Derwin James

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  • powderblueboy
    Registered Charger Fan
    • Jul 2017
    • 8801
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    Derwin James

    Nice little video on how Gus Bradley designed his defense last year around Derwin James.
    A Subreddit for all talk about the Los Angeles Chargers, part of the NFL in the AFC West division.
  • Topcat
    AKA "Pollcat"
    • Jan 2019
    • 17414
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    #2
    Originally posted by powderblueboy View Post
    Nice little video on how Gus Bradley designed his defense last year around Derwin James.
    Great video and analysis! One big takeaway from this is that Derwin is so good, that he basically mans up against whoever is the #2 receiver on his side. And when there's no receiver, Bradley pretty much gives Derwin the green light to blitz the QB, or tackle the RB...

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    • jubei
      Vagabond Ninja
      • Feb 2019
      • 1796
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      #3
      awesome video. thx pbb.

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      • Fleet
        TPB Founder
        • Jun 2013
        • 14162
        • Cardiff - Poipu
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        #4
        Still cant believe he dropped to us.

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        • Boltjolt
          Dont let the PBs fool ya
          • Jun 2013
          • 26257
          • Henderson, NV
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          #5
          Derwin should of won DROY with all he did.
          Addae was awful at FS and clearly playing out of position. Glad we got Adderley in the second round.
          Last edited by Boltjolt; 06-07-2019, 07:52 PM.

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          • Xenos
            Moderator
            • Feb 2019
            • 8819
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            #6
            Just stay healthy and continue to get better.

            Already in game shape, Derwin James looks ready for another All-Pro season

            COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Derwin James got fully dressed, perhaps reluctantly. He finished his workout, then pulled on a T-shirt over two of his abs, then four, then six, then ... hey, how many are there, anyway?

            Drawing conclusions on an April afternoon, five months from the start of the NFL season, is folly, but ink in one thing: James will be ready. There's motivation, given that James finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2018, just after the Chargers' season ended one week short of the AFC title game.

            The NFL has been good at providing opportunities for vengeance. Last April, James slid in the draft, and the Chargers happily grabbed the safety at No. 17 overall after expecting him to be gone much earlier. James started every game, recorded 3.5 sacks and three interceptions and made the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams.

            To most of this, James shrugs. There's nothing left to prove to the teams that passed on him. He has nothing but praise for Indianapolis' Darius Leonard, who beat him out as the league's top defensive rookie. Only two things matter: getting back to the playoffs -- and getting further -- and improving.

            "Last year is in the past," James said. "It's a clean, new year. I don't have 'All-Pro' by my name this year. I've got to come out and do it again."

            If James isn't focused on awards, he probably doesn't know this, but if he manages to retain that All-Pro designation, he will join some extraordinary company. Since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, only six players have been first-team All-Pro selections in their first and second seasons.

            Four of those players -- Earl Campbell (1978-79), Eric Dickerson (1983-84), Barry Sanders (1989-90) and Lawrence Taylor (1981-82) -- are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tight end Keith Jackson (1988-89) scored 49 touchdowns in a nine-year career that included a Super Bowl championship. Devin Hester (2006-07) is one of the top return specialists in NFL history.

            Already, James is one of only 46 rookies in the past 48 years to be named All-Pro as a rookie. That's not bad, but he also knows one season doesn't make a career. Plus there's the fact that the season didn't end to his liking. James' face took on a bit of a sneer this week when the subject of the Chargers' 13-point playoff loss to the Patriots came up.

            The 2019 work has begun. During this initial phase of the offseason program, teams are limited to conditioning work on the field. Basically a lot of running and footwork drills. That doesn't inhibit all competition. At one point, James sprinted to finish ahead of teammates.

            "I take pride in everything I do, man," James said. "We can be over there just doing tug of war or anything. I don't care what it is. I want to come in first. That's just the way I'm built. I don't settle for last. I just want to come out here and get better and push these guys the best way I can."

            Nothing wrong with athletes being athletic, high-flying antics on the court can put body parts such as knees and ankles at risk.

            Asked about the video a few days later at the NFL combine, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco didn't seem upset but said he was "not thrilled about it." Lynn said he encourages players to train in different ways but added, "There's just some things I'd rather you not do, like ski, ride motorcycles and dunk off the backboard."
            James offered a sheepish grin when asked if Lynn broached the subject with him.

