Tag: Chargers Training Camp 2021

Chargers Training Camp Report:
Rookie Rashawn Slater shows well with pads
Rashawn Slater (#70) at minicamp with Brenden Jaimes (#64) and Kyle Spalding (#60). (Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times)
Article by BY JEFF MILLER- LA TIMES
COSTA MESA, CA
On a day when the defense stood out, the Chargers finally got their first look at first-round pick Rashawn Slater in a padded practice.
The reviews? Thumbs up.
The left tackle matched up well in individual drills against a few of the team’s edge rushers, most notably Joey Bosa.
“You want to measure yourself against the best,” coach Brandon Staley said afterward, “and Joey’s one of the premium players in the league.”
The offense did struggle during 11-on-11. Justin Herbert had passes intercepted twice (by Alohi Gilman and Kemon Hall) and Chase Daniel once (by Mark Webb Jr.).
But Slater, taken 13th overall and starting from Day 1 of camp, impressed with his physicality, strength and ability to move.
“I think he can handle it mentally, the way we want to play,” Staley said. “From a mental standpoint, this guy’s about as sharp as you could hope for on the offensive line.
“Now he has to translate his game to blocking Joey Bosa and understand there’s a big game within a game in blocking different players and understanding how to use your skill set against somebody else and how to work with your teammates.”
General Manager Tom Telesco rebuilt the offensive line in the offseason, with only right tackle Bryan Bulaga returning from 2020.
Telesco signed center Corey Linsley and guards Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi in free agency. Then he drafted Slater out of Northwestern.
“I’m excited to see how the rookie’s going to do,” Bosa said last week. “We’ve got to beat him into the ground a little bit so he’ll be ready for Week 1.”
Observations and highlights
A total of 240 players were drafted before the Chargers took Webb in the seventh round on May 1. Five days into training camp, he hasn’t performed like a late-rounder.
His interception came when he waited in the deep part of the field and easily snagged the ball as the intended receiver, tight end Donald Parham , failed to turn his head to the quarterback.
“I’m encouraged by his performance,” Staley said. “Not satisfied yet. I think he’s flashed that he belongs on the NFL field. If you just look at him, he looks like he belongs on the NFL field.”
The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Webb began his career at Georgia as a wide receiver before switching to the secondary during his freshman year.
Running with the second team, he has been playing safety in camp, along with the designated money and star positions when the Chargers go with five or six defensive backs.
“He’s handled it mentally,” Staley said. “We’re putting a lot on him because we expect a lot from him. It’s not easy, but he’s shown the aptitude to handle it, athletically and mentally.
“He’s going to have to be a big factor for us on special teams. On defense, we’re hoping to have that versatility be a strength of his so we can put him where we need him.”
Midway through practice, the players removed their pads at the direction of the NFL. Telesco explained that the Chargers were not supposed to be in pads Monday under the league’s guidelines. He took responsibility for the mix-up.
Telesco suggested the team could be docked a padded practice as a result.
The Chargers will have a legitimate kicker competition this month. Michael Badgley and Tristan Vizcaino both went 5 for 5 in their first head-to-head matchup. Each made three attempts from 45 yards and beyond.
When healthy, Badgley has been the team’s kicker since midway through the 2018 season. But he struggled last year, going 10 of 19 from attempts of 40 yards or more.
Alex Kessman , a rookie out of Pittsburgh, also is in camp but wasn’t given a chance to kick Monday.
Wide receiver Tyron Johnson did not practice because of an issue with his foot/ankle, Staley said, adding that the Chargers don’t believe the injury to be anything serious.
Cornerback Ryan Smith hobbled off the field with two members of the training staff following a play during one-on-one drills.

