The Los Angeles Chargers struck gold this offseason from start to finish. From the departure of Anthony Lynn and Shane Steichen to the hiring of Brandon Staley, the signing of Corey Linsley, and drafting Rashaswn Slater and Asante Samuel Jr., the Chargers have a lot of people buzzing as SoFi Stadium is set to welcome fans in for the first time.
As minicamps and OTAs come to a close, the teams will wait until training camp and preseason to make their final roster cuts. However, the Chargers roster looks drastically different than last season.
Everybody knows Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and Keenan Allen, as well as Joey Bosa and Derwin James on the defensive side of the ball, but there is some hidden talent in Los Angeles that should catch everybody off guard when the season rolls around.
Donald Parham, TE
Yes, the Chargers brought in veteran tight end Jared Cook and pair with new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. The Chargers also drafted Tre McKitty from Georgia and let Hunter Henry walk and sign with the New England Patriots. So, the Chargers tight end room is a bit crowded, although Parham is extremely talented and was heralded as the start until the additions of the aforementioned.
Parham is athletically gifted and stands at 6-foot-8 and 256 pounds. Oh, and he turns 24 years old in August, so he will only improve and get stronger.
Parham spent some time in the XFL with the Dallas Renegades and absolutely balled out before the league folded once again.
THE MAN IS 6’8 AND CAN SCOOT💨
DONALD PARHAM IS TURNING INTO A STAR#XFL #XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/8sRW7XeXBr
— Forever Quarantined🏈 (@ForeverGridiron) February 23, 2020
Yeah, that is Parham, and his success in the XFL– albeit a short stint– landed him an NFL contract. In 2020, he had just 10 catches for 159 yards and three scores.
But, make no mistake, he can flat out play, and Herbert's offensive repertoire just continues to expand.
You know which TE in the AFC West DOESN’T choke against the Buccaneers defense? The 🐐 Donald Parham 🔥 pic.twitter.com/k6tMDRP7F3
— ty jerome truther (@xanderknowsball) February 8, 2021
After all, McKitty is an excellent blocker, and Cook signed a one-year deal, so maybe the Chargers are rolling the dice and hoping Parham can be the future tight end in Los Angeles.
Uchenna Nwosu
The Chargers let Melvin Ingram walk after years of an Ingram-Bosa pairing on the outside edge of the defense, terrorizing the quarterback time and time again.
Plain and simple, Ingram wanted to be paid, and unfortunately, he wasn't producing at a high enough level. However, having Nwosu on the roster made that decision rather easy for the Chargers front office.
Nwosu will step right in and take Ingram's spot and should have no problem filling his shoes while also giving Bosa another talented pass rusher on the edge.
#Chargers EDGE Uchenna Nwosu working against #Saints LT Terron Armstead.
Speed to power. Little hesitation to square up the blocker then right through him to the quarterback. pic.twitter.com/aI9uJI4Cva
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) May 17, 2021
Nwosu was the 2nd round pick out of USC in 2018, and through three seasons he has 10 sacks while playing in all but three games. With the departure of Ingram, Nwosu's opportunities will grow immensely, and there is a very real possibility of him having double-digit sacks, especially with opponents double-teaming Bosa and trying to deal with Derwin Hames, not to mention Kenneth Murray.
With Brandon Staley– who led the #1 defense with the Los Angeles Rams last year– the defense will be the main focus, and players such as Nwosu and James should benefit greatly from having him at the helm.
Make no mistake, the Chargers will have a scary bunch of guys in 2021.
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