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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Bolts From The Blue -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>An Unofficial Los Angeles Chargers Blog Created By The Fans, For The Fans</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47753/btfb-fv.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2024-04-27T19:25:48-07:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2024-04-27T19:25:48-07:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2024-04-27T19:25:48-07:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Chargers agree to terms with 21 undrafted free agents</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 08 CFP National Championship - Michigan vs Washington" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HnIyIinfhr7s7-lJ6d2saAbrc8c=/0x726:3739x3219/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73312734/1915746647.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;The Chargers now are at 88 rostered players after signing their UDFA class.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="sf68Rg"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Chargers&lt;/a&gt; agreed to terms with 21 undrafted free agents following the end of the 2024 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt;. The signings put the Chargers to 88 total players on their roster.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="ssi23k"&gt;Check out Chargers odds for the 2024 NFL season &lt;a href="https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/qqa5?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgateway%3Fs%3D341866674%26wpcid%3D163146%26wpcn%3DInarticle%26wpsrc%3DVox%26wpcrid%3DNFL&amp;amp;pcid=163146&amp;amp;psn=Vox&amp;amp;pcrn=Inarticle&amp;amp;pscn=NFL"&gt;courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="7vY7Vn"&gt;
  23. &lt;h3 id="2z2hc0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OG Karsen Barnhart, Michigan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  24. &lt;ul&gt;
  25. &lt;li id="jR8QEA"&gt;6’4, 304 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  26. &lt;li id="6IFBfH"&gt;30 career starts at every position on the line except center&lt;/li&gt;
  27. &lt;/ul&gt;
  28. &lt;h3 id="3tVnzC"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;QB Casey Bauman, Augustana&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  29. &lt;ul&gt;
  30. &lt;li id="Q9FosO"&gt;6’7, 225 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  31. &lt;li id="PPBP23"&gt;2023 stats: 2,878 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 322 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns&lt;/li&gt;
  32. &lt;/ul&gt;
  33. &lt;h3 id="OcdCDB"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TE Luke Benson, Georgia Tech&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  34. &lt;ul&gt;
  35. &lt;li id="QOn5cJ"&gt;6’4, 233 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  36. &lt;li id="NXwgFU"&gt;2023 stats: Nine receptions, 84 receiving yards&lt;/li&gt;
  37. &lt;/ul&gt;
  38. &lt;h3 id="4CKs5R"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;S Akeem Dent, Florida State&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  39. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li id="QzLgx2"&gt;6'1, 191 pounds&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
  40. &lt;p id="wHcWlo"&gt;2023 stats: 44 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, pass breakup&lt;/p&gt;
  41. &lt;h3 id="GWOKB3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WR Jaelen Gill, Fresno State&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  42. &lt;ul&gt;
  43. &lt;li id="9PmqcN"&gt;6’0 185&lt;/li&gt;
  44. &lt;li id="SRDVT9"&gt;2023 stats: 49 receptions, 516 receiving yards, six touchdowns&lt;/li&gt;
  45. &lt;/ul&gt;
  46. &lt;h3 id="SkFIbT"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;S Thomas Harper, Notre Dame&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  47. &lt;ul&gt;
  48. &lt;li id="UIKnBb"&gt;5’10, 195 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  49. &lt;li id="QVzatU"&gt;2023 stats: 39 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups&lt;/li&gt;
  50. &lt;/ul&gt;
  51. &lt;h3 id="yLxSsp"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TE Zach Heins, South Dakota State&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  52. &lt;p id="H2Ibvh"&gt;6’7, 260 pounds&lt;/p&gt;
  53. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li id="9aOdfn"&gt;2023 stats: 27 receptions, 410 receiving yards, seven touchdowns&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
  54. &lt;h3 id="4yfy4r"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DL Savion Jackson, North Carolina State&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  55. &lt;ul&gt;
  56. &lt;li id="KecThf"&gt;6’2, 263 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  57. &lt;li id="KQ6F5z"&gt;2023 stats: 40 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks&lt;/li&gt;
  58. &lt;/ul&gt;
  59. &lt;h3 id="yNoSBJ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Mississippi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  60. &lt;ul&gt;
  61. &lt;li id="JG61Ez"&gt;6’2, 230 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  62. &lt;li id="1wi9Gu"&gt;2023 stats: 54 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss. 0.5 sack, pass breakup&lt;/li&gt;
  63. &lt;/ul&gt;
