COSTA MESA, Calif. — Thursday marked the end of an era for the Los Angeles Chargers.
The team held its final practice of mandatory minicamp at Hoag Performance Center. Over the next six weeks, the organization will be moving to its new permanent facility in El Segundo, Calif. The Chargers will now be based in Los Angeles County after spending the past seven seasons at the temporary facility in Orange County.
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Training camp begins in late July and will be held at the new facility, called The Bolt.
“I’m really excited to see it,” quarterback Justin Herbert said Thursday after practice.
The 2024 offseason has been one of transition for the Chargers, from a new coach in Jim Harbaugh to a new general manager in Joe Hortiz to this final piece in the relocation to Los Angeles. Training camp will represent a fully realized fresh start.
Harbaugh opted to dial back Thursday’s practice after two full days Tuesday and Wednesday. Only the backup players participated in team drills. The starters had the option of only lifting, but many were still on the field for what Harbaugh called an “opportunity” practice.
Herbert was throwing to receivers, including Joshua Palmer. Safety Derwin James Jr., edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. were among the starters going through drills on the opposite field.
So, not a ton to report from the action on the field. But James and Herbert spoke with the media for the first time this offseason.
words of wisdom from QB1 pic.twitter.com/rJAYwxZtpu
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) June 13, 2024
Here are some notes and takeaways.
• Harbaugh and coordinator Greg Roman have been rather explicit when talking about their offensive vision this offseason. They want to be a dominant line-of-scrimmage team, and they want to run the ball.
How does Herbert fit into that picture? Here is what he had to say about his role in the new offense: “Selfishly, as a quarterback, I would love to throw the ball every time and understand that we can throw the ball downfield. But I do think that there is something to being able to do it all, to hold a defense accountable and to understand that a run game starts a pass game, and having a good pass game opens up the run game. So I think that complementary football that we always talk about, I think that’s only going to help us as an offense.”
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At this stage, it is hard to nail down exactly what the offense is going to look like. The Chargers have not yet been in pads. Until that happens, so much of the run game is theoretical instead of practical. How is the offensive line jelling? How much movement can the Chargers create at the line of scrimmage within the scheme? Those are the questions that will start to be answered in training camp. When the pads come on, the identity will show itself.
“Being flexible and understanding that one game maybe we throw the ball 30 times, or maybe one game we throw it 15 times,” Herbert said. “As long as we’re finding a way to win and being able to do both, I think we’ll be a talented and successful team.”
in it 2 win it 🤞 pic.twitter.com/ibQRGifMQp
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) June 13, 2024
• Herbert is entering his fifth NFL season. This is the fourth offense he has learned. He had Shane Steichen as his offensive coordinator as a rookie. Then two seasons of Joe Lombardi. Then Kellen Moore. And now Harbaugh and Roman. Herbert has had only one NFL season in which he carried over an offense.
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Herbert has still developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the game, much to his own credit. His full potential will come to fruition once he can remain in the same offense for multiple seasons and grow within a system year over year.
Herbert is hopeful this is the beginning of that process.
“Ideally, that’s the situation,” Herbert said. “It’s unfortunate that that hasn’t been the case here, and all that I can do is to be the best quarterback, teammate and leader that I can be. It would be great if we could win the Super Bowl every year and we could have all these great things. That’s what we’re working for, and that’s why we’re here right now, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
GO DEEPER
Chargers coordinators Jesse Minter, Greg Roman detail their philosophies, schemes
• Herbert has been wearing a gold jersey in practice on the days the Chargers wear their game uniforms. He is the only player wearing the gold jersey. Other quarterbacks have been in their standard white jerseys.
Herbert is never one to put himself above the team. It goes against every fiber of his being. He said Thursday that on the first day of wearing the gold uniform, he asked Harbaugh if the other quarterbacks — Easton Stick, Max Duggan and rookie Casey Bauman — could also wear gold jerseys.
“But he said it was his rule,” Herbert said. “And so if it’s his rule, I’m following it. Doesn’t matter what color it is, I’ll wear it.”
• Herbert missed the final four games of the 2023 season after fracturing the index finger of his throwing hand. The fracture required surgery. He said he was back fully healthy by late February or early March.
• James said having the opportunity to learn a new defense from a new coaching staff has felt “like Christmas.”
He is coming off a disappointing season. And so much of his uneven play in 2023 was tied into how he was being used by the previous regime. James was being asked to wear too many hats — play too many positions and fill too many roles within each game. Now, under coordinator Jesse Minter, James said he is “not being overworked.”
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When asked whether he will be moving around as much as he was under the previous coaching staff, James said, “I feel like it will be different.”
James has been playing in the slot some during OTAs and minicamp. He has also been playing safety and blitzing off the edge.
James was doing all of these things last season. But the big difference, he said, will be in when he fills these roles.
“I feel like I’ll be moved around,” James said. “But I feel like it will be very detailed on an assignment that he wants me to have.”
year 7 feels like christmas pic.twitter.com/EpJoi9tJFU
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) June 13, 2024
James added that his roles will be more game-plan specific. Yes, he can play safety and nickel and dime and edge and even linebacker. But over the past three years, James was asked to do all those jobs in a single game. On one play, he was playing as a deep-field quarters safety, attacking down on routes. On the next play, he was playing in the slot, backpedaling and retreating to defend receivers. What James is indicating is that Minter will be taking advantage of his flexibility, but it will be on a more game-to-game basis as opposed to snap-to-snap.
If the Chargers like James in a matchup against a slot receiver, then his primary role will be at nickel for that game. If they like him matched up on a tight end, that will be his primary role for the game. If they like him as a last line of defense at safety, that will be his primary role for the game.
That is the idea, anyway. And this should help free up James to play fast over 60 minutes.
Flexibility is valuable. But it is only as valuable as the way it is utilized.
• When James does move into the slot, a third safety must come onto the field to replace him deep. AJ Finley and JT Woods have been rotating at that spot this spring. Veteran safety Tony Jefferson was also in minicamp as a tryout player. When asked if he would like to see the Chargers sign Jefferson, James said, “Yeah, for sure. That allows me to move around.”
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• James was asked if any of the young defensive backs have stood out to him in spring practices. The first name he mentioned: rookie corner Tarheeb Still. “Tarheeb been making a lot of plays in the slot,” James said.
Still had an interception and two pass breakups in Wednesday’s practice. He had another PBU in Thursday’s opportunity practice.
(Top photo: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
