The Chargers are continuing their efforts to reshape the interior of their offensive line with the signing of former Raiders starting center Andre James. James, who held down the pivot in Las Vegas for the past four seasons, is now returning to Los Angeles, where he previously starred for the UCLA Bruins in college.
Standing at 6’4” and 300 pounds, James has played in 61 of 80 career games since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019. After seeing limited action in his first two seasons (117 total snaps), he earned the starting center job for the Raiders in 2021. In 2022, James played a key role in an offensive line that helped Josh Jacobs lead the league with 1,653 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
Despite his starting experience, this move doesn’t necessarily indicate that James is locked in as the Chargers’ starting center. While he had his best season in 2023, his 2024 campaign was his lowest-graded year by Pro Football Focus (PFF) since becoming a starter. His overall grade of 55.6 ranked 29th out of 32 centers who played at least 500 snaps, while current Chargers center Bradley Bozeman ranked 23rd with a grade of 61.2.
A comparison of their careers shows similar seasonal grades, with the key difference being James’ superior pass protection and Bozeman’s stronger run-blocking ability. Given how frequently Justin Herbert was hit against the Texans, it appears that Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh are prioritizing pass protection, hoping to coach up James in the run game rather than the other way around.
