Jerry Attaochu's Game Day Mix

**Stinky Wizzleteats+** · 08-09-2014, 10:51 AM

CHARGERS BLOG
Chargers tested Attaochu in opener
By Tom Krasovic 06:51p.m. Aug 8, 2014

The Chargers are eager to develop Jerry Attaochu.

They act like his rare speed off the edge can help them win games this year, even if he is a raw rookie now. They know he'll chase until he finds the ball or the whistle blows. Even if the kid lacks multi-moves, his burst can create angles for teammates. Growing pains are assumed, but also the cost of doing business. Tom Telesco invested two draft picks in him in May. With such investments, the clock ticks louder.

I like how the Chargers challenged Attaochu in their preseason opener Thursday. They matched him twice against an elite left tackle, Tyron Smith, and told him to find the quarterback without help.

How good is Smith? A day earlier, the Cowboys signed him to an eight-year, $98-million contract. A few plays before Attaochu faced him, he pancaked 300-pound end Kendall Reyes.

Attaochu tried to run by Smith each time, wide. Smith, who slides east-west like a point guard, thwarted him the first try. In the rematch, he rode him behind the pocket.

So was the rookie 0-for-2? Not quite. He made a sharp U-turn that prompted quarterback Brandon Weeden to pull the ball down and run upfield. It was just like his Georgia Tech game tape. The kid doesn't accept being out of a play.

Did Chargers coaches credit Attaochu with a pressure? "It depends on how you define pressure," Mike McCoy said Friday. McCoy quipped, "If it's our guys, sure."

Another play stood out. Defending the run, Attaochu crashed into the line's interior, only to see back Joseph Randle run by him for an 8-yard gain into the area he vacated. It was a reminder: he'll have to develop not just pass-rush moves, but awareness.

McCoy, asked about the performance, said he loved the rookie's approach.

"He's going full speed every play," he said. "There's going to be some growing pains with every young player. You've got to understand that. He's going to get sucked in on certain plays and not set the edge on certain things. But he's going to add another dimension for us on the outside edge that we're really looking forward to."

Expect him to face more starters from other teams. As it happens, the next three opponents employ left tackles who are all paid large salaries: Russell Okung (Seahawks), Joe Staley (49ers) and Jared Veldheer (Cardinals).

McCoy called such tests a "great opportunity." He said they help to answer the question: "When are the younger players going to make that jump?"

As for other Chargers edge rushers, Dwight Freeney, who rested Thursday, is the only one who, in his career, has shown he can beat NFL tackles with consistency. He's also 34 and coming off a season-ending quad injury, though he has flashed burst and an effective spin move this summer against the team's starters.

It's a big year for NFL junior and first-round draftee Melvin Ingram, who worked a stunt with Reyes to pressure Weeden into a throwaway. Ingram hasn't had a full season as a starter.

Backups Thomas Keiser and Reggie Walker had sacks against Cowboys backups -- Keiser whipped a tight end in 2.6 seconds and Walker, after moving from inside linebacker, got home in 3.1 seconds by trucking a running back. Sophomore Tourek Williams' move to the strong side, behind Jarret Johnson, figures to match him against tight ends more often this year.

How far will Attaochu's young legs and hunger take him this season? The discovery process began Thursday against a Pro Bowl tackle entering his prime

Jerry Attaochu's Game Day Mix

Jerry Attaochu's Game Day Mix

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