Over 5,000 screaming fans came out to watch the first day of training camp. They cheered every big play, eyeing a big year for the Bolts in 2017.
They aren't alone.
Sports Illustrated and MMQB's Peter King was in attendance as he makes his annual tour of NFL training camps. What he saw at Jack Hammett Sports Complex only reinforced his beliefs about the Los Angeles Chargers.
"I believe that if this team is healthy, they will be a factor in late December. There aren't many teams in the NFL that have the kind of bookend pass rush that the Chargers do in (Joey) Bosa and (Melvin) Ingram. You can count them; there are probably five or less. I also want to really look at the protection of Philip Rivers. The NFL right now, and getting guys to protect the quarterback is what's so vital to this game. And the Chargers got Russell Okung. He's a huge piece of this puzzle right now. He's got to have that kind of year he had in his prime in Seattle.
King also believes Head Coach Anthony Lynn is the real deal.
"Richie Incognito told me that everybody in their locker room really liked (Lynn), but more importantly in this job, they respect him. I think that's what's happening here. He's got the benefit of being a former player, and a longtime position coach. And then he was briefly a coordinator and head coach. So he's seen it all. He's coached with, and for, some really good and interesting coaches. It goes all the way back to Bill Walsh. I think he's a growth stock. I'm really, really glad he got this opportunity. I wasn't sure he'd get it. But there are guys you meet over the years who are really good and smart, and really have their finger on the pulse of their team. That's Anthony Lynn."
King arrived at Chargers Camp with preconceived notions about the product on the field.
What he didn't know was what type of reception they'd receive in their new home. It's safe to say he left impressed.
"I really had no idea what to expect, but there was more interest from the fans than I realized. I think in the outside world, people think the players are obsessed with this (relocation) and it will have an impact on them. But I don't think the Chargers will be distracted. At the end of the day, I think they'll show up on Sunday and all that stuff (is nonsense). Again, if the Chargers stay healthy, they are going to be a factor in late December."
The Los Angeles Chargers take the field for the first Training Camp practice in Costa Mesa.