  64. &lt;h3 id="ywxqSo"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WR Leon Johnson III, Oklahoma State&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  65. &lt;ul&gt;
  66. &lt;li id="xs7UuW"&gt;6’5, 207 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  67. &lt;li id="ghlyLI"&gt;2023 stats: 33 receptions, 539 receiving yards, one touchdown&lt;/li&gt;
  68. &lt;/ul&gt;
  69. &lt;h3 id="bqnD8y"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WR Jaylen Johnson, East Carolina&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  70. &lt;ul&gt;
  71. &lt;li id="MbFgXF"&gt;6’2, 194 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  72. &lt;li id="AsUhwC"&gt;2023 stats: 45 receptions, 466 receiving yards, two touchdowns&lt;/li&gt;
  73. &lt;/ul&gt;
  74. &lt;h3 id="zTzoA6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CB Robert Kennedy, North Carolina State&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  75. &lt;ul&gt;
  76. &lt;li id="3Ou54I"&gt;5’10, 188 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  77. &lt;li id="CE33cm"&gt;2023 stats: 33 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, four pass breakups&lt;/li&gt;
  78. &lt;/ul&gt;
  79. &lt;h3 id="Ilqui3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DL Micheal Mason, Coastal Carolina&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  80. &lt;ul&gt;
  81. &lt;li id="Vllb07"&gt;6’3, 280 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  82. &lt;li id="nFZ0pl"&gt;2023 stats: 67 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery&lt;/li&gt;
  83. &lt;/ul&gt;
  84. &lt;h3 id="Hb2AXm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EDGE Tremon Morris-Brash, Central Florida&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  85. &lt;ul&gt;
  86. &lt;li id="z24NAp"&gt;6’2, 256 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  87. &lt;li id="AVbYrY"&gt;2023 stats: 56 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, pass breakup&lt;/li&gt;
  88. &lt;/ul&gt;
  89. &lt;h3 id="ZGc0LE"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OT Tyler McLellan, Campbell&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  90. &lt;ul&gt;
  91. &lt;li id="55vtHF"&gt;6’8, 350 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  92. &lt;li id="DCQCmB"&gt;35 starts in his career at right tackle&lt;/li&gt;
  93. &lt;/ul&gt;
  94. &lt;h3 id="46CF9L"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OG Willis Patrick, TCU&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  95. &lt;ul&gt;
  96. &lt;li id="wmBUye"&gt;6’4, 338 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  97. &lt;li id="8J0Mm6"&gt;Started all 13 games at right guard in lone season at &lt;a href="https://www.frogsowar.com"&gt;TCU&lt;/a&gt;
  98. &lt;/li&gt;
  99. &lt;/ul&gt;
  100. &lt;h3 id="Yxilro"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;S Jaylen Phillips, Clemson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  101. &lt;ul&gt;
  102. &lt;li id="OjILW7"&gt;6’1, 205 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  103. &lt;li id="rITpcz"&gt;2023 stats: 26 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups&lt;/li&gt;
  104. &lt;/ul&gt;
  105. &lt;h3 id="PurBw1"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OT Tyler Smith, Western Carolina&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  106. &lt;ul&gt;
  107. &lt;li id="zqfcvc"&gt;6’8, 310 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  108. &lt;li id="L0jZ91"&gt;58 career starts, most of which came at left tackle&lt;/li&gt;
  109. &lt;/ul&gt;
  110. &lt;h3 id="1UhUK7"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CB Zamari Walton, Mississippi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  111. &lt;ul&gt;
  112. &lt;li id="93vz15"&gt;6’3, 185 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  113. &lt;li id="xTGDP1"&gt;2023 stats: 38 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven pass breakups&lt;/li&gt;
  114. &lt;/ul&gt;
  115. &lt;h3 id="EpUc52"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LB Luquay Washington, Central Connecticut&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  116. &lt;ul&gt;
  117. &lt;li id="vRjHbf"&gt;6’3, 230 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  118. &lt;li id="hjaCXF"&gt;2023 stats: 31 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception, two pass breakups&lt;/li&gt;
  119. &lt;/ul&gt;
  120. &lt;h3 id="llTtXd"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;C/OG Bucky Williams, Appalachian State&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  121. &lt;ul&gt;
  122. &lt;li id="MxnxUC"&gt;6’3, 300 pounds&lt;/li&gt;
  123. &lt;li id="GDvnG3"&gt;53 career starts split between left and right guard&lt;/li&gt;
  124. &lt;/ul&gt;
  125.  
  126. </content>
  127.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143278/chargers-undrafted-free-agents-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz"/>
  128.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143278/chargers-undrafted-free-agents-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz</id>
  129.    <author>
  130.      <name>Michael Peterson</name>
  131.    </author>
  132.  </entry>
  133.  <entry>
  134.    <published>2024-04-27T16:35:48-07:00</published>
  135.    <updated>2024-04-27T16:35:48-07:00</updated>
  136.    <title>Why the Chargers drafted Michigan WR Cornelius Johnson</title>
  137.    <content type="html">  
  138.  
