https://theathletic.com/3502629/2022/08/12/chargers-preseason-what-to-watch/

By Daniel Popper
Aug 12, 2022

The Chargers open the preseason Saturday night against the Rams at SoFi
Stadium. And while most of the Chargers’ starters will not play, there
will still be plenty to glean from the game.

Important position and roster battles are in full swing at this point in
camp, and Saturday night will provide the coaches with their first 2022
evaluation of how these players, who are competing for roles and spots,
perform in live action.

Coach Brandon Staley was asked Thursday after practice if there is any
position group in particular he will be keeping an eye on during the
preseason opener. “Every single position group,” Staley replied. And I
feel the same way.

Let’s go position group by position group and detail the storylines and
questions I will be focusing on in this game. That way, you can follow
the game like I do.

Quarterbacks

Justin Herbert will be watching from the sideline Saturday night, as he
did last year. That means Easton Stick and Chase Daniel will split time.
One will likely get the first half, and the other will get the second
half. Daniel was the backup quarterback in 2021. Stick was inactive for
all but one game, and that was in Week 16 at the Texans when Daniel was
on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This year, the backup quarterback job
feels more open. Stick is a more dynamic player than Daniel, and the
organization really loves Stick’s intelligence. He has a shot to claim
this spot in camp, and playing well in the preseason games will be an
important step toward doing so.

Running backs

The competition for the No. 2 running back spot behind Austin Ekeler has
been heated so far in camp. Fourth-round rookie Isaiah Spiller, Larry
Rountree III and Joshua Kelley are all still firmly in the mix, and I do
not think any of those three players has distanced himself to this
point. That could change Saturday night. Coaches can only evaluate
running backs to a certain degree in practice, when the Chargers have
not been tackling live. Which of these three running backs can break
tackles and be productive in game action? That is a crucial aspect of
this position battle. And we could see a running back break away from
the pack in this game.

Fullbacks

Zander Horvath, a rookie seventh-round pick, and Gabe Nabers are
competing for one roster spot at fullback. So much of this battle will
come down to special teams performance, and both players should get a
healthy look in that phase Saturday, particularly on punt and kickoff
coverage. But I will be keeping a close eye on Horvath on offense. He
was more of a tailback than a fullback in college at Purdue, and Joe
Lombardi said earlier in camp that Horvath could get some looks as a
runner in the preseason. I am curious to see how he looks with the ball
in his hands. Horvath is an excellent athlete.

Wide receivers

The Chargers’ top five receivers are set: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams,
Joshua Palmer, Jalen Guyton and DeAndre Carter. Last season, the
Chargers kept five receivers on the 53-man, and they stayed at the
number for most of the season. But some of the young receivers have been
flashing in camp. And the goal for those players is to show up in the
preseason games and make the coaching staff consider keeping six wide
receivers. Two receivers I will be watching closely: Michael Bandy and
Joe Reed. Both have looked improved in camp.

Tight ends

Donald Parham Jr. is dealing with a hamstring injury, so he will be out
for this game. I also do not expect to see Gerald Everett, and Tre’
McKitty is still working his way back from injury. So there is a good
chance the Chargers’ top three tight ends do not play in this game. That
means there could be huge opportunities for Hunter Kampmoyer, Erik
Krommenhoek and Sage Surratt. The Chargers kept four tight ends on the
53-man roster last season. Lombardi likes to have a lot of tight ends at
his disposal to create mismatches both in the run and pass games. I
think the Chargers want to keep four tight ends. But it is unclear who
that fourth tight end would be. Kampmoyer appears to have a leg up right
now. He has also been a presence on special teams during practice, and
that is something to monitor. I will be watching these three players
closely to see who can provide the most versatility.

