For a number of months, it's been said by the Chargers coaching staff themselves that the center battle was down to Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman. In each media appearance, that's the only center competition that HC Jim Harbaugh acknowledged. Back in June, Harbaugh effectively said that the loser of the center competition would play left guard on the "Chargers Weekly" podcast:
"The versatility we now have, maybe the combination is going to be better with Zion at center and Boze at guard," Harbaugh said last month. "But if it's not, we know we have a great combination with Boze at center and Zion at guard."
That's been the status quo with the center battle. Until now. For the first time at his Saturday media availability, Greg Roman said that Andre James has now joined the center competition.
A late push by Chargers C Andre James to potentially win the starting job is now underway.
First, Roman credited how James has been handling camp in a rather unprompted fashion. Roman said that James has been doing a really good job at center. "He's elevated himself into the mix as well."
At first, it wasn't obvious whether that was a lukewarm endorsement or one that was more bold. ESPN's Kris Rhim then followed up with Roman to clarify.
"At center specifically, that's what I see so far." Roman said. "We'll have some meetings and talk about it, but he's really shown some good stuff out there. Again, best players are going to play."
Roman also credited James' calls at the line despite being less experienced in this specific offensive system than Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson. "His presence, his physicality-does some good instinctual things too," Roman continued in his praise of James.
Considering the extensive reps they've gotten at center this offseason, Johnson and Bozeman should still be the betting favorites to win the job over James. But Saturday's comments from Roman represent a possible shift in the momentum after about a week of padded practices.