Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!
The offseason is here but the Mailbag keeps going. We'll do one of these every month or so in the offseason. Send in submissions for the Mailbag on Twitter @EricLSmith or by email at eric.smith@chargers.nfl.com.
Off we go...
If you ask me, immensely.
Look, Herbert is both smart and talented enough to figure out whatever offensive scheme he's in, even if it's not the same one as the previous season.
The fact is the 2025 season will only be the second time in Herbert's career that he's had the play caller as the year before.
But think of how good Herbert was in 2024. He threw for 3,870 yards with 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and that TD:INT ratio of 7.67 ranks eighth all-time among quarterbacks who threw at least 15 touchdown passes in a season.
His overall Pro Football Focus grade of 91.2 was also a career best. To put that into context, quarterbacks have had a 91.0 grade or better 14 total times in the past five seasons. Herbert was one of four who did so in 2024.
And he did that after essentially missing all of training camp and then playing through injuries that likely would have kept other players out for weeks.
As training camp looms, here's what Herbert said about being with Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman for Year 2.
"I think it's just continuing to improve on where we need to and taking what we did well last year and continuing to work on that," Herbert said. "Understanding where we fell short, what we need to improve on and taking on that entire body of work from last year and just continuing to improve.
"I think we've got a lot of great film of stuff that we've done — route concepts, protections — so guys are comfortable with it," Herbert added. "It's just continuing to get better at that and moving forward."
Herbert remains one of the league's most skilled quarterbacks but will likely need to find playoff success in order to gain national respect.
The Chargers added a plethora of playmakers around him this offseason, meaning he should have more potent options other than Ladd McConkey.
Add all that up and Herbert should be primed for an elite season in 2025.
Colson is on my list for the most intriguing players to watch in training camp.
He endured an up-and-down rookie season due to injuries and other factors, but has earned rave reviews from Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and others this offseason.
"He's back in the place I know him to be. Which is key performance indicators. All 5/5s, all A+'s across the board. He's on a good run, he's gotta stay on that cutting edge, that place," said Harbaugh, who obviously coached Colson at Michigan. "But it's been ascending, arrow up. Back to where he was physically on a consistent basis."
From my eye, Colson looked the part this offseason. But until the pads come on, it will be hard to tell where he truly stands going into Year 2.
And if we're looking for a best-case scenario for the linebacker, it's that he stays healthy and earns the starting gig next to Daiyan Henley to form a strong young duo in the middle of the Bolts defense.
A good question here on Reagor, whom Harbaugh said during minicamp has been doing "a lot of good."
Reagor certainly adds a speed element to the Bolts offense and did make a few splash plays in 2024 before he went on Injured Reserve.
Here's more context from Harbaugh on where Reagor stands right now:
"Sped into the defense is his greatest talent," Harbaugh said. "For him, we've seen him do it and do it a the high level. But it's not always what you can do, it's what you can consistently do.
"That's his challenge. We need it at the receiver position but we need it on special teams, too," Harbaugh continued. "He has got to be driven to do anything and everything he can in order to help our team. And then be in the habit of doing that on a daily basis.
"Great challenge and great days ahead for him if he can rise up to that," Harbaugh added.
Pretty telling stuff from Harbaugh there.
Reagor certainly has talent as he was a first-round pick. But the key, as Harbaugh mentioned, is consistency. That's what makes players great and lets them stick around in the NFL.
Reagor will be among the many wide receivers battling for playing time in camp as that group also includes Mike Williams, Quentin Johnston, Tre' Harris, KeAndre Lambert-Smith and others.
It will be fun to watch how that position room separates themselves in the summer.
It's tough to get a read on players near the line of scrimmage without pads on.
Kennard was highly productive in college but won't need to be the guy as a rookie, mostly because he has Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree in the room with him.
An ideal 2025 scenario for both Kennard and the Chargers is that he flashes on defense while also developing into a reliable special teams contributor as a rookie.
Hmmm. I'll start by saying that it's always tough for UDFAs to crack the 53-man roster, especially with how deep and well-rounded Chargers GM Joe Hortiz has built the current group.
But keep an eye on two names on offense: running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders and tight end Stevo Klotz.
Both players looked solid this spring, but they are both players who we really can't fully evaluate until the pads come on.
If Sanders has a strong camp and preseason, he could push for the final running back spot on the roster.
And Klotz just feels like a Harbaugh-type player, even down to his name, and could be used in a versatile tight end/fullback role on offense.
By getting as much down time as possible, whether that's taking some summer trips and spending quality time with their families.
Coaches grind harder than perhaps anyone in the building with long hours so the chance for them to unwind before camp and the season starts is very much deserved.
But here's a news flash: players report for training camp on July 16, which is exactly three weeks from today. So, because the Chargers are playing in the Hall of Fame Game, summer break feels noticeably shorter this year.
I hope you all can enjoy your own summers with family and friends. Chargers football is just on the horizon.