  139.    &lt;figure&gt;
  140.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: CFP National Championship-Washington at Michigan" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/V-Kv1NlgOk1XY7s6e1tkqawYsdQ=/0x7:5803x3876/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73312481/usa_today_22272556.0.jpg" /&gt;
  141.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  142.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  143.  
  144.  &lt;p&gt;The Chargers capped off their draft class with a third wide receiver in Cornelius Johnson.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="nJ6ulb"&gt;With the 253rd pick in the 2-24 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected wide receiver Cornelius Johnson.&lt;/p&gt;
  145. &lt;p id="vC22Tb"&gt;The Chargers entered this year’s draft with only four wide receivers signed to the roster. Now, they’ve almost doubled that amount by selecting their third wideout (second of the seventh round) while also nabbing Jim Harbaugh a second former Michigan player.&lt;/p&gt;
  146. &lt;div id="tHsUSX"&gt;
  147. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  148. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;adding to the arsenal&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;welcome to LA, &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/CorneliusNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@CorneliusNation&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/aLIh8s9l5t"&gt;pic.twitter.com/aLIh8s9l5t&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/chargers/status/1784357738728010222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  149. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  150. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  151.  
  152. &lt;/div&gt;
  153. &lt;p id="LZ2WcZ"&gt;Johnson is a sizable 6’2, 213-pound with 4.44 speed. He played in a lot of games for Jim Harbaugh as a three-year starter for the Wolverines. He was a big and strong target for J.J. McCarthy who won by climbing the ladder and snagging passes with his excellent leaping ability. He is not the most-polished route-runner but he wins by knowing how to utilize his large frame on smaller defensive backs. Johnson is also viewed as a notable blocker in the run game which is likely the biggest reason he was targeted by the Chargers this late aside from his Michigan ties. Johnson finished his career with 138 receptions for 2,038 yards and 14 touchdowns.&lt;/p&gt;
  154. &lt;p id="vM35MM"&gt;The biggest red flag for Johnson will be whether or not he can hone his craft and become a professional route-runner. As it stands, it sounds like he’ll have a very specific offensive role early on for the Chargers.&lt;/p&gt;
  155. &lt;p id="QMs7N2"&gt;NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had Johnson with a round grade between the fifth and sixth rounds so at least by his scouting, this was another steal by the Chargers. &lt;/p&gt;
  156.  
  157. </content>
  158.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143180/chargers-cornelius-johnson-jim-harbaugh-nfl-draft-news"/>
  159.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143180/chargers-cornelius-johnson-jim-harbaugh-nfl-draft-news</id>
  160.    <author>
  161.      <name>Michael Peterson</name>
  162.    </author>
  163.  </entry>
  164.  <entry>
  165.    <published>2024-04-27T16:13:55-07:00</published>
  166.    <updated>2024-04-27T16:13:55-07:00</updated>
  167.    <title>Chargers Select Michigan WR Cornelius Johnson</title>
  168.    <content type="html">  
  169.  
  170.    &lt;figure&gt;
  171.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: Detroit Free Press" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/On773hLt15SMknh91Hn39-aAlCg=/0x0:2400x1600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73312410/usa_today_21972544.0.jpg" /&gt;
  172.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  173.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  174.  
  175.  &lt;p&gt;The Los Angeles Chargers have added another Michigan player, this time receiver Cornelius Johnson. This marks the third pass-catcher the team has added to supplement their thin receiving group.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="qYZ6t0"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Los Angeles Chargers&lt;/a&gt; fulfilled &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/16/24131538/nfl-draft-chargers-michigan-wolverine-draft-for-the-los-angeles"&gt;our prediction&lt;/a&gt; of selecting two Wolverines in this year’s draft by selecting Michigan wide receiver Cornelius Johnson with the 253rd selection in the 2024 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt;, a compensatory selection the Chargers received because of the departure of Drue Tranquill in free agency.&lt;/p&gt;
  176. &lt;div id="FhnYHg"&gt;
  177. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  178. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;*Triple dip &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Chargers&lt;/a&gt; select Michigan WR Cornelius Johnson at No. 253 overall. &lt;a href="https://t.co/l8VOpiOBHI"&gt;https://t.co/l8VOpiOBHI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/danielrpopper/status/1784357823184605285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  179. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  180. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  181.  
