The Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs in 2024. But if Jim Harbaugh had his way, they would do something about that offensive line.
Harbaugh is the ultimate meat-and-potatoes head coach, fixating on a strong offensive line to serve as the engine of his team. Part of the work was done when Joe Alt was selected with the fifth overall pick in last year’s draft and Rashawn Slater gave the Chargers one of the best tackle duos in the NFL. But something needed to be done about the interior of the offensive line as Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman and Trey Pipkins III struggled last season.
The Chargers tried to fix the problem by signing a rival’s free agent this week. But the move could backfire and put Harbaugh back where he started.
Newest Charger Andre James is a Questionable Addition To Their Offensive Line
The Chargers made a significant move in free agency on Tuesday, signing former Las Vegas Raiders center Andre James to a three-year, $24 million contract. James was brought in to compete with Bozeman for the starting center job but his contract suggests that James is the favorite for the job.
Before we treat Bozeman like a house of cards, there’s a catch. James wasn’t very good last season.
He ranked 36th among 43 qualifying centers with a 55.6 grade according to Pro Football Focus and his 97.7 pass-blocking efficiency rating ranked 31st in that group. James’s 17 quarterback pressures don’t look as bad until you realize he only had 448 pass-blocking snaps (25th among qualifiers) and he was non-existent in the ground game with a 50.2 run-blocking grade last season.
If the numbers aren’t enough of a warning, perhaps the resounding cheer from Raiders fans will do the trick. Austin Boyd of Just Blog Baby was one Raiders follower who was happy to see James leave and believes Christian Wilkins will be happier than a grizzly bear in a meat locker when the two teams meet next season.
“Christian Wilkins should be licking his chops when the Raiders play the Chargers,” Boyd said. “Sure, there’s no guarantee that James will end up as the starting center, but Los Angeles is paying him a lot of money so that’s a win for the Raiders too.”
There’s always the chance the Chargers throw one more hat into the ring – although that’s unlikely given the size of this contract. There’s also a chance that James could be better than expected after leaving an offensive line that ranked 26th in PFF’s final offensive line rankings for last season. Either way, the Chargers are hoping James will have a better performance in Los Angeles than he did in Las Vegas.