Training camp is finally here.
After an offseason filled with a massive trade, key signings, and a slew of draft picks, the Chargers are ready to begin their pursuit to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
It all starts on Wednesday, as the players and coaches hit the field for their first practice at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, CA, where the 53-man roster will come to life.
With that, here are some of Los Angeles’ biggest questions about the team heading into camp.
From left to right, four of the starting spots are filled. Rashawn Slater starts at left tackle. Matt Feiler starts at left guard. Corey Linsley is at center. And Zion Johnson, the rookie first-round pick, is at right guard.
After choosing to address the position in free agency and the draft altogether, the starting right tackle job will be a battle between returning players Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton.
Pipkins played well in his two starts in 2021, including a game against the Chiefs, and has spent this offseason working with highly touted offensive line developer Duke Manyweather. Norton was the starter last season and had his fair share of struggles, allowing 60 pressures and nine sacks.
Whichever player loses this battle will serve as the swing tackle.
Tom Telesco’s draft record at running back has been lackluster, leaving Austin Ekeler without a consistent running mate since Melvin Gordon left for Denver. The closest the Chargers have been to finding a true RB2 was 2018 seventh-rounder Justin Jackson, but his inability to stay on the field ultimately led LA to let him leave in free agency. He currently remains unsigned.
The candidates currently on the roster are Joshua Kelley, Larry Rountree, and rookie Isaiah Spiller, all Day 3 picks from the last three seasons. Kelley has the most experience, having served as RB2 as a rookie in 2020. However, his 3.2 yards per carry that season were uninspiring, leading the Chargers to take another swing in the next draft. The California native is a hard one-cut runner who generates yards after contact, but he’s not a creator. With a poor training camp, he’s also the most likely to be on the chopping block as a vestige of the Anthony Lynn era.
Rountree averaged an abysmal 2.4 yards per carry as a rookie, earning just 36 carries for under 100 yards. The sixth-rounder from Missouri was billed as another between-the-tackles runner who fought hard for extra yards after contact, but he also struggled with his vision as a rookie. As a result, many of the problems with Kelley are the same as the ones with Rountree – both players rely on stellar blocking up front to produce. To his credit, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said in November that Rountree was “a lot better today than maybe he was eight weeks ago,” suggesting that the staff has plenty of faith in his development.
Spiller is the obvious pick for RB2, considering the Chargers ignored a few other needs to spring for the Texas A&M back in the fourth round this offseason. Unlike the other two backs, Spiller has the creative ability as a runner, saying during rookie minicamp that he “feel[s] like he can do it all.” Videos of him working with the acclaimed trainer the Footwork King circled the internet this summer and showed a player with much more elusiveness than he’s often given credit for. Of course, all of this is nice, but Spiller will still have to win the job in training camp. If Kelley and/or Rountree show up as a changed player and Spiller gets off to a slow start, nothing is preventing Brandon Staley and co. from letting the rookie learn from the bench for his first few games.
Should none of the internal options impress in camp, there’s also a small chance the Chargers get aggressive and go after other potential depth chart casualties. Jackson is still available and was unquestionably the second-best back on the team, but his health will be the major question. Teams like Miami (Myles Gaskin) and Baltimore (Mike Davis or Justice Hill) could be camp battles to watch. However, the prospect of adding an external RB2 is low given Staley and Telesco’s focus on player development at the position.
It only took two offseasons for head coach Brandon Staley to build a lights-out secondary like the one he had with the Rams.
The pieces are there. All that is left for the Chargers to do is prove they are just as good.
The main cornerback trio is athletic and ball-hungry with a ton of playmaking potential.
J.C. Jackson has the lockdown attributes to be trusted one-on-one against any receiver in the league. Asante Samuel Jr.’s quickness and technical approach displayed throughout his rookie season make him a trustworthy option on the other side. In the slot, the Chargers have raved about Bryce Callahan’s ability to react with anticipation and stick with shifty targets down the field.
The safeties, Derwin James and Nasir Adderley, complete the back half of the secondary with their dynamic styles and hard-hitting nature.
James is rangy, physical, and versatile to play all over the field. If the massive safety contracts signed by Minkah Fitzpatrick and Marcus Williams are any indication, those traits will make James one of the top earners in his position. Adderley’s coverage skills and fluidity have allowed Staley to experiment, alternating both him and James in the box for certain plays.
It’s difficult to find a flaw in the secondary the Los Angeles Chargers will field this season because there is not a whole lot the unit can’t do.
It’s tough and competitive. The players are ambidextrous and can dominate in several roles. The system is creative enough to amplify the strengths of its stars but confusing enough to disrupt the passing game flow.
That’s why rookie safety JT Woods remains the biggest question mark in the unit. He was the team’s third-round pick in April, and getting him up to NFL speed is key. His comfortability with the playbook heading into training camp will impact just how innovative Staley can be against the pass.
Woods was called “The Heartbreak Kid” at Baylor for his tendency to nab interceptions and put an end to momentum-building drives. He collected nine picks in his final two seasons with the Bears. Most of those takeaways used his 4.36 speed to undercut routes or get into position ahead of the receiver he was guarding.
Bottom line: Woods had a knack for being in the right place at the right time, making quarterbacks pay.
His centerfielder role at Baylor was a perfect complement to Jalen Pitre, another hybrid-type defender who was drafted by the Houston Texans with the 37th overall pick. The Chargers would have noticed how that paring altered gameplans on film. There was a vision for how influential Woods could be alongside James and Adderley.
With Woods threatening to create turnovers over the top and using his jets to help out any cornerbacks in duress, the options for James and Adderley are virtually unlimited.
If Staley opts for three safeties on a play, for example, one of James or Adderley could guard the slot receiver while the other either handles the tight end, patrols the middle of the field, or causes havoc on a blitz.
Or if Staley opts for two safeties in a nickel setup, Woods can keep eyes on the quarterback while James or Adderley provide aid to the linebackers in the hook and curl zones.
The speed at which Woods can play by the end of training camp and his performance in the following preseason games will determine exactly how far Staley can expand his bag of tricks in 2022.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
The biggest issue with the Chargers was their inability to stop the run. They ranked 28th in the league, and it was the difference between making the playoffs and having their season come to an end against the Raiders in the final game, as a Josh Jacobs carry on 3rd-and-4 in overtime sealed the deal.
In an effort to fix the issue, Brandon Staley went out and got guys that fit his personnel, signing Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson, drafting Otito Ogbonnina, and re-signing Christian Covington, all of whom have the length and strength to take on blockers effectively and occupy gaps.
Further, Los Angeles added Morgan Fox, another player familiar with Staley, having spent time together with the Rams in 2020. Fox is also another piece who can affect the run game, but his bread and butter will be pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
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