With OTAs and minicamp in the rear view mirror, let's take a look back at what members of the Chargers had to say about the new players added in free agency and through the NFL Draft.

OLB Khalil Mack

Joey Bosa on playing alongside OLB Khalil Mack:

"It's amazing. Just to have another guy like that to lean on, to look at — I was just talking to, I can remember who, today about it. Just getting to know him, he's a really nice guy. I was talking to Giff [Smith] about how he reminds me of [former Chargers DL Brandon] Mebane a little bit; his temperament, he's a chill dude. He's great to talk to. Along with that, he's obviously an unbelievable player, so having a guy like that on the other side is going to be really fun."

Head coach Brandon Staley On seeing OLBs Mack and Kyle Van Noy 'on the field in a Chargers uniform for the first time':

"Confidence. Those are real NFL players that you talked about — those two, specifically, that you mentioned. I know what I see out there. Those two are the two of the best players that we could have joined up with this offseason. It was awfully good to see them out there."

Quarterback Justin Herbert on Mack:

"It's going to be fun. It's going to be tough going against him and [OLB] Joey Bosa in practice, but I'll get great practice of stepping up in the pocket. I think that's going to help us a ton."

Safety Derwin James on Mack:

"It was fun. Even seeing him in the weight room. Just having him around, you definitely can feel his presence. It's good to have him."

Staley on Mack during minicamp:

"Khalil is doing great out there. I think from when he got here to now, he's made a lot of progress. He's a guy, as you guys will know, he knows himself better than any of us, so he will be ready to go. There's a long journey between now and our first game, but I really like the progress that he's made. He's been able to get in his helmet out there, get his cleats on, be able to go through individual on the side, and start to build that wind and start to do some fundamentals. Our training staff has taken very good care of him, led by [Head Athletic Trainer] Damon Mitchell and [Associate Athletic Trainer] Marco Zucconi, our sports performance staff with [Director of Sports Performance] Anthony Lomando, [Head Strength & Conditioning Coach] Jonathan Brooks, that group of people. I think that's part of it, him getting to know all of the people around here that are going to help him, but I like where he's at. The one thing about Khalil Mack is that he will be ready to go."

Staley on if he 'can tell' that the offseason additions are 'picking up' the system in 11-on-11 walk-throughs:

"I can tell that Khalil [Mack] has confidence in his assignments. Yes, he's played in our defense — in 2018, that defense is very different than it is now, but there are a lot of similarities in terms of the techniques, and a lot of the language is similar. Khalil Mack, you can tell by when he gets into his stance, it doesn't need to go full-speed for you to be able to tell if a player knows it or not. I can tell when Khalil is confident, when he gets into that familiar stance that I know all too well. That's what this spring has been about is, to get him into a comfort zone so that in training camp he can really go and improve like I know that he will."

OLB Kyle Van Noy

Staley On Van Noy's position within the defensive scheme:

"Kyle, kind of his trademark is that he can do either — he can play on the edge, he can play behind of the ball. He's a very versatile player, but what he does better than anything is that he is extremely instinctive and he's a playmaker. He can make plays at both of those positions and he can run the show — he's been the green dot in New England. We just feel like that versatility is really going to help us. That championship experience — he's a Super Bowl champion, he's been a part of top-five defenses, really, wherever he's been. I'm really excited to join up with him."

Bosa on the addition of Van Noy:

"He's super smart. He's a vet. He was with the middle linebackers today, unfortunately, but no, he's great. I've met him a couple of times before, but like I said, I'm still getting to know everybody. It's been pretty slow walk-through stuff right now. I feel like this group, the edge group, we made a huge step in the right direction this offseason. The rookie, [OLB] Ty [Shelby], looks great. All the other guys are looking great. I feel like we're having fun, working hard, and having a guy like Kyle [Van Noy], who is in Year 9, and Khalil [Mack], Year 9, I'm happy that I'm not the vet anymore [laughter]."

Mack on playing with Van Noy:

"Oh, Kyle is a cool dude. A champion. A two-time champion. You can tell in his work ethic, how smart he is and how bright he is. Everybody talks about his time in New England and how it was playing up that way. Just having that disciplined mindset and bringing it into the locker room, making sure everybody knows what it takes to get to that level and being a championship-caliber team."