Brandon Staley has spent his first six months as Chargers head coach building relationships, one of the most often mentioned principles of his program. Another pillar he references frequently is competition, and that begins today when the team opens its first training camp under its new boss. The Chargers will conduct 17 practices, 16 of which will be open to the public at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa. The 17th will be at SoFi Stadium as part of a season ticket fan festival Aug. 8. The final two days of camp — Aug. 19-20 — will feature joint practices with the San Francisco 49ers. Under Staley and a new staff only two assistants remain from last season. The Chargers are transforming both the offense and the defense in an attempt to better take advantage of a roster considered plenty talented. They’ve missed the postseason in consecutive years but did finish 2020 with four consecutive victories, a consolation prize that ultimately was no consolation at all given all the changes that followed. As the Chargers begin writing a new story in 2021, here are six key questions that need to be answered:

Is O-line good enough?

The Chargers have struggled with injuries and inconsistency up front the last two seasons, forcing General Manager Tom Telesco to again attempt to rebuild his offensive line. That attempt a year ago failed when veteran additions Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner suffered injuries that lingered. Bulaga returns at right tackle, but Turner was released and now plays for Pittsburgh. Telesco signed All-Pro Corey Linsley at center and veterans Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi to play guard. He then invested the No. 13 overall pick in Rashawn Slater as a potential long-term answer at left tackle. How this group jells and how Slater acclimates to the NFL will play significant roles in the team’s success.

Lombardi the answer?

Along with his famous last name — he is the grandson of Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi — Joe brings a wealth of experience that includes 15 years an an NFL assistant. But his only previous time as an offensive coordinator ended prematurely in October 2015 when he was fired seven games into his second season with Detroit.
The Lions and then-quarterback Matthew Stafford struggled to adopt to a scheme built on precision and timing. In a similar system in New Orleans, Drew Brees flourished under Lombardi, who was Brees’ position coach. Along with his abundant physical skills, Justin Herbert is known for his smarts and quick-learning ability. Although there figure to be bumps, Herbert should have at least a Brees-like chance of eventually commanding the new offense.

Can D-stars stay healthy?

Safety Derwin James is entering his fourth season. Yet, he and edge rusher Joey Bosa — they are the team’s most dynamic, impactful defenders — still have appeared in only 12 NFL games together. James has missed 27 games over the last two years because of injuries suffered in August. Bosa was hurt in training camp in 2018 and sustained multiple injuries last season, including a pair of late concussions. Getting James and Bosa to the Sept. 12 season opener healthy will be among the Chargers’ main training-camp goals. Both possess All-Pro capabilities that can’t be displayed in street clothes.

Mastering new ‘D’ scheme

Along with moving from a 4-3 to a 3-4, the Chargers are adopting a defense that will attempt to exploit matchups but also emphasize communication, before and after the snap.
Cornerback Chris Harris Jr. played in a similar system in Denver and characterized the difference for his teammates now learning the defense as “night and day.”
Linebacker Drue Tranquill said “the communication element is a little more difficult than our previous defense,” an indication of just how important this training camp and preseason will be for the transition.

Will special teams rebound?

As bad as the Chargers were at times during their 7-9 finish a year ago, no aspect of the operation failed as spectacularly as the special teams did. Just getting 11 players on the field for a punt was a challenge at times. Finding free agents capable of contributing in the kicking game — see cornerback Ryan Smith and linebacker Kyler Fackrell — was part of Telesco’s roster rebuild and, to varying degrees, the kicking, punting and long-snapping jobs all are open competitions entering August.

Can Slater emerge at LT?

The Chargers no doubt have expectations for second-round pick Asante Samuel Jr. and third-rounders Josh Palmer and Tre’ McKitty. Each should contribute in 2021.
But Slater was drafted with the idea that he’d be ready to start immediately. Having him still available at No. 13 was considered a bit of grand fortune.
Slater sat out the 2020 season at Northwestern because of the COVID-19 pandemic. His return to the field starting today instantly becomes a daily story line.

Chargers Training Camp info:
When: Today through Aug. 20
Where: Jack Hammett Sports Complex, Costa Mesa
Open practices: Today-Saturday, Aug. 2-4, 6-8, 10-12, 16, 17, 19, 20. Practice starts at 9 a.m. all days except 3:30 p.m. on Aug 8 (FanFest at SoFi Stadium).
Tickets: Free but fans must register for tickets at chargers.com/camp