The Los Angeles Times' Jeff Miller joined last week's episode of “Chargers Weekly” for a closer look at team's roster ahead of 2020 training camp.
Miller is entering his third season as the Chargers beat writer. Among the topics: a new-look quarterbacks room, a deep secondary and players to watch during camp.
A couple of highlights from the conversation are below.
On All-Pro safety Derwin James (12:52)
"If Derwin's anything, he's a playmaker, and that's what this team on defense did not have last year. They didn't have guys making plays. And so, hopefully Derwin stays healthy and they have him for the whole year. … We saw it when he was a rookie. When he's out there, it's a totally different situation. That defense takes on a whole different personality; a whole different dynamic. … Without question, he's one of the game changers in the NFL."
On rookie LB Kenneth Murray (17:28)
"You watch the tape from him in college and he's all over the place making plays. We heard after the draft – you could hear it in [head coach] Anthony Lynn's voice how excited he was about being able to add a player like that. And we all know [general manger] Tom Telesco, how much he values, rightfully so, these draft picks and he gave up two of them to go back into the first round to get Murray. … He's a guy who I think if he can – he's going to have to move quick because there was no offseason program, no OTAs, no rookie minicamp on the field at least, all that stuff. So, he's going to have to kind of learn on the fly and go, but I think it looks like from what we're told about him and what it looks like on tape that he's a guy who they are going to, I'm sure, try to push a little bit and see what he can do. And if he can keep up, he has a chance to be, again, a playmaking sideline-to-sideline rookie that is going to be really fun to watch."
Listen to the full interview with Miller by subscribing to the Chargers Podcast Network, wherever you listen to podcasts!
