The Bolts have a fresh face at center in Bradley Bozeman.
Chargers.com recently caught up with the veteran to chat about his transition to the Bolts, reuniting with Greg Roman and what has impressed him about Justin Herbert.
Here's our 1-on-1 conversation with Bozeman:
Thanks for doing this, Bradley! Let's start off the field … congrats on the birth of your baby girl in April.
"Thank you! Yeah, we had a baby girl in April and she'll be [three] months on the 10th. She's doing great. It's been a great transition out here with her and my son and my wife. We're really loving LA."
What do you love about being a dad?
"Just coming home to my family and seeing my son and him running up to me. Especially right now, he's big into his Dada. The door opens and you hear him go, 'Dada.' I'm loving that. My daughter is starting to recognize us and gives me big smiles. Seeing them smile is one of the best feelings in the world."
Football-wise, how has the transition to the Bolts been and why were they the choice in free agency?
"It's been really good jumping into this offense and be able to really lock it down. Things are different here but in the best of ways possible. We're grinding, we're working hard and we're doing things the right way. That's going to pay off this season. I've just enjoyed everything we've done. I've been a part of systems where your offseason is a little smoother and they aren't as hard but then it doesn't pay off in the season. You really get out what you put into it and we've put in a lot of really good work."
How much did Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman play a role in you coming here?
"I played under G-Ro for four years in Baltimore so I know what he's about and what he likes to do. I have familiarity with [Chargers offensive line coach Mike] Devlin and a bunch of the coaches over here. And I know what the Harbaugh family is about and how hard-nosed they are and how they are winners. I want to win a Super Bowl and do a lot of really great things. We're only given a sliver of time to play football and I want to maximize my opportunity."
You now play for Jim Harbaugh and previously played for John Harbaugh. What's the biggest difference between the two?
"I haven't been able to nail that one down yet [laughs]. I know that Jim played the game at a professional level so maybe some of the viewpoints change a little. But other than that, I think they're both great coaches. I'm excited to have played under both of them and are excited to see what we can do this season."
Let's go back to Greg Roman for a minute. What do you like about him as a coach?
"Knowing what he likes to run and the way he coaches, it's his consistency. The way he builds gameplans, I knew this kind of system would be what I could thrive in because I was it in in Baltimore."
There's been lots of chatter this offseason about wanting to beef up the run game, an area the Chargers have struggled in for a few years. What does that mean to you as an offensive lineman when you hear that?
"It puts a lot of confidence and a lot of it on us. I heard what Coach [Harbaugh] said about the offensive line and how he wants us to be the tip of the spear. As offensive linemen, you love that and the responsibility that comes with that. Just go out and impose your will on teams is the whole ideal about being an offensive lineman. Move people against their will and we're going to be committed to that. And then we have just an absolute talent of an arm behind us at quarterback so we're lucky to have a spectacular pass game as well. To be truly balanced in this league is a great system to be in."
You previously played under Coach Devlin. What is his coaching style like?
"He's just matter of fact. He played the game and he gets it. It's not all just paper tigers on a chalkboard and just X's and O's … it's actual football. You go out and put it on the field and I love his mindset for how we're going to do things and how he sees things. I loved his style when he coached me at the Senior Bowl and have always remembered that. Excited to work with him again."
If we look at the Chargers O-line room, most of the group returns from last season. What's it been like as one of the new guys?
"It's a great offensive line room. Great, high-character guys and great players. It's what you want out of your offensive line, just selfless men who come to work and do the right thing every day. We're not afraid to put in the work and aren't going to complain and moan. It's been great to come in and work with them and try to build something every single day."
We'll see how the starting unit shakes out in camp, but what has it been like working next to left guard Zion Johnson?
"I knew about Zion a little bit before I got here and heard some really great things about him. Been very impressed. The guy is a workaholic and continues to strive for greatness every single day. He wants to know the playbook inside and out and wants to know all the answers. It's awesome to have those kind of guys next to you because, as the center, usually it's your job to make sure everything is in line. But when you have five guys across, which I feel like we do, that know what's going on and are smart football players, it makes your job so much easier."
Piggybacking on that, what makes a good center and how crucial is that spot to the success up front?
"Yeah, it's kind of your starting part and your central command center. You're putting people in the right position. They know how to do it but it's whenever you get those weird looks, those non-typical looks, it's making sure you're all on the same page and all working together. Sometimes even the plays that go for 99-yard touchdowns might have been a bust, but just because was on the same page and working in the right direction, it made the play successful. It's a lot of being vocal and knowing how to communicate and having the connection with all the guys across the line to earn their trust so that when you say something, they don't question you and know you're trying to put them in the best position possible."
How did you go about developing an early rapport with Justin Herbert?
"It was a great transition with Justin. He's a hell of a quarterback and you notice that before we even put on the pads yet. The guy is so serious about what he does and I am all for that. It's been great getting to work with him and build that rapport. My goal was to come in and try and be as perfect as I could to earn that respect and have it be mutual. It's been a good start."
I'm curious what has impressed you about Justin's mental capability to pick up another offense this offseason?
"He acts like he's been in the system for 10 years. He dives so deep into the system and knew it so well before anyone else could even grasp it. It's been impressive to see him put people in the right positions and just elevate people around him."
Final question for you, what expectations do you have as camp looms in late July?
"Just come to work every day and be willing to learn. You have to push through the dog days of camp and lean on and support each other. That's the biggest key. I know Coach Roman is going to put us in great situations as a playcaller but we have to just go out and execute. Mostly, just build on the previous day so we can put ourselves in a great situation for when the season gets here."
