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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Chargers focused on dart throws this offseason. Who will emerge in training camp?
Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was discussing his interior defensive line last week when he provided some telling insight into the team's roster build this offseason. 'At a lot of positions,' Minter said, 'we traded maybe one or two guys for two to three guys when you look at it.' Advertisement Along the defensive line specifically, the Chargers lost Poona Ford and Morgan Fox in free agency. They replaced those two by signing free agents Da'Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones and drafting third-round pick Jamaree Caldwell. As Minter mentioned, though, the approach stretched to other positions, like cornerback. The Chargers lost Kristian Fulton in free agency. They replaced Fulton by signing free agents Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste. 'It was almost one of the two-for-ones again,' Minter said. Minter was talking about his defense. But his framing of the approach can really be applied to both sides of the ball. At receiver, the Chargers lost Joshua Palmer in free agency. They replaced him with free agent Mike Williams and draft picks Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith. At tight end, Stone Smartt finished 2024 second in the position group with 16 catches. The Chargers replaced him with Tyler Conklin and fifth-round pick Oronde Gadsden. At running back, they let J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards walk. They signed Najee Harris in free agency, drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round and added Raheim Sanders — a productive runner at multiple SEC stops in college — as an undrafted free agent. Along the offensive line, the Chargers were able to keep their group intact while still adding multiple options. All five starters from 2024 are back. The Chargers signed guard Mekhi Becton and center Andre James in free agency. They drafted guard Branson Taylor in the sixth round. At quarterback, Taylor Heinicke returns as backup, and the Chargers signed Trey Lance and undrafted free agent DJ Uiagalelei as competition. What has emerged is a through-line in GM Joe Hortiz and coach Jim Harbaugh's second offseason: dart throws. Last offseason, in Year 1, Hortiz and Harbaugh were operating with far less financial flexibility. They still threw their darts. They signed Ford. They signed Fulton. They signed Dobbins and Edwards. But because of cap restrictions, they were facing far fewer chances in front of the dartboard. Advertisement As such, the margin for error was significantly smaller. The Chargers did not have as many contingencies. That was the nature of the situation Hortiz and Harbaugh walked into. And to their credit, they threw more bull's-eyes than misfires. Ford played like a star. Fulton gave them solid football. Rookie receiver Ladd McConkey was good enough to carry the offense at times. Tight end Will Dissly had a career year receiving. Safety Elijah Molden, whom the Chargers traded for in August, allowed the defense to regularly feature three safeties and move Derwin James Jr. around. Those are just a few instances. This offseason, the Chargers had more cap space to work with, and instead of breaking the bank for top-of-the-market players, they focused on dart throws. One player out in a position group, two players in. Two players out, three players in. No players out, still more players in. As a result, the Chargers have a very deep team. They have multiple starting options in virtually every position group. And during the offseason program, from OTAs to last week's veteran minicamp, it was this depth that really stood out. Take the pass catchers as an example. Quarterback Justin Herbert had potential mismatches across the field. At times last year, he had only one reliable option in McConkey. This leads to the overarching question for the Chargers as they break for summer and gear up for the start of training camp July 17: Who from these dart throws will emerge as the bull's-eyes? Minter acknowledged that at this time last year, the Chargers 'were kind of hoping somebody would emerge' along the defensive line. 'But at the same time,' Minter continued, 'it was a little bit going into the year by committee and then that stuff sort of takes care of itself based on a guy getting in a rhythm, getting in a groove, playing really well.' Advertisement Ford emerged early in the season and became the anchor of the interior defensive line. Who will be that player this season? Who will claim the starting cornerback spots between Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, Jackson, St-Juste and Ja'Sir Taylor? Who will be the primary outside receivers between Williams, Harris, Lambert-Smith and Quentin Johnston? Who will start at left guard and center? One of Harbaugh's trademark sayings is 'competitors welcome.' The Chargers, courtesy of their dart throws, will have heated competition at several position groups in training camp. That is by design. A potential downside of the approach is that the Chargers, on paper, lack some star power and blue-chip talent in certain position groups. At the same time, a similar argument could have been made for the Chargers' interior defensive line in June of last year. No one expected Ford to become that type of player. But he did. Summer break is here. Training camp is less than a month away. The Chargers are hoping that competition will breed bull's-eyes. (Top photos of Donte Jackson and Mekhi Becton: Chris Unger and Ric Tapia / Getty Images)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers Rookie RB Steadily Improving
