Coach Lynn: QB Taylor on track to start for Chargers
Coach Anthony Lynn is trying his best to quiet any doubts that Tyrod Taylor will be the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback to start the season.
Lynn again gave Taylor plenty of endorsements Wednesday as he discussed how things are progressing in training camp.
“He hasn’t started in a couple years, and he’s going to get that opportunity this year,” Lynn said. “I think he’s gonna be just fine.”
Lynn knows what Taylor can do from the two years they were together in Buffalo, including in 2016 when Lynn was promoted to offensive coordinator two weeks into the season. Taylor was signed by Los Angeles last year and became the presumptive starter when Philip Rivers signed with Indianapolis.
Lynn slightly lamented that he hasn’t had an offseason to work closely with Taylor, but that the 10-year veteran knows what Lynn is expecting.
“He throws one of best deep balls in the game, but now he’s got a tight end threat with Hunter Henry inside. So now we’ll have to throw the ball between the hash marks a little bit,” Lynn said. “He takes care of the football. That’s the thing I like about him the most.”
With rookies reporting before veterans, Justin Herbert got on the field a couple of days before Taylor. Herbert, the sixth pick in April’s draft, is starting to get up to speed on the offense during walkthroughs, but how much progress he is making won’t be known for another couple of weeks.
What has pleased Lynn the most so far is that none of his players have been placed on the reserve/ COVID-19 list and no one has indicated they are planning to opt out of the season.
“We review the protocols all the time,” he said. “Guys get bored with the protocols, but we’re just trying to be as careful as we can.”
■ Bills: All-pro cornerback Tre’davious White is unsure if he will opt out of the season and has until 1 p.m. PT Thursday to decide. The 25-yearold, who tied for the league league in interceptions with six in 2019, is in Buffalo and said he wants to see the precautions the team is taking in an effort to keep players safe.
■ Cardinals: Two free agents, safety Kentrell Brice and wide receiver Andre Patton, agreed to contracts with undisclosed terms. Brice, 25, cut July 26 by Chicago, played three seasons with Green Bay, with 14 starts. Patton, 26, played in 13 games last season, including five starts, for the Los Angeles Chargers.
■ Lions: Matthew Stafford was removed from the reserve/covid-19 list and placed on the active roster after what the team called a false positive test. The 32-year-old was put on the list Saturday. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay also was removed from the reserve/covid-19 list.
■ Giants: Defensive end Markus Golden was re-signed to a one-year, $5.1 million contract. The 29-year-old, who had 10 sacks in 2019, had sought a multiyear deal in free agency. Also, cornerback Sam Beal, 23, became New York’s third player to opt out of this season.
■ 49ers: Wide receiver/kick returner Travis Benjamin became the first San Francisco player to opt out of the season. The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal in March after four seasons with Cleveland and four with the Chargers.
■ Dolphins: Albert Wilson became the second Miami wide receiver in as many days to opt out of the season, joining Allen Hurns. Wilson, 28, had 43 catches for 351 yards and one touchdown in 2019.
■ Rams: The team started a scouting apprenticeship program designed to boost the aspirations of minority and female candidates for scouting jobs and announced the selection of its first 10 participants.