2022 Training Camp Thread

[dmac_bolt]

Not sure if you are being serious or not based on the end of your post, but neither player separating themselves in either circumstance isn't great to me. Although, I'm not sure I believe it as much with Spiller. I think he takes the RB 2 role by the time the season starts. I think this one is just more of a political issue than one that's been reflected on the field.

It's disappointing because we already have a baseline for Norton and Kelly that is pretty bad. Let's say Norton (and Pipkins) ranked between the 30th and 35th RT last year and the Chargers are looking to get a tackle that is in the acceptable range of 20th or better. In NFL history it's pretty unusual, though not unheard of for players to make that big a leap at RT in a season. Maybe it happens more with guys early in their career, but neither is particularly young. Let's say 20% of players in that 30th-35th range get into the top 20 the next season (I personally think that's high, but the Bolts seem confident it could happen). If Pipkins or Norton were dominating the RT competition, maybe we say, well it looks like one of them did take the leap since they were about equal last year. Since both of them are roughly the same it means they both would have had to take a leap for them be 20th or better. There's a 4% chance of that happening if each one had a 20% chance. It's not impossible they both got significantly better, it's just far less likely than they both stayed in the bottom tier of tackles and it's a problem.

Why are you disappointed that everyone is commenting that Kelly is much better than his prior two seasons? Don’t wander off into RT land and making up random numbers and start multiplying them together - stick with your statement that you’re disappointed that Kelly is reported to have significantly improved. Why?

edit: apologies, you asked me questions which I didn’t answer. I was kidding about HOF, it was a hyperbolic counterpoint hypothesis to your factless hypothesis that if they are playing equal that means something bad. Now - why are you disappointed?

[Velo]

I'm always amazed how the 49ers can find plug and play RBs anywhere and turn them into 1k yard backs. Last season it was rookie Elijah Mitchell, a 6th round 5-10, 200 lb RB out of Louisiana University who by all rights should not be any better than Kelley. But as a rookie he gained 963 yds on 4.7 ypc and scored 6 total TDs. Maybe with a further upgraded OL, the Chargers can help make Kelley that type of player.

[blueman]

Chargers have anti-backup RB mojo.

[Xenos]

I'm always amazed how the 49ers can find plug and play RBs anywhere and turn them into 1k yard backs. Last season it was rookie Elijah Mitchell, a 6th round 5-10, 200 lb RB out of Louisiana University who by all rights should not be any better than Kelley. But as a rookie he gained 963 yds on 4.7 ypc and scored 6 total TDs. Maybe with a further upgraded OL, the Chargers can help make Kelley that type of player.

It’s the scheme. Shanahan is an offensive genius.

[Xenos]

COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Chargers held their 13th practice of training camp Thursday morning at Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex.

With the preseason opener against the Ramsawaiting Saturday night, Thursday’s practice was one of their shortest of the summer. They did not have any full-speed team drills. They stretched, went through individual drills, and then had two longer periods of 11-on-11 walk-throughs.

As such, we will run through some quick-hitting takeaways and notes for this edition of the training camp report.

1. The Chargers split onto two fields for the walk-through periods. The first team was on one field, and the second and third teams were on another field. This was a good window into how the roster is shaping up.

The starting defense in walk-throughs: Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa at edge rusher; Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson on the interior of the defense line; Michael Davis and J.C. Jackson at outside corner; Bryce Callahan at slot corner; Kyle Van Noy and Drue Tranquillat inside linebacker; and Alohi Gilman and Nasir Adderley at safety.

The reserve defenders who rotated in with different packages: DL Morgan Fox, edge rusher Chris Rumph II, CB Asante Samuel Jr., LB Troy Reeder, S Mark Webb Jr., DL Jerry Tillery. Safety JT Woods came over during the second period of walk-throughs, switching spots with Webb.

The offense, naturally, rotated more frequently as it toggled through different personnel packages based on the number of receivers. The starting offensive line was LT Rashawn Slater, LG Matt Feiler, C Corey Linsley, RG Zion Johnson, RT Storm Norton. Norton and Trey Pipkins III still split reps evenly; it was simply Norton’s turn to take the first reps in their rotation. Pipkins was the only reserve offensive lineman on the first-team field. The skill players on the first-team field included: RB Austin Ekeler, WR Keenan Allen, WR Mike Williams, WR Joshua Palmer, TE Gerald Everett, RB Isaiah Spiller, WR Jalen Guyton, RB Larry Rountree III, WR DeAndre Carter, TE Tre’ McKitty, TE Hunter Kampmoyer and FB Zander Horvath.

