Chargers

Chargers S Derwin James is coming off second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection in 2024. When talking about their plans with James, DC Jesse Minter said they plan on getting him involved at the point of attack. 

“How can you get him as close to the point of attack as many times in the game as possible? That’s the vision,” Minter said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic. 

Minter said they could use James in the nickel role, which can be used as a linebacker, cornerback, and safety. 

“That nickel spot is sometimes a linebacker, sometimes a corner, sometimes a safety,” Minter said. “So his versatility certainly thrives when we have him at that position.”

Minter views James as a third linebacker, safety, and cornerback who can defend the run and pass. 

“Teams are doing enough with motions and jet motions and shifts to pull the nickel — or whoever that body is — into the run fit at times,” Minter said. “(James) is a third linebacker and a third safety and a third corner, and that’s kind of how I look at him. When he’s down there and it’s normal downs and they want to pull him into the fit, it’s like, ‘All right, thank you for pulling Derwin James into the run fit.’ And then it’s like, hey, we need him to cover the wheel route on a guy, a slot receiver, he can do that.”

Raiders

Raiders owner Mark Davis said that Tom Brady was supposed to sign with the team before he went to the Bucs.

“He was supposed to be here in 2020,” Davis said, via PFT. “That’s when our relationship started, was in 2020 when he was a free agent and we talked to him about coming here to play quarterback. Obviously, it was a tough decision, he was close to coming here, but the head coach and general manager decided they wanted to go in a different direction. So, we didn’t sign him, but as I got to know him through that process, I let his agent know that when he was done playing, I would like him to be a part of our organization.”

• Raiders TE Brock Bowers took a hit to the knee and came out of the game as a precaution, with no concerns going forward. (Tom Pelissero)
• Bowers on his knee: “Just kept me out for concern. We have an extra day, so we’ll see.” (Paul Gutierrez)
• The injury sustained by veteran LB Elandon Roberts is a strained elbow. (Vincent Bonsignore)

Raiders

The Raiders signed veteran QB Geno Smith to a two-year, $75 million extension after acquiring him from the Seahawks. Smith said he was “frustrated” with his contract situation in Seattle, and he wound up reaching out to Pete Caroll.

“I was frustrated with my situation there—I was severely underpaid and thinking, I should be getting the market or something close to it,” Smith said, via Albert Breer of SI. “I had talks with John Schneider, and he had talks with the higher-ups, and it just wasn’t gonna happen. And it disappointed me so much, and I didn’t know who to reach out to or to talk to. So I reached out to coach [Carroll], and he was there for me.”

Smith said having a supportive coach like Carroll makes him want to play “10 times harder.” 

“As a head coach, it’s rare to see that, where a guy is there for his guys like that,” Smith said. “I mean, it’s just who he is and I think having a coach like that makes you want to play 10 times harder for him because you know that he really has your best interests at heart.”

Carroll said he’s always tried to stay in contact with former players. 

“Yeah, I don’t leave my guys because I’m not coaching them,” Carroll said. “I’ve never done that. I talk to guys all over the country, and I’m available to them, because I love them and I want to see if I can help them. And this one has been very much an in-depth relationship, because I have so much respect for how he handled what he did, all those years he wasn’t playing, it was remarkable, him having that kind of focus. So to have a chance to have him come here, it’s not so much about the culture. It’s about he and I, and our ability to communicate. And hopefully I can bring out the best in him and he can bring the best out of me. And we will do this thing, arm-to-arm, shoulder-to-shoulder.”

• Carroll on WR Amari Cooper’s decision to retire: “The timing wasn’t right for him. He didn’t feel like he was ready to do it. He gave a shot and we gave him a shot. Much respect for him making that decision.” (Ryan McFadden)

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