EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — In the new offense under coach Jim Harbaugh and coordinator Greg Roman, the Los Angeles Chargers tight ends must be able to block. That part of the positional skill set is non-negotiable.
It is why the Chargers overhauled the top of their tight end depth chart in the offseason. They signed Will Dissly to a three-year contract with $5.5 million guaranteed during what was otherwise a quiet free-agency period. They also signed Hayden Hurst. Dissly is one of the better run-blocking tight ends in football. Hurst is a capable blocker. Blocking at tight end was one of the biggest roster weaknesses over the Chargers’ previous three seasons and that point was proven in how Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz addressed the position in the spring.
“This offense needs tight ends to be productive,” tight ends coach and run game coordinator Andy Bischoff said in late April. “Whether we’re running it, passing it, blocking, they got to be real tight ends.”
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The change in philosophy at tight end has created a rather precarious situation for Donald Parham Jr. What Parham can bring as a receiver is tantalizing, particularly in the red zone and down the seam with his 6-foot-8 frame. But he remains sub-par as a blocker. And as such, Parham is in a fight to make the 53-man roster.
In Tuesday’s practice, Parham flashed consistently for the first time this camp. Parham did not practice in the spring because of an injury. He then sat out seven straight practices in the early part of camp while dealing with an injury. That missed time set him back. Parham was back in team drills for the first time Aug. 5.
Tuesday was a clear indication of what Parham can offer in the passing attack.
Two plays jumped out in particular. During a red zone seven-on-seven period, Parham beat safety Alohi Gilman down the seam. Quarterback Easton Stick threw high to the back of the end zone from 15 yards out. Parham leaped, high-pointed the catch and got both feet in bounds deftly for the touchdown.
Later, during a third-down 11-on-11 period, Parham was in with quarterback Max Duggan and the third-team offense. On a third-and-3, Parham ran an over route toward the left sideline. Duggan threw behind Parham, who contorted his body, made an agile adjustment and snared the pass for the first down.
“He’s doing some good things,” Roman said of Parham. “So we’ll see where it goes.”
Parham also caught three passes during a team drill to open practice. The drills included the quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends on offense facing the linebackers and safeties on defense. Parham made an explosive catch down the field on an over route.
When he has been healthy, Parham has proven to be a weapon in the passing game.
He must show improvement as a blocker if he is going to put himself in a position for the 53-man, though. In particular, he has to be more physical in line against edge rushers. Because of his size, Parham typically matches up well as a blocker against defensive backs. But he gets overpowered by edge rushers. That was the case during pass-protection drills last week when he badly lost two reps to rookie edge rusher Tre’Mon Morris-Brash.
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Parham also struggled at times as a blocker in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks. On his first snap of the game, a first-and-10 in the first quarter with the offense backed up deep in its own end, Parham was dominated off the edge by Seattle edge rusher Derick Hall. Running back Isaiah Spiller was dropped for a 1-yard loss on the play.
The Chargers were not in pads Tuesday. They are scheduled to be in pads Wednesday. Then they are scheduled for three padded practices next week. And, of course, there are the two remaining preseason games.
Right now, Dissly, Hurst and Stone Smartt are head of Parham on the depth chart. Smartt has clearly put in work to improve his blocking, and that has allowed him to carve out a role with the new staff. The Chargers have also worked in various bigger bodies at tight end, including offensive lineman Jordan McFadden and defensive lineman Scott Matlock. The flexibility with those two players could mean the Chargers only keep three full-time tight ends on the roster.
Parham has limited opportunities remaining. Tuesday showed what he can be as a pass-catcher. But in this offense, a tight end must provide more than that.
Waiting for QB1
Starting quarterback Justin Herbert remained in a walking boot at Tuesday’s practice. He has not practiced since July 31. On Aug. 1, the Chargers announced that Herbert would be in a walking boot for approximately two weeks. Thursday will mark exactly two weeks since that announcement.
