Tag: Derwin James

Early signs pointing to Derwin James wearing green dot for Chargers during 2024 season

Derwin James was spotted wearing what appeared to be a communications device at voluntary veteran minicamp.

The Chargers uploaded a series of photos from their voluntary veteran minicamp to the team’s website. Perhaps most interestingly, a picture of Derwin James wearing a communications device was uploaded.

Historically, players wearing an earpiece are usually relaying signal calls from the defensive coordinator. In this case, James would be the primary green dot play caller for Jesse Minter.

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James has worked as the team’s green dot previously. Last season, Brandon Staley handed the signal-calling responsibilities to a newly signed free agent in Eric Kendricks entering 2023. After an injury to Kendricks and an early defensive tailspin for the team, the green dot role went back to Kenneth Murray.

James had signal-calling responsibilities in both 2021 and parts of 2022. In 2022, Staley wanted to free up James’ ability to make plays by giving green dot responsibility to former Charger Drue Tranquill early in the season. It was a change of philosophy for Staley relative to how he talked about James’ role when he first was hired.

It’s still too early to suggest that James is getting the green dot role back relative to other options. With the draft quickly approaching, one has to wonder if the Chargers take a linebacker fairly early. Los Angeles publicly met with Michigan’s Junior Colson and Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper in Top 30 visits.

While we’re still a long way away from August and September, James’ contentment with being Minter’s signal relayer is nonetheless interesting and a potentially marked change.

Former Pro Bowl safety has lofty expectations for Jim Harbaugh in Year 1 with Chargers

Jim Harbaugh has proven to be a winner everywhere he has coached, and one of his former players sees it being no different with the Chargers.

Jim Harbaugh has proven to be a winner everywhere he has coached. Now, as the Chargers’ head coach, one of Harbaugh’s former players believes it will be no different.

Former Pro Bowl safety Donte Whitner, who played under Harbaugh when he was the 49ers’ head coach, heaped high praise on him, foreseeing a lot of success for Los Angeles with Harbaugh as the leader.

“I believe that Jim Harbaugh and the LA Chargers are going to be in the AFC Championship Game this year,” Whitner said on a recent episode of Kay Adams’ show Up & Adams.

Whitner backed up his claim by mentioning Justin Herbert and calling Harbaugh the “quarterback Whisperer,” highlighting the success he had with former Niner Colin Kaepernick and Michigan’s JJ McCarthy.

“Any of the quarterbacks that were under the tutelage of Jim Harbaugh, he figures out what your strengths are, and he tailors his offense around that in the running game,” Whitner added.

Whitner then brought up the defensive side of the ball and how physical and fundamentally sound Harbaugh requires his players to play.

“And then his defense they have you know [Joey] Bosa on one side and then um of the guy Mack, Khalil Mack on the other side along with the secondary and how fundamental and physical he demands his teams to be.”

Harbaugh will have a lot of top-end talent to work with, but the depth of the roster still leaves a lot to be desired. If they can nail the draft, then we could start forecasting a successful 2024 season for the Bolts.

Look: Chargers arrive for first day of offseason workout program

Check out the Chargers back in action.

Since the Chargers have a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh, they began their voluntary workout program before any of the other NFL teams, as players and coaches were back in the building on Tuesday.

It’s only the first phase of the program, which consists of meetings and weight room training. Once Phase 2 begins, players can get on the field and begin running drills, not in an 11-on-11 setting, however.

To see the Bolts return to the facility and in action in the weight room, here are some photos and a video, courtesy of the team’s official social media.

 

Jim Harbaugh expresses excitement for Alohi Gilman re-signing with Chargers

Jim Harbaugh had nothing but great things to say about Alohi Gilman’s return.

Jim Harbaugh had nothing but great things to say about Alohi Gilman’s return. Harbaugh’s excitement echoed the sentiments of Chargers fans, who were eager to have Gilman back on the first day of free agency. 

“Super excited about our safeties. Alohi, Derwin … it doesn’t get any better than that,” Harbaugh said.

Gilman earned his starting spot with spectacular and solid performances last year. He has become a key member of the Bolts’ defense. 

Gilman is the ball hawk the Chargers defense needs as he finished his 2023 campaign with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries to go along with two interceptions and 10 passes defended. 

Across four seasons, Gilman has 180 tackles, 14 passes defended and four interceptions.

Gilman and James are set to be the duo on the back end next season, but Harbaugh’s affinity for the safety began before his time in the NFL. 

