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Articles by Steven Haglund
Key Takeaways From The Chargers Week Four Film Study
Initially, I was going to reserve this space for a reactionary article from the actual game-watching experience each week for the Chargers but as the season has progressed it’s become more about what I’ve been watching on the all-22/coaches film. This works better for my schedule and also allows me to take a step back and watch the events from each game more objectively. Let’s get started with my week four takeaways.
Buy Or Sell Chargers Training Camp Hype
Buy Or Sell Chargers Training Camp Hype The Los Angeles Chargers have wrapped up training camp after their joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys last week. On Sunday they played their second preseason game and the focus has gradually started to shift from roster construction to their preparations for the start of the 2022 regular season. A lot of the key events that happen throughout the season will be determined somewhat by what transpired throughout the preseason and training camp.
Should Chargers Fans Start Worrying About Derwin James' Contract?
Chargers fans have had their share of experience when it comes to contract disputes over the last few years. Of course, there was Melvin Gordon’s holdout which bled into the regular season. Joey Bosa held out while negotiating his rookie deal. Recently, Melvin Ingram executed a modern-day “hold-in” as he was looking to get the final year of his contract fully guaranteed. Fast forward to today and we are now 14 days into Derwin James’ own hold-in as he looks to get his first big NFL payday.
Chargers Training Camp: Chris Rumph Gaining Steam
Later tonight, the Chargers will have their first scrimmage of training camp, which will also wrap up the second week of practices. Obviously, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack will steal the show when it comes to creating pressure off the edge, but I wanted to touch on a very crucial aspect of these practices which is the development of the younger players behind the two-star players and specifically Chris Rumph II.
Will The Chargers Establish The Run More In 2022 With Isaiah Spiller?
In 2021, the Los Angeles Chargers had one of the best passing offenses in the league. Justin Herbert was one of two quarterbacks in the league to throw for more than 5,000 yards (the other being Tom Brady). He threw for the third most first downs, trailing only Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Herbert also generated the third-best QBR in the league, only Aaron Rodgers and Brady had better marks.
Ranking The AFC West Interior Offensive Line Groups
We are back for our final AFC West position group ranking article! Today, I’ll be examining how the interior offensive line groups within the division stack up. Let’s get rolling. Fourth: Raiders Andre James, Alex Leatherwood, John Simpson, Dylan Parham*, Thayer Munford* The Raiders are receiving a ton of offseason hype after the acquisitions of Davante Adams and Chandler Jones specifically.
Ranking The AFC West Offensive Tackle Groups
Ranking The AFC West Offensive Tackle Groups We are back for an AFC West positional ranking! This time, I’ll be dissecting the division’s offensive tackles. If you know me, you know how much I love to talk about the trenches so this is a fun one for me. As always, I’ll be using the top four projected offensive tackles according to the fine folks over at Ourlads.
What Are The Chargers Really Getting In Khalil Mack?
What Are The Chargers Really Getting In Khalil Mack? As you well know by now, we are in the dog days of the NFL offseason. Thankfully, we are under 30 days until training camp hits, which will be glorious. It’s around this time of the year, however, that I usually like to head over to NFL Game Pass and revisit some coaches film from relevant games from the previous season.
The Best Of The West: Ranking The 4 AFC West Linebacker Groups
The Best Of The West: Ranking The 4 AFC West Linebacker Groups In the newest rendition of the AFC West divisional position rankings, I will be tackling the AFC West linebacker groups. We previously have done the AFC West’s defensive lines, secondaries, and the wide receivers. As I said last time, this will be a summer project of sorts from the LAFB so stay tuned for the next edition by Chase Bendel and me.
Ranking The AFC West Secondaries: How Do The Chargers Stack Up?
Los Angeles Chargers: J.C. Jackson*, Asante Samuel Jr., Bryce Callahan*, Michael Davis, Derwin James, Nasir Adderley, J.T. Woods (R) When you type out all the names, it really is crazy to see how far the Chargers secondary has come. Last year, you’d probably list Chris Harris Jr. second and Tevaughn Campbell fourth. You’d also list Alohi Gilman as the third safety. Harris was a good veteran signing in theory but obviously didn’t pan out the way anyone would have hoped, and he is still a free agent.
