2021 Official Chargers Season Discusssion

[like54ninjas]

[like54ninjas]

[like54ninjas]

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[like54ninjas]

Chargers LB Drue Tranquill & Kenneth Murray Growing as Duo

Chargers expect a lot from their linebacking duo.

The Chargers defense has looked very athletic so far in training camp. It all starts with their two linebackers. They have only played a handful of snaps together but seem to be gelling well on the field.

Drue Tranquill and Kenneth Murray will be counted on to make plays for the defense. They have a unique skill set.

"I mean, Kenneth is a freak of nature," explained Tranquill. "This guy is 250 [pounds], can run in the 4.4 [seconds for a 40-yard dash]. He's really physical. I'm more — with my experience at safety — more coverage-oriented. We complement each other well in those regards. I think we're both really good, all-around football players, so we're able to play off of one another."

That is what they both bring that is unique. Murray is a player who relies on his instincts and attacks the ball, while Tranquill can be used in coverage.

Both have been making numerous plays during camp. Murray has easily had three sacks during 11 on 11, while Tranquill has been in coverage against tight ends and running backs.

"I feel like we're meshing together well," explained Murray. "I feel like we have a lot of guys, especially in our group, that all can play [at a high level], but Drue is a guy, you know, that can play. We are both guys that can fly around. I'm looking forward to having two guys in there, going out there and flying around, knocking people out."

The style that Murray is now playing with the Chargers is what he did at Oklahoma and made him a first-round pick. He is an aggressive player that flies around on every play.

Tranquill is a former converted safety that could cover receivers or tight ends and made the switch in his final two seasons at Notre Dame. He was drafted in the fourth round and played well on special teams while earning some reps at linebacker. Last season, he suffered an ankle injury in the first five minutes of week one that would keep him out for the season.

"I like to think that I'm in a good position each and every year to be flying around," said Tranquill about his health. "After what I went through last year, I'm certainly just thankful to be out here, running around, competing, and having an opportunity to play on this team."

Both players have been very vocal about the way they had been used in the past. Tranquill mentioned that he was confused on why he was covering Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill all the way to the end zone while Murray felt like his skill set wasn't being used.

They were two of the most excited about this new defense. Head coach Brandon Staley is known for putting his players in a position to use their strengths.

"I think Drue and Kenneth are both complete linebackers," said Staley. "The thing about Drue, he is so sharp mentally. He's going into his third season. This guy knows a lot of ball. He plays far more mature than his years. What he can help Kenneth with is just that little extra reminder. Sometimes, as a young player, all you need is a little thing before the snap that allows you to play your best. Drue can give that. He thinks like a coach. We're excited to have both of those guys. Both of those guys are having really good camps."

During practice, when 11 on 11 is over, Murray will walk over to Tranquill or vice versa, and they go over what they saw during the series.

The Chargers face a lot of talented quarterbacks, running backs, and tight ends this season, so they will be counting on numbers 49 and 9 to be like The Brothers of Destruction and wreak havoc.

"Personally for me, not having played for a year now, just to see our fans out here and feel the energy — the excitement with a new coaching staff, new players, a lot of free agents, a totally revamped offensive line, Derwin James back, I'm back," said Tranquill. "We have guys healthy. We're really excited. We're just trying to compete every day, develop these relationships and be a good football team come September."

Season ticket sales are up

The Chargers averaged 45,611 season tickets during their final 20 seasons in San Diego. Well, according to the team, they have surpassed that for the 2021 season at SoFi Stadium.

The team has been working hard to get more integrated in the community of Los Angeles while also being in the same city as another NFL team. There also happen to be two teams of almost everything in LA.

It also doesn't hurt that the Chargers have the rookie of the year at quarterback in Justin Herbert. They have to win in 2021 if they are to keep those numbers climbing in 2022 and further.


Notes from Wednesday

• Kicking battle: Michael Badgley went 5/7 while missing from 54 and 42, but he hit two field goals during the two-minute drill. Alex Kessman had a perfect 5/5 day.
• Right tackle Bryan Bulaga didn't practice on Wednesday, a day after appearing to injury his hand, but Staley said it was a "veterans day off." He said they have mapped out his and other veteran player's schedules.
• Receiver Tyron Johnson also didn't participate for the third day in a row, while fellow receiver Jalen Guyton didn't participate either. Staley said they are being careful with him. Cornerback Ryan Smith didn't participate, he has been in and out since last week.
• The playmaker on Wednesday was cornerback John Brannon after collecting two interceptions. One was popped up Mark Webb (who left practice w/ his leg bothering him).

