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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | |||||||
| LAC -- Palmer Locked In As WR3 Ahead Of Johnston? (9/01/16:45 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Is Herbert In Position To Set Career Highs? (9/01/00:09 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Hopkins Traded After Dicker Wins Chargers PK Job (8/28/13:38 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Palmer Shouldn't Be Overlooked In Chargers Receiving Corps (8/27/19:07 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Kelley Makes A Strong Bid For RB2 Role In Win Over 49ers (8/26/00:29 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Herbert Asserting Himself As A Leader On The Field (8/24/00:11 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Stick Shows Off Mobility In Loss To Saints (8/21/00:40 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Johnston's Drops A Concern, But Red-Zone Role Still Possible (8/15/18:25 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Allen Happy He's No Longer Stuck In Slot Under Moore (8/09/08:42 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Rookie WR Hightower Making A Case For A Roster Spot (8/09/00:55 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Palmer, Johnston Battling For WR3 Spot (8/08/00:26 CT) | |||||||
| LAC -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | |||||||
Current News Updates
9/01 The Athletic’s Daniel Popper believes Josh Palmer will be the Chargers’ No. 3 wideout to start the season. Palmer, Popper said (via Rotoworld), “will get a majority of the snaps as that third receiver early in the season.” During a recent appearance with the FootballDiehards on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, Associated Press Chargers reporter Joe Reedy said the same, noting at the same time that rookie Quentin Johnston -- taken in the first round of the 2023 draft — will be relegated to a rotational role in the regular season’s early going.9/01 According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, we shouldn't be surprised if quarterback Justin Herbert sets statistical career highs across the board. ... For the record, Herbert's current career highs include 2021's 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns and last season's 68.2 percent completion percentage. Why could he surpass those marks this year? Well, according to Graziano, it's because he's working with a new offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore. Moore helped build Dak Prescott into a top NFL quarterback during his time in Dallas. Graziano went on to contend it's no insult to Prescott to say Herbert has more raw talent, because Herbert might have more raw quarterback talent than anyone. HC Brandon Staley told Graziano that he thinks Moore excels at not bogging down the QB with ancillary stuff and that it will allow Herbert to play faster and more aggressively this season. The Chargers believe that they saw evidence of this throughout camp and that their fourth-year signal-caller could be headed to another level. 8/28 Cameron Dicker won the Chargers kicking job and Dustin Hopkins is being traded to the Browns. 8/27 According to ESPN.com's Lindsey Thiry, Josh Palmer won't be the forgotten receiver in Los Angeles. When the Chargers selected Quentin Johnston with the 21st overall pick, it became widely assumed that the TCU product would take the No. 3 spot. However, Palmer -- who led the group with 72 receptions last season -- stepped up in training camp, proving again that he will play a significant role in this group. 8/26 While the end of preseason is for many when the distinction between making the roster or not is made, the preseason is also for players who already have a spot to try and move their way up the depth chart into bigger roles. As NFL.com notes, for the Chargers, the starting RB role is solidly in the hands of Austin Ekeler, but behind him there was an opening for a couple players to earn the RB2 position with a strong effort in August. ?Joshua Kelley? had the role in 2022, but Isaiah Spiller created a bit of a battle with a solid first two preseason games to push Kelley in the competition to retain his position. But with just Friday's game left before decisions are made, Kelley showed off with a highlight-reel 75-yard run in the opening quarter. The fourth-year RB stutter-stepped at the line before finding the gap and shedding tackles as he found open field, taking it all the way for a touchdown. Though Spiller made a good case for himself over the last few weeks, with one big run on Friday Kelley put his stamp on the preseason and could have clinched the No. 2 role for himself. ... Backup quarterback Easton Stick led a field-goal drive in the first half. Stick finished 9 for 11 for 38 yards. Third-string QB Max Duggan threw a 3-yard pass to Hunter Kampmoyer. The Chargers host Miami in season opener Sept. 10. ... You can access complete stats for preseason Week 3 via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/24 As Profootballtalk.com reminded, the Chargers made Justin Herbert the highest-paid player in the NFL this offseason, with an annual average of $52.5 million. With that comes enormous expectations. The Chargers are counting on Herbert to lead them to where they have never been. “He’s coming around as a leader,” edge rusher Khalil Mack said, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. Receiver Keenan Allen said Herbert appears “more comfortable in every setting,” and the fourth-year pro now is now talking the talk instead of just walking the walk. “[On the] sideline, in the huddle before we got out, in the huddle breaking us down,” Allen said. “He’s giving speeches now.” PFT's Charean Williams put it like this: "Herbert is older; he’s wiser; and he’s richer. ..." The team has charged him with doing more, and Herbert accepted that when he signed his record-setting deal. “That’s kind of