The Los Angeles Chargers are less than 10 days away from their season opener in Brazil against the rival Kansas City Chiefs. For head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz, the vision of how they want their roster to look has finally come into fruition. The first year of a regime is usually spent cleaning up the mess from the previous one.
Despite that, Harbaugh and Hortiz had the Chargers competing in year one, as they won 11 games and made the playoffs. The postseason hasn't been kind to the Chargers since Justin Herbert became the quarterback. They're 0-2 with their star at the helm, which is not completely his fault.
Still, there's urgency in the building to win now. The Chargers can't afford another playoff berth that ends in the Wild Card round. Former Super Bowl champion receiver Julian Edelman stopped by the Chargers practice and gave his thoughts on the team.
"You want to see where that leap is going to go after making the playoffs in the first year," Edelman said about Harbaugh. "Getting more of the type of players he wants in his system, his scheme, his building is always a huge jump when a coach is coming in."
Year two will be a huge telling point as to whether the Chargers can build upon the success from last season. It won't be easy, as they play in the AFC West division that includes the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. The Las Vegas Raiders have also made improvements and could be a tougher team to face.
Edelman believes the Chargers could take home the division crown. "I expect them to be very good. They got the quarterback, they got the coach, they got a good first round running back. There's a lot of good things to build off the thing they had the year before. I expect them to compete for the division."
Time will tell if Edelman is right about this Chargers team.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!