Chargers Schedule Release: In Depth Analysis
Chargers Schedule Release: In-Depth Analysis The final piece of the offseason puzzle arrived yesterday evening: the 2022 Chargers schedule has finally been released. By now I’m sure you’ve combed through it and planned some potential trips and circled potential games that you are concerned about or really excited about. I wanted to dive into all of it here.
Outlining Expectations For Isaiah Spiller’s Rookie Season
Outlining Expectations For Isaiah Spiller’s Rookie Season One of the biggest roster holes the Chargers had entering the 2022 offseason was at running back, not because they needed a starter. Obviously, that role belongs to Austin Ekeler – fresh off finishing 6th in the league in total yards from scrimmage and scoring a whopping 20 total touchdowns. No, the Chargers needed to get a reliable second running back to take pressure off of Ekeler – and Justin Herbert by extension.
Better Chargers Free Agent Signing: Kyle Van Noy Or Bryce Callahan?
Better Chargers Free Agent Signing: Kyle Van Noy Or Bryce Callahan? Earlier this week I wrote about three questions the Chargers needed to answer after the 2022 NFL Draft, and so far this week they have emphatically answered two of the three by signing much-needed veteran depth in Van Noy and Callahan. I’ll give some immediate thoughts on each signing and then you can join in on the fun with the Sided linked below. Let’s start with Van Noy, the most recent signing.
Post-Chargers 2022 NFL Draft Analysis: Questions That Need Answering
Post-Chargers 2022 NFL Draft Analysis: Questions That Need Answering The Chargers 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone, and they added eight new players to the roster after trading two of their seventh-round picks in this year’s class to retrieve the 2023 6th-round draft pick they initially traded for Khalil Mack.
Final Seven Round 2022 Chargers Mock Draft
Round Seven Pick – 254 Jordan Jackson – Air Force Telesco said this draft is going to be rather unique with the amount of late day three picks in their possession so there are bound to be some surprises. I wanted to address the defensive line position earlier than this and ideally add some pass rush. Jackson has some elite athletic traits and racked up 122 total pressures and 17 sacks over the last three seasons in the Mountain West.
Chargers Draft Debate: Which Position Will They Take First?
Chargers Draft Debate: Which Position Will They Take First? We have officially arrived at draft week and the rumors are swirling like crazy this morning. Travon Walker is now considered the favorite to go first overall after making yet another surge. Apparently, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke loves him and is reminded of the time he selected Aldon Smith – since that worked out so well for him.
Chargers Draft Talk: Cornerback Targets
Chargers Draft Talk: Cornerback Targets Head Coach Brandon Staley has said on multiple occasions that they consider themselves “a DB (defensive back) factory” and then added gasoline to that fire when he told everyone at the combine that they will “always” be looking for cornerbacks as long as he is the head coach. I think we should expect the Chargers to draft at least two cornerbacks to add to the rotation this year.
Chargers Draft Talk: One Offensive Lineman In Each Round
Chargers Draft Talk: One Offensive Lineman In Each Round With the draft two weeks away, we are starting to get some real clarity on where things might be headed when the time comes and the Chargers are officially on the clock. The offensive line remains among the top priorities for the Bolts in the draft as they look to continue to support superstar quarterback Justin Herbert.
Chargers Draft Buzz: Michael Davis On The Outside Looking In?
Chargers Draft Buzz: Michael Davis On The Outside Looking In? The Athletic’s Daniel Popper appeared on the NFL Stock Exchange Podcast on Tuesday morning. Along with Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rodgers, they dissected Popper’s views of the Chargers’ upcoming draft and how they might be looking to address their various needs. We’ll be discussing a few of those here and how his takeaways could affect the draft which is just two weeks away. No Longer High On Cornerback Michael Davis?
Chargers Draft Talk: Examining The Jordan Davis Case
Chargers Draft Talk: Examining The Jordan Davis Case Usually, before free agency begins, mock drafts are almost always the same for certain teams. Media members see one big need and then they all come together and join in on a mock draft choir in these scenarios. For the Chargers, that player was Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Then the combine happened and Davis tested like an absolute freakazoid, and the Chargers signed Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson.
