2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[like54ninjas]

What did you see? Other than ticket sales.

The constant ticket sales banner and mentioned by MMS during both segments.
I guess not a ton but the only team covered today that seem to be pushing ticket sales. Good, smart marketing or worried about stadium takeovers on national TV?

[equivocation]

Johnson may take the next step this year. So may not be as big of a slight against Facyson. With that being said, hard to gauge corners when there’s no pass rush and no pressing at all. I remember Jammer in his prime would get burned all the time during training camp, but lock down well during the season.

Oh, certainly. But aside from the 70 yarder Herbert isn't holding the ball or scrambling. These have been in rhythm, on time throws where Facyson is just getting beat by the route.

I just hope it's Johnson is that good. At this point he plays faster than his timed speed.

[equivocation]

The constant ticket sales banner and mentioned by MMS during both segments.
I guess not a ton but the only team covered today that seem to be pushing ticket sales. Good, smart marketing or worried about stadium takeovers on national TV?

Both. Chargers need to rebuild a fan base and they're certainly working at it. Herbert helps.

[dmac_bolt]

The constant ticket sales banner and mentioned by MMS during both segments.
I guess not a ton but the only team covered today that seem to be pushing ticket sales. Good, smart marketing or worried about stadium takeovers on national TV?

this is the first real year moving from a 25k stadium that only had 10k actual season ticket fans because they were $200+ a seat (and 15k broker held season tickets selling to tourists) to a zero-attendee COVID year 2020 to this year a 70k stadium. They are the only team in the league that didn’t have a 50k+ season ticket base, and they came off a year bad enough to get the HC fired.

its not a surprise to me, not that I want to watch endless infomercial for tickets either - so i get your take, i just understand their unique need.

Give them 2 years winning with Staley and Herbie, while the Rams fade as their cap trickery catches up its them, and LAC will lock in a solid local season ticket base to repel the weekly invasion.

[Fleet]

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[like54ninjas]

[Xenos]

Popper’s Day 4 observations from yesterday. Palmer seems to be getting the love yesterday.

https://theathletic.com/2744382/2021...spot-heats-up/

COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Chargers held their fourth practice of training camp Saturday morning at Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex. They have an off day Sunday before their first padded practice of camp Monday morning.

Here are my observations.


Josh Palmer making plays
Palmer was the standout offensive player in Saturday’s practice. I saw his catches — all short receptions on comeback or out routes — in each of the Chargers’ first three practices. On Saturday, the 2021 third-round pick started making big plays down the field.

The first came in 7-on-7 drills with the second team. Palmer ran a deep over route to the left sideline, and backup quarterback Chase Danieldelivered a pinpoint layered pass over the defender. Palmer tracked the ball, leaped and displayed excellent body control and awareness. He secured the catch and tapped both feet in bounds.

And Palmer was not done.

In the first series of 11-on-11 drills, Palmer was on with the first-team offense. He ran a sharp deep crossing route, and Herbert delivered a beautiful pass, hitting Palmer in stride for a 20-yard gain near the sideline.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley raved about Palmer’s football IQ, route-running and strong hands after they selected him in the draft. Those attributes are showing up in team drills.

“He be balling,” fellow wide receiver Mike Williams said of Palmer. “Josh is smooth.”

Added Williams: “He sink his hips real good.”

The battle for the third wide receiver spot is heating up. Palmer and Tyron Johnson have been the two best wide receivers after Williams and Keenan Allen. Johnson also made two big plays in Saturday’s practice. In 7-on-7, Johnson — who has the nickname “T-Billy” — beat cornerback Brandon Facyson on a go route and hauled in a 50-yard completion from Herbert. This was the offensive play of the day. Later, in 11-on-11 red-zone work, Daniel found Johnson in the back corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown on third down.


Nuggets from Hill
Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill spoke with the media Saturday for the first time in training camp, and he confirmed a couple of things I had noticed on the field.

1. Alohi Gilman is playing with the first team at safety in dime packages or when the Chargers use six defensive backs. In these packages, Chris Harris is defending the slot as the Star defender, as he mentioned Friday. And Derwin James is moving closer to the line of scrimmage as the Money backer, playing what Harris referred to Friday as a linebacker-safety hybrid position.

