2019 TRAINING CAMP DAY 2 MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Friday, July 26, 2019 | Jack Hammett Sports Complex | Costa Mesa, Calif.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS HEAD COACH ANTHONY LYNN
On CB Desmond King II:
"He came in as a corner. He's playing some corner, he's playing some free safety. He's our starting nickel, but it's good to have some position flex so we can do more things with him."
On K Michael Badgley being the only kicker in camp:
"[It's] probably because of [P] Ty [Long]. If something happens to Mike, we feel like Ty can go in and get us out of a game. Ty is not a bad kicker. He's done it before for a job. In practice, he looks pretty good kicking, as a matter of fact."
On confidence in Badgley:
"I am happy with Mike. I like the way he kicked last year. He finished strong. He came in, he won the job. It's his job. We're very happy with our kicker right now."
On Badgley during kickoffs:
"His kickoffs, he can improve. No doubt about it. Ty [Long] can kickoff as well. Right now, I don't know who's going to be kicking off when we play Indianapolis, but Mike's kickoffs could definitely improve."
On S Nasir Adderley:
"We're working him in. He worked some with the second team. In minicamp, he worked some with the first team. When preseason games come around, those guys will get a lot of reps and move up and down the depth chart. We'll see who makes the plays."
On Adderley's chances to start:
"Him and [S] Rayshawn Jenkins — I think that's a pretty good competition back there, and then you have [S Jaylen] Watkins. I mean, Watkins may have been our starting free safety last year if he had stayed healthy. It's one heck of a competition back there right now. Rayshawn, right now, he's No. 1. Like I said, we haven't played a snap yet, so once we get in games, we'll figure that out."
On S Rayshawn Jenkins:
"Rayshawn has been in the system for three years. He's a heck of an athlete. He has to be one of the most athletic free safeties in the league. Now, he just has to make better decisions. Once he learns what he's doing and he can help people around him, he's going to be a really good football player."
On LB Kyzir White:
"We're going to monitor him. Today was Kyzir's day off. Tomorrow he will work. [Just a rest day] is all. He's fine."
On the depth at wide receiver:
"We're looking, I like the competition, though. Andre Patton, he's making plays. It seems like every practice that he makes a play. Artavis Scott makes plays. Both of those guys were very focused in the offseason. They know it's a good competition. They know they have an opportunity to step up and help this football team and I believe they will."
On WR Jason Moore:
"He's making plays, too. Like I said, right now, we have a lot of guys in good competition out here. When we get the pads on and get in games, I think guys will start to separate themselves a little bit — at least, they should."
On Jenkins' improving his decision-making:
"It's getting more comfortable in the system and being with his position coach. He should be making better decisions this year, to be honest with you. That's what I'm expecting from him. We've talked about it. He's a very aggressive football player. Sometimes, you have to control his aggression so that he doesn't get so many penalties like he was getting earlier in his career. I think he toned it down last year. I saw him mature a little bit. He just has picked up where he left off."
On DT Justin Jones:
"He's looking good. I like the way JJ is looking."
On DT Jerry Tillery:
"Jerry is working in individual right now. Next week, he'll get a little bit more and a little bit more. We're in no rush to throw him out there before he's ready. When he's ready, we want him out there, trust me."
On G Forrest Lamp:
"Forrest is going to get looks at both guard [spots], not just left guard. I like the way that he's looked so far."
On QB Tyrod Taylor:
"I've coached Tyrod when I was the [offensive coordinator] in Buffalo. I'm very familiar with him and what he can do with his skillset. We're fortunate to have him."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVER KEENAN ALLEN
On how he feels:
"I feel amazing. It's year seven, best I've felt and most I've worked in the offseason up to this point."
On his reps in the team period:
"We actually lost a couple of guys early on in practice today. Two guys went down for us at the receiver position, so we only had eight. I've toned it down a little bit to keep us healthy."
On what he is doing to stay healthy:
"Just more lifting. I'm trying to stay up on it. Prehab before rehab."
On RB Justin Jackson:
"He looks good. He has always been explosive, always been a great change-of-direction guy, making the first guy miss. Just that, being able to step in. Obviously, he came in last year against Pittsburgh. He stepped in and made some good plays."
On TE Hunter Henry:
"He's going to get more comfortable and more confidence, day-in and day-out, with the ACL — and you know his game. He's going to get right back to where he was before he left. Just every day, he's going to be able to get better."
