Eboigbe played in 56 games over five seasons with the Crimson Tide and was a member of the team that went 13-0 and won the national championship in 2020. He recovered from a significant neck injury in 2022 to record 63 tackles, including 11½ for losses, and seven sacks in 2023.

“When you watch his film, he does everything right,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said last month. “He plays the defensive line position how we want it done. It’s hat in hands, extending, two-gapping, reading, he’s instinctive. He has a high motor. He’s athletic. He’s a sneaky pass rusher.”

The video used the popular life simulation video game series “The Sims” as a theme to reference each of the 14 teams the Chargers will play throughout the 17 games in the regular season.

should we REALLY make our schedule release video in the sims?

yes          yes          yesyes
yesyes    yes      yes         yes
yes  yes  yes     yes           yes
yes    yesyes     yes           yes
yes      yesye      yes        yes
yes          yes           yesyes

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers)

The video features characters that represent the likeness of several celebrities and athletes.

When the Chargers announced which week they will play the Kansas City Chiefs, tight end Travis Kelce and former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce were seen recording an episode of their podcast while singer Taylor Swift was waving at her boyfriend (Travis) through a window.

now why is nobody talking about this part in the chargers schedule release video the taylor albums on the wall are killing me

— cam ᯓ★⸆⸉ (@h1tsdifferentt)

This is UNREAL lmao

— B.W. Carlin (@BaileyCarlin)

I'm not a Chargers fan, but I've got to hand it to them, the "I Look in People's Windows" reference is exactly how to make a funny Taylor Swift joke

— Paige (@bejeweledpaige)

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was also featured in the video having a pillow fight with his brother John, the Baltimore Ravens head coach, representing the Week 12 game that’s expected to air on ESPN for Monday Night Football.

The level of detail on the Chargers’ schedule release video is amazing.

While highlighting the Ravens matchup, check the Lamar Jackson tweet on the computer …

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison)

Here’s how others reacted to different moments of the video:

The Chargers social media team putting Harrison Butker in the kitchen is one of the best and most well timed roasts imaginable

— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund)

The Chargers’ schedule release really has Baker Mayfield setting fire to a kitchen with a framed photo of none other than shirtless Antonio Brown in the background.

(Coincidentally, the Bucs return to the Meadowlands for the first time since, but to play the Giants)

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN)

This is too good.

The with an absolute masterpiece using Sims for the schedule release. So many subtle jabs

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel)

After the schedule release today I ordered Sunday Ticket so I can root for the Chargers!

— my because (@tennischicksdca)

Chargers schedule release featured Chiefsaholic in court and crying after Judge Pat McAfee sentenced him to prison.

— Gray Hardison (@BellyoftheBeast)

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow)

The Chargers social team to the rest of the league

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII)

LMAO

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz)

Elite schedule release year after year

— marshall newhouse (@MNewhouse73)

George Pickens watching himself getting drafted

— ChargersMuse (@ChargersMuse)

In between Weeks 1 and 18, the Chargers will play host to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 29 and face them again in Kansas City on Sunday Night Football on Dec. 8. They’ll also face the Carolina Panthers not in Munich, Germany but in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Panthers and New York Giants will play in Germany on Nov. 10.

Four of the Chargers’ first six games will be on the road to start 2024. They don’t play on Thursday Night Football this season nor do they play on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Their bye comes in Week 5, as it did last season, after two home games and two on the road.

In addition to their marquee matchup against the Chiefs in Kansas City, the Chargers will play at least two other prime-time games, facing off against the Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona, for a Monday Night Football matchup on Oct. 21 and against the Baltimore Ravens for a second MNF showdown on Nov. 25.

Last season, the Chargers played six games in prime time.

The game against the Ravens will pit Harbaugh against his brother, John, in Harbaugh Bowl III. The brothers faced each other in the Super Bowl following the 2012 season, with John’s Ravens defeating Jim’s San Francisco 49ers. The Harbaughs were the first brothers to coach against each other in Super Bowl history.

They also coached against each other in a Thanksgiving Day game in 2011.

The kickoff times, dates and broadcast outlets for the Chargers’ season-ending games against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in Week 17 and against the Raiders in Las Vegas in Week 18 will be determined at a later date, in keeping with the NFL’s late-season flexible schedule.

Last season, the Chargers took a rain-soaked, 6-0 victory from the Patriots in New England and were humiliated by the Raiders, 63-21, in Las Vegas in what turned out to be the final game for Brandon Staley as coach and Tom Telesco as general manager. Telesco is now the Raiders’ GM.

Harbaugh was hired on Jan. 24 and Joe Hortiz was hired as GM six days later. The two have revamped the Chargers’ roster in recent days, weeks and months, adding depth and experience to a team that failed to meet expectations and went 5-12 and finished last in the AFC West last season.

The Chargers also released their exhibition schedule, with home dates Aug. 10 against the Seattle Seahawks and Aug. 17 against the Rams. They’ll also play the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 24 at Arlington, Texas. Training camp opens in late July at the Chargers’ new facility in El Segundo.