  182. &lt;/div&gt;
  183. &lt;p id="X8FzUI"&gt;It’s not often that one enters the final picks of the NFL draft with players that have easily available scouting reports, but the Chargers have managed to do it by selecting Johnson, who was ranked by analysts as the &lt;a href="https://www.wideleft.football/p/2024-consensus-big-board-the-top"&gt;194th-best prospect in the draft&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  184. &lt;p id="rYET8O"&gt;Johnson played the split end position in the Michigan offense, lining up on the line of scrimmage, which enabled free releases for smaller receivers like Roman Wilson. It also meant Johnson was the point man on stacked sets, requiring his blocking efficacy to enable Michigan’s unusual screen game, which often contained motion at the snap.&lt;/p&gt;
  185. &lt;p id="gxZ2Qa"&gt;At 6’3" 212 pounds, Johnson offers size and speed, having run a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and a 1.52-second 10-yard split.  The quickness he demonstrated with his 6.93-second three cone was evident on the field, but he still struggled to separate against decent coverage and could improve his overall route-running.&lt;/p&gt;
  186. &lt;p id="XXn4YI"&gt;His small hands have led to problems and he was 15 drops over the last three years of play on 119 catchable passes. That’s more drops than touchdown catches (10 in three years), concerning for a big body many assume should produce in the red zone. An older prospect, there may not be much development left for him.&lt;/p&gt;
  187. &lt;p id="PI2lQm"&gt;Nevertheless, this is more upside than most find at the end of the draft. &lt;/p&gt;
  188.  
  189. </content>
  190.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143174/los-angeles-chargers-michigan-wr-cornelius-johnson-2024-nfl-draft"/>
  191.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143174/los-angeles-chargers-michigan-wr-cornelius-johnson-2024-nfl-draft</id>
  192.    <author>
  193.      <name>Arif Hasan</name>
  194.    </author>
  195.  </entry>
  196.  <entry>
  197.    <published>2024-04-27T16:10:00-07:00</published>
  198.    <updated>2024-04-27T16:10:00-07:00</updated>
  199.    <title>2024 Chargers UDFA Tracker: The Bolts are not done yet!</title>
  200.    <content type="html">  
  201.  
  202.    &lt;figure&gt;
  203.      &lt;img alt="NFL: DEC 03 Chargers at Patriots" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4eFOVDgUjhLnN_4GbPUVc_l9jYg=/0x5:3900x2605/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73312398/1821598536.0.jpg" /&gt;
  204.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  205.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  206.  
  207.  &lt;p&gt;Keep it right here for all the UDFAs signed by the Chargers.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="C8ei22"&gt;The 2024 has officially come to an end but that doesn’t mean the excitement has to. For the next couple hours, teams will be working the phones to try and land their next undrafted free agent class. A number of prominent names did not end up hearing their name called over the last three days but that does not mean the end of the NFL dreams. All they need is a chance and some team is about to give them one.&lt;/p&gt;
  208. &lt;p id="jXTrz1"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Chargers&lt;/a&gt; also did not fill every single need on their roster during the draft. This is a prime opportunity for Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz to potentially continue doing just that without having to break the bank. &lt;/p&gt;
  209. &lt;p id="g78e1A"&gt;So stay tuned as we keep track of all the undrafted free agents signed by the Chargers right here!&lt;/p&gt;
  210. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="OYk6nG"&gt;
  211. &lt;p id="zNy8xC"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ole Miss LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  212. &lt;div id="a155BF"&gt;
  213. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  214. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Ole Miss LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste is signing with Chargers as an undrafted free agent, source says.&lt;/p&gt;— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1784361838186234302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  215. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  216. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  217.  
  218. &lt;/div&gt;
  219. &lt;p id="17UQUX"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;South Dakota State TE Zach Heins&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  220. &lt;div id="9BqknH"&gt;
  221. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  222. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Former South Dakota State TE Zach Heins is signing with the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Chargers&lt;/a&gt;, per source.&lt;/p&gt;— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1784362613452726685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  223. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  224. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  225.  
  226. &lt;/div&gt;
  227. &lt;p id="id4JEK"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Georgia Tech TE Luke Benson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  228. &lt;div id="cB0DKj"&gt;
  229. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  230. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Chargers&lt;/a&gt; add Georgia Tech tight end Luke Benson on undrafted deal per a source&lt;/p&gt;— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1784364425287188854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  231. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  232. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  233.  
  234. &lt;/div&gt;
  235. &lt;p id="FSxiE3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TCU IOL Willis Patrick&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  236. &lt;div id="HqTZrH"&gt;
  237. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  238. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Chargers are signing TCU IOL Willis Patrick as a PFA, source confirmed.&lt;/p&gt;— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/_RyanFowler_/status/1784362898812264804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  239. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  240. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  241.  
  242. &lt;/div&gt;
  243. &lt;p id="LOawA2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ECU WR Jaylen Johnson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  244. &lt;div id="0ZX3zn"&gt;
  245. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  246. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;ECU WR Jaylen Johnson is signing with the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Chargers&lt;/a&gt; per a source&lt;/p&gt;— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1784369607270125996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  247. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  248. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  249.  
