Justin Herbert enters Year 5 tutoring under his fourth offensive coordinator.
Learning new schemes is old hat for the quarterback after working under Shane Steichen, Joe Lombardi (two years) and Kellen Moore. Now Herbert is set to play in Greg Roman’s offense under coach Jim Harbaugh. According to new center Bradley Bozeman, Herbert is already immersed in the scheme.
“He acts like he’s been in the system for 10 years,” Bozeman recently told the team’s website. “He dives so deep into the system and knew it so well before anyone else could even grasp it. It’s been impressive to see him put people in the right positions and just elevate people around him.”
Bozeman began his career in Baltimore, spending four seasons there, with three under Roman’s offensive leadership. This offseason, the Chargers recruited the center, partly to assist with the shift to a new scheme.
“Having been under G-Ro’s guidance during my four years in Baltimore, I am well-acquainted with his strategies and preferences,” stated Bozeman. “I also have a good rapport with Devlin, who is currently the Chargers’ offensive line coach, and several other coaches here. I am also familiar with the hard-nosed, winning mentality of the Harbaugh family. My ambition is to win a Super Bowl and achieve numerous notable accomplishments. Given the transient nature of football, I aim to make the most of my opportunity.”
The Chargers completely overhauled the offense this offseason, shaking up the receiver room and running back corps and reshuffling the offensive line, adding Bozeman and first-round tackle Joe Alt. Los Angeles is counting on Herbert to lead the way through the break-in phase.
Bozeman said, “Transitioning with Justin has been fantastic. He’s an incredible quarterback, something I noticed even before we started training in pads. He’s highly dedicated to his craft and I completely support that. It’s been wonderful to collaborate with him and establish a good rapport. My goal was to strive for perfection in order to gain his respect and to ensure the respect was mutual. So far, it’s been a positive start.”
The Chargers are hopeful that their good start will persist as training camp practices commence on July 24.
