Los Angeles Chargers Training Camp Storylines to Watch

The Chargers have garnered plenty of headlines this offseason. The big move to Los Angeles and a new head coach has brought some optimism to a team that has only won nine games in a two-year span.

As camp begins, there are plenty of storylines to pay attention to. On the injury front, rookie wide receiver Mike Williams and Jason Verrett will be closely monitored. There also appears to be a handful of position battles to follow.

As always, it just feels nice to have football back. With the regular season right around the corner, here’s what to be aware of throughout Chargers training camp.

Anthony Lynn’s First Camp

In his first season as Chargers head coach, Anthony Lynn will have to make his team buy into his system. So far, things seem to be working out great. The players seem to love his attitude and coaching style, and hopefully, this response can continue throughout camp.

It may take some time for Lynn to get himself settled on the sidelines on game days, but so far in camp, every player has been raving about how things have been going. Players are complaining about how practices went under Mike McCoy last year and say the complete opposite for Lynn’s.

The Health of Jason Verrett and Other Chargers Stars

It seemed to be a more precautionary move than anything, but Jason Verrett entered camp on the PUP list. Verrett suffered a partially torn ACL last season and many assumed that he would be healthy for camp. This hasn’t been the case and he is a name to monitor as the preseason continues.

The other big name is Keenan Allen. Last season, Allen tore his ACL and appears to be back to his old self. Still, he is the leader of the wide receiving corps and he needs to make it through camp without any setbacks.

There is also rookie receiver Mike Williams to worry about. Although he is reportedly out for all of training camp, one can only guess when he will see his first snaps. During the long preseason, there will be endless updates about when he should be set to be back on the field, if at all.

Position Battles

Our Cody Young broke down the Chargers’ position battles recently, so not much time will be spent here, but there are a few intriguing spots that will be up for grabs.

Recent addition Cardale Jones will need to prove that he is a viable option behind Philip Rivers and free-agent signing Tre Boston could make a run at a starting safety spot.

It’s probably a good sign that the Chargers don’t have a ton of position battles, the front office has done a great job at filling holes on the roster.

It’s also impossible to forget that the Bolts may have a kicker battle brewing too, right?

The Big Move

Depending on where you may live, this is either positive or negative. All preseason long the team is going to be dealing with the question of how different things are in Los Angeles.

The players and coaches are going to say things are great and talk about how much they miss the big city. Even Rivers is going to say the right thing even if he misses good ol’ San Diego.

It may not be football related, but this will be 95 percent of the conversation during the telecasts.

The Changing Schemes

Both the offense and defense will be undergoing major facelifts during camp. Head coach Lynn will be implementing his new run heavy attack while defensive coordinator Gus Bradley adjusts the defense to a 4-3 style.

Both rookies and veterans alike are going to have to continue to get used to the new system and work out the kinks during the preseason.

Most NFL pundits feel that both changes should benefit the Chargers. On the offensive side, the ball will be put in Melvin Gordon’s more and take the strain off of Rivers. Defensively, the 4-3 should allow Joey Bosa and the Chargers front seven to have even further success.

Furthermore, each day at camp will be a true battle between the offense and the defense. By the end of camp, it’ll be interesting to see which side looks more impressive once the season opener against Denver rolls around.

The Youth Movement

The Chargers have a plethora of young talent. Training camp will further allow these young players to develop. Especially the impressive draft classes the Chargers have compiled the last two seasons.

Second-year players like Jatavis Brown and Hunter Henry will be full of confidence and ready to take on more leadership roles after extremely impressive rookie campaigns.

At the same time, rookie guards Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney can work their way up the depth chart and possibly even start when the regular season comes around.

Training camp is the best time to watch the young players. Whether they are finding time on special teams or pushing for starting roles, the youth is what makes the preseason so much fun.

Escaping the Injury Bug

The health of a few Chargers stars has already been covered, but what about the rest of the team?

Well, Chargers supporters can only hope this is the year that injury luck will be on their side. After seasons of getting decimated by injuries, the Chargers are due for a relatively healthy 2017 (Right?).

This is football though. Injuries are going to happen and teams are never fully healthy by seasons end. However, it would be nice for the Chargers to make it out of camp without too many scratches.

Things didn’t get off to a great start with the Mike Williams news, but it appears that almost every other player is in good health. At this point, Chargers fans can only hope things don’t get ugly again.

There are plenty of training camp storylines to follow. What are you keeping an eye on as the Bolts begin their preseason?