Hill said Gilman has displayed a sense of “calmness” on the back end, and that is why he has earned this role, at least initially. “He communicates well with those guys,” Hill said. “Those guys feel comfortable with him right now.”

2. Seventh-round pick Mark Webb is being utilized and cross-trained as a jack-of-trades in this secondary. Hill said the Chargers have been playing Webb at safety, Star and Money so far, all with the second and third teams.

“We’re putting him through the paces because we understand that we’re going to need more guys throughout this season,” Hill said. “We do know that injuries happen. We hate that they do happen, but we have to have guys ready to go. He’s played a lot of good ball, being in the SEC over at Georgia. He’s been through a lot of the scheme things that we talk about. It’s been a comfortable fit for him. I know that the installs are going in fast, but he’s able to apply a lot of the stuff that he did in college to what we’re doing now.”

After the draft, Telesco and Staley mentioned how Webb played a key role in Kirby Smart’s complex and pro-style defense in college. As Hill alludes to, that is allowing Webb to hit the ground running as a rookie.

One other noteworthy comment from Hill came when I asked about Nasir Adderley. As The Athletic reported Friday, James is going to be the primary player relaying calls to the huddle on defense. But with James moving around to so many different positions, Hill said the Chargers will be relying on Adderley as the “quarterback of the defense” largely because he will be playing exclusively at safety when the Chargers mix up their secondary formations.

“Nas is coming into his own,” Hill said. “We know that Derwin is playing in multiple spots, so we need Nas being really that quarterback to set the tone and make sure that everybody is locked in on what personnel group is in, the down-and-distance, all of those things. He’s taken the extra steps to become a leader on the back end. We’re going to demand a lot from him.”


News and notes
• CB and special teams ace Ryan Smith returned to practice after missing two days with what Staley called a “lower-body” injury. Initially, the Chargers had expected Smith to return Monday for the padded practice. So it is a very good sign that he was back two days earlier than anticipated.

• DB Donte Vaughn, who has been playing safety and cornerback this camp, had two pass breakups. It will be tough for Vaughn, an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2020, to crack the 53-man roster. He spent last season on the practice squad. But he is making a push with noteworthy plays and the type of versatility Staley covets.

• Kyler Fackrell has been the primary edge rusher opposite Joey Bosa with the first-team defense. Uchenna Nwosu is still rotating in, but the Chargers are high on Fackrell, whom they signed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal in March. He had 10.5 sacks in 2019 with the Packers and had a pick-six last season with the Giants. “I saw a guy in Green Bay who was a sack monster. Then, you turn back and go to New York, and now you have a guy playing in coverage and picking the ball off,” Hill said. “He gives you experience, flexibility, things that we need in this defense. He’s going to be a good piece for us.”

• Rookie edge rusher Chris Rumph had the defensive play of the day when he jumped through a gap in the red zone and got to Larry Rountree for a tackle-for-loss. The Chargers want Rumph to bulk up a bit. Bosa said earlier this week that he has jokingly given Rumph the nickname “String Bean.” But his football smarts and savvy are apparent. Staley said Thursday that Rumph spent part of the summer working out with Khalil Mack in Chicago. Rumph’s father is a defensive coach with the Bears.

• A fun drill during special teams drills: Three punt returners — Austin Proehl, K.J. Hill and Jalen Guyton — tried to see how many punts they could catch off the JUGS machine without putting a ball down. All three corralled six footballs and failed to hold on to seven. The strategy involved was pretty fascinating. Hill opted to put one of the footballs between his legs to create more space in his arms. Overall, it was a pretty impressive showing.

• TE Stephen Anderson closed practice with a red-zone touchdown catch from Easton Stickon a fade route.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

Good, smart marketing or worried about stadium takeovers on national TV?

Possibly *both*, right?

If they can prevent the "visiting team advantage" of having the seats disproportionately filled with fans of the opponent (sounds like a solid idea to *me*, btw) NOW is a perfect time for media-blitzing ticket sales to Bolt diehards.