2019 TRAINING CAMP MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Friday, Aug. 16, 2019 | Jack Hammett Sports Complex | Costa Mesa, Calif.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS HEAD COACH ANTHONY LYNN
On S Derwin James Jr.:
"It happened at some point in practice yesterday, but this could have been something all along and happened kind of slowly. Yesterday, it just came to a head. We're going to miss him while he's out. We're going to try to get him well and back on the field as soon as we can."
On a timetable on James' injury:
"I can't put a timetable on it. All guys are different. You know that. It is what it is."
On missing James:
"With his production and his intangibles, we're going to miss him a lot. We're a team. I think that we have a good team. We have guys that will step up. We will be fine. We lost [DE] Joey [Bosa] last year. We were fine and then we got him back. We'll be okay."
On how the injury occurred:
"I don't know how it happened. He could have gotten stepped on, it could have been just running. It's just one of those deals."
On treatment options:
"I don't know. Right now, we're still looking at things. When I get more information, I'll let you know."
On if James could be placed on injured reserve:
"If it was bad, we may have to put him on IR with the ability to return. Right now, we're trying to figure out exactly what it is and how to deal with it."
On replacing James:
"It's next man up. [S] Adrian Phillips is the backup, he has to step up and play strong safety. Adrian is also still our dime linebacker, so when he goes to dime, somebody is going to be competing for that strong safety spot. We'll figure it out in the next three weeks."
On the depth at safety:
"I like the depth there. I wish [S Nasir] Nas [Adderley] was healthier right now, that would help. We do have good, quality depth there."
On if S Rayshawn Jenkins could move back to strong safety:
"You could, we've had all of those discussions. Rayshawn came here as a strong safety, but I love what he has done with his body. He's lost weight, he's doing a heck of a job at free safety, so I'm not sure if I necessarily want to make two moves right now."
On injuries:
"What's new? I tell myself every year that there will be three or four things that will happen that you don't expect that you have to overcome. It's happening."
On WR Keenan Allen:
"It's soreness in his ankle. We'll see how long. Like I said, I don't want to speculate on that right now because I don't know, to be honest with you. He was on the field today, if you saw him. He's walking around and doing fine. He was getting mental reps, so he's still into it."
On Allen's treatment:
"I'm not going to say if he's going to need surgery or not because I think we'll wait and rehab it, then see what happens."
On if James will play this season:
"I would like for him to play in 2019, but I don't know that for sure."
On James' injury:
"It doesn't matter how much effort you put into saving guys and keeping guys fresh and healthy. It's football. Things are going to happen. Like I said, we're a team and we will overcome it as a team."
On similarities to the injury to DE Joey Bosa last season:
"You know, I just know that it's in the foot. I don't know if it's similar to Joey's or not."
On who will play quarterback on Sunday:
"Philip is not playing. [The other three will play], absolutely."
On practice:
"I thought the practice went well, less penalties today than yesterday. One less, I guess I should be a little more specific when I say less penalties. It was better, I thought."
On the quarterback rotation for Sunday:
"That part of it, we'll discuss tonight — how much time these guys are going to play and things like that. I'll know more about that tomorrow."
On the young offensive linemen:
"We have a lot of young offensive linemen. They're going to play more than most starters, I can tell you that, but they won't play as much as last week."
On Allen's injury:
"I think it might have been Wednesday when he pulled himself out. To be honest with you, I can't remember if it was Monday or Wednesday because they were off Tuesday. I think it was Wednesday."
On if Allen could miss games in the regular season:
"I hope not."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS DEFENSIVE END JOEY BOSA
On S Derwin James Jr.:
"Yeah, it's tough every time a guy goes down. Just how [DE] Isaac [Rochell] stepped up and filled the spot last year, we'll have another guy step up and fill the void. To see it's a left foot injury, the same as mine — it's a bummer.'
On if he has talked to James:
"There's nothing that you can say. Everyone is walking up to him and asking, 'How are you doing?' There's really nothing you can say to make a guy feel better in that situation. You just have to let him know that you're there for him, offer him any help if he needs it. I really feel for him."
On a doctor recommendation:
"I told him a guy in LA that he can talk to if he needs to. Of course, he already is going to see one of the best guys in the world. He'll handle it the right way. We're all really sad that we're going to miss him for any period of time at all. There will be a guy to step up and then he'll be back and ready to go."
On the injury:
"I didn't [see it]. He looked like he was flying around out there on the very last play, picked it off. I wouldn't have guessed anything was wrong with him, but football is a pretty crazy sport. He just took a funny step. It's unfortunate. Just like last year, I took an awkward step and things can happen."
