Tag: L.A. Chargers

Chargers at lower end in Peter King’s latest power rankings

The questions about the quarterback position hinder the Los Angeles Chargers’ spot.

It was only a year ago when the Chargers were being viewed as Super Bowl contenders after an outstanding 2018 season. But after a disappointing 5-11 2019 season, there’s a lot of uncertainty with the team from Los Angeles as they march into the upcoming season.

Despite boasting one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, there’s a lot of doubt with the most important position on the field. With the marriage between the Chargers and Philip Rivers coming to an end, Tyrod Taylor and rookie Justin Herbert take over.

The fact that no one knows how the quarterback play will shake up due to the lack of experience in the starting role, it has had a significant impact on the team’s positioning in preseason power rankings.

NBC Sport’s Peter King was the latest and most notable to put one out. King slotted the Chargers in No. 24 overall slot, citing that the team is capable of being a lot higher, but it all depends on how Taylor, who is projected to be the Week 1 starter, does.

“The Chargers could be eighth in these rankings and they could be 24th . . . so much depends on how Tyrod Taylor (31 on opening day) plays early,” King said.

King highlighted Taylor’s regular season success, but his play from the postseason and the fact that Los Angeles drafted Herbert draws some doubt with him under center.

“Let’s reflect on Taylor’s three-year run as Buffalo’s starter after backing up Joe Flacco in Baltimore for four years. A 63-percent passer, not a risk-taker, 51 touchdowns, 16 picks, 92.5 rating, rushed for between 420 and 580 yards each year, let go after leading the Bills to the playoffs in 2017 but scoring just three points in the postseason loss at Jacksonville.

Always well-liked by his mates. “The players here respect the hell out of him,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. But when you draft a quarterback (Justin Herbert) sixth overall, it’s pretty clear your team retains doubts about the incumbent.”

Outside of the questions with the quarterback position, the rest of the roster is loaded with talent which should be able to help keep them in positions to win throughout the season, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

“The defense should keep the Chargers in games. The free-agent signing of cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who can fill at both slot and outside corner, is a good one, and first-round linebacker Kenneth Murray, should anchor the front seven from day one.”

You can find the rest of King’s rankings here.

Projecting the Chargers’ linebacker depth chart

With the addition of rookie Kenneth Murray, Chargers Wire examines the linebacker corps.

The Chargers have steadily looked to enhance the linebacker room over the course of the past few years. The team looked through free agency and the draft, but the results from the positional group were still average at best.

After a couple key additions, they look to boast a promising unit this upcoming season.

Below, I take a crack at projecting Los Angeles’ linebacker depth chart for the 2020 season:

MIKE: Denzel Perryman

Perryman is entering the final year of his contract, and will have to do a lot in order to stay on the roster beyond the 2020 season. 2019 was the first time since Perryman’s rookie campaign in which he played in 14 or more games, finishing with 68 tackles (50 solo), one interception and one forced fumble. However, his playing time decreased due to the emergence of rookie standout Drue Tranquill, who took a significant amount of snaps away from the former Miami product. Going into this year, Perryman will likely see the field first, but him and Tranquill will split snaps. Perryman will play on rushing downs while Tranquill will play on passing downs. By the end of the year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the second-year player with more snaps taken.

Backups: Drue Tranquill, Nick Vigil, Malik Jefferson

WILL: Kenneth Murray

The Chargers weren’t aggressive in trading up for Murray in this year’s draft to serve as a depth player. The team clearly had a role for him and that’s to start in the spot that was played by Thomas Davis last season. Murray needs to needs to clean up his overaggressive tendencies and enhance his ability in coverage, but the combination of his instincts, range and closing speed quickness will translate to remarkable production in the running and passing game. With his leadership and football IQ, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the one responsible of handling defensive play calls.

Backups: Nick Vigil, Malik Jefferson

SAM: Kyzir White

White started last season as the starting middle linebacker while Denzel Perryman was nursing an ankle injury for the first two games. White struggled in that role, so Perryman took over. With Thomas Davis serving as the starting WILL, that only left White with one option: SAM. With the Chargers playing a lot of nickel packages, that means the SAM doesn’t see the field as much. Because of that, White didn’t play as much as many were expecting. When White did see the field, he was making plays. The former West Virginia product finished with 40 tackles, two passes defensed and one tackle for loss. Desmond King, Rayshawn Jenkins and Nasir Adderley will likely be the candidates as the team’s sub-package linebacker, which will limit White’s playing time.

Backups: Uchenna Nwosu, Emeke Egbule

Chargers’ Anthony Lynn delivers powerful message on racial injustice

The Chargers coach had a lot to say in the interview with Los Angeles Times.