Justin Herbert took all the reps at quarterback. Chase Daniel watched from the sideline, and Easton Stick was on the second field.

With the quarterbacks, that is 39 players. Add in Derwin James Jr. (who sat out his 13th practice because of his contract hold-in), Donald Parham Jr. (who is nursing a hamstring injury) and the three specialists (LS Josh Harris, P J.K. Scott and K Dustin Hopkins) and that gets us to 44. Teams are allowed to have 48 players active for game day, as long as eight of those are offensive linemen, and 53, of course, make the active roster.


2. Coach Brandon Staley said Sunday after the intrasquad scrimmage that his approach to playing starters in the preseason will be “similar philosophically” to last season. In 2021, Herbert, Allen, Williams, Linsley, Feiler, Ekeler and Bosa did not play in the preseason. It is safe to assume they will sit out again. And I would extend the same logic to Mack, Jackson, Callahan, Van Noy, Joseph-Day, Johnson, Everett and Slater for this year.

One surprise last year was Tillery sitting out of the preseason. But in the spring, Staley said of Tillery, “There are a bunch of guys that are trying to prove themselves, to earn their way in the league. I would put him in that category.”

I asked Staley if Tillery will be playing in the preseason this year, and he replied: “We’re going to try to play the guys in the preseason that we feel like need to play, that it can help them and then, as a result, help our football team. And we do that on a case by case basis and we do it on a game by game basis throughout the preseason.”

He later added: “We really want to take the preseason, from the games perspective, and try and evaluate people that we feel like are really establishing themselves for a certain role or there’s a part of a competition that we really need to see sort of express itself.”

To me, Tillery fits this description. But it is noteworthy that Staley did not give a direct answer.

Staley did say that both Norton and Pipkins will play Saturday, as the battle for the starting right tackle spot rages on. Daniel and Stick will split time at quarterback, and Staley said there is a “healthy competition” going on for the backup job behind Herbert.


3. Running back Joshua Kelley is putting together a fine camp. When I spoke with running backs coach Derrick Foster last week, he mentioned that Kelley had put on weight this offseason. And Kelley went into detail on his offseason program Thursday.

“My whole goal this offseason was to become the best football player I could possibly be,” Kelley said. “It wasn’t to relax, to wind down, to do all sorts of business activities, vacation — it was to become the best player I could be for this year. I evaluated myself. I looked at my strengths and weaknesses. I felt like I could put on some more muscle and some more explosiveness, so I took the program I had seriously and just attacked it. Nutrition was huge. You don’t get this size and this strong without being on nutrition, on top of your recovery. It was a lot of work.”

Kelley connected with Overtime Athletes in Tampa, Fla., this offseason on a recommendation from former Chargers safety Rayshawn Jenkins. Overtime gave Kelley a specifically tailored program, and he did his workouts in California.

Kelley said there’s been a “huge translation” from the work he put in during the offseason to how he has performed in camp.

“For me, I’m just like, boom, more explosive, faster, stronger,” Kelley said. “It’s a big difference. There’s a correlation between the weight room, nutrition, and to the field — injuries, all of that stuff — there’s a correlation to it. It feels good. They got me right. I’m still going, still attacking that program. It doesn’t stop.”


4. Cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, who injured his knee Sunday, and edge rusher Ty Shelby, who went down in Tuesday’s practice with a left leg injury, are both expected to miss Saturday’s game, according to Staley. Linebacker Nick Niemann, who has not practiced since Saturday because of a soft-tissue injury, will be “more of a game-time decision,” Staley said.


5. Tranquill, Webb, Mack and Williams returned to practice Thursday. Tranquill had not practiced since the third day of camp. Webb had not practiced since Day 6. And Mack and Williams had both missed the last two practices.

[jamrock]

I give Kelley credit for working hard at getting better in the off season. Kid wants it no doubt.

[Boltdiehard]

Chargers have anti-backup RB mojo.

Been awhile since a guy like Michael Turner.

[Fouts2herbert]

Been awhile since a guy like Michael Turner.

that backfield had sproles too, LT, the burner, and sproles

[Boltdiehard]

that backfield had sproles too, LT, the burner, and sproles

How we didn’t win at least one ring with those teams really blows my mind. We were loaded.

[dmac_bolt]

Whats wrong with ASJ?

[Velo]

I give Kelley credit for working hard at getting better in the off season. Kid wants it no doubt.

Ditto here man. I'm rooting for him now. If he can bring at least what Justin Jackson brought, without the injuries, he'll be a keeper.

[21&500]

I liked Kelley out of UCLA more than than Rountree the following draft, hopefully he forces his way into rb2.