Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter told reporters on Thursday that “what you do scheme-wise is always evolving” and there’s a long way to go until the regular season, so it will be a while before we have a sense how the unit will look in game action.
One thing that seems like a safe bet is that safety Derwin James is going to be in the thick of the action. Minter called James “a matchup piece” because of how his versatility can be used in a variety of roles, but also cautioned that versatility is “sometimes good and sometimes bad” because you can ask James to do too much on the field.
“I think when you watch him, the closer he is to the action, the better he is,” Minter said, via the team’s website. “He’s a dynamic blitzer, he’s dynamic in man coverage. I think he can shut down a lot of the tight ends, backs, all those types of matchup problems that other teams present. We’re super excited to work with him, but we want to make sure that we’re utilizing him the best place possible. Don’t know where that’s at yet, but really looking forward to working with him. I think he’s going to be a dynamic player.”
The Chargers defense never found consistent success during Brandon Staley’s run as head coach. Minter’s job is to change that and it sounds like James will be central to that effort next season.