Los Angeles Chargers Mock Draft Series: Improving The Offense
Chargers Mock Draft Series: Improving The Offense With free agency mostly behind us, this is the point in the offseason where attention officially shifts to the draft. With the Los Angeles Chargers veteran additions mostly focused on rebuilding Brandon Staley’s defense, it stands to reason that we could see the draft result in an offense-centric commitment. I’m running this mock draft through The Draft Network with that in mind.
Chargers Free Agency Dilemma: What Happens At Right Tackle?
Chargers Free Agency Dilemma: What Happens At Right Tackle? The first week of free agency has come and gone and the Chargers have made some drastic improvements to the defense by adding a bunch of star talent and fortifying the trenches. It’s been an incredible last 10 days for the team as they look to take that next step into becoming a true contending level team. After signing Gerald Everett on Sunday night, they appear to be shifting their attention to the offense.
Los Angeles Chargers 2022 Free Agency Tracker
Chargers 2022 Free Agency Tracker Your one-stop-shop for every signing the Chargers make throughout free agency, with contract details. We will update them with grades and more depth once we have more to go on. Day One J.C. Jackson – New England Patriots After the Combine press conference of Brandon Staley, everyone knew the Chargers were going to be aggressive on the cornerback market – it was just a matter of who they would sign.
Chargers Free Agency Preview: Value Targets
Chargers Free Agency Preview: Value Targets Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley kicked off the offseason with a bang this week by re-signing Mike Williams to a two-year, $60 million deal and trading a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick for Khalil Mack. They will absorb the rest of Mack’s salary. After the two moves, the Chargers have $24.56 million in cap space before cutting Bryan Bulaga, which will free up $10.75 million in space.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Chargers Acquire Khalil Mack
Breaking: The Chargers Acquire Khalil Mack Two days after the Denver Broncos acquired quarterback Russell Wilson, the Los Angeles Chargers loudly fired back with their answer. They have traded for former defensive player of the year Khalil Mack, who will reunite with Brandon Staley who served as Mack’s position coach in Chicago from 2017 to 2018. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chargers are only sending a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick to acquire Mack.
Chargers Free Agency Preview: Cornerback Targets
Chargers Free Agency Preview: Cornerback Targets Earlier this week, I wrote about how the Chargers were reportedly in on pending free agent Von Miller. The other big news that came out of Combine weekend was that the Chargers were going to be players in the free-agent cornerback market. After the initial press conference sessions last week, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper wrote that this was a possibility, and now the national reporters have added to that.
Chargers Linked To Von Miller With Uchenna Nwosu’s Future In Question
Chargers Linked To Von Miller With Uchenna Nwosu’s Future In Question The official start of the new NFL league year is still a week away, but thanks to the return of the annual Scouting Combine, the rumors are swirling everywhere. The Chargers have an abundance of cap space – an amount which should increase in the next few days after they officially release veteran offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga.
LAFB Chargers Mock Draft 1.0: Chargers Add To Herberts Weapons
LAFB Chargers Mock Draft 1.0: Chargers Add To Herberts Weapons Free agency is in full swing right now on social media, but there’s no better time to get my first Chargers-centric mock draft up than the week during the Scouting Combine. There is going to be some serious movement up and down the perceived draft boards as prospects raise, solidify, or tank their stock’s in Indianapolis over the next 10 days.
Six Free Agent Defensive Line Targets For The Chargers
Six Free Agent Defensive Line Targets For The Chargers By now you’ve likely heard over and over about the Chargers terrible run defense, and how it needs to be the focus of the offseason in order for the team to reach its full potential next season. Brandon Staley has continued to emphasize that he wants to ensure that the Chargers are known as a “trench team”.
Letting Mike Williams Walk Would Be A Mistake For The Chargers
Letting Mike Williams Walk Would Be A Mistake For The Chargers The start of the free agency period is nearly upon us, and for the Los Angeles Chargers that conversation starts with two things: 1) does Bryan Bulaga get cut or retire? And 2) what becomes of Mike Williams? Are the Chargers able to come to terms with the former first-round pick on a long-term deal? Will they let him test his market elsewhere? Or will they place the franchise tag on him?