Offensive line

Staley said Storm Norton and Trey Pipkins III will both play Saturday
night. They are competing for the starting right tackle job, and this,
to me, is the most important position battle on the roster. Norton and
Pipkins have both played a lot of football for the Chargers, so I do not
think the performance in this preseason game will affect the evaluation
too much. The joint practices with the Cowboys will be more important,
as Pipkins and Norton will be facing top-line starters. But Saturday
will be a good gauge for how much Norton and Pipkins have actually
improved since last season. Moving on, right guard Zion Johnson should
get his first game snaps in a Chargers uniform. He has been outstanding
in camp so far. I do not expect him to get more than a series. Finally,
I will be watching the two young guards, Jamaree Salyer and Brenden
Jaimes. I think both players will make the 53-man, but only one will be
active on game days as the swing guard. Salyer has garnered a lot of
praise from the coaching staff so far in camp.

Defensive line

The Chargers invested heavily in the interior of their defensive line in
the draft and free agency, and the group has looked much, much stouter
in run defense so far in camp. There is still stiff competition in the
back half of the depth chart. I think the Chargers will keep six
defensive linemen on the 53-man. A few questions I will be interested in
answering: Does Jerry Tillery play in the game, and does he look
improved in run defense? Can Breiden Fehoko continue his stellar camp
and push for one of the six spots, over either Tillery or Christian
Covington? And how does rookie Otito Ogbonnia look in the first game
action of his NFL career?

Edge rushers

The Chargers signed Kyle Van Noy in free agency after the draft in part
because he provided flexibility. He can play edge rusher or off the ball
as an inside linebacker. Because of injuries to Kenneth Murray Jr., Drue
Tranquill, Nick Niemann and Amen Ogbongbemiga, Van Noy has been playing
exclusively inside linebacker in camp so far. That changes the calculus
in terms of the Chargers’ edge depth. They need a fourth player to step
up behind Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Chris Rumph II. I will be keeping a
close eye on Jamal Davis II, who has impressed with his power and
strength as a pass rusher and run defender so far in camp. Davis played
in the CFL last season. Emeke Egbule is also pushing for that spot.

Inside linebackers

As I mentioned, the Chargers are thin at inside linebacker right now.
Murray is still on the physically unable to perform list. Niemann and
Ogbongbemiga are battling injuries. And I do not expect Van Noy to play
in this game. He only returned to practice Wednesday after missing
several days with an injury of his own. Staley said Niemann will be a
game-time decision Saturday. I will be curious to see how Damon Lloyd
performs. He has made a ton of plays in camp.

Defensive backs

There is a battle percolating for the third safety spot between Alohi
Gilman, Mark Webb Jr. and rookie JT Woods. I expect all three to play
Saturday, and I will be particularly focused on how Woods looks as a
tackler. Woods has the most to prove in that area as he makes the
transition from the Big 12 to the NFL. The top four cornerback spots
seem pretty set at this point: J.C. Jackson, Bryce Callahan, Michael
Davis and Asante Samuel Jr. Davis and Samuel are battling for the second
starting outside corner spot. I think both of those guys will play. For
the fifth corner spot — and perhaps a sixth — Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane
Leonard and Kemon Hall are all in the mix. Taylor has been really
impressive in the slot, and I think we will see him make a play in this
game.

Special teams

The Chargers specialists are locked in — Josh Harris at long snapper, JK
Scott at punter and Dustin Hopkins at kicker. So no position battles to
monitor here. I will be taking note of who is working with the
first-team core-four units — kickoffs, punts, punt return and kickoff
return. If you enjoy trying to predict the 53-man roster (like I do) the
most telling evidence for the bottom-of-the-roster competitions comes
from these special teams reps.

Daniel Popper is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Los
Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Jacksonville Jaguars for The
Athletic after following the New York Jets for the New York Daily News,
where he spent three years writing, reporting and podcasting about local
pro sports. Follow Daniel on Twitter @danielrpopper

Does anyone know why Murray waiting so long for surgery? That pretty much guaranteed he wouldn't be ready on time. For a guy that didn't do that well last year, you would think he would do everything possible to improve this year.

ReneG wrote:
> Does anyone know why Murray waiting so long for surgery? That pretty much guaranteed he wouldn't be ready on time. For a guy that didn't do that well last year, you would think he would do everything possible to improve this year.
>

I think I read that it was a decision made in consultation with the
Chargers, to try to resolve the problem with conservative (ie,
non-surgical) treatment, and that ultimately didn't work. I don't think
the situation is his fault. But I don't recall the details.

--Robin