Staley on if Van Noy 'will fit into a role that existed in this defense last year':

"It'll be a position that's specifically tailored for him. It's not a position that he hasn't performed before. We're going to try and take advantage of and try to leverage his experiences within our defense. He does bring that versatility to play on the edge or behind the football. He's been a Green Dot before. We're going to try and utilize all those experiences and skillsets to our advantage. I think we're training him the right way. He's providing us a lot from a play-making standpoint, from a leadership standpoint. I'm really excited to join up with him in training camp where his real gifts are going to come to life, which is his toughness, his physicality, his discipline. Those things will really come to life when we get pads on."

Staley on if Van Noy 'will fit into a role that existed in this defense last year':

"It'll be a position that's specifically tailored for him. It's not a position that he hasn't performed before. We're going to try and take advantage of and try to leverage his experiences within our defense. He does bring that versatility to play on the edge or behind the football. He's been a Green Dot before. We're going to try and utilize all those experiences and skillsets to our advantage. I think we're training him the right way. He's providing us a lot from a play-making standpoint, from a leadership standpoint. I'm really excited to join up with him in training camp where his real gifts are going to come to life, which is his toughness, his physicality, his discipline. Those things will really come to life when we get pads on."

Defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day

Christian Covington on Joseph-Day:

"Bash, obviously, I know the relationship that he's had with [Head] Coach [Brandon] Staley in the past when they were both [with the Rams]. It's going to add some level to the defensive line room. He's been, as I've said, doing a tremendous job with regards to his insight and his input with the defensive line. I'm happy to have him. He's been working. Everybody has been competing in that room. It's been fun so far this offseason."

Guard Zion Johnson

Staley on developing Johnson 'while expecting a lot of him'

"We drafted him because of both of those things. We expect to develop him. We don't expect Zion to be in Game 1 where he is today, but we think that this guy has a lot of special characteristics. He has a lot of toughness. He has a lot of versatility. He has a lot of ability. We think that he fits how we want to play inside. He fits the style of lineman that we want. He was off to a good start today out there. We just expect him to give it his best. We know that he's good enough. He will be able to improve because we know what he's going to put into his game. We really feel like he's going to be a tremendous asset for our offense."

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Johnson:

"Very positive. Everything we saw on film. Obviously, in our team reps, it's a walk-through, so we're not going full-speed up front. He really has a mature attitude about him. He is very smart, locked in, intense — everything that you want in that position. Just in his individual [drills], you can feel his strength and his power. A very coachable guy. Everything is very positive on that front, so far."

Staley on Johnson after minicamp:

"I think Zion has come in with a great head on his shoulders. I think he has real confidence. He has all of the things that you look for, physically, in an interior player, but I think his mindset has been impressive to his teammates — the guys like [C] Corey Linsley and [G] Matt Feiler, guys who have played a lot of football, [QB] Justin Herbert, [WR] Keenan Allen. This guy has the right mindset. He comes out here, he trains, he's really prepared in meetings. He goes out here and he practices hard. He owns us mistakes. He doesn't make the same mistake twice. Those are the things that you're looking for in a rookie, especially a first-round pick of his caliber. I think that he's going to improve a lot in training. You can't minimize that transition, for an interior player in the NFL. What [T] Rashawn Slater did last year is abnormal, being an All-Pro player as a rookie, as a lineman. I think that Zion is going to set his own standard of performance. I'm excited to see him in pads because that's where it is for any NFL player, but particularly a lineman. He's stepped right in and fit right in."

Running back Austin Ekeler on Johnson's ability to help 'balance the run game' and help Ekeler 'run both left and right':

"It comes down to what Zion can do. I know what [T] Rashawn [Slater] and [G] Matt [Feiler] can do, and [C] Corey [Linsley] can do it. We're going to have to go prove it again, obviously, but I've seen some history there. Rashawn came out and was a superstar last year. I'm looking to see that again from him. Zion, with these rookies, you don't really know. You know that there's potential, but is he going to have the mental to get it down, or is he a rockstar, too? I'm hoping that he's a rockstar. I think there's the potential for us to bring that balance in, which is obviously going to help the run game because now we're more of a threat on both sides."

Tight end Gerald Everett

Lombardi on Everett's ability to run after the catch:

"The good thing about Gerald is that we kind of look at him as a complete tight end. He's a good blocker. He's a good receiver. The thing that jumps out on the tape, really — because he was a free agent the last two years, so we watched him with the Rams and then in Seattle — when he gets the ball in his hands, he's a weapon. That's an exciting thing to add, that element. He's a good receiver, as well. Blocker, receiver, running after the catch, there are a lot of things that we like."

