Few people can match Daniel Jeremiah's excitement now that Joe Hortiz is the new Chargers General Manager.
Jeremiah, an NFL Network draft analyst who is also the radio color commentator for Chargers games, took to social media to celebrate.
Chargers.com recently caught up with Jeremiah to get his thoughts on the Hortiz hire and why he believes the new Chargers GM will be a success with the Bolts:
For those who don't know, what's your connection with Joe Hortiz?
"I worked with him four years in Baltimore. We've known each other since 2003, so 20 years. We've kept in touch over the years. That group that we had on that staff is pretty tight so all of us have kind of gone our separate ways but all of us keep in touch."
Get a behind-the-scenes look as Joe Hortiz is formally introduced as the general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers on February 6th, 2024
What was your first reaction to the hire?
"I thought it was a perfect fit. It's one of those rare occasions where you know the team really well and you know the person that they're hiring really well. I'm feeling like what they need matchups up with his skills. I think the connection, familiarity with the Harbaugh family is him knowing firsthand that he had a relationship with Jim. I thought that kind of added to it being a really, really good fit."
How big of a role did Hortiz have in Ravens sustained success?
"He's been there a very long time. Baltimore has always been a really inclusive process so even from his early years there where maybe the title wouldn't jump off the page, he still had impact at that point in time. And obviously, the roles he's ascended to from Director of College Scouting to Director of Player Personnel and being Eric DeCosta's right-hand man there as they've consistently built one of the most talented rosters in the league year after year. He's been an integral part of that. He's extremely organized and he's got a really good eye for talent so I'd give him a lot of credit for that."
What do you think is Hortiz's biggest strength?
"I think he's going to be collaborative. He's not going to be arrogant, he's going to include people in the process, he's going to create a culture where people don't worry about being individually right, but collectively right. Being thorough, which is how they've always done things there, he's been a big part of that. I think you'll see a big impact in it. On a more narrow level, he's always had a really good track record with offensive lineman. It's a culture that he comes from that believes in the line of scrimmage over everything else, so I think Charger fans will be excited about the offensive line. I don't imagine, as long as he's there, there will not be an offseason where it's not continually addressed and supported."
Why do you think Hortiz and Harbaugh will work well together?
"I think they're both really passionate people. I think they're both super competitive and I think they have the same DNA in terms of how they want to play, so stylistically they both believe in a physical brand of football and being big upfront and fast everywhere else and playing really smart. I think all of the stuff that Jim focuses on and believes in, I think Joe has the same core philosophy. It's not often you go from trying to help one brother build a championship roster to then go to another. They believe in the same things."
What's the biggest challenge Hortiz faces right away here?
"Eventually the biggest challenge is going to be the guy that wears No. 15 with a red jersey that's playing on Sunday. But everyone has made a big deal about the salary cap. There's a lot of smart people in there, not just Joe, in the organization where I don't think that's quite as complex or quite as dire as maybe some people make it out to be but that's probably the immediate thing that they'll have to sort through. Then, get ready to get into the evaluation period with free agency and the draft, but I would say first and foremost figure out who's on the team right now."
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