trey pipkins – Page 12 – Syndication Server

Projecting the Chargers’ offensive line depth chart

The Chargers offensive line will have a slightly different look this offseason.

The Chargers offensive line has been arguably one of the weaker spots on the roster the past few seasons. But after a couple of key acquisitions and hiring of offensive line coach James Campen, who’s one of the best in the league, they’re hoping to be stronger than they have been in years prior.

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

LT: Trey Pipkins

This will be one of the more notable position battles to monitor as the competition to fill the void after Russell Okung’s departure will be between in-house players from last season and former XFL player Storm Norton. Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft, wasn’t expected to take a single snap in his rookie season. However, that took a turn when Okung missed quite a bit of action. Like any rookie offensive lineman, he experienced some struggles against NFL pass-rushers, but as he received more playing time, his strengths became more apparent. Sam Tevi could win this job solely based on experience in the starting role, but Campen like what he sees in Pipkins, citing what he does well and that he has a plan for him to unlock his full potential.

Backups: Sam Tevi, Storm Norton, Trent Scott

LG: Dan Feeney

Feeney has been the model of consistency, starting every single game the past two seasons. Even though he was shaky early on in his professional career, he has improved his game. He’s especially been a key contributor in the run-blocking department. Along with left guard, he has shown to be reliable as a center when Mike Pouncey suffered a season-ending injury in 2019. Feeney will have to shake off Forrest Lamp, who’s coming off a season-ending injury, as well. But Feeney’s familiarity, availability and durability gives him the leg up.

Backups: Forrest Lamp, Trent Scott

C: Mike Pouncey

There were concerns that Pouncey wouldn’t be able to take another snap after suffering a severe neck injury last season, but good news came when he announced that he was medically cleared. Pouncey has been a critical piece of the offensive line since signing in 2018. Prior to getting injured in Week 5 last season, he started 37 consecutive games. If Pouncey were to get hurt again, Feeney or Scott Quessenberry would fill his shoes. Quessenberry started nine games last season, faring well against some of the top defensive tackles.

Backups: Dan Feeney, Scott Quessenberry

RG: Trai Turner

The Chargers gained the five-time Pro Bowler when they shipped away Russell Okung earlier this offseason. Turner, who’s become one of the league’s most premiere interior offensive lineman, has played in 84 games (80 of which he started) since entering the league in 2014. Turner is significant upgrade over Michael Schofield, who started every game at right guard for the Chargers in 2018 and 2019.

Backups: Forrest Lamp, Trent Scott

RT: Bryan Bulaga

Arguably the Chargers’ biggest acquisition this offseason was the signing of Bulaga. Bulaga, who reunites with Campen, has started 111 of his 115 games over the past nine seasons, showing exemplary toughness after dealing with injuries early on. In each of his full seasons since 2014, Bulaga has ranked among the 10 best right tackles in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade, with three ranking in the top three. He provides a huge boost in pass protection and run-blocking.

Backups: Sam Tevi, Trent Scott, Storm Norton

What could have Chargers done differently this offseason?

There is a certain positional group for the Los Angeles Chargers that remains a mystery.

The Chargers offseason has nearly come to an end.

After a slew of solid acquisitions via free agency and the draft, their 90-man roster is becoming clear. When taking a glimpse at their roster, they’re talented from top to bottom.

However, there are still positional groups that have question marks over them. One of them is the left tackle position. After trading away Russell Okung, Los Angeles failed to find his replacement.

The decision to bring in a rookie quarterback in Justin Herbert, and elect to not get him a viable blindside blocker is questionable.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell concurs.

Barnwell ranked all 32 team’s offseasons and analyzed their moves. Signing or drafting a left tackle is something that he believes L.A. should have taken care of.

Instead of trading up for and drafting linebacker Kenneth Murray, the analyst thinks the Chargers should’ve stayed put, selected a middle linebacker in the middle rounds and used their second-round pick to take a tackle like Ezra Cleveland.

I would have stayed put and trusted that I could find a middle linebacker in the middle rounds or in free agency to rotate with Denzel Perryman. The Chargers likely wouldn’t have been able to find a plug-and-play left tackle in the second round, but adding someone like Ezra Cleveland as an option would have left them in better shape than moving forward with Sam Tevi, Trent Scott and Trey Pipkins.