Christian Watson NFL Draft Profile
Christian Watson NFL Draft Profile Welcome back to draft season! This is my first profile of the season and I am juiced about that. I’ve been diving into this receiver class the last few weeks and wanted to write about one of my favorite prospects, and that is Christian Watson out of North Dakota State. From a broad perspective, the 2022 class lacks a true top dog. There is no Ja’Marr Chase or CeeDee Lamb for me.
How The Chargers Can Build The Next Super Bowl Team
How The Chargers Can Build The Next Super Bowl Team The end of the 2021 NFL season is upon us, unfortunately for all of us football junkies who eat, sleep, and breathe everything related to the sport. For teams that made the playoffs, and advanced in the playoffs, the sting is likely too fresh to really dive into all the offseason content. For the Los Angeles Chargers, who watched the playoffs on their couches, the offseason is in full swing.
Tom Telesco Takes Blame For Poor Chargers Defense
Tom Telesco Takes Blame For Poor Chargers Defense Late Thursday morning, Los Angeles Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco had his season-ending press conference. As he always does, he mostly kept things close to the chest but he painted a rather bleak picture about the way the defensive unit performed this season in Brandon Staley’s first season. He took ownership for the poor defensive showing that did not live up to the expectations that he (along with all of us) had for that side of the ball.
Prioritizing The Chargers Free Agent List
Group #2: Important Glue Guys I have five Chargers players in this grouping and each should be brought back: Aboushi, Jackson, Guyton, Parham, and Anderson. Aboushi was brought in on a cheap, one-year deal and only played four full games but was excellent in those games. The Chargers presumably have their right guard of the future on the roster in Brenden Jaimes, but Staley and company made it very clear at every turn that he was not ready to play as a rookie, sadly.
Chargers Travel To Las Vegas For Week 18 Do Or Die Matchup With The Raiders
Raiders Game Wreckers The Raiders overhauled their defense in the offseason after they hired Gus Bradley from the Chargers, and Bradley of course brought several of his old buddies with him including Casey Hayward and Denzel Perryman who are the best players in the Raiders back seven. Perryman finally managed to stay healthy for most of a whole season and rewarded the Raiders with a Pro Bowl year.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Denver Broncos - Part Two
Getting To Know The Denver Broncos – Part Two I took a break from writing the Week 16 edition of this series due to the holiday season, and thank goodness for that. The Los Angeles Chargers entered last week controlling their own wildcard destiny, despite losing a game they really should have won at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs the previous week. The first part of that last sentence made the loss to the Chiefs tolerable.
Justin Herbert Leads Chargers Six Pro Bowl Nominations
I think it’s safe to say we all knew Herbert could earn his first Pro Bowl nod in his second season after setting the world on fire and winning Rookie of the Year last season, but him earning the starting role in the game is significant. Through 15 weeks, Herbert is third in the league in passing touchdowns, fourth in passing yards, and third in completions. Two weeks ago he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 30 or more touchdowns in each of his first two seasons.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Kansas City Chiefs - Part Two
Getting To Know The Kansas City Chiefs – Part Two The Los Angeles Chargers currently sit in fifth place in the AFC after blowing out the New York Giants on Sunday 37-21. The scoreboard showed a closer result than what actually happened on the field after the Giants got a garbage-time touchdown against the Chargers’ backup defensive players.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The New York Giants
Getting To Know The New York Giants The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off their best defensive performance of the season, which included six sacks, two interceptions, and two forced and recovered fumbles in a 41-22 thumping of the Cincinnati Bengals. Those who read this article series last week know that I was less than optimistic about the Chargers’ chances in Paul Brown Stadium heading into the game.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Cincinnati Bengals
Key Additions And Departures Along with needing to better support Burrow, the Bengals also needed to replace a lot of key starters on defense. Longtime stalwarts Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, and Pacman Jones had finally moved on and the Bengals had money to spend. Their three bigger free-agent signings have all worked out very well. They signed edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a big deal after he priced himself out of New Orleans.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Denver Broncos
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Denver Broncos The Los Angeles Chargers were able to overcome their past history and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in what should not have been a nail-biter but unfortunately was. They now sit at sixth in the AFC and are a half-game behind the Chiefs for first place in the AFC West. A win at Denver this week would move them into a tie for the division, as the Chiefs are on their bye week.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Pittsburgh Steelers
Getting To Know The Pittsburgh Steelers The Los Angeles Chargers have a crucial AFC matchup with the Steelers this week, and despite the frustration from the fan base, this is a great opportunity for them to bounce back and gain back some traction within the conference. Despite losing three of the last four games, the Bolts are very much in the playoff picture and we’ve really seen each team in the conference go through their ups and downs.
