Offensive Line Discussion

[21&500]

Ingram for Bakhtiari straight up

[Formula 21]

Ingram for Bakhtiari straight up

Wow. That deserves some thought.

[Xenos]

Popper's article on Tevi and Pipkin:

https://theathletic.com/2012316/2020/08/20/after-offseason-workouts-chargers-sam-tevi-and-trey-pipkins-battle-at-lt/0

After offseason workouts, Chargers' Sam Tevi and Trey Pipkins battle at LT

Daniel Popper
8-9 minutes

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Before California’s quarantine started in March, Sam Tevi acquired lifting equipment and set up a full gym in his garage. Along with the field across from his house, he had everything he needed to train during the offseason while also attending to his two young children, including a 10-month-old.

It turned out to be a very lucky decision. Once the pandemic hit, gyms across the state closed, leaving Chargers players with few spaces to work out ahead of training camp. Tevi’s garage turned into the de facto home base for the Chargers’ offensive tackles, including Trey Pipkins and Trent Scott.

“We got after it,” Tevi said in a phone interview.

Tevi and Pipkins both knew they would be competing for the Chargers’ starting left tackle job in training camp. Even with that position battle looming over their workouts, Pipkins said in a phone interview that “it wasn’t weird at all.” The two linemen developed a strong bond and friendship during Pipkins’ rookie season in 2019 and pushed each other to achieve their offseason body-molding goals.

“Sam is one of my best friends on the line,” Pipkins said. “We know we’re in a competition. … We both know that competition makes everybody better.”

Pipkins devoted himself to “getting stronger and gaining a little weight.” He added nine pounds and will be playing in 2020 at 315 pounds.

“I feel really good,” Pipkins said.

Tevi, meanwhile, dropped his body-fat percentage, added muscle mass and ran on the field across from his house to build speed.

“Mainly just get stronger,” Tevi said of his offseason priorities, “because that was my biggest problem last year.”

Over the past week, as the Chargers have kicked off training camp and started practicing in pads, Tevi and Pipkins have finally been able to see how their hard work will translate onto the field. The competition at left tackle has begun in earnest.

Tevi, at the moment, is the front-runner for the starting job. Head coach Anthony Lynn said this week that Tevi is the “starter” for now and is in the “driver’s seat” at that spot. Tevi has spent all but two snaps as the left tackle with the first team. Those two snaps came Thursday, when he checked out for what appeared to be an equipment issue. And it was actually Storm Norton who replaced Tevi.
Norton spent the winter in the XFL, and the Chargers signed him as a free agent in April. But in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, Norton was at right tackle in team drills. He was the first-team right tackle Wednesday when starter Bryan Bulaga got a rest day, and he spent Tuesday as the second-team right tackle while Pipkins manned left tackle with that unit.

In individual drills, Norton rotated with the right tackle group, and Pipkins worked with Tevi and Tyree St. Louis in the left tackle group.

Pipkins was a third-round pick in 2019 out of Division II Sioux Falls. The Chargers drafted him as a developmental project, but he was forced on the field at left tackle last season because of injuries to Russell Okung and Tevi. There were ups and downs for Pipkins in those games, but his positive plays gave the coaching staff encouragement for the future.

“Definitely, there’s a confidence level that you gain with every snap you take, every game you play,” Pipkins said of his rookie season. “Even little things like not being a rookie anymore, it gives you more and more confidence. People trust you more and it just gives you more confidence in yourself. So I think stuff like that is huge. And then obviously the strength and the weight that I’ve put on, I think, is going to help a lot and make me a little different player. So I’m just excited to go out there and put it all together.”

Pipkins still has some developing to do to push Tevi for the starting left tackle job. And missing all of OTAs and minicamp because of the pandemic set him back.

Pipkins’ intentions haven’t changed, though.

“Anybody who’s going after something like this is determined to get there. Everybody wants to be that guy. That’s my mindset. That’s my goal. So I’m going to do everything that I can,” Pipkins said. “My goal is to carve out a role as a starter.”

It could be this year. It could be next year. Pipkins knows the responsibility falls on his shoulders. But he and the rest of the Chargers’ offensive linemen also have a tremendous asset in new offensive line coach James Campen, who has a distinguished track record of developing draft picks into standout players.

Campen, hired by the Chargers in February to replace former OL coach Pat Meyer, spent 15 years on the Packers’ coaching staff from 2004 to 2018, the final 12 as their offensive line coach. During that span, Campen helped groom Bryan Bulaga into one of the more consistent right tackles in football and also developed David Bakhtiari, a fourth-round pick, into a first-team All-Pro.

Bulaga, of course, signed with the Chargers as a free agent this offseason after 10 years with the Packers.

