Who is Andre James? 5 things to know about Chargers new center

Center was a major area of need for the Chargers entering this offseason. Through just over a week of free agency, it seems they have their center room solidified.

The front office first brought back veteran Bradley Bozeman. On Wednesday, they signed Andre James to help solidify the depth at center. Neither of these options may be long-term, but it gives Los Angeles two legitimate starting options.

Bozeman will likely have a leg up due to his experience in Los Angeles from this past season, but the two will compete for that starting center role. Let's get to know the Chargers' most recent signing.

Better as a pass blocker

Thankfully for quarterback Justin Herbert's sake, James' strength comes in the passing game. He is a noticeably better pass blocker than he is a run blocker. Out of 64 eligible centers in 2024, Pro Football Focus ranked James 26th (65.4) in pass blocking.

On the contrary, he ranked 57th (50.2) in run blocking amongst centers. This is quite the opposite of his new counterpart, Bozeman, who is better as a run blocker.

AFC South familiarity

James has spent the duration of his NFL career in the AFC West. All six of his NFL seasons have come with the Raiders, where he made a name for himself as an undrafted free agent. James turned into a regular starter and now heads across the division to the Chargers.

Durability

Over the last four years, James has logged 3,771 offensive snaps, to be exact, with the Raiders. In that span, he has started 59 of 61 games played. He missed four games this past season and was left out of the starting lineup in two games in which he appeared.

Return to L.A.

James played college ball at UCLA just down the road. Now, he gets to return to California once again, where he played his rookie NFL season with the Raiders in Oakland.

Can he return to 2023 form?

2023 was James' best season, and he was rewarded for it. Last offseason, he signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Raiders. Unfortunately, his performance took a dip in 2024, and the team let him go for salary reasons.

The talent is there, though, and he's been shown to be an above-average center in this league before. We'll see if he can get back to that form that he showed in 2023, and if he does, he could start over Bozeman.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 5 things to know about new Chargers center Andre James

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