the role of the quarterback is to have that big responsibility,” Herbert said. “I look forward to that challenge. I’ve grown each year. I’ve gotten better at that. There is still room for improvement, but I’m going to be the best quarterback, teammate, whatever the team needs me to be. I’m up to the challenge and willing to do it.” 8/21 According to NFL.com's Brenna White, QB Easton Stick displayed his running ability in Sunday night's loss to the Saints. Battling to be Justin Herbert's backup, the North Dakota State product found his footing later in the first half, showing poise and demonstrating that he can be fast on his feet. With less than a minute left in the first half, Stick ran in the Charger's first touchdown of the game, a six-yard rush that evened the playing field. After playing every offensive snap during Sunday night's matchup, Stick had some ups and downs, but his speed shined above all else. He ended the night with 63 rushing yards -- the highest total of the night -- and two rushing TDs. Along with Stick gaining yards for the Bolts, running backs Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson showed up ready. Spiller recorded the second most rushing yards (27) for Los Angeles, while Dotson was right behind him with 21. Although the Chargers still have Austin Ekeler as RB1, these two could be making their case for a spot behind him. 8/15 On a weekend where the local preseason coverage was almost uniformly positive, NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal believes it was telling to hear Chargers analyst Dan Fouts note that first-round pick Quentin Johnston was having a rough training camp because of his penchant for drops. Johnston also dropped two passes early against the Rams, gaining a total of 10 yards on six targets. That's the bad news. The good news is that the Chargers may feature Johnston in the red zone, where he ran a great route for a score. The first-round pick could be the team's fourth receiver, behind Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer. 8/09 The Chargers’ decision to change offensive coordinators this offseason appears to have a fan in wide receiver Keenan Allen. As Profootballtalk.com recounted, Kellen Moore was hired after the Chargers parted ways with Joe Lombardi in the wake of their playoff loss to the Jaguars and Allen said he’s installed a more versatile passing game than the team had the last couple of years. That change has meant Allen is playing all over the field after being more limited in the former scheme. “With Lombardi, I was stuck at the slot the whole time,” Allen said, via Alex Insdorf of USAToday.com. “I’m inside and outside now, we’re all kinda inside and outside now, playing everything. ...” Allen said he’s watching a lot of film of Moore’s offenses with the Cowboys and sees himself playing a similar role to CeeDee Lamb because he “moves around a lot, slot, inside and outside. ...” However the Chargers wind up using Allen, availability will be crucial for him making the most of his opportunities. Allen missed seven games last season and the Chargers will be hoping to see him in the lineup a lot more often this time around. 8/09 The Chargers opened training camp with a stacked receivers room that includes Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer and first-round pick Quentin Johnston. But ESPN.com's Lindsey Thiry reports the team might need to make room for one more. With Jalen Guyton on the PUP list, John Hightower -- a fifth-round pick in 2020 by Philadelphia -- has emerged as a contender to make the cut. On the final play of practice Tuesday, Hightower sprinted past safety J.T. Woods to catch a deep pass from backup quarterback Easton Stick for a touchdown. Allen said among Hightower's strengths were his speed and change of direction. A member of the Bolts' practice squad last season, Hightower has consistently impressed through two weeks of camp. 8/08 Third-year pro Josh Palmer and first-round rookie Quentin Johnston are competing to start at wide receiver alongside Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. However, regardless of who wins the role, ESPN.com's Lindsey Thiry reports both could see ample playing time because of varying skill sets. "We've certainly got four guys that are all starter guys in this league, and we'll play them in a lot of different ways," new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. In the first practices of training camp, Palmer and Johnston both made standout receptions. 8/08 With a new, record-setting contract extension signed on 7/25, Justin Herbert heads into the season primed to excel. For starters, the schedule makers were kind to Herbert, who faces a slate that DraftKings ranked as the most fantasy-friendly for QBs in 2023. And Herbert, who passed for the most yards in NFL history in a player's first three seasons and the second-most TDs behind only Dan Marino, has the tools to get the job done. Since he entered the league in 2020, only Patrick Mahomes (24) has rung the 300-yard bell more times than Herbert (22) and only four QBs had more than his 16 contests with three-plus TDs. RB Austin Ekeler (team-high 107 grabs in 2022) remained on the roster as of late May, and the Chargers drafted TCU WR Quentin Johnston in the first round to pair with vets Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had the NFL's No. 1 offense in total yards in Dallas in two of the past four years. "Really excited to get to work with him," said Herbert, who had shoulder surgery in January but has been working without issue in training camp. ... Meanwhile, Ekeler might not as happy with his contract as Herbert is, but the star running back seems to be resigned to the situation he -- and all the league's running backs -- finds himself in. Ekeler accounted for more than a quarter of the team's yards from scrimmage last year, so Los Angeles would have a terrible time trying to replace that production, now or later.