CHARGERS 2024 SCHEDULE

Sept. 8: vs. Las Vegas, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Sept. 15: at Carolina, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Sept. 22: at Pittsburgh, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Sept. 29: vs. Kansas City, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)

Oct. 6: BYE

Oct. 13: at Denver, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Oct. 21: at Arizona, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Oct. 27: vs. New Orleans, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Nov. 3: at Cleveland, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Nov. 10: vs. Tennessee, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Nov. 17: vs. Cincinnati, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)

Nov. 25: vs. Baltimore, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Dec. 1: at Atlanta, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Dec. 8: at Kansas City, 5:20 p.m. (NBC)

Dec. 15: vs. Tampa Bay, 1:25 p.m. (FOX)

Dec. 22: vs. Denver, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Dec. 28 or 29: at New England, TBD (TBD)

Jan. 4 or 5: at Las Vegas, TBD (TBD)

Collins, a graduate transfer from North Carolina last season for the Golden Gophers, impressed the Chargers as a non-roster invitee to their recent rookie minicamp.

The move comes after the Chargers on Saturday signed outside linebacker Bud Dupree, a former member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons who has 53 sacks over the course of his 119-game NFL career. Dupree had 6½ sacks in 16 games last season with Atlanta.

Collins and Dupree are expected to compete for playing time behind veterans Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and emerging second-year standout Tuli Tuipulotu. The Chargers were considered thin at the position beyond Bosa and Mack until drafting Tuipulotu, a second-round pick from USC in 2023.

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  Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide reciever Jaelen Gill makes a catch as he goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers offensive linemen go through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers cornerback Cam Hart goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers safety JT Woods hams it up as he goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers linebackers Shane Lee, left, Denzel Perryman, center, and Nick Niemann pull weights during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers running back Elijah Dotson wraps up a tackling dummy as he goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers linebacker Junior Colson goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers safety JT Woods goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Jaelen Gill goes through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers linebacker Savion Jackson, left, and tight end Luke Benson go through drills during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers linebackers Denzel Perryman, left, and Nick Niemann pull weights during an offseason workout at the team’s practice facility on Monday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

COSTA MESA — Free agency around the NFL began March 13, but wide receiver DJ Chark Jr.’s phone wasn’t exactly blowing up during the opening minutes of the league’s annual signing period. Or hours. Or days. Or weeks. Or months, as the process dragged on and on for a veteran looking for a new job.

Finally, the Chargers and Chark came to an agreement and pen was put to paper last week. The Chargers will be his fourth team in as many seasons, after he spent the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers, the 2022 season with the Detroit Lions and the 2021 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Opportunity, honestly,” Chark said Monday of what attracted him most of all to the Chargers.

There was the opportunity to reunite with wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal. They had worked together in Jacksonville during the 2021 season.

There was the opportunity to play for Coach Jim Harbaugh. They had bonded during an earlier visit at the Chargers’ headquarters.

There was the opportunity to catch passes from Justin Herbert. They had displayed similar strengths in stretching the field for big gains.

Above all, there was an opportunity simply to continue playing in the NFL.

“I felt like it was a great match for me,” said Chark, a Pro Bowl selection in 2019 while with Jacksonville who caught 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns this past season for Carolina and has averaged 14.5 yards per catch during his career.

So, Chark signed a one-season contract worth $3 million, with $2.06 million guaranteed, according to figures compiled by the website overthecap.com, giving the Chargers additional experience and depth at a position that was thin, to say the least, after the departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Chark joined a receiving corps led by Joshua Palmer, Herbert’s favorite target among the holdovers from last season, that also includes recent draft picks Ladd McConkey (Georgia), Brenden Rice (USC) and Cornelius Johnson (Michigan).

“Going into Year 7, I felt like this was a great place for me,” he said. “I’ll talk to anyone who wants to pick my brain, but at the end of the day, I’m still learning myself. I’d like to come in and, instead of looking at it as a (role as a) mentor, I look at it as a brother to these guys (young wide receivers).

“If you need something, I’m there for you.”

FRESH START (PART 2)

Cornerback Kristian Fulton didn’t have the type of season he or anyone else anticipated last season with the Tennessee Titans. He acknowledged as much when he met with reporters Monday, saying that a change of scenery and an opportunity to start fresh with the Chargers was what he needed.

No question, the Chargers will need him at his best.

“I’ve got something to prove every year,” said Fulton, who spent four seasons with the Titans. “Obviously, in my opinion, last year wasn’t my best year on the field, so I feel that every time I step on the field that’s got to be my mindset, to prove a point. And that’s what I’m going to do, make the most of it.”

SCHEDULE RELEASE

We already know who the Chargers will play during the 2024 season thanks to the NFL’s formatted schedule. We’ll find out Wednesday when the Chargers will play those opponents when the NFL releases the 2024 schedule at 5 p.m. (PT) with special programming on NFL Network and ESPN2.

In addition to playing host to the AFC West rival Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium, the Chargers also have home games against the Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Chargers also play road games against the Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots as well as against their AFC West foes, the Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders. The Chargers could face the Panthers in Munich, Germany.