On how Henry being back will help the team:
"Oh, he's going to be great. He's another guy that can ball. I'll still get my double-teams, but now we have another threat that's always going to be open 90 percent of the time and he always catches the ball. Hunter's great."
On still having something to prove:
"Yeah, I think so — just to everybody. Not even just to prove something because they don't think I'm that good, but because that's how I am. I like proving myself. I like coming out every day, being consistent, getting better every time and showing them that I can't be guarded."
On RB Melvin Gordon's absence:
"That's my [guy]. I'm missing him a little bit, but he's going to get it right."
On advice for Gordon:
"Take his time, do the right thing. I don't want to say too much. I just try to focus on training camp pretty much. I think he's good. Hopefully, he can get it all behind him, come on and play football."
On being a veteran:
"Yeah, just living in the moment it all seems like it flies by. Just going through it, day-in and day-out it's definitely a grind. Took a while to get here, but I'm blessed."
On counseling younger players:
"I'm getting better at it. My patience with my kids is helping me. So, just being able to teach, being able to show them more. I'm usually a visual guy so I like to see it before I do it, so trying to do that for them and hopefully, they can pick it up."
On Gordon:
"Yeah, it's bittersweet. For him, he has to be selfish about it, you know. For me, I just have to come out here and do my job and control what I can control. So, like I said it's bittersweet. We wish he was here, but at the same time he has to get things done, too."
On the wide receivers:
"We have a lot of opportunities for those guys. We've got great guys, though, that can play behind us. I'm excited to see which one gets a spot."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS LINEBACKER THOMAS DAVIS SR.
On what excites him about being on the Chargers:
"I think having the ability to come out here and compete. Knowing the caliber of the players on this team, knowing the coaching staff that's in place — I feel like we can really be a special group. It's all about coming out here and doing the work that were doing right now to put it all together."
On how the Chargers could be a special group:
"I mean, when you look at the roster, you look at the guys that we have on this team and you look at how unselfish this group is — that in itself really says a lot about the character of the men that we have on this football team. I think everyone shares that common goal. They had a good season last year, but that doesn't predicate or determine how this season is going to be and everybody understands that. [Head] Coach [Anthony Lynn] does a great job of driving that home. For me personally, I know it from experience. When we went 15-1 and made it to the Super Bowl in Carolina. We didn't win the Super Bowl and we kind of had expectations of going back and we missed the playoffs the next year. I can definitely speak to that, and it's all about what you do the next year. That's the mindset."
On his desire to win a Super Bowl:
"I think that's something that all players who haven't accomplished [it] want to do. We all come into this game and come into this league to win a Super Bowl. Until you've done that, you're going to continue to chase that."
On where he feels he fits in with the defense:
You know, I just try to come in and play my part. I'll offer as much veteran leadership as I possibly can, but at the same time, I'm going out here and competing at a high level. I'm pushing the guys in the linebacker room, pushing the other guys on the defense — until we are the No. 1 defense in this league, none of us have really accomplished anything.
On S Derwin James:
"Man, it's been amazing. He's an awesome player, he's a guy that loves to compete. I'm super competitive, so when we get together, it's usually fun, man. We are out here working every day. He's pushing me to be better and I'm trying to push him to be even better than he was last year, if that's possible."
On James' maturity:
"I think, really for me, for him to be as young as he is, being able to see how hard he works, how much he dedicates himself to becoming a better player — I think that's the one thing that really surprised me for him being so young."
On mentoring younger player:
"You really try to help them out as much as you possibly can. When it comes to understanding what offenses are trying to do to you, when you see certain things from a formation standpoint, you try to talk, communicate and make sure that we're all on the same page. That goes across the board. It's not just for me talking to Derwin, but it's for the whole defense. As long as everybody is out there communicating, that's how you become very good on defense."
On the difference between the first and second day of practice:
"Taking a step. One day to the next day and tomorrow, we have to be even better. It's just all about taking steps, being one percent better today than we were the day before until the season starts, and then we will end up where we want to be."
On the important of leadership:
"I think the most important part of being a leader is definitely leading by example. You can't be willing to go out and tell somebody to do something that you're not willing to do. For me, I'd go to the end of the earth for my teammates. I'm willing to do anything that it takes to be a part of this team, anything it takes to help this team win. That's always been my mindset."
On RB Justin Jackson:
"Man, he's a good player. He has all the intangibles. He's a guy that can do it all. He does a great job out of the backfield and he does a great job when he's out in space, so I think he is going to be really good."