  250. &lt;/div&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="8ukvl5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Coastal Carolina DL Micheal Mason&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;div id="Q5CPW1"&gt;
  253. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  254. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Excited to announce that I have signed with the LA Chargers‼️ &lt;a href="https://t.co/TeVKXWo6iu"&gt;pic.twitter.com/TeVKXWo6iu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Micheal Mason (@11MichealMason) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/11MichealMason/status/1784363044056826317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  255. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  256. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  257.  
  258. &lt;/div&gt;
  259. &lt;p id="mXGf3B"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;NCST DL Savion Jackson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  260. &lt;div id="s2UQZi"&gt;
  261. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  262. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Savion Jackson agrees to terms with &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Chargers&lt;/a&gt;. NC State DL took 30 visit with Los Angeles&lt;/p&gt;— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1784369774299955634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  263. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  264. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  265.  
  266. &lt;/div&gt;
  267. &lt;p id="s4T4r4"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fresno State WR Jaelen Gill&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  268. &lt;div id="DcaOei"&gt;
  269. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  270. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Undrafted Fresno State wide receiver Jaelen Gill is signing with the Chargers.&lt;/p&gt;— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/by_JBH/status/1784368739129204887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  271. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  272. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  273.  
  274. &lt;/div&gt;
  275. &lt;p id="WMn2Nf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oklahoma State WR Leon Johnson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  276. &lt;div id="FN6vDV"&gt;
  277. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  278. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Bothell ➡️ NFL&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Leon Johnson III ('19) is signing a UDFA contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Proud of you &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/lj3of3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@lj3of3&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BothellBuilt?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#BothellBuilt&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoltsUp?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#BoltsUp&lt;/a&gt;⚡️ &lt;a href="https://t.co/ob2qxWjxqR"&gt;pic.twitter.com/ob2qxWjxqR&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Bothell Football (@BHSBlueTrain) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BHSBlueTrain/status/1784368438565380287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  279. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  280. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  281.  
  282. &lt;/div&gt;
  283. &lt;p id="ND8Hk6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FSU S Akeem Dent&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  284. &lt;div id="Ag3YuD"&gt;
  285. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  286. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;I’m told &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FSU?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#FSU&lt;/a&gt; safety Akeem Dent will sign with the Los Angeles Chargers as a UDFA&lt;a href="https://t.co/N22YXdcQEO"&gt;https://t.co/N22YXdcQEO&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Zach Blostein (@ZBlostein247) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ZBlostein247/status/1784368850789650705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  287. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  288. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  289.  
  290. &lt;/div&gt;
  291. &lt;p id="Q7XtnG"&gt;Campbell OL Tyler McLellan&lt;/p&gt;
  292. &lt;div id="A1EyYf"&gt;
  293. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  294. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Congratulations to &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/tmclellan77?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@tmclellan77&lt;/a&gt; on signing with the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/chargers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@chargers&lt;/a&gt; ⚡️ &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLMasterminds?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#OLMasterminds&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SportsAcademy?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#SportsAcademy&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/srW8OcwbUR"&gt;pic.twitter.com/srW8OcwbUR&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Sports Academy (@sportsxacademy) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sportsxacademy/status/1784370289209462813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  295. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  296. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  297.  
  298. &lt;/div&gt;
  299. &lt;p id="7QynFL"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UCF DE Tre’Mon Morris-Brash&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  300. &lt;div id="2hBuMu"&gt;
  301. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  302. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;UCF ➡️ Los Angeles&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Tre’mon Morris-Brash is a Charger!!&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Dolladrop3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@Dolladrop3&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/chargers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@chargers&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/pgftDZIaHw"&gt;pic.twitter.com/pgftDZIaHw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/UCF_Football/status/1784375481308946659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 28, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  303. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  304. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  305.  
  306. &lt;/div&gt;
  307. &lt;p id="b7zRXQ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Notre Dame DB Thomas Harper&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  308. &lt;div id="dMuCgO"&gt;
  309. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  310. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Chargers&lt;/a&gt; sign Notre Dame defensive back Thomas Harper, per a league source&lt;/p&gt;— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1784378502214492403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 28, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  311. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  312. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  313.  
  314. &lt;/div&gt;
  315.  
  316. </content>
  317.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143143/2024-chargers-udfa-tracker-nfl-draft-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz"/>
  318.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143143/2024-chargers-udfa-tracker-nfl-draft-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz</id>
  319.    <author>
  320.      <name>Michael Peterson</name>
  321.    </author>
  322.  </entry>
  323.  <entry>
  324.    <published>2024-04-27T15:31:59-07:00</published>
  325.    <updated>2024-04-27T15:31:59-07:00</updated>
  326.    <title>Why the Chargers drafted USC WR Brenden Rice</title>
  327.    <content type="html">  
  328.  