On his health:
"I feel great. I feel really good. A little beat down from camp, of course, but that's expected. I'm feeling great, I have not complaints whatsoever. My body is just feeling good, if not where I was [at this point] last year, farther ahead. I'm feeling really good."
On not playing in the preseason game at Arizona:
"I'm okay with it. It's always good reps getting out there, but when you see what happens to a guy like Derwin, it makes you think that maybe the reps aren't that necessary. We're out here getting great work and we get to practice against the Rams and the Saints. Those are invaluable reps."
On his availability for Sunday:
"I'm planning to play this Sunday. I have no idea whether I am or not, but I'm just going to go ahead as if I am."
On if he wants to play Sunday:
"I'm not against going out there and playing a few series at all. I think it's good to go through the motion of a game day, getting ready, the anxiety and everything that goes along with getting ready for a game. At the same time, we had two great practices this week and how important is it? It's the coaches decision and I'll be ready to play if they need me to."
On Wednesday's practice:
"Situational football is huge. To get a look against another team after you've been going head-to-head with the same guys over and over again is always great. That's something that we talked about yesterday, we're doing a good job in situational football. It's definitely important."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS TIGHT END HUNTER HENRY
On S Derwin James Jr.:
"It's never fun to hear that kind of news, especially about a guy like that and a player like that. He's a really great player. It has happened a lot to us over the years. It's a next man up mentality. I think you have to take that on. We're praying for him, hoping the best for him to bounce back as fast as he can."
On the team's resiliency:
"Like I said, it has happened a lot over the years. It really has. Not that it's good, but we have kind of gotten used to it almost, just the next man up and bounce-back [mentality]. Offensively, we're going to have to pick it up a little bit. We know that, too. Some of the guys in the secondary are going to have to step up — some of those young guys. It's going to be a burden on everybody, but I think we all take that and we'll be ready to go."
On if he has spoken to James:
"Briefly. We all just kind of found out. I was walking out to practice and found out. I really haven't had too much time. I kind of talked to him briefly. [I just said] words of encouragement. He had great spirits today, too. As much as encouragement as we can [give him] and as positive as we can give him because it will help a lot in recovery."
On James' versatility:
"Probably in camp last year, being our here and watching [the team], seeing how athletic he is and just gifted. God gifted him with a lot of talent. He also works extremely hard. He loves the game of football. When you have those two things going for you, you're going to be a really good player."
On his first training camp in two years:
"Yeah, I think I have a new appreciation for the game, a new appreciation for being with the guys and the daily process of things. You miss it a lot. You definitely do, especially this week. I think this is the week — these are the dog days of camp. I missed it last year. I missed this. I have to get that back in my head sometimes. [I tell myself,] 'You didn't get to do this last year.' That helps me kind of push through those hard days that maybe your body isn't feeling it. That's the biggest thing right now. I'm just excited to get back out there on the field come [Week 1] and get ready to go."
On joint practices:
"You're hitting fresh bodies out there. It's a new defense. It's different than what we go against every single day. It's good to have some different looks, some different coverages, some different fronts. Different things like that help a lot, especially when we go against the Rams and the Saints — they were both in the NFC Championship Game last year. They're two top-caliber teams that you get to go against and kind of measure where you are as an offense and as a team."
On what tight ends he watched film on last season:
"Yeah, I was trying to watch everybody. I watched everybody. Just routes and blocking, too. I really like [Eagles TE Zach] Ertz's game. Obviously, [Chiefs TE Travis] Kelce is the top guy in the league. I really like what [49ers TE George] Kittle did last year. I think Ertz is a guy that I like to watch a lot. He's really detailed in his routes, really detailed in what he does. Kittle, I like just that combination of his blocking and in the pass game. He can kind of do everything. Those are three guys that I've watched over the years. Obviously, I had a Hall of Famer I got to watch every single day, too. That always helped me."
On the evolution of tight end:
"You've seen it through the drafts, too. There are so many guys that are coming and there are these deep classes of tight ends. I think teams are really realizing what a mismatch we can be in the running game and pass game. It's fun to see. It's fun to see where the position is going."
On the learning curve of a tight end:
"I think it's a transition. I was fortunate enough just because the college game is different right now for tight ends. The spread and not putting your hand in the ground, it's different. Everybody is trying to go up-tempo. I don't think that you learn as much about football — at least that translates to the pro game sometimes. I was fortunate to kind of play in a pro-style offense in college. It's very similar to what we did. We throw it a little bit more [now] than we did in college. The concepts carried over a little bit. It was a little bit of an easier transition for me. I think the mental side of it is always the hardest part for the young guys. At this level, they put a lot on you."