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 Team Review
Fantasy Grade: A
The good news for the Los Angeles Chargers is the team made the postseason in 2022. The bad news for the Bolts is that the team then proceeded to suffer the third-worst post-season meltdown in NFL history, blowing a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, that collapse aside, the Chargers remain a team loaded with fantasy-relevant talent. The leader of the Chargers' offense is quarterback Justin Herbert, and ESPN's Dan GraAano believes that new offen-sive coordinator Kellen Moore could elevate Herbert's game to MVP levels. "Whatever one might say about Jimmy G's shortcom-ings, the veteran wins whenever he steps onto the field, as evidenced by his 40-17 career record as a starter," he said. "Joining a Raiders squad directed by his for-mer Patriots offensive coordinator {Josh McDaniele), Garoppolo should flourish in a system that features a collection of plays that suit his skills as a quick-rhythm passer. With Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Jakobi Meyers forming a formidable tea on the perim-eter. the Raiders could pick apart opponents behind Garoppolo's efficient play from the pocket." Adams was second in targets and third in PPR fantasy points last year in his first season with the Raiders, but the veteran wideout admitted to the Ringer that he's not especially happy with the changes in Las Vegas this year. "[The front office] think this is the best bet for us light now to put us in a position to be urgent. We don't see eye-to-eye on what we think is best for us right now," Adams said. "I'm going to have to buy into this and try to be as optimistic as possible," Adams said. "It's not what I expected to happen, but it's something that's the reality now." Adams isn't the only prominent fantasy option for the Raiders who isn't especially happy. Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing last year and made it abundantly clear that he preferred a long-term deal over the franchise tag. However, the latter is what the 25-year-old got. and as of publication he hasn't signed his tender. General manager Dave Ziegler told reporters earlier this year that the team wants Jacobs in Vegas for a while. "I d say the commonality is that we want Josh to be a Raider and that Josh wants to be a Raider, and so that's a really good place to start,' he said. 'Hopefully `Fired in Dallas for scoring too many points, Moore was out of work for about 30 seconds before the Chargers snatched him up,' he said. 'He helped Dak Prescott become a top QB, and Herbert probably has higher-end skills overall, so it's exciting to think about Moore and Herbert working together. Over the three years he has played in the league, Herbert has ranked fourth in QBR, behind only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. Only those three, Kirk Cousins and Tom Brady have thrown more touchdown passes over that time, and only Mahomes and Brady have more passing yards. Stalisticaify, Herbert is already one of the very best quarterbacks in the league. Any improvement at all under Moore would make him an MVP candidate.' Of course, it doesn't hurt Herbert that the Chargers' offense is loaded with passing game weapons. Injuries cost Keenan Allen seven games in 2022, but he has eclipsed 1.000 receiving yards in four of the last six years and averaged 75.2 receiving yards last year his most since 2017. Like Allen, Mike Williams struggled with injuries, missing four games. But he has shown major upside in the past, top-ping 1.100 receiving yards in 2021. For Robert Lorge of RotoBaller, Allen is the better value for fantasy managers. 'Allen is likely to operate in the same role that CeoDee Lamb played last year for Kellen Moore's 2022 offense in Dallas,' he said. `With Allen back to 100 percent, the improved offensive play-calling, arid a regression to the mean in regard to Herbert's touchdown rate, fantasy man-agers should be absolutely smashing Allen right now at his current price and ranking.' Over the past two seasons, no one in the NFL has more touchdowns than Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. Ekeler wants a new contract and requested a trade in the offseason, and Moore has indicated an interest in taking some of the load off Ekeler after he amassed over 300 touches for the first time in his career last year. The reality is that Ekeler is a regression candidate, just as he was at this point a year ago. But he bucked that probabil-ity in 2022, so it can't be ruled out that he will do so again. | |||||||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & Views
Click here for earlier off-season items |
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