Steelers Rookie RB Steadily Improving originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers lost starting running back Najee Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason in free agency. So the team could use someone to step up in his place as a result. Advertisement And they have a rookie running back who could do just that. On a recent episode of his podcast, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly spoke a bit about the team's running back room, and he thinks rookie Kaleb Johnson could carve out a spot for himself in the team's backfield. "Kaleb Johnson has been working on it, but you can tell he has all of the tools and he's gonna pick that up really, really quickly," Kaboly said. The former Iowa running back has a bit of problem with pass-blocking, but that is what Kaboly says that the young rookie has been working on so far in team practice and OTAs. In his final season with the Hawkeyes, Johnson showed that he can carry a team by racking up 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground, both of which led the Big Ten Conference. He was also able to show his versatility with just under 200 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Advertisement The Steelers were in the top half of the league this past season in rushing yards with the 11th-most. Now that Harris has moved on from the team, Johnson will be hoping he can slot in and prove his worth by continuing the team's success on the ground. Related: Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Sends Honest TJ Watt Message to Steelers Related: Steelers Praised For Most Controversial Offseason Move This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers preparing a big workload for Jaylen Warren after Najee Harris's departure
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren needs to be ready for a lot of carries this season. Last year's leading rusher, Najee Harris, left in free agency. Warren was the Steelers' No. 2 back in 2024, with 120 carries for 511 yards and one touchdown, and this year Pittsburgh plans to let him carry the load. When asked if Warren can handle more touches, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin answered, "Certainly." Advertisement Warren said his whole offseason has been about getting ready for a big workload. "I approached this offseason differently," Warren said, via "I did a lot more things for longevity wise, instead of my old-school training like just getting the cleats on and running 30 hills. I had to adapt. This game is about longevity. And like they say, the best ability is availability." Last season, the Steelers ran the ball 533 times in 17 games, and Harris had 263 of them, or just under half. Quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson combined for 105, and they've been replaced by Aaron Rodgers, who doesn't run as often. Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said when you lose half your carries, a running back needs to step up. "Generally you've got 500-plus carries in a regular season," Smith said. "You're talking about 1,100 snaps. You would like to be on the plus side of 500. That means you're in more four-minute. Let's leave it at 500 carries to divvy up. That's kind of where you're at. Then obviously losing Naj, Naj for four years here, he was very durable, and that's a lot of missing carries." Warren said he has "no doubt" that he can pick up the slack.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First impression of Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson after OTAs
The Pittsburgh Steelers knew a year ago they would not have running back Najee Harris in 2025. So when the 2025 NFL draft rolled around, no one was shocked when the Steelers spent a third-round pick on former Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson. Johnson got his first taste of the NFL during the first week of Steelers OTAs and here are some first impressions of the player. Johnson comes across as a very confident player who does not seem like the NFL is too big for him. Johnson was the heart and soul of the Iowa offense and you can see that level of maturity and leadership has carried over into the league. Johnson might not be the team's feature back in 2025 but there's no doubt the coaches aren't going to be fearful of putting Johnson on the field in important situations and downs. Advertisement The other thing that really jumped out about Johnson is his conditioning. There's nothing head coach Mike Tomlin wants more from a rookie than proper NFL-caliber conditioning. This will be even more important in July when training camp starts, but if this week is any indication, Johnson takes his conditioning very seriously and this is going to translate into early opportunities. Pittsburgh feels like they got a bargain and a special player in Johnson and early returns are in and they might have nailed this one. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: First impressions of Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson from Week One of OTAs
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Room Is Crowded
Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Room Is Crowded originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In a Pittsburgh Steelers offseason dominated by talk about a quarterback who's not even on the roster, the team has other pressing needs. Advertisement A swap of wideout George Pickens for DK Metcalf via a couple of separate trades brings renewed hope to the passing game, assuming they can ever find someone to throw the ball. But after Pittsburgh let last season's leading rusher, Najee Harris, walk in free agency, there are question marks surrounding the running game. Jaylen Warren returns on a one-year, $5.3 million deal after rushing for 511 yards on 120 carries and one touchdown last season behind Harris as the team's second-leading rusher. He was expected to inherit the starting job. But Pittsburgh drafted Iowa's Kaleb Johnson in the third round earlier this month, and he seems to fill Harris' shoes better than Warren. Johnson is bigger than both Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, who the team picked up in free agency. Advertisement General manager Omar Khan also signed Trey Sermon this offseason and Cordarrelle Patterson returns for Year 2, making the running back room quite crowded. There will only be so many snaps to split in the running game this year, so there could be an odd man (or two) out. Most believe either Sermon or Patterson could be cut before the regular season starts. Patterson was signed last offseason after the NFL changed the kickoff rules, but he was less than impressive on offense and special teams. A trio of Johnson, Warren and Gainwell would suffice nicely behind Rodgers ... sorry ... I mean, whoever is under center for the Steelers, making the others expendable. As the team approaches the rest of the offseason, a couple of these players could be trying out for jobs on other teams. Advertisement Related: Steelers Trade Rumors Swirl as WR Emerges at OTAs Related: Steelers QB Mason Rudolph Offers Will Howard 'Tools' Scouting Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
