thing is certain and that’s Allen will most likely be open due to his crafty route-running ability.

Allen is set to become a free agent after this season, and with another strong season, he could be looking at cashing a big check.

3 burning questions for Chargers in 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers look to bounce back after a disappointing 2019 season.

After finishing 5-11 in a very disappointing 2019 season, the Chargers are hoping to turn it around as they enter the new season in their new stadium in Inglewood, CA.

After some changes to the roster on both sides of the ball this offseason, there are some questions surrounding Los Angeles heading into training camp that need to be answered in order for them to be contender.

Let’s look at those three questions:

What will the offense look like without Philip Rivers?

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The 16-year marriage between the Chargers and QB Philip Rivers came to an end this offseason. Taking over under center are Tyrod Taylor and rookie QB Justin Herbert, the No. 6 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The main difference between the two and Rivers is from an athleticism standpoint. However, that’s going to be the difference between how the offense was run with Rivers and now with Taylor and Herbert. Rivers was dropping back into the pocket with five to seven steps to buy him time to throw, with very little opportunities to scramble.

With the new system in place for Taylor and Herbert, there will be more pistol formation, more play-action and more run-pass option. The Chargers offense is going to look a lot more like the Ravens offense last season. Head coach Anthony Lynn and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

Taylor and Herbert have the skill sets to run some of the concepts the Ravens do, like zone read and other quarterback option runs, which was hardly ever the case when Rivers was under center for Los Angeles.

Despite the change in offense, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry and Austin Ekeler will help guide the offense, along with newly added draft selections – Joshua Kelley, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill

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How Chargers players fare in early 2020 fantasy football rankings

Two players of the Los Angeles Chargers are in the top-10 in early 2020 fantasy football draft rankings.

The Chargers head into the 2020 season with a new signal-caller. After Philip Rivers and the franchise mutually agreed to part ways earlier this offseason, Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert take over under center.

The running back position will have a slightly new look moving forward, too after Melvin Gordon agreed to a deal with the Broncos. Joining Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson is fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley.

Aside from those changes and couple of new additions along the offensive line, the rest of the offense stayed intact with the strong pass-catching group that consists of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry and draft selections Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

As far as fantasy football goes, which everyone is looking forward to, Los Angeles will have quite a few options in drafts this year. ESPN’s fantasy football experts put together early PPR (points per reception) ranking of players at each position.

Here’s how the Chargers players stack up:

Quarterback

Tyrod Taylor, No. 26

Justin Herbert N/A

Running back

Austin Ekeler, No. 7

Joshua Kelley, No. 54

Justin Jackson, No. 55

Wide receiver

Keenan Allen, No. 15

Mike Williams, No. 46

K.J. Hill N/A

Joe Reed N/A

Tight end

Hunter Henry, No. 8

Kicker

Michael Badgley, No. 20

Defense/Special Teams

Chargers, No. 11