While players, coaches and organizations of sport teams have been delivering statements about social injustice and racism after the death of George Floyd, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn had a lot more to say.

In an interview with Los Angeles Times’ LZ Granderson, Lynn said having a conversation was the best way of getting his thoughts across about Floyd’s death and racial injustice across the United States.

“I think statements are needed to bring awareness to the situation,” Lynn said. “But I want to do something too. I don’t want to just put [a statement] out there because it’s the right thing to do.

I want change so I guess it starts with having this conversation and talking things out. In 1992 I remember watching L.A. burn and here we are in 2020 and I’m watching it again and it just hit me, nothing has changed.”

Frustrated, Lynn said that unarmed black men are dying on camera and nothing is being done about it.

“I’m angry, I’m pissed off and I don’t want to just put out a pretty statement,” Lynn said.

Lynn believes many cops aren’t doing anything about it, and he wants to see that change when they see injustice being done.

“I would challenge the good ones to speak up and not be silent anymore. That’s what I take away from all of this. George Floyd died with three officers right there who watched him die. It’s time for good officers to speak up and not accept that anymore.”

Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was brought up in the conversation. Lynn said that him kneeling during the national anthem was misinterpreted, stating he wasn’t disrespecting the flag but protesting racial injustice in America. He believes he should have a job in the NFL.

Lynn was recently pulled over by police and the cops were suspicious towards him due to the color of his skin.

“The lights come on, I pull over and the first thing the police officer asked [was] if I was on parole or if I had ever been to jail,” Lynn said.

Lynn was asked what if he’s forced to bring this up 20 years from now, and he is hoping that he won’t be having this conversation 20 years down the line.

Chargers re-sign DT Damion Square

The Los Angeles Chargers are bringing back a familiar face.

The Chargers re-signed defensive tackle Damion Square on Monday, per his official Instagram account.

After choosing not to draft a nose tackle, the depth at the position behind Linval Joseph was nearly nonexistent. Square proved his worth with the Bolts to garner another contract.

Square has been a valuable rotational piece along the defensive line, playing at least 300 defensive snaps for four consecutive seasons.

In 2019, Square recorded 27 tackles (15 solo), a tackle for loss and two passes defended. Whether it’s against the run or pass, Square has made his presence known.

In six seasons with the Chargers, Square posted 96 tackles, 15 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss and eight passes defensed.

Projecting the Chargers’ defensive line depth chart

The Los Angeles Chargers have a sneaky good defensive line heading into the 2020 season.

The Chargers boast a solid defensive front, which consists of arguably one of the league’s best pass-rushing tandems and an ascending crop of defensive tackles.

Below, I take a crack at projecting Los Angeles’ defensive line depth chart for the 2020 season:

DE: Joey Bosa

Bosa is entering the final year of his contract eager to become the league’s highest-paid defensive ends. The former Ohio State product earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl after finishing tied for second in the conference in sacks (11.5) while also tallying up the fifth-most tackles (67) of any defensive end in the NFL. As long as he stays healthy, he will be on the field wreaking havoc. In certain situations, his backup, Isaac Rochell, will be on. The 24-year old Rochell has been a key contributor as a rotational pass-rusher, playing in all 16 games the last two seasons and posting seven sacks and 46 tackles in his career. Undrafted free agent Joe Gaziano is a name to remember heading into training camp.

Backup: Isaac Rochell, Joe Gaziano

NT Linval Joseph

Brandon Mebane manned this spot the past few seasons, but the Chargers wanted a fresh new start after choosing to replace him earlier this offseason. Joseph joins the team with 10 years of professional football service under his belt. The 32-year old shines in the run defense department, showing the ability to take on doubles teams to allow other members to roam freely. However, Joseph possesses an athletic skillset to rush the passer, which he expects to do more. Behind him is Damion Square, who’s been a key rotational piece, especially the past three seasons, combining for 77 tackles, nine quarterback hits, eight passes defensed, five tackles for loss and three sacks.

Backup: Damion Square

DT: Justin Jones

After experiencing an up-and-down rookie season, Jones took a leap in Year 2 after using the offseason to shed weight and become more quicker and agile. Jones finished the season with 30 tackles, six quarterback pressures, two tackles for loss, one pass deflected and a forced fumble. Jerry Tillery, the 2019 first-round pick, didn’t have a great rookie season, but he did show glimpses of potentially becoming the dominant interior pass-rusher he was drafted to be. With an offseason under his belt to get stronger, bigger and work on his technique to make a jump in 2020.