The Chargers are hoping Campen can work similar magic with their young offensive linemen, from Tevi to Pipkins to Scott to Norton to guards Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp.

Even before the Chargers touched the field, when their football work was happening exclusively over Zoom calls, Tevi and Pipkins felt the effects of Campen’s proficient developmental skills.

“He’s really good at letting people do what they’re good at, kind of weaving his techniques into what they’re already good at and not making them change everything to fit one standard,” said Pipkins, who has been wearing a brace on his right knee after suffering a slight setback early in camp. “Different people set in different ways, and so he kind of lets everybody do what they’re most comfortable with but weaves (in) his techniques and helps specifically that person instead of just trying to fit one mold.”

“He’s a really good coach,” echoed Tevi, who has primarily been a right tackle with the Chargers but played some on the left side as a rookie in 2017 and during his junior season at Utah. “He knows what he’s talking about. So everything that he says, I try to take it in. The beauty of having a brand new coach is you can really be a student of the game, taking all the criticism we can from him, because he might see some stuff from last year that … he can teach us to be successful. So I love it.”

Campen believes the best way to develop young linemen is to share the load.

“You want to empower your veterans to help coach those guys, too, indirectly or directly,” he said in the spring, “making sure that everyone is knowledgable and knows schemes and knows the concepts that you’re running.”

Bulaga has already been paramount in helping the Chargers’ young linemen adapt to Campen’s coaching style and preferred techniques. “He’s been very insightful,” Pipkins said.

It is still very early in training camp. There are plenty of reps to be taken.

Tevi is leading the battle at left tackle and seems likely to win it. But, as always, the best man will come out on top.

“There’s a job requirement for the Los Angeles Chargers, and it’s left tackle,” Campen said. “Someone is going to fill that requirement. And it’s up to us to try to find that person.”

[like54ninjas]

Popper's article on Tevi and Pipkin:

https://theathletic.com/2012316/2020/08/20/after-offseason-workouts-chargers-sam-tevi-and-trey-pipkins-battle-at-lt/0

Great article. Lots of good nuggets of information in there.

Here’s what really stood out to me....

Even before the Chargers touched the field, when their football work was happening exclusively over Zoom calls, Tevi and Pipkins felt the effects of Campen’s proficient developmental skills.

“He’s really good at letting people do what they’re good at, kind of weaving his techniques into what they’re already good at and not making them change everything to fit one standard,” said Pipkins, who has been wearing a brace on his right knee after suffering a slight setback early in camp. “Different people set in different ways, and so he kind of lets everybody do what they’re most comfortable with but weaves (in) his techniques and helps specifically that person instead of just trying to fit one mold.”


Pipkins devoted himself to “getting stronger and gaining a little weight.” He added nine pounds and will be playing in 2020 at 315 pounds.
“I feel really good,” Pipkins said
Tevi, meanwhile, dropped his body-fat percentage, added muscle mass and ran on the field across from his house to build speed.
“Mainly just get stronger,” Tevi said of his offseason priorities, “because that was my biggest problem last year.”

[powderblueboy]

Personally, I thought recognition and footwork were Tevi's biggest problems last year.

What do i know?

[Formula 21]

Personally, I thought recognition and footwork were Tevi's biggest problems last year.

What do i know?

And funny that he thought he had to drop body fat percentage.

[like54ninjas]

And funny that he thought he had to drop body fat percentage.

Quicker to protect the arc. More power to counter bullrush and create creases at LOS.
I’m skeptical of his previous play but perhaps Campen tweaks his fundamentals to produce more consistently positive play. One can hope.

[sonorajim]

Personally, I thought recognition and footwork were Tevi's biggest problems last year.

What do i know?

I tend to agree.
Could be that he learned what was being done to him & couldn't stop it. Like getting pushed or juked, his weight going the wrong way. An improved strength to weight ratio should help him resist & recover.
Nice to hear that Pip & Tevi are watching each other's reps & helping correct mistakes.

[like54ninjas]

What is everyone’s thoughts on how many and who makes the 53 on the Oline?

Mine (9)........

Tevi, Feeney, Pouncey, Turner, Bulaga
Pipkins, Lamp, Qberry, Scott

[alex8080]

What is everyone’s thoughts on how many and who makes the 53 on the Oline?

Mine (9)........

Tevi, Feeney, Pouncey, Turner, Bulaga
Pipkins, Lamp, Qberry, Scott

i really liked scott, but i think norton makes it

[like54ninjas]

i really liked scott, but i think norton makes it

Scott gives us a OG/OT combo reserve where Storm would be a 4th OT.
So since Pipkins or Tevi will be our swing tackle, I went with Scott for his now multi position versatility and experience.

[Formula 21]

Norton to PS.