“Long been a fan of Alohi from his Notre Dame days and Navy days,” Harbaugh said. “Just getting the chance to be around him and the interactions I’ve had, he’s just who I thought he was.”

Gilman is one of the most exciting players to watch in the powder blues and the Chargers front office made sure to secure him early in free agency.

Chargers re-signing Alohi Gilman

Alohi Gilman was deserving of another contract with the Chargers.

The Chargers are bringing back one of their own players, as Alohi Gilman agreed to terms with Los Angeles, according to his agent, Kenny Zuckerman.

According to NFL Media’s Mike Garofolo, Gilman’s new contract is for $11 million over two years.

Gilman became a full-time starter for the first time in his career and took advantage of the opportunity, amassing career-high numbers in tackles (73), interceptions (2), and forced fumbles (3).

Across four seasons, Gilman has 180 tackles, 14 passes defended and four interceptions.

With Gilman sticking around, he will play a key role alongside Derwin James. JT Woods is also still on the roster. Look for the Chargers to fill out the position room with another veteran free agency or late in the draft.

Chargers DC Jesse Minter ‘excited to unleash’ Derwin James

Jesse Minter revealed how excited he is to work with the star defensive back.

In a sitdown interview with the Chargers’ Senior Writer Eric Smith, Jesse Minter was asked about the vision for safety Derwin James thriving in his defense. In a rather lengthy response, Minter revealed his excitement to work with the star defensive back.

On his usage, Minter said:

I’m excited just to sort of try to try to unleash Derwin. No. 1, put him in positions to best utilize his skills and — he can do a lot of stuff — but I also think there’s a fine line. Like, ‘Let’s try to maximize Derwin and allow him to do the things that he’s really, really good at as much as possible.’ Sometimes you can get a guy like that and you can almost do too much with him and move him around too much. I want him to understand the concepts of the defense so that there’s certainly times that we can maximize his skillset.

James struggled at points last year when more was placed on his plate in reference to Brandon Staley’s STAR position. He had his slot cornerback snaps slashed in the last two weeks while his proportion of box and free safety snaps increased. The result? James had his highest PFF-graded game of the season against the Broncos and turned in a solid performance against the Chiefs.

The Chargers should still use the athletic versatility of James when they have the opportunity to, but it should be less heavily relied upon in the context of the whole defense.

Minter continued by mentioning James’ eagerness to get to work.

An elite cover guy, particularly on tight ends. And then he’s a physical presence over the middle of the field at the safety position. We want to put him in a position to use his strengths and do all that stuff to the best of his ability But really just most excited about his leadership skills, his eagerness. I feel like he stopped by my office every day the first couple of weeks I was here. He just wanted to talk and wanted to kind of get to know me and what we were trying to build. I like it to look at it as a partnership with these guys. Now we’re in this thing together, we’re building this thing together. Really excited about Derwin and the capabilities he has.

6 reasons Chargers fans should be hopeful for next season

Fans of the powder blues should be ecstatic for next season.

The Chargers are not only having an electric offseason, but the franchise itself is undergoing a striking transformation. Fans of the powder blues should be ecstatic for next season and here are six reasons why.

Jim Harbaugh

The man. The myth. The legend. Harbaugh has already begun to change the culture of the Chargers organization. It’s like a Hollywood movie, a dream come true. Harbaugh not only takes the team to new heights, but brings a household sports name to the Los Angeles team. Harbaugh is known for rescuing losing teams and reshaping them into winning programs. He’s done so with Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan. Fans have been craving a purposeful change for years–and Harbaugh is it. 

Justin Herbert

Harbaugh said it best: Herbert is the “crown jewel of the NFL.” Chargers fans have known this since he started for the team, but other football fans have had their doubts about Herbert. This is because the Bolts’ most prized possession has been overshadowed by a struggling team. Nevertheless, Herbert is a talented asset on the field and has proven so time and time again. With a new coach leading the way, it’s likely Herbert will have his best season as he gets to develop under such a valuable teacher like Harbaugh and an offensive mindset in Greg Roman, who should aid Herbert by elevating the run and play-action game. 

Jesse Minter

Under Minter, Michigan had one of the most dominant units in all of college football, finishing in the top 10 in various categories. If you watched the Wolverines on defense the past two seasons, you would be able to take away that they attacked aggressively and made life difficult for opposing offenses. Minter believes in adapting the defense to your best players and your opponent, not forcing your players into your defense. This will apply to players like Derwin James, who struggled in Brandon Staley’s defense as he was forced to do too much.