Backup: Jerry Tillery

DE Melvin Ingram

Like Bosa, Ingram is chasing a big contract. Ingram failed to play a full season in 2019, but he still managed to tally 39 tackles, seven sacks, five passes defended and an interception in 13 games. Since making the conversion to a full-time defensive end, Ingram has been a consistent anchor. His backup – Uchenna Nwosu – has made noise in a limited capacity. In two seasons, the former USC product has totaled 59 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, eight tackle for loss and 5.5 sacks. If Ingram isn’t re-signed after this season, Nwosu should be the next man up.

Backup: Uchenna Nwosu, Joe Gaziano

3 Chargers among PFF’s top 50 players for 2020

Three defensive players on the Los Angeles Chargers made the cut.

Pro Football Football has been unveiling their early rankings of the top 50 players for the 2020 regular season. The people at PFF have revealed players ranked 11 through 50, and among the crop, three Chargers found themselves on the list.

Defensive end Joey Bosa finished as the No. 47 ranked player, cornerback Casey Hayward ranked at No. 39 and safety Derwin James checked in at No. 31 overall.

In 2019, Bosa earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl after finishing tied for second in the AFC in sacks (11.5) while also tallying up the fifth-most tackles (67) of any defensive end in the NFL.

Entering the final year of his contract, Bosa will likely end up as one of the highest-paid defensive ends next offseason for his efforts. If not, earlier than that.

Hayward piled together 32 tackles, eight passes defended and two interceptions over the course of 16 games last season. The 30-year old has been a key presence in the secondary, earning the highest coverage grade (93.1) among cornerbacks the past five seasons.

James was looking to have a stellar sophomore season, but those plans were hampered after suffering an injury which kept him out for 11 games. Upon returning, he wreaked havoc, posting 34 tackles, three tackles for loss and one pass deflected.

James, the Swiss Army Knife, has established himself as one of the league’s best safeties. He is a prime candidate not only for Comeback Player of the Year, but Defensive Player of the Year.

Chargers legend says LB Kenneth Murray will be star in NFL

Kenneth Murray has high expectations set heading into Year 1.

Chargers rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray will be wearing No. 56, the same number that was once worn by the legendary Shawne Merriman.

“It’s cool, especially when you have a guy that can make some plays,” Merriman said about Murray.

“He’s explosive, man, and that’s the fun part. You look at these guys and I always evaluate, especially linebackers at his position, how their mental approach is and how they lay it all out on the field, right?”

Taken with the No. 23 overall selection after trading up with the Patriots, Murray is expected to add a dynamic element to the linebacker room and defense as a whole.

Murray is coveted for his ability to make consistent plays on the football, possessing the sideline-to-sideline speed, range and tenacious mentality against the run, in coverage and as a blitzer.

Merriman loves Murray’s style of play, citing how it will easily translate to the NFL. The Chargers legend even believes that he can become one of the best at his position in the league.

“You have some guys that just get to the ball and want to make a tackle. No, he’s running through guys, and that’s when you see this explosive movement come in and him finishing guys and swarming to tackles and being relentless.

This is what I see from him and without jumping the gun because the NFL is obviously much different from college, I can see right now he’s gonna be a player. He’s gonna be a star in the NFL,” Merriman said.

Murray needs to dial up his instincts, clean up some overaggressive tendencies and develop a better feel in coverage. However, he has the talent and skillset to be a really good linebacker and locker room presence for the next decade, especially playing alongside the ascending LB Drue Tranquill.

Chargers’ Bryan Bulaga praises offensive line coach James Campen

Bryan Bulaga is excited to reunite with his mentor of eight years.

If it wasn’t for offensive line coach James Campen being hired earlier this offseason, it remains to be seen if veteran tackle Bryan Bulaga would be in a Chargers uniform.

Bulaga, who was signed to a three-year deal, is familiar with Campen as the two spent eight years together in Green Bay. When the former Iowa product saw that his mentor was headed to Los Angeles after a stint with the Browns, it made his decision to sign that much easier.

“It was a big deal for me,” Bulaga said. “Going into a new place when I’ve been somewhere for 10 years and having a familiar face in the room, and especially someone I trust very much. I think Coach Campen’s a hell of a coach. I think he’s a hell of a person, too.”

The Chargers are hopeful that the coaching of Campen will help improve an offensive line that struggled last season because of inexperience and injuries. Pro Football Focus rated the line as the second-worst unit in the league on pass blocking.

It helps that Bulaga and guard Trai Turner were acquired this offseason, along with Mike Pouncey being medically cleared. But the rest of the group is a mystery. That’s why Campen’s magic to assist the other players is being highly anticipated.