  329.    &lt;figure&gt;
  330.      &lt;img alt="UCLA v USC" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EhmhawUOIFM5APSFNQ3qPUnpcpw=/0x0:5458x3639/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73312250/2087335943.0.jpg" /&gt;
  331.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  332.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  333.  
  334.  &lt;p&gt;The son of the greatest receiver of all time is headed to the Chargers.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="40pcxv"&gt;With the 225th pick in the 2024 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Chargers&lt;/a&gt; have selected USC wide receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.&lt;/p&gt;
  335. &lt;p id="nxAFW5"&gt;Wide receiver was one of the position groups in which the Chargers were likely to double-dip in during this draft and they did just that after drafting Georgia’s Ladd McConkey in the second round.&lt;/p&gt;
  336. &lt;div id="6NgJLw"&gt;
  337. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  338. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;At pick No. 225, the Chargers selected USC WR Brenden Rice, the son of Jerry Rice.&lt;/p&gt;— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1784342310714519843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  339. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  340. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  341.  
  342. &lt;/div&gt;
  343. &lt;p id="vuk6Lj"&gt;Rice was originally expected to come off the board sometime in the fourth or fifth round but the Chargers somehow got away with landing him in the seventh. The 6’2, 208-pounder is a fine athlete, posting a 4.50 in the 40 with a 36.5-inch vertical and 9’11 in the broad jump. Rice is a big and physical possession receivers with strong hands and excellent body control. He’s got enough speed to win at all levels of the field but he’ll likely do most of his work on third downs and in the red zone. Depending on how much Quentin Johnston progresses from year one to year two, Rice could end up seeing more of the field than you’d expect from a seventh-round pick. Luckily, he wasn’t expected to go anywhere near this low.&lt;/p&gt;
  344. &lt;p id="Sdvz7L"&gt;The NFL legacy spent his first two collegiate seasons at Colorado where he started 12 games before transferring to USC following the 2021 season. Rice started 23 games over the past two seasons, totaling 1,402 yards and 16 touchdowns, including 12 as a senior.&lt;/p&gt;
  345. &lt;p id="1F9UKk"&gt;Rice is an excellent complement to McConkey and helps complete a very good draft for the Chargers. McConkey provides the offense with a shifty and nuanced route-runner who will help stretch the field horizontally. Rice will be a big-bodied target with strong and quick hands who won’t have to separate nearly as often to be “open” by traditional terms.&lt;/p&gt;
  346. &lt;p id="l2Pi21"&gt;Despite hoping for Rice to land with the Chargers most of day three, they stuck to their board and still ended up with a great value in the final round.&lt;/p&gt;
  347. &lt;div id="HjMVJd"&gt;
  348. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  349. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Brenden Rice is an explosive play waiting to happen  &lt;a href="https://t.co/R2NWjxEF1z"&gt;pic.twitter.com/R2NWjxEF1z&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/4sG2BkSzkG"&gt;https://t.co/4sG2BkSzkG&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/The33rdTeamFB/status/1784343903216501133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  350. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  351. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  352.  
  353. &lt;/div&gt;
  354.  
  355. </content>
  356.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143106/chargers-brenden-rice-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz"/>
  357.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143106/chargers-brenden-rice-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz</id>
  358.    <author>
  359.      <name>Michael Peterson</name>
  360.    </author>
  361.  </entry>
  362.  <entry>
  363.    <published>2024-04-27T15:11:11-07:00</published>
  364.    <updated>2024-04-27T15:11:11-07:00</updated>
  365.    <title>Chargers select USC WR Brenden Rice</title>
  366.    <content type="html">  
  367.  
  368.    &lt;figure&gt;
  369.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: Arizona Republic" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IOs4mrqLAuAuioYiSDJgLBh91I8=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73312171/usa_today_22047843.0.jpg" /&gt;
  370.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  371.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  372.  
  373.  &lt;p&gt;The Los Angeles Chargers have already added to their receiving room in this year’s draft, but do so again by selecting USC receiver Brenden Rice&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="6rftbK"&gt;With the 225th pick in the &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL draft&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Los Angeles Chargers&lt;/a&gt; selected USC wide receiver Brenden Rice, notably known as the son of Jerry Rice — the greatest receiver to ever play the game.&lt;/p&gt;
  374. &lt;div id="cCjV2i"&gt;
  375. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  376. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;At pick No. 225, the Chargers selected USC WR Brenden Rice, the son of Jerry Rice.&lt;/p&gt;— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1784342310714519843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  377. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  378. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  379.  
