Tag: Stone Smartt

Game Balls: 5 standouts from Chargers’ Week 14 loss to Chiefs

Despite the tough Week 14 loss to the Chiefs, the Chargers showed why they are a legitimate threat in the AFC.

It was a devastating loss for the Chargers in Week 14, all but ending their chances at the AFC West title. After a slow start, Jim Harbaugh’s squad responded with a stellar second half to give them a chance at getting the win.

There were still things to be satisfied with in the loss, including these five standout players:

QB Justin Herbert

Despite the absence of top wideout Ladd McConkey, Herbert still played exceptional. The impressive play came despite the fact that the game was on the road against a good defense, in addition to him playing through injury throughout the game. Herbert completed 70% of his passes for 213 yards through the air and his first passing TD since Week 11 against the Bengals. Most importantly, he continues to take care of the ball as still has just one interception this year across 366 pass attempts.

WR Quentin Johnston

With McConkey out, Johnston stepped up with five catches for 48 yards and a late third quarter TD that gave the Chargers the lead. He held on for a huge third down conversion early in the game despite taking a big hit. Johnston continues to show signs of being an improved player after his disappointing 2023 rookie season.

TE Stone Smartt

The Chargers’ tight end room has struggled throughout the 2024 campaign. Will Dissly has stepped up at times, but he left Sunday night’s game with a shoulder injury. That forced Smartt into action, who played a season-high 22 snaps. The third-year tight end finished with three catches and a career-high 54 yards and could see more playing time moving forward.

LB Daiyan Henley

Henley has not only emerged as the Chargers’ best linebacker this season, but he’s been one of the best defenders in the AFC altogether. In the loss, he was all over the field with a team-high eight total tackles. Henley provided two pressures and was exceptional in coverage, which included a forced incompletion.

CB Kristian Fulton

Fulton continues to have a breakout season for Jesse Minter and the Chargers. The veteran helped lock up Kansas City’s wide receivers, as they finished with just 210 passing yards. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, Fulton was the fourth-best corner in Week 14 in terms of limiting separation from opposing wideouts. With Asante Samuel Jr.’s injuries this season, Fulton’s emergence has been even more crucial.

Chargers TE Stone Smartt primed for bigger role

With Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst out, Stone Smartt sits atop the tight end depth chart.

Will Dissly suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday night in the Chargers’ loss to the Chiefs, likely sidelining him for a couple of weeks.

Hayden Hurst is still on injured reserve with a hip injury and won’t be eligible to return until Week 16,

That means the next man up for Los Angeles’ tight end group will be Stone Smartt, who sits atop the depth chart for this upcoming game against the Buccaneers.

Smartt stepped up when Dissly went down in the second quarter in Week 13. He played 22 snaps and turned them into three receptions for 54 yards, providing a second-half offensive spark.

“Guy has an opportunity, it’s there. He’s been chipping away at it-gets it, excels,” Jim Harbaugh said on Smartt.

Smartt has primarily been a special teams player this season, but he’s made the most of his opportunities when he’s been on offense. He has caught six passes for 98 yards (16.3 yards per catch).

4 standout performers for Chargers through 4 days of training camp

Training camp has only been underway for a few days, but these Chargers are standing out in the early going.

The Chargers are four days into their training camp program in El Segundo, CA. It’s important to remember that when discussing player stock with plenty of time left in the offseason, plus three preseason games.

That being said, there are some standouts for Los Angeles in the early going.

Here are four of them:

WR Ladd McConkey

Excitement is high for McConkey, the team’s second-round pick. They drafted him to boost a wide receiver group that lacks top-end talent. And so far, he has flashed since coming aboard this summer. 

McConkey made an impressive grab in the red zone on Day 4. But what has stood out the most is his superb route running in the slot, showing the ability to beat both coverages and consistently make himself open.

“He’s been off to a really good start,” Jim Harbaugh said on McConkey. “Really, really excellent route runner. We knew that, and he’s been really good, really dialed in, right from the beginning.”

I’ve been saying this since he was drafted, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see McConkey lead the team in targets and receptions this season.

WR Quentin Johnston

After a rough rookie campaign, Johnston knows how important it is to try to turn things around and carve a role for himself. While it’s still in the early stages, Johnston has looked like he’s improved in areas he struggled at.

One of his issues was creating separation, and Johnston has looked a lot sharper in his breaks to make himself an open target. Drops were also an issue, but Johnston has caught nearly everything thrown his way and has made the tough plays look routine.