[Velo]

I'm glad he's looking good in practice, but let's see what he does against NFL starting DBs that aren't his teammates in real games before we anoint him. I hope he is good in real NFL action as he looks in practice, it will quiet a lot of the critics of the decision to pick him. WFT's defense will be a good first test.

[like54ninjas]

Drue Tranquill raves about the Chargers’ “unique” offensive line


All positive reviews thus far on the team’s newest front five.

By Michael Peterson@ZoneTracks Aug 4, 2021, 1:30pm PDT
1 Comment

The Chargers spent the money and draft picks necessary to revamp almost their entire offensive line over the offseason and there’s no one on the team who’s getting a better look at the team’s newest investment than the front seven of the defense.

In his post-practice press presser, linebacker Drue Tranquill was asked about his thoughts on the unit and how he feels the group’s camaraderie is coming along thus far.

“I mean, they’re meshing. You got a totally new group from seasoned veterans, you know, on the right side with Bryan Bulaga coming all the way across to a rookie starting left tackle.”

Specifically, the Chargers replaced four of the five starters from last season, including three former draft picks from 2017 in Dan Feeney, Forrest Lamp, and Sam Tevi. Trai Turner, one of the team’s big free agent signings from a year ago, was also let go following an injury-riddled year in L.A.

Now Tranquill would know a thing or two about good offensive lines as he played against a number of current NFL players while in South Bend. Two of the more notable names that he got to practice against in college would be the Colts’ left guard Quenton Nelson — already one of the best in the league — and 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey. In this past draft alone, Notre Damesaw three more lineman get drafted in Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks, and Robert Hainsey.

So when Tranquill believes an offensive line is going to be good, I think it’s safe to say he may know what he’s talking about.
.

“The offensive live, they’re unique. I saw it at Notre Dame and I see it now. They load the buses together. They get off the bus together. They eat together. They do everything together and you certainly see that with this group.”

Hearing this coming from a player’s mouth is super exciting. It really makes me itch for the preseason to begin, but it’s fair to say that the starters may not see a ton of playing time this month if Brandon Staley runs the preseason the same way Sean McVay does with the Rams. If that’s the case, the majority of the first-team won’t see the field until September. Which, at the end of the day, is the most important thing right now,

To quote special teams coordinator Derius Swinton, “You gotta get the horse to the derby.”

And no, I won’t give you any added context on that quote.

[BoltUp InLA]

Not only does Palmer has a very nice catch radius, he makes it look way too attractive easy at times. His body control and hands allows him to catch what would be difficult catches for others. Everyday it seems he has a training camp highlight! Asante Samuel is looking very much like he belongs also.

[Xenos]

Popper’s day 7 observations:

https://theathletic.com/2752619/2021/08/04/chargers-training-camp-report-day-7-organization-bullish-on-sofi-stadium-ticket-sales/

COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Chargers held their seventh practice of training camp Wednesday morning at Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex. They have an off day Thursday before returning Friday for the first of three consecutive padded practices, culminating in Sunday’s Fan Fast at SoFi Stadium.

Here are my observations.


Season ticket sales update
The biggest news to come from Wednesday’s practice was unrelated to anything on the field.

After more than a year of speculation on the season ticket sales at SoFi, the Chargers finally revealed some firm numbers, and they, at least publicly, are very happy with the progress.

According to the team, the Chargers have already “blown past” the average season ticket sales from their final 20 seasons in San Diego. From 1996 to 2016, the Chargers averaged 45,611 season ticket sales per season at Qualcomm Stadium, which had a capacity of 70,651. They say are beyond that number of season ticket sales for 2021 at SoFi, which has a regular-season capacity of 70,240 — a nearly identical size.

Chargers chief of staff Fred Maas added that December 2020 to May 2021 was a particularly successful period in terms of season-ticket sales. He called them “the most robust months” of season-ticket sales for the organization since 1996.

“We were having months where we were selling 4,500 tickets a month,” Maas said. “That was our best month, and we’ve had several months where we’ve been in that range. So it’s been a really exciting period for us.”

Maas attributed the uptick in sales to a number of factors:

1. Society opening up after the pandemic, and football fans itching to get back into venues for live games.

2. Fans becoming more familiar with SoFi and everything the stadium has to offer.

3. The excitement surrounding the football product, from Justin Herbert to Joey Bosa to coach Brandon Staley.

“The synergy of all those things has sort of coalesced and came together, and we’ve been very fortunate,” Maas said. “So we’re just going to keep it up.”

As I have been saying and writing all offseason, I am reserving judgment on this particular topic until the season starts and I can see the crowds with my own two eyes. The team is always going to be positive about something like this so take it with a grain of salt. In addition, the secondary ticket market is largely an unknown. How many of these season-ticket sales are coming from entrepreneurial-minded Los Angeles residents looking to re-sell those tickets to the highest bidder, which most often would be opposing fans? We do not know that. Hence why I am reserving my judgment.


