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The Los Angeles Chargers made a few moves to bolster their roster before the start of the 2023 NFL season.
They signed Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks to a two-year, $13.25 million contract in March. They re-signed a few players to contracts, including offensive tackle Trey Pipkins, defensive lineman Morgan Fox and quarterback Easton Stick. The team's 2023 NFL Draft class featured seven new additions, including TCU teammates in wide receivers Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis.
The Chargers recently agreed to a five-year, $262 million contract extension with quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert, a one-time Pro Bowler and a former standout for the Oregon Ducks, will be going into his fourth season with Los Angeles in 2023.
What are some of the biggest training camp battles for the Chargers to look out for?
Nickel Cornerback
The Chargers' defense will feature plenty of surefire starters as they enter the 2023 season.
Kendricks, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and Kenneth Murray Jr. will all be able to take up starting spots at linebacker. Safety Derwin James, a three-time Pro Bowler and a former first-round draft pick for the Chargers in 2018, will return for his sixth season with Los Angeles.
The Chargers will have their fair share of talented options to look out for at the slot cornerback.
Cornerbacks Asante Samuel Jr. and Ja'Sir Taylor will be under contract for LA next season, according to sports salaries and contracts website Spotrac. Samuel suited up for 17 games and started in 15 in 2022, gaining 57 tackles, 11 pass deflections and two interceptions. Taylor saw action in 17 games for LA last season, taking starting roles in three outings while combining for 22 tackles and one pass deflection.
Wide receiver
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The Chargers will have a variety of skilled wide receivers for Herbert to work with heading into next year.
Receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams ended last season with 752 and 895 receiving yards, respectively. Johnston, a former four-star recruit from Temple, Texas, capped off his three-year run with the TCU Horned Frogs with a 1,000 receiving-yard season. The 6-foot-4 receiver earned spots on the All-Big 12 First-Team and was a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist in 2022.
Joshua Palmer, who saw snaps in 33 games for the Chargers since he was first drafted in 2021, can also be an option to look out for after he gained 769 receiving yards last year. His production exploded from his first to second seasons as he more than doubled the number of receptions and receiving yards from 2021 to 2022.
Backup Running Back
Running back Austin Ekeler will be under contract for the Chargers next year. The former Western St. running back earned 1,637 total yards from scrimmage and 18 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns during the team's 2022 campaign. He finished with seasons of 900 rushing yards or more in two straight years, including the 915 he rushed for in 2022.
Who will take the snaps behind him?
Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller can be solid players to look out for as the Chargers' training camp continues. Kelley rushed for 287 yards in 2022, good enough to place second on the roster behind Ekeler. Spiller saw limited action for Los Angeles last year, ending the year with 53 total snaps on offense and 41 rushing yards, according to Pro Football Reference.
“Mentally, he's sharp, got a really good character about himself,” Foster said of Spiller in June, via Chargers.com Seasonal Content Assistant Omar Navarro. “His attitude is always positive and he has this quiet demeanor sometimes where he won't say a whole lot, but you get around him, get to know him, he'll open up a little bit and he's a different person.”