WR Brenden Rice

Another wideout who has made a few splash plays is Rice, the seventh-rounder out of USC and son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Rice has a legitimate shot to not only make the roster but contribute as a rookie with his ability to win in the intermediate and deep parts of the field. He has shown that, nabbing a few catches on go routes, including a 35-yard touchdown from Easton Stick in 11-on-11.

TE Stone Smartt

The Chargers have their top two tight ends in Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst, but a few players, including Smartt, are battling for the back end of the depth chart. 

Last season, Smartt came on as a pass-catcher, hauling 11 passes for 155 (14.1 yards per reception) and a touchdown. On Day 3, he had a big day in that department. Smartt had six catches in team periods, including a red zone touchdown, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

Chargers 2024 offseason position preview: Tight end

Evaluating the Chargers’ tight end room entering the offseason.

Gerald Everett will test the market after two seasons with the Chargers. In his 2022 season, Everett extended his streak of seven straight seasons with an increasing receiving yards total. He was a beacon of consistency, especially when his services were needed most with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams missing in action for long stretches.

In 2023, Everett had 58 receptions for 411 yards. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t far off from the same ballpark that his single-season career numbers usually gravitated toward. But it was the lowest yards per reception mark of the veteran tight end’s career at 8.6.

Jim Harbaugh makes tight ends a rather critical focal point of his offensive approach relative to Kellen Moore. As the Chargers gravitate towards a more physical style of offense with him and Greg Roman at the helm, it’s worth seeing where the roster currently stands at the position. Will the team keep Everett? Is it a clean slate start? Could someone like Georgia star Brock Bowers be in play?

In continuing our offseason position preview series, let’s turn to the tight end room entering the offseason.

Highlight: Chargers TE Stone Smartt gets first career touchdown vs. Packers

Stone Smartt’s first career touchdown went for 51 yards.

It’s been a long road to glory for Chargers tight end Stone Smartt.

An undrafted player from Old Dominion, Smartt spent most of his college career as a quarterback. He moved to tight end, was signed by the Chargers, and had a strong training camp before incurring an injury that kept him out for the majority of his rookie season in 2022.

With Gerald Everett out this week, Smartt stepped into a bigger role against the Packers. That step paid dividends in the second quarter. Smartt took an intermediate pass from Justin Herbert, stiff armed a Packers defender, and burst upfield for a 51-yard touchdown.

Smartt’s first career touchdown also gave the Chargers a 10-7 lead.

Chargers sign TE Nick Vannett to active roster

The Chargers shored up the tight end room.

After waiving tight end Tre’ McKitty on Tuesday, the Chargers wasted no time in bolstering the depth chart. Per Aaron Wilson, Nick Vannett was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.

The move comes after a few weeks of rather poor blocking performances from both Tre’ McKitty and Stone Smartt. McKitty was also a healthy scratch prior to the Chiefs game. Vannett will at least be given some opportunity to show off what he can do in the blocking department.

Vannett’s last full season with over 20+ pass blocking and 100+ run blocking snaps was in 2021. With the Saints, he scored a 75.8 PFF grade as a pass blocker and a 55.1 PFF grade in run blocking last year. In 2022, his numbers dipped a bit with the Saints and he was cut for cap reasons during the season. However, his numbers did rebound closer to his 2021 status quo in the second half of the season with the Giants.

Vannett will be tasked with being one of the tight ends to stabilize the blocking on the unit currently. The Chargers’ run success rates have decreased due to both relative drops in team blocking and running back efficiency.

The roster is brought back to 53 with the signing of Vannett following yesterday’s waive of McKitty. The Chargers will also likely need to make two more roster cuts for Jalen Guyton and Otito Ogbonnia to be activated off of the PUP list and formally return against the Jets on Monday night.

Chargers waive TE Tre’ McKitty

The Chargers are cutting ties with their 2021 third-round pick.

The Chargers waived tight end Tre’ McKitty on Tuesday.

McKitty, the former third-round pick out of the 2021 NFL draft, appeared in 34 games (12 starts) across three seasons. They selected him with the intent of being a reliable blocker, but it never came to fruition.

McKitty wasn’t serviceable in the passing game, either. He had 12 catches on 26 targets for 117 yards.

With McKitty gone, Gerald Everett, Donald Parham and Stone Smartt make up the tight end room. To fill the void, L.A. could call up Nick Vannett from the practice squad.