The front office

In Harbaugh’s introductory press conference, he stressed the importance of the team’s togetherness. It may seem insignificant, but it’s unmistakable that everybody has the same goal starting from the top of the organization–everybody wants to win. The Spanos family hiring Harbaugh essentially remade the franchise. The front office made the right moves in the offseason to set up the team for success and it is sure to be one of the organization’s most exciting seasons. 

Joe Hortiz

While Harbaugh should have an impact on the Chargers, Hortiz should just as much, too. Hortiz was with the Ravens for a long time, where he helped build one of the most talented rosters in the league during his tenure. He has a good eye for talent in free agency and the draft. This should pay dividends when it comes to reconstructing the roster now and in the future.

No. 5 overall pick in the draft

As if this offseason couldn’t be any sweeter, the Chargers have the fifth overall pick in the upcoming draft. Though it’s unclear what position they will be going for, this is an opportunity to add even more star power to the team with someone like LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers or Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Hortiz revealed that the team will be choosing the best player available in every round they have a pick. 

Chargers’ offseason needs: 6 positional groups L.A. must address

Here are six positional groups that the Los Angeles Chargers need to address to revamp their roster.

Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers are hard at work, identifying their strengths and weaknesses from this season as they head into the offseason in a little over a month.

That said, here are six positional groups that Los Angeles needs to address to revamp their roster.

Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on coming to NFL: ‘There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football’

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed why he left his former coaching job at Michigan.

In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed why he left his former coaching job at Michigan and decided to make the move to the NFL. 

“I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too,” Harbaugh said. “There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football.”

After going undefeated and winning the National Championship over Washington, Harbaugh had the perfect college season. There was really nothing more he could do.

However, he did have some unfinished business in the NFL.

Harbaugh believes his best chance of achieving his next goal, winning the Super Bowl, will be with the Chargers. 

“There’s nowhere better to do it than with the Los Angeles Chargers,” he explained. 

Harbaugh revealed that he has met some of the Chargers talent, including quarterback Justin Herbert, safety Derwin James and wide receiver Keenan Allen.

“I was a little starstruck,” Harbaugh said when talking about meeting Herbert. 

As Chargers fans eagerly wait for next season, Harbaugh has already begun changing the culture in Los Angeles. 

“We work together, we win together and it’s worth it,” Harbaugh said. “The sacrifice, the pressure, all of it–why would somebody put themselves through that? Because the rewards are just so darn good.”

Harbaugh will officially be introduced on Thursday at 1 pm PT at YouTube Theater at SoFi Stadium, where he will have his first press conference as the Chargers head coach.

Chargers’ most disappointing players in 2023

Here are a few Chargers players who disappointed the most in 2023.

The Chargers were supposed to make a name for themselves this season and cement their dominance in the AFC.

Instead, they had a nightmarish season, finishing with a 5-12 record. Here are the most disappointing players of 2023:

Austin Ekeler

Coming in at No. 1, Ekeler was by far the most disappointing player this season. 2023 was Ekeler’s opportunity to show the organization that he was worth a contract extension, especially since last offseason he requested a trade in March after he and the Chargers could not come to terms on a new contract. With the $2 million incentive Los Angeles gave him, there is no question whether he had the proper motivation to play at a high level this season. However, he had some of his most disenchanting performances this year. He ranked 38th in the league for rushing yards, totaling 628 on 179 carries (career-low 3.5 yards per carry), and he had just five rushing touchdowns. 

Derwin James 

James became the highest-paid safety in the league when the Chargers signed him to a four-year, $76 million extension in August 2022. In Brandon Staley’s scheme, James played five different positions. He had always played in dime packages when Staley was the team’s coach. But by the end of this season, he was playing limited snaps at safety. Against the Bills, James played slot defender for most of the game and was on the sideline at the end of the fourth quarter. He used to be fast. He used to be ferocious. But all of the playmaking that made him an All-Pro has since left, and it’s clear that he needs to revamp his caliber of play.  

Michael Davis 

The Chargers’ defense had some of its worst performances this season and one of the unit’s weakest points was the pass defense. A big contributor to their woes in the secondary was Davis, who gave up 55 completions on 84 targets. The defense allowed opposing teams to average over 260 passing yards per game. Like James, Davis was a ball magnet, but he only recorded one interception the entire season and had far too many lapses in coverage. 

Offensive Line

Along with several issues with the defense, the offense also had some performances that were disheartening for fans. The Chargers offensive line allowed 43 times this season. If a quarterback has no protection, he can’t do his job. There were several occasions where the offensive line added pressure on Herbert instead of giving him time to run deep plays.