Takeaways From The Chargers Week 10 Loss To The Vikings
Takeaways From The Chargers Week 10 Loss To The Vikings The Los Angeles Chargers dropped a very winnable game to Mike Zimmer and the Minnesota Vikings. The Chargers have no one to blame but themselves for the loss due to continued inconsistent play at key spots. The Vikings made more plays than they did and that is the basic, field-level takeaway but I’ll dive into a few other key takeaways below.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Minnesota Vikings
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Minnesota Vikings Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers were able to bounce back and get a much-needed victory against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. The writing was on the wall for a big Herbert game, but he was incredibly efficient and moved the ball up and down the field against the Eagles coverage-heavy defense. Every Chargers offensive possession passed the Eagles 30 yard line and they never punted.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Philadelphia Eagles
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Philadelphia Eagles The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off an awful back-to-back stretch of games after losing big to the Baltimore Ravens and getting handled by Bill Belichick and the Patriots this past Sunday. Thankfully, the upcoming matchup with the 3-5 Philadelphia Eagles could be just what the doctor ordered. Let’s dive in. 2020 Season In Review From 2016-2019 the Philadelphia Eagles experienced a lot of success as an organization.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The New England Patriots
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The New England Patriots The Los Angeles Chargers are fresh off their bye and have a crucial AFC matchup with a familiar foe in the New England Patriots. Although they are not the same old Patriots team, this will be a very tough challenge for Brandon Staley’s young team. The AFC is a beautiful jumbled mess right now and the Patriots would very much be in the mix of things if they are able to beat the Chargers this weekend.
Potential Los Angeles Chargers Trade Targets
Potential Chargers Trade Targets Did you feel the paradigm shift that happened this past weekend as the Los Angeles Chargers were on their bye week? I sure did, I think the rest of the league did, and I hope Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley did. The Kansas City Chiefs got blown out by the Tennessee Titans this weekend and while one game in the NFL shouldn’t change that much, this kind of thing has been building for them.
Bye Week Wish List For The Los Angeles Chargers
Bye Week Wish List For The Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers put out a less than enthusiastic effort against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens last week. While there is some cause for concern as the Chargers have definitely had some chinks in their armor exposed, no one should be panicking just yet. After all, fans and media alike were dubbing them as Super Bowl contenders. One game in the NFL shouldn’t drastically change how we evaluate teams.
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Baltimore Ravens
Chargers Preview: Getting To Know The Baltimore Ravens The Los Angeles Chargers will head to Baltimore this weekend with the chance to be 5-1 for the first time since 2014. This is yet another monumental matchup with another top-tier AFC team for the Chargers and it’s one that assuredly will have seeding ramifications down the road for both teams. Let’s dive into the Ravens’ side of things. 2020 Season In Review The Ravens headed into the 2020 NFL season with a lot of confidence.
Brandon Staley Has The Chargers Ahead Of Schedule, Now What?
Brandon Staley Has Chargers Ahead Of Schedule, Now What? The Los Angeles Chargers are inching closer to their Week Seven bye, and with it will come the close of a gauntlet opening slate of games for Brandon Staley’s first season. Staley’s squad was the recipient of the constant stream of “dark horse Super Bowl team” talk that always seems to surround the Chargers franchise in the summer. It was widely assumed, however, that the team would start off relatively slow.
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