EL SEGUNDO — Naturally, it was the talent, dedication and accomplishments that drew Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to Pro Bowl safety Derwin James Jr., when McDaniel was hired to replace Greg Roman this past January. But it was the back-and-forth trash talking that sealed their bond during their first spring together.
McDaniel knew he had to up his game if he hoped to keep pace with James.
Now, offensive coaches and defensive players don’t always interact, and certainly not to the level that McDaniel and James have during meetings, film sessions, work in the weight room and on the practice field. McDaniel and James are not typical by any measure, however.
“(James) understands that it’s not only it’s his skill set that he brings to the team,” McDaniel said Wednesday, the second day of the Chargers’ three-day minicamp. “I think the energy that Derwin brings each and every day inspires people.
“And when you’re trying to be great and you want your team to be great, the great players have to go above and beyond every single day. I love it because I can just go over in his vicinity and listen to his talking (trash) immediately, and that attack on the daily process is the end all, be all.”
Indeed, it’s the way James “attacks the day” that most impresses McDaniel.
“There’s no secret formula to achieve in this league and to achieve in this profession,” McDaniel said. “It’s chopping wood, not skipping steps and putting the work in that has to exceed the talent that you have. It’s taken one offseason to put him on an exceptional list that’s few and far between for me of the top players.”
As if on cue, James intercepted backup quarterback Trey Lance’s deep pass during a drill near the end of practice. The play was all the more remarkable when you consider that James was lined up on the right side of the defensive formation and then raced to his left to snare the pass.
James then sprinted down the left sideline with the ball as his defensive teammates cheered and the offense was left to wonder how he made such a play. McDaniel was unavailable for comment post-practice. He spoke with reporters for more than 30 minutes beforehand, though.
Asked hours earlier who else might be on the list of top players McDaniel has observed, he named several off the top of his head, including former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos defensive back John Lynch and current San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner.
“There’s just certain guys who crack the code,” McDaniel said. “The parity of athleticism is so real that it takes those special athletes with that special mindset, and it took two days to figure out, like, OK, this dude is regimented. I better bring my energy when I come out to that practice field.
“Otherwise, he’s going to verbally assault me in front of the rest of the world.”
JAMES (PART 2)
Defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, hired after Jesse Minter departed in January to become the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach, has made some tweaks to the Chargers’ defensive game plan. But one thing he hasn’t tinkered with is James’ role as a Swiss Army knife.
O’Leary intends to play James as close to the line of scrimmage as he can, as was the case during Minter’s tenure. James thrived as a slot cornerback or a nickelback (depending on the parlance), acting as an additional run defender or pass rusher, depending on the situation.
“I see using him the same way,” O’Leary said. “He’s going to be a little bit more versatile in the sense of, is he playing (in the middle of the field), is he playing (closer) to the boundary, is he going to be blitzing, is he going to be covering (a wide receiver or a tight end)? Or doing all those things?
“But, as far as him playing closer to the ball, being at the point of attack, like, we’re going to keep doing those things with him. And we’re excited to see what he can do. I mean, you want 11 Derwin James. We would love to do more, but at the end of the day, I think my job is to get our players in a position to do their best.”