A third-round pick by the Seahawks in 2016, Vannett has 90 receptions for 874 yards and six touchdowns in his career.

If they don’t promote Vannett, that empty roster spot could be for either wide receiver Jalen Guyton or defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia, who will soon be activated off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.

5 takeaways from the Chargers’ initial 53-man roster

The Chargers have reduced their roster to 53 players. Here are five takeaways from the decisions made to this point.

The Chargers announced their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday.

Keep in mind that this roster is subject to change as waiver wire claims are made on Wednesday and other players are moved around.

Here’s what we learned from Los Angeles’ initial 53-man roster:

Studs and duds from Chargers’ 23-12 win over 49ers

The Chargers concluded their preseason with a 23-12 win over the Niners. Most of the 90-man roster made their last impressions.

The Chargers concluded their preseason with a 23-12 win over the Niners. Most of the 90-man roster got to make their last impressions for roster spots, with cutdowns on Tuesday.

Here are the guys who stood out (positively and negatively) in the preseason finale.

Stud: CB Deane Leonard

Deane Leonard had been pretty solid in the first two preseason games but stood out more against San Francisco. Leonard was active in making pass break-up attempts and was sticky without being grabby in coverage. It also felt like an excellent tackling night for him outside of the first big Brandon Aiyuk play.

On one of the drives in the second quarter, Leonard got beat by Conley after the Niners’ receiver pushed off for a big diving catch. A few plays later, Leonard rebounded and drew an offensive pass interference call that eventually ended the drive for the Niners.

Leonard had been a top defender for the Chargers in the preseason, but seeing him execute while being tested more often was nice.

Dud: QB Max Duggan

Perhaps it was nerves for the rookie, but Max Duggan looked like he was seeing ghosts when throwing the football tonight. He ran some zone-read concepts pretty well, which saved the Chargers’ offense at points. But the erratic, delayed processing on display probably didn’t do much to solidify a QB3 spot.

Duggan should’ve been intercepted on the play above, but it wasn’t the only miscue. Several short to intermediate passes nearly hit the ground for his receivers, and the first drive was a mess. Two dangerous screen passes that were almost picked and a high toss to Elijah Dotson almost ruined his night from the start.

He saved himself with his legs, but I’m just struggling to see what value Duggan brings to the roster besides being the team’s seventh-round pick.

Stud: RB Joshua Kelley

Joshua Kelley had the play of the night with a 75-yard scamper to the house:

It’s been a good training camp and preseason for Kelley. That play felt like his declarative stamp on the RB2 job behind Austin Ekeler. Isaiah Spiller will still get his touches, but Kelley has shown a more refined approach with good balance and speed.

Dud: WR John Hightower

John Hightower was the star of training camp, but he didn’t stand out in a meaningful way in the preseason. Keelan Doss has outplayed him in the last two games, and it felt like Hightower was too easily washed out of routes. On his one target of the game, he got blanketed in coverage after Duggan released the throw.

He’ll still have a role on the practice squad, and his dominance in camp can’t be undersold. The coaching staff certainly values it. But the path towards a 53-man roster spot seems much less feasible than before.

Stud: TE Stone Smartt

Stone Smart has had back-to-back great weeks as a blocker. Last week, it was letting Easton Stick run outside for the score. Against the Niners, he made a block that created the hole for Joshua Kelley’s 75-yard score. On a separate play, he also sprung Max Duggan free on the outside for a 3rd down conversion.

Box score watchers will see one reception for six yards, but Smartt’s impact on the blocking game and the flow of the offense was evident. In a preseason where Tre’ McKitty and Donald Parham have struggled in that capacity, Smartt has strung together some good performances.

Highlight: Chargers RB Joshua Kelley takes one 75 yards to the house

Joshua Kelley broke loose for a big touchdown carry.

The first three drives of the Chargers’ preseason finale were uneventful.

With the 49ers playing their starters and Los Angeles playing their second team, San Francisco drove the ball deep into Chargers territory on each of their first two offensive drives. The 49ers also forced LA into a three and out on their first defensive series.

When LA got the ball back, however, things were different.

After a 6 yard pass to Stone Smartt, Easton Stick handed the ball off to Joshua Kelley on second down. Kelley found a crease up the middle, then made a cut to avoid the defender crashing down from the secondary. He then outran the defense on his way to a 75 yard touchdown.

The play gave the Chargers the lead after a Dustin Hopkins extra point.