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5 Takeaways: What We Learned From Week 1 of Chargers Camp

Jul 28, 2024 at 10:00 AM

Eric Smith

Editorial Director

The Chargers have earned a day off.

The Bolts are off Sunday but will return to work Monday with a fully-padded practice at 10 a.m. in El Segundo.

Until then, here are five takeaways from the first week of Chargers Training Camp:

1. A gliding start

The first week of training camp under Jim Harbaugh has centered around a familiar theme.

The Chargers Head Coach knows there are still six weeks to go until Week 1, so there's no need to go all out right now.

Instead, Harbaugh and his players and coaches have repeatedly mentioned The Glide Theory, which is akin to a plane taking off on a runway.

Entering Week 2 of camp, the Chargers are simply beginning to build up a little steam and Harbaugh is pleased with the vibe of the organization.

"I just love these guys. It's the players, it's the coaches, it's everybody in the organization," Harbaugh said. "I think you might say it's early to make that kind of statement. I've been thinking it for a while and finally put my finger on it.

"It's like everybody doing anything and everything they can to help our team win. It starts with the players, but it's to a man, it's every man," Harbaugh added. "It's been infectious throughout the coaching staff and the entire organization. Love these guys."

Khalil Mack has noticed the different tempo, saying Saturday night that his body feels fresh after the first week of camp.

The intensity will soon ramp up, however, as the pads come on Monday and the Bolts ratchet up the physicality.

But Harbaugh wants his team to protect itself, too, as this group needs to be healthy to get through a full camp and preseason play before September 8 rolls around.

"I think what we really got to convince our team is we just want to get better each day, better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than we were today," Harbaugh said. "When the pads come on, that's not some kind of magical thing that's going to determine Day 1 of the pads.

"I want our guys to continue to play the same tempo, same rules of engagement that we had so we could get better at football and we could keep this team healthy," Harbaugh continued. "I get excited about pads because it protects guys, it protects them better.

"I'm not looking for guys to have the pads on and now all of a sudden start using those as weapons against our own team, but we use those to protect ourselves," Harbaugh added.

2. Different flavors on offense

Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman had one of camp's best (and most insightful) lines on Thursday.

"When you come to practice every day, you're going to see us doing different things," Roman said. "We're going through our installation process for the last time, and every day is going to be a different emphasis.

"So, you might come out one day, we're throwing it all short. We're throwing it deep the next," Roman added.

Roman was spot on, as some days have been more focused on the run game while other days have seen Justin Herbert air it out.

That was the case Friday when he uncorked numerous explosive pass plays through the air, including a 35-yard score to DJ Chark.

As the pads come on next week, keep an eye on whether or not the Chargers keep this up.

Yes, Harbaugh and Roman want the offense to be a physical unit that wears its opponents down with a bruising run game. And we will get a better assessment of that phase once the pads come on.

But they also understand the arm talent Herbert possesses and don't want to waste that explosiveness either.

In a perfect world, the Bolts will be as balanced as possible offensively this season. That's exactly what we've see from them so far in camp.

3. The strength of the defense

We haven't been able to see the full extent of the outside linebacker room without pads on, but it's been hard to ignore the buzz that surrounds the room.

Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack lead perhaps one of the most experienced groups on the team in 2024 — but it's the depth added with veteran free agency addition Bud Dupree and Tuli Tuipulotu entering his sophomore season that is cause for excitement.

"I think we have a stacked room and we all complement each other well," Bosa said. "I think Bud is a very different rusher than I am, I'm a different rusher than Khalil is, so we can all pick each others brains and learn things from each other."

Bosa later added: "It's easier when you have a great staff around you, you have a lot of great guys and give you that extra motivation to just not only perform well for yourself but also not let the man beside you down and perform well for them."

Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter will have plenty to work with on the edge, with a lot of mixing and matching at his disposal with the big four.

And it all starts with Bosa and Mack, as Minter praised the duo of star pass rushers for their approach throughout the offseason, adding his excitement about how the room could shape the defense.

"I'm really, really happy with where they're at. I look forward to continuing to progress them," Minter said about Bosa and Mack. "I think the depth of that room will help both of those guys.

"Really happy to add Bud and also have a couple ascending young players like Tuli," Minter added. "I'm really, really excited about that room and in particular, those guys kind of leading from the front."

Mack didn't want to give away too much, but the veteran is excited for what the group could bring to the line.

In what capacity? That part remains something to be seen.

"It's definitely going to be different," Mack said. "I can't say too much, but it's definitely going to be different. Something I've never done before.

"I'm looking forward to it, can't speak too much, Mack added. "Don't want to give anything away, but it's going to be unique."