COSTA MESA — The Chargers released their first unofficial depth chart in advance of their first exhibition game Saturday against the Rams, and rookie Zander Horvath is penciled in as their No. 1 fullback. It’s a job he could share with veteran Gabe Nabers when the regular season begins.
Horvath, a seventh-round draft pick from Purdue, might also land an enhanced role as a special teams player in 2022. It’s a job that could lead to greater things down the road for a 6-foot-3, 230-pound player who has shown a willingness to play a physical game during camp.
After all, he need only look at No. 1 running back Austin Ekeler to see how standout special teams play can be an entry eventually to a bigger role in the backfield. Ekeler embraced a special teams job as a rookie and will tell anyone who will listen that it can be a pathway to a long and fruitful career.
“For me, when I had special teams, that was pretty much the only reps I got at practice,” Ekeler said the other day. “So that was like my whole livelihood. I put everything into that. There was nothing else I could have done more as far as what I was putting into the preparation.
“It came down to me putting the maximum effort, taking it as seriously as I possibly could.”
Ekeler went on to become one of the Chargers’ most productive players in their history, scoring 12 rushing touchdowns and eight receiving TDs in 2021. He is one of only six players in NFL history to score eight or more rushing TDs and eight or more receiving TDs in the same season.
No one is expecting the same sort of impact from Horvath – rushing, receiving or blocking. It’s simply too much to ask.
“I think the biggest thing with Zander is we like his athleticism, his size,” special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken said. “He’s added some weight coming into camp. He’s a very mature rookie. He played on (special) teams. We liked him on (special) teams. He’s not just a fullback on offense.
“He’s a football player. He’s got a way to increase his value.”
EXHIBITION EVALUATIONS
No question, the Chargers are looking forward to actually playing a football game on Saturday, a chance for the coaching staff to get a better chance to evaluate players beyond what they’ve seen in camp. Ficken agreed that it was important, but stressed that evaluations are ongoing.
“I think preseason games are very important, but these practices, we can’t take these lightly,” he said. “They’re being evaluated not only in preseason games but in practices, in the meetings, just the small things, being where you need to be.
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“We’re trying to create depth at all positions. We’ve got to make sure they’re ready to go in all these situations, making sure they’re prepared so they can execute and have success.”
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
Michael Davis had this to say about the impact fellow cornerback J.C. Jackson has had during camp, after signing with the Chargers as a free agent from the New England Patriots, “He’s a Florida boy. All Florida boys are energetic. They’re wild like that. He brings a wildness to the team.”
ODDS AND ENDS
Coach Brandon Staley returned to practice after missing Tuesday’s workout to be with his son, Grant, while Grant underwent surgery on an injured toe and to check if it had become infected. … Staley wouldn’t (or couldn’t) say the other day who might play in the Chargers’ three exhibition games beyond suggesting that if “we know who you are” the chances are great that you won’t play. In other words, the starters are likely to sit out the games against the Rams, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. … Derwin James Jr.’s “hold-in” continued for the 12th day of camp while he awaits a contract extension. The Chargers still expect a resolution sooner rather than later, but there’s no timetable for his return to full activities.
Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, right, and rookie fullback Zander Horvath work on a drill during a training camp practice late last month in Costa Mesa. Ekeler is an example to Horvath of how standout special teams play can be an entry to a bigger role in the backfield. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)