Gronk returns to practice

Mike McDaniel on the running back share between Omarion Hampton, Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell:

“Bad news, fantasy owners. Good news is I see all three of those guys producing at a very high level. Bad news is I can’t tell you which games those are.”

The post went on to say McDaniel added he’ll probably use all three every game, with the workload depending on the opponent and “hot hand.” It's not the first time it's been reported the Chargers may go with a committee at the position. Hampton is probably still the back to own and comes with the best draft capital at least. He's coming into his second season after missing time as a rookie. Vidal filled in nicely for him at times last season. In a nine-week span between Week 6 and Week 15, Vidal had over 12 carries in seven of those weeks. Mitchell is coming from Baltimore where he burst on the scene in 2023 producing several big plays over eight games before being injured most of 2024. Last season, Mitchell averaged just over five touches a game and could see a similar role with the Chargers.

Soft-tissue issue for J.K. Dobbins, per Sean Payton. Said he’s concerned with the number of muscle injuries in camp so far.

Warm-down at the end of practice was part of the response to soft-tissue injuries.

Related players: RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

The team thinks Dobbins will be fine, according to reports, but Dobbins has certainly dealt with his share of injuries in his career, so this one is again worth monitoring. When Dobbins was injured last season, it was Harvey who took over the lead back role. This season, the Broncos added Coleman in the draft, so if Dobbins misses some practices, it's going to give extra chances to both Harvey and Coleman to step up. Harvey only rushed for 3.7 yards per attempt last year, and was considered much more effective as a pass-catcher. That could open up Coleman for a chance at more carries should Dobbins end up missing time. It's all worth monitoring as we head into draft season.

Darius Cooper is much, much closer to WR2 than he is WR4 at this point.

Related players: DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks

ESP went on to say at this point it feels like, especially with Smith out, Cooper is the player QB Jalen Hurts goes to when he needs a catch or doesn’t have anywhere else to go with the ball. Keep in mind, first round pick Lemon hasn't been taking part in practices. Wicks has been having a nice camp himself, but Cooper, who made the Eagles last season, looks to be ahead of him in the pecking order of WRs. It could be a situation to monitor, because with A.J. Brown no longer in town, the team's WR2 role may very well be up for grabs.