Addressing the linebacker position was a need this offseason, and Los Angeles had their eyes solely on Murray to fill the room out and get a Day 1 contributor, which is why they moved up 14 spots to get him, sacrificing their third-round pick.

“Off-ball linebackers just aren’t that hard to come by, and the Chargers essentially valued Murray as a top-15 pick by sending their second- and third-rounders to move up and acquire him. Murray has to turn into a Pro Bowl-caliber player for this move to work,” Barnwell said.

Los Angeles is banking on their in-house options, and they’re hopeful that the new offensive scheme and offensive line guru James Campen will help mask any deficiencies. It’s a high risk, high reward situation to rely on Sam Tevi, Trey Pipkins, Storm Norton or Trent Scott.

If they don’t feel comfortable with their guys after all, Jason Peters, the veteran tackle, remains a free agent.

“While Peters has been popularly linked to a return with the Eagles, L.A. is the best possible landing spot for the 38-year-old tackle. The moves this organization made this offseason suggest it’s trying to win now, even as it retools at quarterback. Peters wasn’t at his Hall of Fame best in 2019 and probably won’t be again in 2020, but he would be a massive upgrade on the likes of Tevi, Scott and Pipkins.”

Who is the Chargers’ ‘best kept secret’?

The Los Angeles Chargers might have a gem on the offensive line.

The left tackle position is arguably one of the weaker groups on the Chargers’ roster, given the lack of pure firepower. However, could there be someone that brings that this upcoming season?

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes so. Insert Trey Pipkins.

Here’s what Davenport had to say about Pipkins being Los Angeles’ “best kept secret”:

Heading into the 2019 draft, Trey Pipkins III was considered a talented but raw tackle prospect after playing collegiately at Sioux Falls. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com labeled him a likely Day 3 pick.

“Developmental tackle prospect who offers NFL-caliber size, length and athletic ability for teams willing to work out the technique kinks,” Zierlein wrote. “Pipkins has quick feet but needs to prove he can gain adequate depth with his initial pass slides in order to work to his set points against edge speed. He has Day 3 draft potential, but the jump in competition makes him a likely practice squad candidate early on.”

But then the Chargers spent a third-round pick on Pipkins, traded veteran tackle Russell Okung and didn’t sign or draft an obvious replacement—despite the fact that Pipkins allowed four sacks in 251 snaps as a rookie.

As things stand today, Pipkins is the front-runner to be the blind-side protector for either Tyrod Taylor or rookie Justin Herbert when the Bolts travel to Cincinnati in Week 1.

Head coach Anthony Lynn and general manager Tom Telesco appear to have seen something in the young 6’6″, 304-pounder.

Soon enough, we’ll see if they are right.

Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft, wasn’t expected to take a single snap in his rookie season. However, that narrative took a turn when Russell Okung dealt with a combination of a serious health issue and injuries.

Pipkins was forced into the action as early as Week 4 and saw the bulk of his playing time come starting in Week 10. Like any rookie offensive lineman, he experienced some struggles against NFL pass-rushers, but as he received more playing, his strengths became more apparent.

Plays like this exemplify what Pipkins is capable of doing.

Going into the 2020 season, the ball is in Pipkins’ court for the starting job after the team didn’t acquire a single left tackle this offseason. He will have to fend off others that will be in contention for the role, which includes Sam Tevi, Storm Norton, Trent Scott and possibly Forrest Lamp.

For most, not addressing the left side of the line was a mistake. But the team is hopeful that offensive line coach James Campen — one of the best developers of offensive linemen in the league — and a change in offensive scheme will elevate the play.

“He gets what you’re asking him to do. I think he has a lot of potential,” Campen said about Pipkins.

4 offensive players the Chargers need to step up

It all starts with the most important position on the field.

The Chargers offense will have a slightly new look now that Philip Rivers won’t be the one under center anymore.

Even though the unit could benefit from the scheme change, there are certain individual players that need to do well in their roles to help the team succeed.

Whether they had a down year last year or simply have a new job going into the 2020 season, there are four offensive players that need to step up this upcoming year.