As he has previously while in the walking boot, Herbert took some snaps Tuesday with the starting offensive line toward the end of practice. The majority of the team was going through special teams drills. The offensive linemen were walking through stunt pickups, and Herbert was the quarterback in shotgun.
The team said Herbert would go through a gradual return to play protocol after the boot comes off. So even if the boot comes off Thursday, he will need a period of time before he is back full speed in team drills.
The truth is Herbert’s return cannot come soon enough. The quarterback play has been underwhelming in Herbert’s absence. That continued Tuesday. Luis Perez, who took second-team reps ahead of Duggan, threw an interception in 11-on-11. Perez lofted a deep ball to the middle of the field. Rookie safety Thomas Harper was waiting and picked it off.
Stick was picked off in 11-on-11, as well. He tried to hit rookie receiver Cornelius Johnson on a comeback route to the left. Stick threw into double coverage. Linebacker Daiyan Henley jumped the route and intercepted it.
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Then there were several near-interceptions. Tarheeb Still got his hands on a Perez attempt to Johnson off play action but could not make the catch. Duggan made a bad decision on a throw to receiver Joshua Palmer to the right side. Palmer was running a deep comeback. Duggan did not see linebacker Denzel Perryman patrolling the middle of the field. Perryman jumped the throwing lane but dropped the pick. It tipped into Palmer’s hands. Perryman immediately did 10 pushups after the drop because it clearly should have been an interception.
In a later 11-on-11 period, Stick attempted a throw over the middle. Edge rusher Khalil Mack leaped at the line of scrimmage and nearly intercepted the ball. It dropped to the turf as a batted pass, instead.
In that same period, Perez got fooled by a blitz. He forced a dangerous throw over the middle of the field. Linebacker Nick Niemann was in position and had the interception go in and out of his hands.
Herbert’s absence is making the Chargers as a whole very difficult to evaluate. The offense has looked anemic over the past two weeks, including in Saturday’s preseason opener. Are there real issues with the scheme and coaching? Or is Herbert going to make this unit look markedly different when he returns?
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The defense, meanwhile, has looked like an elite unit. Is this real? Is this actually going to be a top-third-of-the-league defense? Are the Chargers really going to be getting their hands on this many footballs? Or is this a case of playing Stick, Duggan and Perez in practice every day?
All these answers will not come until Herbert returns to practice.
Even then, it might take time for him to regain his form — both within Roman’s offense and with his pass catchers.
“From a mental standpoint, he is on point,” Roman said of Herbert. “He is the tip of the spear as we’re putting the offense in. We had a great little discussion yesterday about some tweaks we’re going to make. So he’s dialed in. He could step on the field right and run the show. From a physical standpoint, that’s a question for him, and I’m sure there’s a little bit of an acclimation period there — or I shouldn’t say I’m sure, I would guess (there is).”
Roman added, on the chemistry with the pass catchers: “That’s a work in progress. Time on task, reps together, you can’t sit here and sugarcoat the importance of that. So we got some catching up to do when that happens.”
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News and notes
• Chargers who did not practice Tuesday: Herbert; edge rusher Joey Bosa; receiver Simi Fehoko; receiver Jaylen Johnson; linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste; offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer; center Bradley Bozeman; Hurst; edge rusher Chris Rumph; edge rusher Andrew Farmer II; defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe; edge rusher Ty Shelby; and safety Tony Jefferson. Cornerback Cam Hart and receiver Derius Davis worked off to the side after individual drills.
• Safety Derwin James Jr. was back in team drills.
• With the Chargers thin at edge rusher, rookie defensive lineman Michael Mason worked with the edge rusher group during individual drills. The Chargers also re-signed edge rusher Savion Jackson and waived cornerback Chris Wilcox. The Chargers had waived Jackson last week when they signed Perez. The Chargers said Rumph is dealing with an injury he suffered in the preseason opener against the Seahawks. The team has indicated that it will only detail injuries when they are significant and of the long-term variety.
• Receiver Quentin Johnston was returning kickoffs during a special teams period.
(Top photo: Jevone Moore / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
