NFL Insider: 'The Hype Around the Chargers is Warranted'

Two years ago, the Chargers took a big step toward moving away from being an afterthought across the NFL when they hired head coach Jim Harbaugh shortly after he had guided the University of Michigan to the NCAA championship. This offseason, they may have put the finishing touches on his coaching staff.

Mike McDaniel was brought in to be their new offensive coordinator. He has installed a more up-tempo, motion-oriented offense that should put people in position to play like the best versions of themselves.

Of course, you cannot get blood out of a turnip, and having the best coaches doesn’t mean anything without players who are capable of executing their game plan. But Rapoport feels L.A. has enough players like that in place.

“This is probably the best, deepest and fastest Chargers team that I’ve seen in some time,” Rapoport said. “There’s a national buzz about the Chargers.

“The hiring of Mike McDaniel was sort of universally celebrated, which is nice, but he’s also a cool dude and people like that,” Rapoport added. “I think he’s going to be great for this team and I think he’s going to be great for the quarterback. The pieces on offense are really good and it’s a good deep roster.”

In his four years as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach, McDaniel made the most of then-starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has been criticized by many for his perceived shortcomings. Tagovailoa’s career may now be in eclipse, especially after the multiple concussions he suffered, but for a little while, he looked excellent.

He blossomed shortly after McDaniel’s arrival, and in 2023, he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards while making the Pro Bowl. Now, McDaniel will get to work with Justin Herbert, the two-time Pro Bowl QB taken one spot after Tagovailoa with the No. 6 pick in the 2020 draft.

“Mike’s done an unbelievable job of putting any quarterback in position to succeed. And really any player, right?” Rapoport said. “I mean, you’ve had fourth-string running backs who have had great games in his system because he gives guys space and he lets them be successful.

“And then you give him a quarterback like Justin, I’m really curious to see how good they can be,” Rapoport continued.

“It’s the best quarterback he’s had, the most talented quarterback he’s had,” Rapoport added. “And when guys are open anyway because the scheme is so good, like, how good can they be?”

Rapoport also thinks highly of Chris O’Leary, the Chargers’ new defensive coordinator.

“A good, young coach,” Rapoport said of O’Leary, who is filling the shoes of now Ravens head coach Jesse Minter. “I think the system will be similar enough to where the players can kind of hit the ground running and not have this big acclimation period.”

O’Leary is expected to keep plenty of elements of the defense Minter, who had been the Bolts’ defensive coordinator during the last two seasons, utilized. But he also plans on blitzing a lot more than Minter did, and he’s expected to deploy the team’s linebackers and perhaps even its defensive backs in blitz packages.

The Chargers definitely have issues with the interior of their offensive line and their linebackers, and their wide receiver room could use some more talent. But all in all, Rapoport noted that he sees them as “a team that’s there until the end.”