The Chargers open coaching camp on Thursday after veterans reported to the Bolt on Wednesday, beginning their preseason program per week early attributable to their inclusion within the Corridor of Fame Sport on July 31.
Los Angeles hopes their offense will outperform final 12 months’s with Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman on the controls once more. However a number of main questions in regards to the unit stay.
Let’s undergo them, place by place.
QB: Can Justin Herbert keep wholesome by way of the offseason?
The face of the Chargers franchise has handled some kind of nick in every of the final two offseasons, as he was recovering from labrum surgical procedure in 2023 after which coping with plantar fasciitis final offseason. Whereas Herbert has barely ever missed time with harm, his sturdiness has been one of many solely questions on his standing among the many league’s greatest quarterbacks. He enters coaching camp wholesome this season and might want to get as many reps as potential with so many new projected starters on offense.
RB: When will Najee Harris be again, and can it even matter?
A kind of projected starters will doubtless not be on the sector to begin coaching camp, as basic supervisor Joe Hortiz advised the media Wednesday that operating again Najee Harris will doubtless be positioned on the non-football harm checklist after struggling a minor eye harm in a fireworks incident. Harris was penciled in because the Week 1 starter within the backfield, however his absence may also open the door for first-rounder Omarion Hampton to develop a stranglehold on the beginning job and relegate Harris to extra of a complementary function.
WR: When will Tre Harris signal his rookie deal?
30 of the 32 second-round picks from this 12 months’s draft class stay unsigned, with Harris the primary to take a stand by holding out largely due to the timing of the Chargers beginning camp. Picks 33 (Browns LB Carson Schwesinger) and 34 (Texans WR Jayden Higgins) acquired absolutely assured contracts, whereas Decide 65 (Giants DL Darius Alexander) acquired solely $1.5 million assured on his rookie deal. That is brought about a bottleneck on each ends of the second spherical as all of them await the league to blink first on the ensures. However with Mike Williams opening coaching camp on PUP with a minor harm, having Harris signed and able to go would’ve gotten the rookie priceless first-team reps.
TE: Can Oronde Gadsden II shake up the depth chart?
Los Angeles figures to play Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly the vast majority of the time at tight finish, with jumbo bundle blocker Tucker Fisk working his manner in as effectively. However Gadsden was the star of OTAs, and neither Conklin or Dissly are so good or costly that they need to block the fifth-rounder from seeing the sector extra ceaselessly if the rookie continues to ascend.
OL: Who’s beginning on the inside?
The million greenback query of the offseason is who – and the place – the Chargers are going to begin at left guard and middle in entrance of Herbert. OTAs appeared to counsel that it is going to be Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman for the second 12 months in a row, however it nonetheless stays to be seen whether or not the 2 will swap positions (Johnson at middle, Bozeman at guard) or stay the way in which they lined up final season. Trey Pipkins, who was the higher guard final season on the correct aspect however has been pasted over by free agent signing Mekhi Becton, might get again into the competitors at left guard, however the Chargers appear extra inclined to let him be the swing deal with.
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