The Los Angeles Chargers are set to enter their first season under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, and their roster continues to undergo changes. New GM Joe Hortiz has made quite a few moves over the past few months, and it looks like he's made another one. On Sunday, reports broke that the team signed linebacker Frank Ginda, a former USFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Ginda won the DPOY award last season with the Michigan Panthers, a team he's spent most of the past three seasons with. The former San Jose State Spartan has spent time with a couple of different NFL teams, including the Atlanta Falcons last year. He's also played with the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals, as well as an XFL team (the New York Guardians) and AAF squad (San Diego Fleet).
The linebacker clearly has talent, based on multiple NFL teams giving him a look. He just hasn't been able to lock in a spot with a team yet, something that could change in Los Angeles. As the Chargers enter the first regular season of the Harbaugh/Hortiz era, there is plenty of opportunity for a young player like Ginda to prove himself. Playing in defensive coordinator Jesse Minter's scheme is a dream for a lot of defenders. Minter's tutelage might help the former Spartan reach the next step in his career.
Frank Ginda, Chargers look to start new era on right foot
The Chargers were the team that finally lured Harbaugh back to the NFL. Following an excellent four-year stint as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014, the coach went back to his alma mater, the University of Michigan. He almost left the Wolverines a couple years ago, when he was close to getting the Minnesota Vikings head coaching job. However, the Vikings hired Kevin O'Connell, and Harbaugh stayed in Ann Arbor. After winning the College Football Playoff national championship in January, he left the program and accepted Los Angeles' offer.
Bringing Minter with him from Michigan as defensive coordinator, it's clear that the Chargers want an attacking defense that creates turnovers and pressure on opposing offensive players. Based on his time in college and the various pro football leagues he's played in, Ginda might be a good fit for Minter's defense.
Hortiz added other pieces to the unit in free agency, including defensive tackle Poona Ford and middle linebacker Denzel Perryman. The team also drafted Michigan linebacker Junior Colson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. These additions, plus Minter's schemes and the presence of star players like defensive end Joey Bosa, could lead to an improved unit in 2024. If that is the case, then perhaps the Chargers will return to the postseason with Harbaugh at the helm sooner rather than later.
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