  380. &lt;/div&gt;
  381. &lt;p id="nvwefT"&gt;Rice is more than just bloodlines. He was highly regarded by the draft community, ranking 106th overall by the &lt;a href="https://www.wideleft.football/p/2024-consensus-big-board-the-top"&gt;Consensus Big Board&lt;/a&gt;. Some projected him to go as early as Day 2, but a deep draft overall, including at receiver, pushed him down.&lt;/p&gt;
  382. &lt;p id="hZDMVg"&gt;The former Caleb Williams target originally enrolled at Colorado before transferring to USC. He hadn’t put together a 1,000-yard season but has been remarkably productive in the red zone. In his true senior year, his final year in college, Rice grabbed 12 touchdowns with only two drops all year on 47 catchable targets.&lt;/p&gt;
  383. &lt;p id="ukKYty"&gt;Rice is big, tall and fast for his size. At 6’2” 208, Rice ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He has a truly outstanding catch radius with a wingspan of 78 inches and an arm length of 33 inches.&lt;/p&gt;
  384. &lt;p id="U6wtTR"&gt;His timed speed doesn’t always match his play speed and he can look a bit sluggish at times, preventing him from getting deep separation. He also doesn’t have the quicks of smaller receivers, which impacts his route-running. His primary calling card is his hand strength, though USC put him into a position to win a lot of contested catches and his catch rate on those needed a bit more.&lt;/p&gt;
  385. &lt;p id="8fEKvZ"&gt;As an Air Raid receiver, he was always going to need more work. But with sky-high potential and knowledge of how the NFL works, there’s a potentially bright future in the seventh-round pick.&lt;/p&gt;
  386.  
  387. </content>
  388.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143108/los-angeles-chargers-usc-wr-brenden-rice-2024-nfl-draft-jerry-rice"/>
  389.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24143108/los-angeles-chargers-usc-wr-brenden-rice-2024-nfl-draft-jerry-rice</id>
  390.    <author>
  391.      <name>Arif Hasan</name>
  392.    </author>
  393.  </entry>
  394.  <entry>
  395.    <published>2024-04-27T13:51:50-07:00</published>
  396.    <updated>2024-04-27T13:51:50-07:00</updated>
  397.    <title>Why the Chargers selected Troy RB Kimani Vidal</title>
  398.    <content type="html">  
  399.  
  400.    &lt;figure&gt;
  401.      &lt;img alt="South Alabama v Troy" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bpw0OYhkwnORj48RhJXrFlmQrmc=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73311916/1772876323.0.jpg" /&gt;
  402.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  403.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  404.  
  405.  &lt;p&gt;Kimani Vidal was a workhorse during his time at Troy, ending his career with over 4,000 rushing yards.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="ua59IV"&gt;With the 181st pick in the 2024 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Chargers&lt;/a&gt; selected Troy running back Kimani Vidal. After losing both Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley earlier this offseason, the Chargers have now added Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, and Vidal to a room that still hosts Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, and Jaret Patterson.&lt;/p&gt;
  406. &lt;div id="cMf7NT"&gt;
  407. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  408. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chargers?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Chargers&lt;/a&gt; select Troy RB Kimani Vidal at No. 181.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Over 4,000 career rushing yards. Led FBS with 47 carries of 10+ yards last season. From &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/dpbrugler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@dpbrugler&lt;/a&gt;: "Contact balance, run power and pass-pro skills will appeal to a team searching for an instinctive between-the-tackles back."&lt;/p&gt;— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/danielrpopper/status/1784316172873478218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  409. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  410. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  411.  
  412. &lt;/div&gt;
  413. &lt;p id="jak51o"&gt;Even with Edwards and Dobbins leading the backfield, Vidal was a necessary addition with Dobbins on a one-year deal coming off another season-ending injury. The Chargers are hoping the cheap deal ends up working out for them but in case it doesn’t, Vidal provides a great backup plan.&lt;/p&gt;
  414. &lt;p id="5TwPgJ"&gt;At 5’8 and 213 pounds, Vidal owns a stocky and powerful build that he runs behind every single play. Despite the shorter stature, Vidal still posted a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash to go with a 37.5-inch vertical and a 4.15 in the short shuttle. This past season, Vidal led the country with 94 missed tackles forced.&lt;/p&gt;
  415. &lt;p id="rKe1BI"&gt;One of the red flags with Vidal is his immense workload that he took on while at Troy. Over the past two years alone, he handled 528 carries. In his career, he touched the ball 873 times. That’s a lot of tread on the tires for any player but a lack of injuries throughout that time should ease the mind of the Bolts. As a receiver, Vidal caught 92 receptions for 700 yards and a single touchdown.&lt;/p&gt;
  416. &lt;p id="nL8Cf2"&gt;Vidal ended his career with a notable mark of 5.1 yards per carry. He also posted double-digit touchdowns each of the past two seasons, on top of leading the nation in 2023 with 47 rushes of 10+ yards.&lt;/p&gt;
  417. &lt;p id="vDK3y3"&gt;When I watch Vidal, I see a compact runner who knows how to take contact with good contact balance in an attempt to stay as vertical as possible to maximize yards after contact. He keeps his eyes up and tries to adjust his body in an attempt to make the second guy miss despite already being contacted by another defender.&lt;/p&gt;
  418. &lt;p id="zhehQa"&gt;The final grades on Vidal are a bit all over the place but most believed he’d certainly come off the board in the fifth or sixth round. If you’re noted draft analyst Brett Kollmann, you had Vidal as your fifth-best in the class. That’s some high praise from a guy who knows ball.&lt;/p&gt;
  419. &lt;div id="26LV7c"&gt;
  420. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  421. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;I ended up with Kimani Vidal at RB5 btw.&lt;/p&gt;— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BrettKollmann/status/1782441343555703057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 22, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  422. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  423. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  424.  