Bulaga said that the group will enjoy playing for Campen, citing that he’s not a “cookie-cutter coach.”

“The biggest thing that he does is he allows guys to be themselves, and that’s something that as a young guy in the league. You can’t put a price tag on because he allows guys to grow and become themselves,” Bulaga said.

Campen has helped six linemen earn Pro Bowl recognition in an eight-year span: Offensive tackle Chad Clifton, center Scott Wells, guard Josh Sitton, center Jeff Saturday, tackle David Bakhtiari, guard T.J. Lang.

Los Angeles is hoping that he can produce the same results with the team’s offensive linemen.

Pro Football Focus lists Chargers ‘most underrated’ player in 2020

The second-year linebacker is looking to take a leap this upcoming season.

Yesterday, I wrote about the Chargers’ most underrated position groups heading into the 2020 season.

On the same day, Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey tabbed the most underrated player on each team in the league.

For Los Angeles, he went with linebacker Drue Tranquill.

Athleticism like Tranquill displayed at the 2019 NFL Combine (4.57 second 40-yard dash, 6.94 second three-cone and a 37.5-inch vertical jump) married with strong coverage results coming out of college (80-plus coverage grades in each of his last two seasons) is a recipe for success in the pros. As a fourth-round pick, Tranquill had a limited role in his first season as a member of the Chargers’ defense, but he did some promising things during his time on the field, earning a 66.6 overall grade for the year. Even with the Chargers trading back up into the first round to take Kenneth Murray, there is plenty of reason to expect the second-year player out of Notre Dame to take another step forward in 2020.

Tranquill, the fourth-round selection of the 2019 NFL draft, made an impact upon arriving to camp in his rookie season. As the season went on he became a key piece on the defensive side of the ball.

In 15 games played, three of which he started, Tranquill racked up 64 tackles (50 solo), four tackles for loss and one pass defended. On top of that, he finished with the most special teams tackles by any rookie (11).

The former Notre Dame product will likely split time with Denzel Perryman at MIKE, while rookie Kenneth Murray starts at WILL this upcoming season. But it won’t be long until Tranquill is the permanent starter.

It may seem like a long shot for Tranquill to make the Pro Bowl at the linebacker position in Year 2, but he’s more than capable of landing on the team as a special teamer.

Chargers QB coach Pep Hamilton assesses Tyrod Taylor, Justin Herbert

Pep Hamilton is excited to work with both signal-callers this upcoming season.

The Chargers are hopeful that Justin Herbert to lead the team to success for years to come. While he has plenty of talent and experience under his belt, there are certain areas of his game that need refinement.

To mentor the former Oregon product is Pep Hamilton, who was hired to become Los Angeles’ quarterback coach earlier this month.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two have been unable to do on-field work. Instead, everything has been viral. But Herbert and Hamilton have still been able to develop a connection in the early stages via Zoom.

“We often find ourselves watching ball and talking ball into the wee hours,” Hamilton said Wednesday during a video conference. “I’m excited to see that he’s a student of the game.”

Hamilton is intrigued by Herbert’s skillset. He knows that he may not be ready to take the field Week 1 of the regular season, but he believes once he gets there, Herbert should be in a good position to shine.

“The combination of size, athletic ability and arm talent (is intriguing), but more importantly, he’s had a ton of experience playing in games,” Hamilton said.

“It really helped him staying an extra year at Oregon. He has over 1,200 pass attempts in college and you can’t teach experience. When it’s time for him to play once he’s acclimated to the speed of the NFL game and has a good understanding of what NFL defenses are trying to do, I think the sky’s the limit.”

While Herbert becomes a student of the game for the time being, Tyrod Taylor will be the one under center. Taylor has plenty of experience in the starting role, and especially in Anthony Lynn’s system since the two played together years back with the Bills.

“It’s helpful, especially under the circumstances,” Hamilton said of Taylor. “In a non-traditional offseason, familiarity with all the above is going to be important. We’re going to lose a large portion of time that we would have on the grass because we’re not able to have a traditional offseason.

It’s going to be very important that Tyrod’s understanding and familiarity with coach Lynn and our system, that carries over to the rest of the guys in the huddle. His poise impresses me. I’ve been watching him from afar for quite some time, and I’ve always been impressed with his ability to go out and make plays and more importantly, help his team win games.”

It’s Taylor’s job to lose. The 30-year old will likely stay under center as long as he’s leading the team to wins. If the Chargers start to fall off the wagon, then Herbert will take the reins. The longer Taylor starts, the more Herbert will be able to develop.