When the Las Vegas Raiders drafted Jackson Powers-Johnson in the 2024 NFL Draft, the plan was to play the Oregon alum at guard. That’s the very position Powers-Johnson was announced as when selected, even. But things change quickly in the National Football League; with a mid-season injury to center Andre James, Powers-Johnson took over at center, performing so well that Sin City elected to release James this offseason. James will stay in the AFC West, though, agreeing to terms with the Los Angeles Chargers.
On Tuesday, Jim Harbaugh‘s club announced the signing of Andre James, who will compete for a starting job in the middle of Los Angeles’ offensive line.
James is fresh off of what was arguably his worst season as a pro since becoming a full-time starter in 2021. Throughout his ’24 campaign, the fourth-year starting center allowed two sacks and 17 pressures on only 448 pass-blocking snaps. As a run-blocker, the 27-year-old earned his worst grade via Pro Football Focus since 2020; 50.2, a noticeably-worse mark than his previous low of 59.3 during this timeframe.
But James’ time with the Raiders was, as a whole, better than his poor ’24 performance.
The season prior, in 2023, James had earned a pass-blocking grade of 71.4. This was the eighth-highest mark league-wide among centers who appeared in at least 10 contests throughout the year. His run-block grade of 75.0 was even better, finishing the season as the 10th-highest graded center in this category via the same parameters.
Los Angeles’ newest offensive lineman was one-of-10 center’s across the NFL to earn a grade of 70-plus as both a pass- and run-blocker in 2023.
Now, James will be suiting up for the powder blue team he played against twice per year over the course of six seasons.
AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers continue to build trenches with addition of ex-Raiders center Andre James
If there’s one thing the NFL-world knows about Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, it’s that he prioritizes building through the trenches. He continued proving that true during his first year in Los Angeles last offseason, adding tackle Joe Alt to his club with the fifth-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
This year, Harbaugh has added power-runner Najee Harris, offensive lineman Mekhi Becton, and now, Andre James.
The Chargers continue beefing up their offensive line, which ranked 21st-best this past season via PFF’s O-line rankings. With Harris now on board, who’s rushed for at least 1,000 yards during each of his four seasons in the NFL, Harbaugh is also hoping to increase his team’s rushing production that ranked 17th in total yards on the ground in 2024.
Already, Los Angeles has come a long way in upgrading both their rush-attack and offensive line unit as a whole. There’s still this year’s draft coming up in April, too. Following the loss of Joey Bosa, don’t be surprised if the Chargers keep adding to the trenches–just, on the other side.
*Top Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Best FA Signing From Each AFC West Club: Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders