The Los Angeles Chargers are set to hire Jim Harbaugh as the franchise's next head coach, creating a mood of optimism surrounding a franchise that has had plenty of ups and downs in the past few years.
The Harbaugh hiring has Chargers fans going crazy. The best players the Chargers must sign in free agency were revealed.
With the season still several months away, the Chargers can afford to kick back and get a lay of the land heading into fall training camp.
The Chargers finished 5-12 last season, worst in the AFC West. For Harbaugh to turn things around, he will need to do something he has done exceptionally well virtually everywhere he's gone, and put his own stamp on the team in all facets of the game.
Running Attack is Need #1 For Harbaugh, Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers finished 24th in the NFL in rush yards per play last season under Brandon Staley, a number that is completely unacceptable for any Jim Harbaugh coached team.
With Austin Ekeler ranking as one of the best running backs in the league, Harbaugh has a great player to begin constructing his offense around, if he decides to stick with Ekeler as the lead back.
Harbaugh is notoriously finicky about roster control. He has a specific vision for the way he wants his teams to play and will not hesitate to make changes and make unexpected roster moves.
After all, who ever thought Colin Kaepernick and Michael Crabtree would lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl before Harbaugh made it happen?
Harbaugh likes to experiment with multiple formations and lots of movement before the snap. He instructs the offensive line to pinch inward and pull to the outside often, confusing the defense and hitting them with multiple looks to break off big runs.
Expect the Chargers to invest more in tight ends and offensive line than any other positions in the coming weeks.
Harbaugh has proven he can create a top notch rushing attack from the ashes of a bad one at his many stops in the NFL and in college. He will have the Chargers' rushing attack humming in no time, with the right personnel, coaching, and schematic moves.
Confidence is Chargers Need #2
Yes, the Chargers need far a lot of help on both sides of the ball to become a contender any time soon under Coach Harbaugh.
That being said, it often felt as though the Los Angeles' ‘other' team fought two battles at once last season: one on the field, and another between their ears.
With Justin Herbert leading the offense and plenty of talented players around him, the task for Harbaugh will be to get the most out of the guys he has on that side of the ball.
Quentin Johnston lit up Harbaugh's Wolverines during the 2022-2023 College Football Playoffs. He could be the Chargers' next breakout star if Harbaugh can mold him into the player he was always meant to be at the NFL level.
On defense, a lot depends on who the coordinator will be this season.
Harbaugh will inherit a defense that ranked 28th overall in yards given up in the NFL. Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has NFL experience and could turn things around in a year or two if he takes the same gig in LA.
Regardless of who fills in as the coordinators, the message remains true: the Chargers must improve from the inside-out if they want results in year one of the Harbaugh era.
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