There has been no more intriguing storyline coming out of the Los Angeles Chargers offseason than how they would rebuild their wide receivers room after cutting ties with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The franchise has explored every route to do so; they signed a veteran — DJ Chark, drafted three receivers, and brought in Sanjay Lal, a 17-year WR coach, to help develop existing pass catchers.
Perhaps the most intriguing player within this quizzical plot is former first-round draft pick, Quentin Johnston. As a first-round pick, expectations were extremely high. Bluntly put, he failed to meet even the most rudimentary of those expectations.
Johnston and Rice Take Center Stage For Chargers WR Competition
Even though the Chargers had invested heavily, there is yet a clear-cut pecking order among those wide receivers. The generally accepted top three are Chark, Josh Palmer and Ladd McConkey, leaving a bevy of players fighting for the three remaining spots.
Brenden Rice has made a strong case for one of those. He has made several great plays over the last two weeks of training camp
Greg Roman was asked about Rice, the third and final receiver drafted this year by the team, and how he fits into this group.
“Especially as a rookie in training camp, I want to pile as much adversity on him as possible early because he’ll come out the back end of it better, stronger, more prepared,” Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said via the Chargers. “He’s doing a lot of really good things. Love his attitude, he can run all day.
“He’s really working hard and really has a presence about himself out there,” Roman added. “He’s got a lot of work to do and that’s what we’re working on right now. We’re trying to get combed through a lot of different things, but he’s doing a really good job.”
The true test will come when the Chargers lace ’em up in their three upcoming preseason games. Rice can solidify his roster spot with great performances over the next three weeks.
It should be expected that Rice and Johnston will be competing for rep share and target share throughout these games; as Roman put it, “pile on as much adversity” to see who comes out looking better, stronger and more prepared.
