If it was up to Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James
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The Chargers decided to be cautious with their first-round draft pick as he recovered from a minor hamstring strain and delayed James’ first workout in pads.
”I feel like I was ready Monday, but you know it’s an ongoing process.” James said. ”You never know with those soft tissue injuries, so I know they got my back. They only want what’s best.”
James sustained the injury one week prior to the start of training camp while working out on his own, but there was no hint the former Florida State standout was limited in any way. During a position drill, James even joined his fellow defensive backs in an impromptu dance party.
In the team period, James was smooth and explosive in limited repetitions to earn praise from head coach Anthony Lynn.
”He looks good,” Lynn said. ”He looks good in his uniform. I mean, he’s a good-looking safety, but it’s just good to see him back out there because he had such a good offseason.”
The decision to be cautious with James was understandable after cornerback Jason Verrett sustained a torn Achilles tendon during a conditioning test last week before the start of training camp. Trevor Williams, a possible replacement for Verrett, sustained an ankle injury on Tuesday, but Lynn said it was not a high-ankle sprain and that Williams could return in a week.
James acknowledged some frustration at missing the start of his first training camp
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”They know what I can do,” James said. ”They drafted me in the first round for a reason. Just really come out here and become a master of my craft, learn my movements and be where I’m supposed to be on the field.”
With James on the field, the Chargers can start to figure out their safety pairings in earnest. Tre Boston started 15 games last season, but was not re-signed in free agency. James was drafted No. 17 overall to fill that vacancy and play next to incumbent Jahleel Addae.
James is learning how to play as both a free safety and a strong safety right now, but Addae said differentiating between the two positions can be overblown in coordinator Gus Bradley’s 4-3 defense.
”Coach always says it best,” Addae said. ”We don’t have no strong safety, we don’t have no free safety. We just have safeties. All of us are interchangeable.”
James credited Addae and the other Chargers defensive backs with helping him adjust quickly to the NFL.
”I sit right behind him in the meeting room and I try to pick his brain, and he don’t mind helping me,” James said. ”He’s a great guy. Adrian Phillips, he helps me. Our whole DB room and our coaches that we have are great people to be around
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Still, James compared the learning process to feeding a baby.
”They give me a little spoonful, and then I got to wait a little bit, and they give me some more,” James said.
NOTES: The Chargers signed receiver Marcus Peterson and cornerback Channing Stribling on Thursday after placing Verrett and tight end Austin Roberts (torn ACL) on injured reserve.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Titans coach Mike Vrabel believes Tennessee’s running back duo will be a problem for opponents.
The former linebacker refused to tip his hand when asked how he would defend Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis himself.
“I would have rather not tackled Derrick, and I would have rather not covered Dion” in the open field, said Vrabel, who played 14 years in the NFL.
Vrabel made it clear that how the Titans divvy up the workload between the running backs will depend on how coaches want to attack each opponent. The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner , Henry brings a bruising style while displaying speed in the open field. The 5-foot-8 Lewis is much smaller next to the 6-3 Henry but flits around in open space making defenders miss.
“Man, I thought he was gone that one that he caught, like he was skating
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As a first-year head coach, Vrabel and his new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur have a pair of running backs that together could be the franchise’s best duo since Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for 2,001 yards in 2008. That season the Titans started 10-0 and finished with a league-best 13-3 record. The Titans’ top two backs in 2009 combined for 2,287 yards with Johnson getting 2,006 himself.
Henry backed up DeMarco Murray the past two seasons, though he led the Titans with 744 yards rushing last year despite starting only two games. He showed off his speed with a 75-yard touchdown run while also taking a pass 66 yards for another TD.
Coming from Alabama where he left as the school’s all-time leading rusher, Henry also has been very much a team player. Looking at Lewis, Henry said he thinks they can be very good together.
“We’re two different styles of back like he’s quick, he has good wiggle,” Henry said. “He’s good out of the backfield catching the ball and I’m downhill physical so I think we complement each other well.”
The Titans signed Lewis to a four-year deal in March after seeing the running back up close in their divisional playoff loss to the Patriots. Lewis ran 15 times for 62 yards and caught nine passes for 79 yards helping New England rout the Titans. For his career, Lewis averages 4.8 yards per carry with 10 TDs rushing, and he has five more TDs averaging 8.1 yards per reception.
Lewis showed off just how elusive he can be in last weekend’s 30-14 exhibition loss to Tampa Bay. He caught both passes thrown to him
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“It causes a lot of problems for the defense,” Mariota said. “Anytime you can have an advantage, you got to try exploit that as much as you can. Dion provides that for us, and you see once that guy gets the ball in his hands he’s tough to tackle. Any which way that we can find to get him the ball is going to be beneficial for us.”
The Titans hope this running back tandem provides a boost in both the run and pass game. Tennessee slumped to 15th last season with 109.7 yards rushing and ranked just 23rd averaging 224.4 yards passing per game.
Lewis knows exactly what he can do once he gets the ball in the open field.
“They brought me here to make plays in space and be the player I am, so whenever I get the opportunity to (do) that I just got to show my ability and be dependable,” Lewis said.
NOTES: The Titans made some roster moves, agreeing to terms with a trio of linebackers in Jeff Knox, Nyles Morgan and Deontae Skinner. They waived LB Brandon Chubb, LB Davond Dale and OL Matt Diaz.
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