Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman and wide receiver DJ Chark took the podium at The Bolt on Day 12 of Chargers Training Camp.
Below are three takeaways from their media availability on Tuesday:
Roman on Bolts recent offensive play
The Chargers offensive coaching staff has put a lot on the unit’s plate of late, even without Justin Herbert taking the snaps under center.
In five practices since No. 10 has been sidelined, the unit continues to work through the installation process and showed strides of improvement during Tuesday’s padded practice.
Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said after practice that even with quarterback Easton Stick taking first-team reps, he feels the offense is where it needs to be.
“It doesn’t really [change], other than Easton is the quarterback now,” Roman said. “We might be doing some things in practice that might not suit what we’d do with Easton in a game. We have to install our offense. In that regard, I really don’t factor that in. I evaluate it as it appears.”
He later added: “This process right here, we’re putting on the ankle weights a little bit. We’re working hard, working hard on all the different concepts. It’s not really result-oriented right now.”
The offensive playcaller said the term ‘ankle weights’ refers more to what the focus of the offense is at this point of camp rather than results on the field.
Roman spoke in more detail about how the phrase translates on the practice field.
“We’re not scheming anything,” Roman said. “We’re putting out install in and the defense is putting their install in. Sometimes we’re running plays we’d never run against that defense in a game but they are great teaching opportunities.
“I’d never run some of the stuff we’re doing in practice against our defense in a game. But guess what? We’ve got to practice it, learn it and here’s why we like it versus this coverage and not this,” Roman continued. “But if they spring this coverage on it, the ball has to go here.”
“Run game, we’re running runs against fronts I’d never run against,” Roman added. “But we’ve got to learn the plays and experience getting blitzed and blown up in the backfield. Here’s why we have to do this, this or this to prevent that. You have to go through that.”
