After two weeks of training camp, after a visit to San Diego for two practices in their ancestral homeland plus a side trip to an aircraft carrier, the Chargers hit the road again Thursday night against the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, the first of their four exhibitions.
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s plan was to sit most, if not all of his starters, in keeping with the NFL’s modern practice of keeping a team’s best and brightest from getting injured while offering a chance for backups, free agents and rookies to make the most of their opportunities to play.
So, meet the Depth Chargers, the players with the most to gain – or lose – in a nationally televised game that could be the key to their futures. Here’s a closer look at six players, three on offense and three on defense, who are worth monitoring as they go against the Lions’ backups, free agents and rookies:
OFFENSE
Trey Lance, QB
Playing the role of backup to Justin Herbert is a thankless job, given how little actual playing time might be involved. Taylor Heinicke won the job last season and he played four games and threw five passes. This is an important test for Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Injuries and a lack of opportunities helped to explain why he landed with the Chargers during the offseason, signing a one-year contract after playing four games, starting one, with the Dallas Cowboys last season. Neither he nor Heinicke has looked sharp in camp. Lance will start against the Lions and play the first half plus one series in the third quarter. Former St. John Bosco High star DJ Uiagalelei will then take over for Lance.
Omarion Hampton, RB
The Chargers signed running back Najee Harris as a free agent during the offseason and then drafted Hampton in the first round from the University of North Carolina, hoping that Harris and Hampton would give them a better one-two punch than they got last season from J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Harris then sustained an eye injury during a July 4 fireworks accident, which sidelined him for the first two weeks of camp. There is no timetable for his return to the practice field. That’s opened an opportunity for Hampton to move atop the depth depth.
Zion Johnson, OL
Harbaugh’s experiment with Johnson at center, a position he’s never played in the NFL, college or high school, began during spring practices and will continue with a start against the Lions. Bradley Bozeman started all 17 games at center last season, but Harbaugh has alternated him and Johnson at center over the first 11 days of camp, hoping to find the best combination in his interior linemen. It’s been one of the most compelling storylines of camp, not necessarily a competition since Harbaugh says he’s merely looking for the best fits for Johnson and Bozeman.
DEFENSE
Jamaree Caldwell, DL
Positions on the defensive line have been up for grabs during training camp, another intriguing storyline. Poona Ford signed with the Rams during the offseason and Morgan Fox agreed to a contract with the Atlanta Falcons, leaving at least two all-important vacancies to be filled on the defensive line. The Chargers drafted Caldwell in the third round after he attended two community colleges in Kansas, then the University of Houston and then the University of Oregon.
Kyle Kennard, OLB
When the Chargers released longtime pass rusher Joey Bosa and he signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills, it created a job opening. Tuli Tuipulotu is set to move into Bosa’s starting role opposite future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack. The Chargers drafted Kennard in the fourth round from South Carolina with the notion that he would provide depth beyond Mack, Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree and Tre’Mon Morris-Brash. Tuipulotu played a lot on special teams in his first two seasons. Kennard might do the same.
Nikko Reed, CB
“Make a play every day,” was how Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter described the best way to get noticed in training camp as an undrafted free agent. Reed, who played at Colorado and Oregon, has made a habit of it so far in camp, displaying tight coverage on the wide receivers during team and one-on-one drills. The cornerback position is another that appears to be competitive over the first weeks of camp. Reed’s play has stood out even among a crowded field of contenders.
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