Despite the ongoing worldwide outbreak that the coronavirus has caused, all signs are pointing to there being football this fall with the news that training camp will begin as originally planned.
With Chargers football near, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the team. But there is some concern as well, as Los Angeles is set to embark on a new era without the heart and soul of the team, Philip Rivers.
With that being said, I take a look at three reasons why fans should remain optimistic for L.A. in 2020.
New offensive identity
“It’s going to be different,” coach Anthony Lynn said when asked about the offense. With Rivers gone, the offense will be led by a quarterback with a completely skillset – whether it’s Tyrod Taylor, rookie Justin Herbert or Easton Stick.
With the new system in place, there will be more pistol formation, more play-action and more run-pass option. The offense is going to look a lot more like the Ravens offense last season. Coach Anthony Lynn and Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.
Taylor and Herbert have the skill sets to run 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.
We can expect to see more plays occur on the ground than in the past with Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley. But it will open things up to still involve Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, Andre Patton, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill in the passing game.
The bottom line is that the offense will hardly be recognized from what it looked like over the past decade. But with the creative signal-callers and vigorous skill players on the field, it could be a threat for opposing defenses.
New-look offensive line
The offensive line has been arguably the weakest positional group for years now. The Chargers knew that changes needed to be made.
Los Angeles not only added two proven players to the line earlier this offseason with the acquisitions of guard Trai Turner and tackle Bryan Bulaga. The team brought in a proven mentor for the unit, hiring offensive line coach James Campen.
The group will also get a healthy Mike Pouncey back after it was announced that he would be a full go after he sustained a season-ending injury in 2019.
After those additions, the expectation was that L.A. was going to draft an offensive lineman or two to shore up the rest of the group. However, they came away empty-handed. General manager Tom Telesco reiterated that he’s confident in the starters, which would be Trey Pipkins, Sam Tevi or Storm Norton at left tackle; Dan Feeney or Forrest Lamp at left guard.
With the Bolts choosing not to draft at least one player at such a crucial position, fans have been left concerned. However, there may not be a reason to be.
With the offense changing, it should mask any deficiencies. With an outside zone scheme, the shifts should alleviate some of the pressure on the left side of the line. Play-action and run-pass option (RPO) concepts prevent pass rushers from driving upfield immediately at the snap.
Along with that, the team is hopeful that Campen, who has a proven track record with developing players into All-Pro status during his time with the Packers from 2007-17, will be able to do the same with those in the blue and gold.
Dynamic defense
The Chargers lost linebacker Thomas Davis and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, along with safety Adrian Phillips. But they made up for the losses, signing cornerback Chris Harris Jr., defensive tackle Linval Joseph and drafting linebacker Kenneth Murray.
They join elite company which features defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Desmond King, safety Derwin James and ascending linebacker Drue Tranquill.
Last year, Los Angeles ranked No. 6 in total defense. However, they ranked near the bottom in takeaways. To ensure they force more turnovers, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is going to start mixing up the looks, deploying more two-deep safety looks and man coverage.
With the players in place, the sky is the limit for the defensive side of the ball. If all key members can stay healthy, they’re capable of finishing within the top-5 in 2020.