Herbert on Everett:

"He's really athletic. He's done a great job of breaking man coverage and getting open. He's a smart guy. We've spent a lot of time this offseason throwing together and getting a feel for each other timing-wise. He's done a great job so far."

Herbert on Everett's yards after catch ability:

"We watched a bunch of film on him and I thought the cool thing was they were handing off jet-sweeps to him. It's not too often that you get to do that with a tight end, especially. Yards after catch, yards after receiving the ball on a handoff, he's great at and that's why he has been so good at what he does. To team up with him, I think that's going to be huge for our offense."

J.C Jackson

Keenan Allen on Jackson and CB Bryce Callahan:

"They're great guys. They made plays on us. Both of them have made plays on us. It's just great to have them in our room and not having to game plan against them."

Mack on the new defensive pieces:

"Just understanding their games and knowing what they're capable of. Just having that veteran leadership, especially in that inside [defensive line], it's going to be huge for us — and in the back end as well with [CBs] Bryce Callahan and J.C. Jackson, teaching [the young] guys things they've picked up along the way."

Cornerback Bryce Callahan

Staley on Callahan:

"He's one of the top slot-cover players in the league, and he has been, really, since he started in Chicago. He really gives us a lift there in the slot because of his experience, especially in our system. But, he's played outside, too. When we went to Denver, we really signed him to play outside because we had [former Chargers and Broncos CB] Chris [Harris Jr.] inside. The reason why I think Bryce is such a good player is because he can play effectively at both spots, but the experience and the play-making ability that he has within our defense — he's been a part of some of the top defenses in the NFL throughout his entire career. He's been a playmaker, a ball producer. We think that he has real toughness. I'm excited that he's with us."

Staley on Callahan at minicamp:

"I think, number one, he's calm. There's a lot happening inside. Everything's moving quicker. We really value people who are calm, who are steady. He can see the game, and that's a big part of playing inside, you have to be able to process. Your key diagnosis [of the play] matters a lot more the closer you get to the ball. He can do that at a high level. Then, for slot coverage, he has a unique combination of quickness and then strengthen his lower body. He's not a small guy that gets pushed around because he has strong lowers. But he also has long speed, which is rare. You have some nickels that are quick, that have quickness but don't have deep speed, Bryce has quickness and deep speed, and he has good ball skills. You put all of that together. He has real toughness. He's a good tackler. He's an underrated blitzer. I think if you look at his production since he's come into the league, it's reflective of those qualities."

Running back Isaiah Spiller

Lombardi on Spiller:

"We like his size. He was productive. He's still a young guy. I think that there's going to be a lot of growth from him, physically, as he gets older and gets more time in the weight room. But, you can see the talent there. We're not playing real football right now, as far as the running backs getting it and running through holes. Everything is slow motion, but in 7-on-7, he's done a nice job. He's another guy that you can tell is smart, understands football and is going to be doing the right things. We're excited about him."

Ekeler on Spiller:

"One thing that has impressed me is him in the meeting room these couple of days. We have a little thing where we go through our scripts before we go out to practice. He's vocal, he's in there. He's showing that he knows what his job is, things like that. He's still making mistakes. He's still learning, but as a rookie, it's a lot of time that you need to put in for the repetitions and just seeing it. It's really nothing that you can simulate in the classroom when you get onto the field. All of those guys are going to have to continue to grow. I'm glad, Spiller's vocal. He's voicing his questions and things like that."

Safety JT Woods

Derwin James on Woods:

"I love JT Woods. He's a rangy guy, a big guy. Like I've said, I know that he's going to come and work hard. I can't wait for us to go to work."

Defensive lineman Morgan Fox

Staley on Fox:

"Morgan is tough. He is physical and he is disciplined. He has versatility to play a bunch of different places in the front. Morgan is really, really tough. The guy, wherever he's been, whether it's high school, college or the NFL, has rushed the passer at a high level. When it was 2020 and we were with the Rams and it was known pass, Morgan Fox was a starter for us with [Rams DL] Aaron [Donald] in there. It's exciting to join up with him. He's in that group competing for a role. I was really excited to get Morgan on this team."

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