QB Tyrod Taylor

Even though the Chargers drafted Justin Herbert in the first-round, I believe that Taylor will be starting the majority, if not, every single game this upcoming season. Taylor will have big shoes to fill after having Rivers man the position for over the past decade. The 30-year old Taylor is not Rivers by any means, but there are a few things going for him that could put him in position to succeed. Taylor is familiar with coach Anthony Lynn’s philosophy, which has always been a run-heavy approach. That leads to his biggest strength, which is his athleticism and ability to win with his legs. As a passer, Taylor is one of the best at not turning the ball over. Taylor should also benefit from the position players around him, as well. Things that could get him in trouble consists of his accuracy and not seeing the middle of the field well, which is why he tends to take the cautious route and limits his chances of being picked off. Everything is tailored for him to succeed, but now it will be a matter of putting it all together to thrive in the starting role with a team that’s capable of contending for the postseason.

OT Sam Tevi

Not only does a new era begin at the quarterback position – it does at the left tackle position after Russell Okung was traded to the Panthers. Rather than signing or drafting one to replace Okung, the team is banking on their in-house options to fill the void. The signing of Bryan Bulaga indicates that the right tackle spot is filled for the next three seasons, which means one of two things for Tevi – he will be a swing tackle or move over to the left side. Recently, offensive coordinator Shane Steichen mentioned Tevi as options at left tackle. Given his experience in the starting role, I believe he is the frontrunner for the job. It won’t be an easy task going from the right side to protecting the blindside, especially after finishing 2019 as the 61st highest graded offensive tackle in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. Since coming into the league, Tevi has fared well in the run-blocking department, but has struggled as a pass protector. The thought process could be that since the offense is shifting to having a mobile quarterback, it could mask the deficiencies with Tevi’s game. They could be hoping that the hiring of Campen will help with it, too. Nonetheless, if Tevi is indeed the starting left tackle, he will have to do a lot better job than his previous seasons.

OT Trey Pipkins

There’s no guarantee that Tevi has the starting job locked up. Instead, I expect it to be a tight competition between him and Pipkins. Selected in the third-round of the 2019 NFL draft, it wasn’t expected that he would see the field in his rookie season. However, Pipkins was forced into the action when Okung was sidelined. In the games he played, he did experience some growing pains, but he also flashed as a solid blindside blocker, especially against some stiff competition like the Chiefs. Campen said he’s watched tape on Pipkins dating back training camp last summer. “He’s a very intelligent young man. He gets what you’re asking him to do. I think he has a lot of potential.” There is a plan in place for Pipkins, but he will have to still take the necessary steps on his own to succeed, which include getting stronger and developing his technique, particularly with his hands. Like Tevi, Pipkins should benefit from a zone scheme, where his athleticism is put to good use.

RB Justin Jackson

Melvin Gordon is no longer a Charger, which leads to the opportunity for someone in the backfield to take on a larger role. Joshua Kelley was drafted in the fourth-round to fill out the backfield, but the ball is in Jackson’s court as he has two years of experience with the team. In 20 games played, Jackson averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 79 touches. Jackson was held back by an injury, limiting him to just seven games in 2019. Entering his third campaign, the team is still “very high” on Jackson despite the durability concerns. With the offense expected to shift to a run-heavy approach, Jackson needs to take a leap. If he can stay healthy, the former Northwestern product can be dangerous.

Gregg Rosenthal predicts Chargers’ 2020 starters

NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal makes his starting lineup predictions for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers have boasted a talented roster for years now. The results may have not reflected from that, but the issues arise from injuries and in-game woes that haunted them.

Los Angeles has shown that they can compete with the league’s best, and they’re hopeful that they can make a postseason run, like they managed to do two years.

After a slew of acquisitions this offseason, L.A. is once again equipped with talent from top to bottom. But how will the starting lineup shake up in order to get the best players on the field?

NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal recently took a crack at projecting the Chargers’ starters for the upcoming season.

