One of the many players pleased Joey Bosa arrived on the practice field this week for the Los Angeles Chargers was safety Dwight Lowery.
Not only did the 10-year veteran benefit from the edge rusher’s surprisingly dominant performance as a rookie last season, heJason Verrett Youth Jersey expects more seasons like that from the Ohio State product in the years to come.
“I think he’s got Hall of Fame potential,” the usually reserved Lowery said. “And that’s after seeing him play just a couple games and seeing him practice. Just his size and physical attributes, he can be as good as he wants to be. And hopefully he makes the right decisions along the way and things of that nature. And hopefully he’s able to stay healthy throughout his whole career.”
Bosa missed all of training camp last year due to a contract dispute over signing bonus money and offset language. On his first day of practice after signing his rookie deal in September, Bosa suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the first four game of the season.
Even still, Bosa finished with 10.5 sacks in 12 games, earning Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Bosa’s 10.5 sacks was tops among rookies last season.
Bosa finished the season with at least half a Deangelo Williams Authentic Jersey sack in the last six games, the longest streak by a Chargers’ player since Marcellus Wiley had sacks in seven straight games in 2001.
“You could argue if he had played those four games -- forget rookie of the year -- could he have been defensive player of the year if he plays those four games?” Lowery said. “We don’t know what he would have done had he played those four games.”
Last week, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn confirmed to reporters that Bosa had been working with his personal trainer in Florida away from the facility rather than attending voluntary workouts at Chargers Park, missing the first three weeks of offseason work.
Bosa told reporters on Tuesday that he notified the Chargers beforehand of his plans, and he promised defensive line coach Giff Smith when the team is on the field playing football he’ll be at Chargers Park for workouts.
“I just found a process that works for me that I used all last year, and it worked out pretty well,” Bosa said. “I want to continue climbing, continue getting better.
“It’s nothing magical. It’s just training the right way. And I want to continue doing that. I think when it comes to your body you have to do what youhttp://www.coltsshopauthentic.com/shop-by-players-52-dqwell-jackson... think is right. It’s nothing against the team, it’s just what I think is right for my body.”
Bosa said he’s looking forward to moving back to end in a 4-3 =alignment after playing =end in a 3-4 scheme last season.
Bosa said he also looks forward to working with new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, someone he got to know during the draft process last year during a pre-draft visit with the Jacksonville Jaguars when Bradley served as the team’s head coach.
“He’s a deep thinker,” Bosa said about Bradley. “And with his positivity and obviously his football knowledge more than anything, we need a guy to come in and stay positive when you have 100 football players walking around -- not everybody is going to be in right mindset and positive all the time.
“But to have a guy like that that bring positivity and energy, along with being a really great coach, he can back all of that up.”
Lowery expects Bosa to ramp things up even more with a return to his more natural position.
“When you’ve got a guy like Joey Bosa or Melvin [Ingram] and you’ve got them stunting, and that stunt doesn’t work on a particular play, now you’re either taking them out of the run game, or it’s hard for them to stunt and then pass rush out of that position,” Lowery said. “So unless that stunt hits home and works, you’re reallyhttp://www.officialchargesshop.com/shop-by-players-junior-seau-jers... taking away some of your best players’ ability to get to the passer.
“For me with Joey in particular, you have a two-way go and just line up and beat the guy. I think he has enough tools and skills to just beat guys based on that.”