EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Joe Hortiz had already earned a nickname from the Harbaugh family before his first game…
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Joe Hortiz had already earned a nickname from the Harbaugh family before his first game as general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Hortiz was nicknamed “Chief Hortiz” by Jack Harbaugh, coach Jim Harbaugh’s father, after making a series of moves during the final two weeks of training camp in an attempt to strengthen the roster.
Four weeks into the season, Hortiz gave Harbaugh plenty of ingredients. The final dish remains a work in progress. The Chargers are 2-2 heading into their bye week, the third straight season and fifth time since 2017 they are at the .500 mark in the first quarter of the season.
“I don’t think there were any surprises,” Hortiz said of his first year as general manager. “I think the coach being experienced and the training I got from the people I got it from (in Baltimore) and the group I have here with the support of the professional department, it’s like I I set the agenda and the process and you continue to work on it.
The Chargers hired Hortiz on Jan. 29, the day after Baltimore lost to Kansas City in the AFC championship game. Hortiz spent his entire 26-year NFL career with the Ravens, rising from regional scout to director of player personnel, where he oversaw all aspects of pro and college scouting.
He also worked for 10 years as the Ravens’ director of college scouting (2009-18).
Hortiz said while watching practice earlier this week that he didn’t realize how much he learned from former Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and current general manager Eric DeCosta until that he starts with the Chargers.
“I didn’t even realize how much I knew because of Ozzie and Eric,” Hortiz said. “I didn’t realize what I had been taught until I sat in the chair. You don’t even realize it when you’re learning. I think it’s the right thing. You continue to do it, all our work. When you do it with your peers and continue to learn from each other, you pay attention and you pick it up.
Hortiz’s relationship with Jim Harbaugh went as smoothly as it did during his 16 seasons working with John Harbaugh in Baltimore.
When Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL after nine seasons at the University of Michigan, some wondered what the relationship with a general manager would be like or whether Harbaugh would have control of the personnel.
So far, working relationships have remained strong.
“It’s huge for the general manager and the head coach to exist well. Sometimes you have to work at it. We don’t need to work on this,” Hortiz said. “We have the same type of vision and philosophy. I am brother of John. I’m already Jim’s brother. We have a lot of fun.
Some of Hortiz’s additions have borne fruit. Running back JK Dobbins is sixth in the league in rushing and in candidacy for AP Comeback Player of the Year honors after suffering an Achilles injury in last year’s opener .
Safety guard Elijah Molden, acquired from Tennessee in the final week of training camp, started two games and had one interception.
Offensive tackle Joe Alt, the fifth overall pick in the draft, had an impressive first game against Las Vegas when he held off prolific passer Maxx Crosby without pressure from the quarterback.
“The ingredients he’s mixed into this team have been exceptional,” Harbaugh said.
The Chargers got off to their first 2-0 start since 2012 before losing to Pittsburgh and Kansas City. Quarterback Justin Herbert has been hampered by a sprained right ankle over the past two games, and injuries to offensive tackles Alt and Rashawn Slater and linebacker Joey Bosa have posed early challenges to roster depth. .
“We are still a growing team. What you see in Week 4 with a lot of these teams, that’s not going to happen in Week 7 or 18. I think it’s great so far, and we’re working to get better,” said Hortiz.
Over the course of six weeks of training camp and the preseason, Hortiz signed nine players, traded two and claimed a waiver. Despite the solid play of Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, the wide receiver position remains a huge question mark due to a lack of experience.
Depending on the market, Hortiz could be aggressive in continuing to retool the roster ahead of the November 5 trade deadline.
“We will always be listening and researching. I think you have to evaluate all opportunities from the point of view of immediate short-term impact and then long-term impact,” he said.
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