Chargers mocked by AFC West fans for questionable move

The Los Angeles Chargers recently made a new addition to their offensive line, signing former Las Vegas Raiders center Andre James to a three-year, $24 million contract.

James will compete with Bradley Bozeman for the starting role, but based on the deal the Chargers handed him, they likely expect him to win the job.

This is apparently music to the ears of Raiders fans, who are happy to be rid of James after a rather rough year in Las Vegas this past season.

Just ask Austin Boyd of Just Blog Baby, who clearly feels Los Angeles made a mistake here.

"By all accounts, James is a good teammate and doesn't cause any drama. For a team like the Chargers, he should fit right in," Boyd wrote. "That said, the Chargers must've not considered that James just isn't that good at football. He had a 55.6 Pro Football Focus grade last season, which was 46th among centers. There are only 32 starting centers in the NFL."

To be fair, it's entirely possible that James merely had an off year in 2024, as he posted a 74.6 overall grade over at Pro Football Focus the season prior. In the five years prior to that, he was in the 60s.

"Christian Wilkins should be licking his chops when the Raiders play the Chargers," Boyd continued. "Sure, there's no guarantee that James will end up as the starting center but Los Angeles is paying him a lot of money so that's a win for the Raiders too."

James wasn't good during his final campaign in Vegas. There is no doubt about that. But just stopping short of calling him one of the worst centers in the league is probably a bit of an exaggeration given his solid track record for most of his NFL tenure.

Andre James. — Dec 20, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Andre James (68) and guard Alex Leatherwood (70) moves for a block against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

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