The Los Angeles Chargers offense was frustrating to watch under former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, but according to the latest NFL rumors, wide receiver Keenan Allen believes that the unit will be far more dangerous in 2023. In other news, John Harbaugh issued another update on running back J.K. Dobbins, and a new Netflix documentary showed the unsettling habits of former first-round pick Johnny Manziel.
NFL Rumors: Keenan Allen, J.K. Dobbins, Johnny Manziel
Keenan Allen Is “Playing Everything” Now
One of the most underrated moves any team made this offseason was when the Los Angeles Chargers replaced offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi with Kellen Moore. Moore, widely considered one of the better young offensive minds in the league during his time with Dallas, has already earned a fan in veteran receiver Keenan Allen.
Speaking to reporters, Allen said that “with Lombardi, I was stuck at the slot the whole time. I’m inside and outside now, we’re all kinda inside and outside now, playing everything.”
The Chargers have a talented trio of wide receivers in Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and first-round pick Quentin Johnston. When combined with a top-five quarterback in Justin Herbert, this offense should be one of the most dangerous in football now that they have a competent offensive mind calling the shots.
J.K. Dobbins
While big-name talents like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs have stolen most of the offseason spotlight, there is another running back looking for a new deal. Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins is still on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a knee injury, but there is a very real chance he is using his surgery as an excuse to hold out for a better deal.
When discussing the potential return of his starting running back, head coach John Harbaugh said that “the ball is in J.K’s court. We have talked. We talked again yesterday. We had a great conversation. I do expect him back very soon, but I don’t have anything to say for it.”
It is highly unlikely that Dobbins continues his holdout into the regular season and he should reclaim his starting job whenever he returns to the practice field. In the meantime, Gus Edwards will serve as the unquestioned starter with Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon fighting for the backup job.
Johnny Manziel
Former Cleveland Browns first-round pick Johnny Manziel is one of the bigger draft busts of the past decade, and now we’re finally starting to see why his college magic didn’t translate to the pros. The recently released Netflix documentary Untold: Johnny Football features a scene describing Manziel’s lackluster work ethic.
The scene begins with Erik Burkhardt, Manziel’s former agent, talking about how word spread that his client “doesn’t watch tape.”
“Well, he’s gotta watch some tape,” Burkhardt replied. Apparently he doesn’t, as the GM said “his iPad hours is zero point zero, zero.”
As you’d expect, Manziel’s stay in the NFL didn’t last long. Despite his first-round draft capital, the quarterback only appeared in 14 games while making eight starts. While on the field, he completed just 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. After two lackluster seasons in Cleveland, Manziel never earned another professional opportunity.
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