  425. &lt;/div&gt;
  426.  
  427. </content>
  428.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24142926/chargers-kimani-vidal-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz-nfl-draft"/>
  429.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24142926/chargers-kimani-vidal-jim-harbaugh-joe-hortiz-nfl-draft</id>
  430.    <author>
  431.      <name>Michael Peterson</name>
  432.    </author>
  433.  </entry>
  434.  <entry>
  435.    <published>2024-04-27T13:27:07-07:00</published>
  436.    <updated>2024-04-27T13:27:07-07:00</updated>
  437.    <title>Chargers select Troy RB Kimani Vidal</title>
  438.    <content type="html">  
  439.  
  440.    &lt;figure&gt;
  441.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Football: Troy at Army" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CMdOn5W9NtlZ4IjlGgrura97BQk=/0x0:3713x2475/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73311851/usa_today_21649074.0.jpg" /&gt;
  442.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  443.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  444.  
  445.  &lt;p&gt;The Chargers begin to fill out their depleted running back room with Kimani Vidal, a “big” back with balance.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="rxkw36"&gt;With the 181st pick in the &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL draft&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Los Angeles Chargers&lt;/a&gt; selected running back Kimani Vidal from Troy. The Chargers got in on the back end of a run on running backs without missing out on a talented player.&lt;/p&gt;
  446. &lt;div id="Ge2NTS"&gt;
  447. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  448. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;With the 181st pick in the 2024 &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLDraft?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLDraft&lt;/a&gt;, the LA Chargers select Kimani Vidal, RB. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/TroyTrojansFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@TroyTrojansFB&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;— Dion Caputi (@nfldraftupdate) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nfldraftupdate/status/1784316039892767092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  449. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  450. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  451.  
  452. &lt;/div&gt;
  453. &lt;p id="yIc9uN"&gt;“Compactly built” is perhaps the best descriptor one can use for Vidal, and this one comes from &lt;em&gt;the Athletic’s&lt;/em&gt; Dane Brugler. Despite a frame that’s just shy of 5’8”, Vidal packed 213 pounds in there. That didn’t stop him from running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash or recording a 1.53-second 10-yard split. Add in an explosive 37.5-inch vertical and a quick 4.15-second short shuttle and you have the making of a small-school athletic phenom.&lt;/p&gt;
  454. &lt;p id="RgSKpw"&gt;Vidal finished his career at Troy with two 1,000-yard seasons, the second of which went for 1,661 yards — leading the Sun Belt Conference in rushing. As one might imagine for a player with a build of his size, his leverage is incredible and he breaks tackles primarily by running through them.&lt;/p&gt;
  455. &lt;p id="uFuA2R"&gt;His timed speed doesn’t always show up on film and he’s been tracked down from behind — and he could stand to try and avoid more tackles instead of always running through contact. The contact balance is nice, but everything in moderation.&lt;/p&gt;
  456. &lt;p id="MG08Zq"&gt;Though he wasn’t featured as a receiver in Troy’s offense — and he could pick up more from a technical perspective — he was capable there, with good hands. Without much of an injury history but a lot of tread on the tires, it will be curious to see how durable the Chargers imagine Vidal to be.&lt;/p&gt;
  457.  
  458. </content>
  459.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24142964/los-angeles-chargers-select-troy-rb-kimani-vidal-2024-nfl-draft"/>
  460.    <id>https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2024/4/27/24142964/los-angeles-chargers-select-troy-rb-kimani-vidal-2024-nfl-draft</id>
  461.    <author>
  462.      <name>Arif Hasan</name>
  463.    </author>
  464.  </entry>
  465. </feed>
  466.  

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