Here are five offensive storylines to watch for the Los Angeles Chargers during training camp:
A new era
All eyes will be on the quarterback position after the 16-year marriage between the Chargers and Philip Rivers came to an end earlier this offseason.
Taking over is Tyrod Taylor, the 10-year veteran. Taylor has spent most of his career as a backup but did start three seasons with the Bills, leading them to a playoff appearance in 2017. In 43 starts, Taylor has a 62.6 completion percentage and has thrown 51 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions.
But it won’t be without competition.
Los Angeles drafted Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft with the hopes of him becoming the long-term solution. Herbert faces an uphill challenge after an unusual virtual offseason program that kept him from taking the practice field.
While Herbert has the size, athleticism and arm strength to get by, his accuracy needs to improve, as does his anticipation. His development will be key in order to best of him. The team is hopeful that quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton will help aide in that.
New scheme
The change of signal-callers also includes a change in scheme. The offense will hardly be recognized from what it looked like over the past decade with the pocket-passing from Rivers.
Shane Steichen, who took over as interim offensive coordinator in Week 7 last season, is now the permanent OC, and he had an entire offseason to put the scheme exactly how he envisioned.
With the new system in place, we can expect more pistol formation, play-action and 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.
Seeing how it all unfolds will be fascinating.
“We’re putting in a new system, but you got to go rep it,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said. “There will be some similarities to what we’ve done and there’s going to be some wrinkles, too.”
State of the backfield
The Chargers not only moved on from their quarterback. The team split ways with their No. 1 running back of the past few seasons – Melvin Gordon – who signed with the Broncos.
Filling his shoes is Austin Ekeler, the dynamic back – who amassed 1,550 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns in 2019. It remains to be seen if Ekeler will get the bulk of his carries because his versatility will likely want to be put to good use still.
In order to get the most out of him, both as a ball carrier and a pass-catcher out of the slot and perimeter, there needs to be someone who will help with the work between the tackles.
Returning is Justin Jackson, a seventh-round pick by the Bolts in 2018. He rushed 79 times for 406 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in his 20 games (one start) in two seasons.
The former Northwestern product was hampered by injuries last season, but he has shown enough flashes to prove that he can be a threat when he is healthy. Ensuring that he can stay injury-free will be key for Jackson.
Added into the mix is Joshua Kelley, the team’s fourth-round pick. A well-rounded back, Kelley makes the most of each touch, making it difficult for defenders to bring him down. He has been viewed as a short-yardage back by some, but he has the potential to get the majority of the carries.
Battle for WR3
The Chargers struggled to get the most from their third wide receiver in 2019. That is why the battle for the spot will be one of the most intriguing positional competitions.
The front-runner for the job was Andre Patton, who played in 13 games last season. But in a surprising fashion, he was released on Saturday.
Rookie wide receivers Joe Reed and K.J. Hill now lead the pack for the No. 3 wideout spot with Patton gone.
Reed, the team’s fifth-round selection, is a versatile play-maker who offers special teams upside. Speed is what the coaching staff is looking for and he has enough juice (4.47) to help win him the job.
Meanwhile, Hill, the seventh-round pick, isn’t known for his speed. Instead, he has the route-running savvy and ball skills that could be too difficult to keep him off of the field.
If breakaway speed is going to be the most important trait for the evaluation process, Jalen Guyton is a player to keep an eye on. Guyton has the jets (4.3) to be a threat on the outside.
Who will be starting left tackle?
The Chargers traded away tackle Russell Okung to acquire guard Trai Turner. The team added Bryan Bulaga to man the right side, but they neglected the left side.
There are plenty of reasons to be puzzled with the decision to neglect arguably one of the most important decisions on the field because in a league where pass-rushers are becoming more and more elite, efficient offensive line play is a necessity.
But Los Angeles is hopeful that the new offensive scheme and offensive line guru James Campen will help mask any deficiencies. Sam Tevi and Trey Pipkins will be the two primary competitors for the starting left tackle spot.
Tevi could win this solely based on experience as a starter. But Campen is high on Pipkins and believes he has a lot of potential. Pipkins will have to show that he has fixed his weaknesses from his last season, which include increased strength and improvement with his handwork, in order to win the spot.