Here is a look:

Notes

By no surprise, Tyrod Taylor is listed as the starting quarterback. Barring any injury, I expect Taylor to be the Week 1 starter. For how long remains to be seen. If he gets hurt or the team isn’t having any success with him under center, then that’s when we can expect rookie Justin Herbert to take over.
Andre Patton is listed as WR3. While Patton will be among the competitors for the job, I expect either rookie Joe Reed or K.J. Hill to earn it when all is said and done.
In Rosenthal’s eyes, Sam Tevi wins the starting left tackle job. Many are expecting this to be Trey Pipkins’ role, including myself. However, the team could favor Tevi’s experience in the starting position.
I would be surprised if Kenneth Murray didn’t open up as the starting Will linebacker and Drue Tranquill didn’t start as the Mike linebacker.
The reason for their not being a third linebacker listed is because given the amount of nickel and dime packages the Chargers go in, that would normally be Adrian Phillips’ role. But not that he is no longer on the team, Desmond King is the frontrunner.
Rayshawn Jenkins is listed as the starting free safety. If and when the Chargers go into their two-deep looks, Nasir Adderley will be on the field at the same time.

James Campen addresses state of Chargers’ offensive line

The Los Angeles Chargers are hopeful that James Campen can help the offensive line become a strong suit.

The Chargers not only added two proven players to the offensive line earlier this offseason in guard Trai Turner and tackle Bryan Bulaga. The team added a proven mentor for the unit, hiring offensive line coach James Campen.

Los Angeles’ offensive line finished as one of the worst groups in the league in 2019, but the team is hoping that the arrival of Campen might be the turning point.

Campen, who spent 15 seasons with the Packers, worked with primarily middle and late-round draft selections. But he turned the majority of them into Pro Bowlers and All-Pro selections.

Campen gave credit to the scouting departments for finding “late-round gems” along the offensive line rather than his ability to develop them.

Among the crop is tackle Trey Pipkins, last year’s third-round pick. After the departure of Russell Okung, Pipkins will have the opportunity to win the starting left tackle job.

Campen said he’s watched tape on Pipkins dating back training camp last summer. “He’s a very intelligent young man. He gets what you’re asking him to do. I think he has a lot of potential.”

Pipkins was forced into the action last season when Okung was sidelined. In the games he played, he did experience some growing pains, but he also flashed as a solid blindside blocker.

Campen mentioned that he has a plan for the former Sioux Falls product.

Even though the expectation is that Pipkins will be the starting left tackle going into the season, there will be other players in contention, consisting of Sam Tevi, Forrest Lamp, Trent Scott and Storm Norton.

Campen said it’s the most-discussed position of the offseason. “There are options there. There is a lot of good candidates that have a lot of the athletic traits you want at left tackle.”

Campen is referring to the options currently on the team, but didn’t touch up on potential free agent options that they could look to bring in, including Jason Peters, who still remains on the market.

Other than left tackle being the mystery along the offensive line, the rest of the group looks solidified for the most part.

Center Mike Pouncey will play in 2020 after being medically cleared on Wednesday, and the acquisitions of Bulaga and Turner will provide a huge upgrade on the right side. Dan Feeney has had the left guard spot locked up for the past couple of years now.

Campen has familiarity with Bulaga having spent a decade with him, and he has done a lot of work on Turner. He called them leaders. “They are what you want from an offensive lineman.”

The Chargers are hopeful that a combination of Campen’s coaching and a new offensive scheme will benefit an offensive line that has been a weak part of the team for years now.

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?

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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OT Jason Peters remains compelling option for Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers could benefit from left tackle Jason Peters’ presence.

The Chargers entered the draft with many expecting that they were going to select a left tackle.

Seven rounds went by and they came away empty-handed.

The decision to not pick a single offensive lineman left fans scratching their heads, wondering why Los Angeles elected to not address a positional group that has questions surrounding it.

After the draft, general manager Tom Telesco said that they like their in-house options as the reason why they didn’t select one. But he didn’t comment on whether or not the team will look to the free agency pool.

One intriguing option that has been connected to the Bolts for awhile is Jason Peters. Peters, who was released by the Eagles in February, remains a free agent.

Recently, Peters has talked to teams in recent weeks and threw the idea of being a starter while mentoring a young guy like he did with Philadelphia and Andre Dillard last season, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.

If that’s the case, that could entice the Chargers, who have former third-round pick Trey Pipkins slated to start. Even though Pipkins has some experience in the starting role, he could benefit from another year to develop and learn from one of the best left tackles before taking over.

