Chargers Mailbag: Expectations for Jamaree Salyer, Chris Rumph's Role and Keenan Allen's Status

Chargers mailbag: answering questions that surround the team as they enter Week 6.

Nicholas Cothrel | Oct 11, 2022

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Los Angeles Chargers

Welcome to the first installment of the Chargers mailbag on ChargerReport.com. I'll be doing mailbags periodically throughout the season, answering questions from fans about the team.

You can enter submissions to be included in the mailbag by tweeting at me here.

Question No. 1 from @Jesse45de: Do you think we can expect this level of consistency from Jamaree Salyer?

Jamaree Salyer passed his first test by sticking it to the Texans in his first NFL start without allowing a sack or a pressure. He then turned in another respectable performance against a pretty stout edge rusher tandem of the Browns in Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. Last week in Cleveland, Salyer allowed six pressures, one quarterback hit and didn’t allow a sack. That's with a bulk of the snaps having to go up against Garrett, one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL.

There's no disputing there was uncertainty at left tackle when Rashawn Slater went down and Salyer stepped in after having worked at guard almost exclusively during training camp. But now after seeing Salyer in two games, one of which was against one of the better edge rushers he'll see all season, it's clear the Chargers found a real gem in the sixth-round.

The loss of Slater is undoubtedly a substantial loss. I don't want to underestimate how important he is to the offensive line. But with the capabilities Salyer has shown across his first two games, I fully expect him to be continue playing to this effect during Slater's absence.

Question No. 2 from @HR_PaperStacks_: When will they make a switch at return man?

DeAndre Carter is going to get every opportunity to return kicks and punts. He was signed this offseason for that reason and what he's provided as a wide receiver has just been a bonus.

Sure, you'd like to see more from his returns, but it's only been five games. I wouldn’t sour on Carter just yet. He was the Chargers' most explosive player throughout training camp and he delivered high-end production as a return man last season in Washington, where he averaged 25 yards per kick return.

It's also worth noting that the Chargers have a new special teams coordinator in Ryan Ficken, plus a lot of new faces brought in this offseason who are contributing to that phase of the game. I'd figure the best is probably ahead of them after the special teams group continues to accumulate more reps as a unit.

Question No. 3 from @ASmithHimself: Can Chris Rumph make an impact or is he not ready?

After looking solid in training camp and the preseason, Chris Rumph hasn’t quite taken that jump that maybe some expected when his snap counts shot up to about 50% following Joey Bosa's groin injury.

To Rumph's credit, he's transitioned his body by adding strength this offseason in becoming a more powerful player. I still think there's things to be encouraged about with the way he's shedding blocks and it’s clear, he's more firm at the point of attack.

There's clearly a drop off from him compared to Bosa. But that's to be expected. Bosa is an elite edge defender, whereas Rumph is still just a second-year player looking to come into his own. The ideal situation for Rumph right now would be to fill that rotational pass rusher role just as he started the year doing. But after Bosa's injury, Rumph is the next man up and he's sort of learning on the job as we speak.

I think Rumph has the potential to make an impact, but for now it's going to require patience with the young player.

Question No. 4 from @Kuateluken: What is wrong with Keenan Allen? When is he coming back?

Keenan Allen's hamstring injury suffered in the season opener has continued to hold him out of games for four weeks now. Just when he looked like he had a shot to play in Week 3, he suffered a setback in practice when he felt his hamstring tighten up on him.

As a result, Allen didn't practice at all last week. But Brandon Staley did sound encouraged with where Allen's at now, saying Monday that "he's making good progress."

The Chargers have been reluctant to place him on injured reserve during this time of absence. Had Allen not suffered the setback, it's fair to assume he would’ve already returned. Staley has said this isn't a significant injury to the hamstring, which is why he's been deemed day-to-day the last couple weeks.

I got the impression that Allen could practice in a limited capacity this week. As for his game status, that'll be a wait and see based on how his hamstring feels when testing it in practice.

Question No. 5 from @Frankytheguy: Thoughts on adding Robbie Anderson if the Panthers go full fire sale?

Robbie Anderson would unequivocally bring an element to the Chargers they don't currently have on their roster – a deep-speed dimension to their pass-catching group. However, I don't think it’s very realistic.

Before the Chargers do anything, they're going to want to see how this offense looks with Allen back in the fold before turning to the trade market. The Chargers have played just two quarters of football this season with their top two receivers, and yet they still have the No. 2 passing attack in the NFL.

Now, if Allen's injury becomes more problematic down the road, that could open up a door to add a receiver ahead of the trade deadline. Anderson's contract isn’t small, though. His cap number is $10.9 million this season and it jumps to $21.7 million in 2023. And the Chargers sit with $5.3 million in available cap space this season. They're also currently projected to be over the salary cap number next year based on the makeup of this roster.

While they could look to add a speedster as the trade deadline looms, it feels hard-pressed that it would be Anderson unless the Panthers eat a good portion of the contract.

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