EL SEGUNDO — Rookie wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith was off his mark at the snap, sprinting downfield at top speed, running a flawless route and accepting a pass from quarterback Trey Lance without breaking stride in the second quarter of the Hall of Fame Game last week in Canton, Ohio.
Different day, different venue.
Rookie wide receiver Tre’ Harris broke off the line of scrimmage at the snap, cutting through the secondary with defenders closing in on him before he snared a pass from quarterback Justin Herbert without slowing down during a drill this week at the Chargers’ practice facility.
When the Chargers agreed to terms on a contract Tuesday with free agent wide receiver Keenan Allen, it only enhanced the talent pool available to make Herbert’s life that much easier in the season to come. Allen played 11 of his first 12 seasons in the NFL, and he knows the Chargers and they know him.
“We know how good he’s been throughout his career,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said. “He’s out there on the open market. It was a chance to bring someone of his caliber back. He can help us win games. We’re fired up to have him. He can help us in multiple roles, I really believe that.”
Lambert-Smith and Harris have drawn rave reviews from Herbert, Coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, among plenty of others, during the first three weeks of camp plus a comprehensive 34-7 victory over the Detroit Lions in their exhibition opener last Thursday.
Lambert-Smith, or KLS as he’s known around the facility, had two catches for 43 yards and one touchdown against the Lions. Harris had one reception for no gain against Detroit, but his play had been most noticeable in the three practices since the Chargers’ return from Canton.
Both players are ascending, as Harbaugh might say, and they could give the Chargers the sort of depth they lacked last season.
“That’s a really cool dynamic,” Harbaugh said of Lambert-Smith, a fifth-round draft pick from Auburn University, and Harris, a second-round selection from the University of Mississippi. “They were in the same draft class. I’m just happy we grabbed them both. They’re really doing well.
“This is two days in a row where KLS will make a play and then it’s Tre’ Harris and then another Tre’ Harris and then there’s another KLS and there’s another Tre’ and then two more KLS’s. It just goes back and forth. You come out of practice and there are splash plays by both. Both are doing really well.
“It’s really good and healthy for our team.”
The wide receiver position was an area of need for the Chargers, who last season relied heavily on another rookie, Ladd McConkey. In fact, it led to McConkey setting Chargers rookie records for receptions with 82 and receiving yardage with 1,149, breaking marks set by Allen in 2013.
Reliable targets beyond McConkey and Quentin Johnston, who is entering his third season in the NFL, were tough to come by. Hortiz addressed a void created when he traded Allen to the Chicago Bears and released Mike Williams in cost-saving moves last year. Williams retired July 17.
Hortiz addressed it again Tuesday, adding a six-time Pro Bowl selection in Allen.
“You get good players on the field and you play them,” Hortiz said of adding Allen. “You can get creative with a lot of different players. Ladd has played a lot of slot (in formations) and Ladd’s also been productive outside. Keenan has played a lot of slot and Keenan’s been productive outside. You’ve got a lot of good football players on the field and that makes you tough to beat.”
Lambert-Smith, Harris, McConkey and Johnston have miles to run before they can compare favorably to Allen and Williams, two of Herbert’s favorite targets in his first four seasons in the NFL after he was drafted in 2020. In his early seasons, Herbert was the novice playing with veteran wide receivers.
Now, he’s gained a seasoned veteran to go with a youthful group of receivers.
“I think over the past couple of years … I feel like we have a good feel for what we want and what we need to do to be successful,” Herbert said. “Getting through that and working through that with the young receivers and telling them, ‘Hey, this is kind of what we see from this offense, from this route concept,’ I think as long as we go through that, we’re going to get better and better.”