Over the past three seasons, Peters has been the model of production. Since 2017, he has an 82.6 grade per Pro Football Focus, which is 12th among offensive tackles, where he has played 2,163 regular season snaps along the way.

Even at 38 years of age, Peters only allowed 21 pressures on 562 pass-blocking attempts last season. He had the fourth-highest grade in pass blocking and 17th-highest grade in the run blocking department, per PFF.

Durability concerns loom as he has dealt with numerous injuries in recent seasons. However, he has still started 29 of a possible 32 games the past two years, managing to still play at a fairly high level over that span.

The Chargers, who are one of the teams who have the most salary cap space available ($22 million), could benefit immensely from a borderline elite left tackle at the cost of very little without much long-term guaranteed money.

With the roster that Los Angeles has in place, adding Peters to a line that will now feature guard Trai Turner and tackle Bryan Bulaga, could put them in contention to make a deep run this upcoming season.

Chargers never inquired into trading for OT Trent Williams

The Los Angeles Chargers are content with the in-house options.

Offensive tackle Trent Williams found his new home on Saturday after being shipped from the Redskins to the 49ers in exchange for third and fifth-round selections.

The Chargers had been mentioned as a potential destination for the 31-year old tackle, but it appears that they never had interest in him after all.

According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, general manager Tom Telesco, Los Angeles never inquired into Williams.

After the compensation was announced for Williams, the majority of the fanbase was scratching their heads knowing that it ultimately didn’t cost San Francisco that much to acquire the seven-time Pro Bowler.

Williams was wanted by most because they felt like he would fill a position that still has a question mark over it. Telesco reiterated that he is comfortable with the in-house options after L.A. didn’t draft a single offensive lineman.

If the Chargers don’t address the position in free agency, they will go into the season with a competition between Trey Pipkins, Sam Tevi, Storm Norton and possibly Forrest Lamp for the starting left tackle job.

Remaining needs for the Chargers after 2020 NFL Draft

There are four positions that the Los Angeles Chargers could still look to address in free agency.

The 2020 NFL Draft is history.

In the draft, the Chargers addressed the quarterback, linebacker, running back, wide receiver and safety position, all of which were needs prior to the event.

However, Los Angeles still has remaining needs that they will have to consider filling prior to the 2020 season in order to avoid having holes on the roster.

Here are some of Bolts’ most glaring needs that they will have to figure out the rest of the offseason:

Left tackle

Finding a tackle to offer competition with Trey Pipkins on the left side was thought to be a priority for the Chargers going into the draft. But they came away empty-handed.

General manager Tom Telesco said there was an offensive lineman that was available at one of their draft picks but they went in a different direction. Telesco didn’t specify which round, but there was one on their radar.

Going into the season, Pipkins, Storm Norton, Sam Tevi and possibly Forrest Lamp are projected to compete for the starting job. But they could benefit from a veteran’s presence to protect Tyrod Taylor’s blindside, while giving Pipkins another year to develop.

Outside cornerback

Opposite of Casey Hayward is Michael Davis, who is projected to go into the season as the starter. However, Davis had his ups and downs last season, and struggled to stay on the field towards the end of the season due to an injury and suspension.

The other option is Brandon Facyson, who showed some promise as a starter, but he still has limited experience in that role. If the Chargers want to solidify an already talented secondary, they should look to add a proven player at the position, and it just so happens that there are a few remaining on the market.

Nose tackle depth

I thought the Chargers were going to use one of their Day 3 selections on a nose tackle like Leki Fotu or Benito Jones to backup Linval Joseph, but they didn’t address the position at all. Am I surprised? Not at all.

The reason being is because I could see Los Angeles re-signing Damion Square or Sylvester Williams, both of whom played a significant role last season in the middle of the defensive line. Or, there’s the possibility of them banking on former seventh-round selection Cortez Broughton’s development.

Interior offensive line depth

There are a few questions that have yet to be answered with the interior part of the offensive line.

Will Mike Pouncey be able to play this season? Can Dan Feeney be counted on as the starter moving forward? Is Forrest Lamp going to stay at guard or make the switch over to tackle?

With all of these questions in mind, it only leads to the desire to add more pieces, especially in case of injuries. Coach Anthony Lynn did say Trent Scott could kick inside from tackle, similar to what they did with Michael Schofield, which would help with some of possible holes.