            "When he saw me in the building," James said with a laugh, "he'd be like, 'I see you dunk. You need to stay out of the gym, but I like it. It was nice.' He will tell me to stay out of the gym all the time. I just go in and try to have fun. I don't try to get hurt, so I can come out here and work. I'm done with the ball right now. It's time to get back on football."

            That's bad news for Chargers opponents. A year ago, James slipped in the draft. Now, pundits breathlessly are talking about "this year's Derwin James," the player who will go undervalued in the first round, then take a star turn. That's a nice compliment, but James knows it doesn't mean he's a finished product.

            James' physique and attitude in April suggest there's not going to be a drop-off. The question might be, is there an even higher ceiling when it comes to James' game?

            "Absolutely," Lynn said recently. "He was a rookie last year. There's so much room for development with D.J. No doubt about it. He was more outspoken at the end of the season. I think his leadership is going to take another step this year with our football team, which we need. He can get better, for sure."


            What more can James do? Last year, he set a franchise rookie record with 108 tackles, led the team with 15 passes defended and tied for the team lead in sacks (three). He's an absolute menace for an opposing quarterback, the rare player who can equally do damage in the secondary and the backfield.

            With an extraordinary mix of strength and speed, James is a coach's dream. His own coaches, at least. The Chargers use James in so many different ways, and so often mix things up, that opponents never know how James will attack them. Studying game film to look for tendencies only goes so far.

            Consistency often is an issue for young players, but little of that was evident with James in 2018. He totaled 55 tackles in his first eight games, then 50 tackles in his last eight games. All of his 3.5 sacks came in the first six weeks, but he continued to thrive in pass defense, and two of his three interceptions came after Week 11.

            So where's the room for improvement? Perhaps in preparation time. James missed the start of training camp last year with a hamstring issue, and although he overcame it quickly, those early camp injuries also can be tough mentally, particularly for a rookie who wants to prove himself. Now, presumably, James will be full-go in late July.

            Multiple times this week, James talked about how much he played as a rookie. That included four preseason games, 16 regular-season games and two playoff games. That's 22 games. James played a total of 26 games in three seasons at Florida State, in large part because of 2016 knee surgery. James noted that as a rookie, he learned the need to sustain himself for the long haul.

            That's because James wants to play even longer in 2019. He's pretty calm and cool about most topics, but discussing last year's playoff loss to the Patriots brought out some fire.

            "It's big motivation, because it lets you know that you're not that far off," James said. "We lost to the team that won the Super Bowl. If you're going to lose, you'd rather have it like that. We got embarrassed. We got blew out. It showed us where we're at as a team, being in the playoffs, two games away from the big dance. We got a little taste of it but we want to get there this year, so we're going to start right now."

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            • Formula 21
              The Future is Now
              • Jun 2013
              • 16189
              • Republic of San Diego
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              #7
              I got one ab, but its pretty big.
              Now, if you excuse me, I have some Charger memories to suppress.
              The Wasted Decade is done.
              Build Back Better.

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              • FoutsFan
                Registered Charger Fan
                • Feb 2019
                • 2488
                • Birmingham AL
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                #8
                I can't wait to see him with a true FS like Adderley this year.

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                • jubei
                  Vagabond Ninja
                  • Feb 2019
                  • 1796
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                  #9
                  dude is such a stud! just stay healthy DJ...and terrorize EVERYONE opponent offense.

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                  • blueman
                    Registered Charger Fan
                    • Jun 2013
                    • 8903
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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Formula 21 View Post
                    I got one ab, but its pretty big.
                    Dude, represent!

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                    • Formula 21
                      The Future is Now
                      • Jun 2013
                      • 16189
                      • Republic of San Diego
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                      #11
                      So the story is out, James takes the 2nd receiver from the end no matter who it is. As an OC, I'm now putting my #3 - #5 wr out there every play and having them run wind sprints to the corner.
                      Now, if you excuse me, I have some Charger memories to suppress.
                      The Wasted Decade is done.
                      Build Back Better.

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                      • La Costa Boy
                        Pretty much retired......
                        • Sep 2018
                        • 2964
                        • JoJa
                        • Bloviator of hot air and rhetoric.
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                        #12
                        My avatar tells you all how I feel about this kid. FREE KING STUD!!!!!

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