Highlights from team drills
Wednesday’s practice was on the shorter side. The Chargers had one period of seven-on-seven, followed by one period of 11-on-11. Then each quarterback — Herbert, Chase Daniel and Easton Stick — received one series in the two-minute drill, needing a field goal with 1:20 on the clock.

In seven-on-seven, safety Nasir Adderley had his best play on the ball in camp so far. Herbert was looking for Mike Williams over the middle, and Adderley read the play perfectly, closing on Williams and forcing an incompletion. This would have been a huge hit in a live game setting. Later in that series, Herbert found Donald Parham for a contested catch over the middle. Strong hands from Parham, and good ball placement from Herbert.

Daniel threw an interception in his seven-on-seven series. Safety Mark Webb jumped a route and should have picked the ball off. Instead, he tipped it up and cornerback John Brannoncollected the interception. Webb did pushups on the sideline for missing on the pick.

The Chargers offense started strong in 11-on-11. Parham made his second big play of the day, running open on a seam route. Herbert found him, throwing high to take advantage of Parham’s 6-foot-8 frame. Bosa had a sack two plays later. Keenan Allen had three catches in the first team’s six reps. He beat Chris Harris Jr. one on catch and Asante Samuel Jr. on another.

Later in practice, Herbert engineered another successful two-minute drive. He got the offense in position for a field goal, and Michael Badgley connected on a 41-yarder. Allen caught two passes on third-and-short to keep the drive alive. He had another catch early in the possession. Herbert and Allen’s connection has picked up where it left off last season. Wide receiver Josh Palmer, running back Joshua Kelley and tight end Jared Cook also had catches on the drive.

Daniel’s two-minute drill ended on a Brannon interception, his second pick of the practice. But it was not Daniel’s fault. Rookie running back Larry Rountree ran a route to the flat, and the ball went right through his hands and into Brannon’s waiting arms.

Stick went last and drove the Chargers into field-goal range. Badgley hit another one, this time from 45 yards. The key play was a third-and-5 scramble from Stick. Stick also connected with wide receiver Austin Proehlover the middle on a second down to move the Chargers past midfield.


More on the kicker competition
Badgley was the lone kicker to attempt field goals during the two-minute drill portion of practice. Punter Ty Long was the holder, and Cole Mazza was the long snapper.

The Chargers also had two field-goal periods earlier in practice. Badgley went 3-for-5, making from 33 yards, 46 yards and 50 yards and missing from 42 yards and 54 yards. The miss from 54 yards was way off.

Rookie Alex Kessman went 5-for-5 on his kicks, making from 33 yards, 42 yards, 46 yards, 50 yards and 54 yards.

Tristan Vizcaino did not kick.

The make-miss totals so far stand at:

Badgley: 10-for-12

Vizcaino: 9-for-10

Kessman: 9-for-10


News and notes
• RT Bryan Bulaga did not practice Wednesday. Staley said this was a scheduled veteran day off for Bulaga. Trainers were tending to Bulaga’s right hand after Tuesday’s practice but Staley said this is not a concern. “Just typical O-line stuff,” he said. The expectation is that Bulaga will be back at practice Friday. Trey Pipkins played right tackle with the first team in place of Bulaga.

• WR Tyron Johnson, CB Ryan Smith and WR Jalen Guyton did not practice, either. Guyton got nicked up in one-on-one drills Tuesday when he landed awkwardly after a catch. Again, Staley said Guyton’s injury was not cause for concern. “JG is going to be OK,” he said. “He’s feeling good, but we’re just being careful.”

• S Webb left practice with an injury during team drills. He had a wrap on his right thigh and was noticeably limping.

• For those attending Sunday’s Fan Fast, Staley said the team is preparing for “a healthy day of work.” That will include move-the-ball 11-on-11 periods, red-zone periods and two-minute drills for all the quarterbacks. “We’re excited to give the fans a glimpse of what we’ve been after,” Staley said.

• Rookies Nick Niemann and Chris Rumph had active days defensively. In 11-on-11, Niemann ran down Stick for a sack, and Rumph batted down one of Stick’s passes at the line.

• Safety Alohi Gilman had a pass breakup in the two-minute drill for the second consecutive day with the first-team defense. Cornerback Michael Davis also forced an incompletion in man coverage on Williams on a jump ball down the left sideline in the two-minute drill.

[Xenos]

like54ninjas reading that article on Murray is both hilarious and sad. I can’t believe we tried to used him differently than what he was good at.

[wu-dai clan]

Other than two unfortunate plays,
Easton Stick was all Dragon Energy.