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  Chargers wide receiver Cornelius Johnson goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh keeps an eye on quarterback Casey Bauman during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh works with quarterbacks Max Duggan, left, and Casey Bauman during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Jaylen Johnson goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice tries to catch a ball during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers quarterback Casey Bauman, right, hands the ball off to running back Travis Dye during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers linebackers Junior Colson, left, and Brevin Allen wait to go through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Los Angeles Chargers’ Casey Bauman (16) during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers running back Kimani Vidal, left, wide receiver Brenden Rice, center, and fullback Braden Cassity go through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers running back Kimani Vidal goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh works with running back Kimani Vidal during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers quarterback Max Duggan goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Jaylen Johnson goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers offensive lineman Joe Alt, center, listens as he goes through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh works with quarterback Casey Bauman during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh chats with quarterback Casey Bauman during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers players go through drills during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers quarterback Max Duggan goes through drills during a rookie minicamp on Friday in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice (82) joins his teammates during drills at a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice catches a ball during a rookie minicamp workout on Friday in Costa Mesa. Rice, a former USC standout, is among several rookie receivers vying for a significant role amid the departures of longtime Chargers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh keeps an eye on quarterback Casey Bauman (16) during a rookie minicamp at their workout center in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

COSTA MESA — The Chargers lost 11 years of experience and leadership when they traded wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears in March. They also lost 904 receptions, 10,530 yards and 59 touchdowns when they parted ways with one of their last links to their days in San Diego.

The Chargers lost another seven years of experience when they released wide receiver Mike Williams in another salary cap-related move in March. They also lost another 309 catches, 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns when they jettisoned one of their two sure-handed receivers.

So, the Chargers went in search of replacements in the NFL draft last month.

Not that they expect former Georgia standout Ladd McConkey, picked in the second round, to become the next Allen or Williams in his rookie season. Or for seventh-round picks Brenden Rice (USC) or Cornelius Johnson (Michigan) to make the leap in their first pro seasons.

That might be too much to ask.

McConkey, Rice and Johnson each hit the ground running on the first day of the Chargers’ rookie mini-camp Friday. Each expects to compete for a job. Each knows there are jobs to be had with Allen and Williams gone and Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis the top holdovers.

“We have rookies and it’s like coming onto the 405 (Freeway),” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “The traffic is moving fast and here come these new players and I’ve got Friday, Saturday and Sunday to get them to understand the system, to learn the plays, so they won’t slow down the veterans.”

Harbaugh also said it was his job to provide clarity for the newest of the Chargers, completing their transition from college standouts to draft prospects to, finally, NFL players. The smoother things go, the better it is for everyone, including the veterans who arrive for spring workouts on Monday.

“Nobody’s going to make the team, nobody’s going to earn a starting role on Day 1 of rookie mini-camp,” Harbaugh said. “Your mind has to outthink your nervous system. You can’t have your nervous system control your body because it will if you let it. … You can’t win any games on the first day of rookie mini-camp, but you could lose one.”

Harbaugh referred to injuries.

McConkey, Rice and Johnson seemed unfazed by their first days on the job. They were excited, to be sure, but they weren’t quaking in their cleats with jitters.

“At the end of the day, football is football,” said McConkey, who could challenge Palmer, Johnston and Davis and become quarterback Justin Herbert’s favorite target once the season begins in September. “I just want to go out there and make a good first impression. As coach (Harbaugh) said, you only get one chance to make a good first impression, so make it a good one.”

Rice said his father, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, was more upset he fell to the seventh round of the draft than he was. He said there was motivation to excel and make a great first impression, too, but it was his father who said he would take over his training and push him to a job as a rookie.

“Without a doubt, yes,” Rice said of his confidence in competing for a job.

Johnson’s familiarity with Harbaugh eased his transition. After all, Harbaugh coached Johnson and the Wolverines to a 15-0 record and the national championship this past season before jumping at the chance to coach the Chargers and return to the NFL after nine years at Michigan.

“I played with him throughout my whole college career,” Johnson said. “He recruited me. He’s been over to Greenwich (Connecticut), been to my hometown, seen my parents and everything. It’s amazing how everything plays out, having his staff here. Definitely something that motivates me every day.”

It didn’t hurt that Johnson grew up a Chargers fan, wearing running back LaDainian Thomlinson’s No. 21 uniform number throughout middle and high school in Connecticut. He knows the Chargers’ history, reeling off the names of greats such as Tomlinson, Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers.

“It’s just amazing that that’s the team that ends up drafting me,” Johnson said.

SIX PICKS SIGN

Rice, Johnson, linebacker Junior Colson (Michigan), defensive backs Tarheeb Still (Maryland) and Cam Hart (Notre Dame) and running back Kimani Vidal (Troy) all signed their rookie contracts. McConkey, offensive lineman Joe Alt (Notre Dame) and defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe (Alabama) are expected to sign soon.

Is it enough to have a decent hot dog, a reasonably priced seat with good sightlines, a stadium or venue that’s relatively easy to get into and out of? Is concessions variety important to you? What about the in-game experience? Do you want a high-energy atmosphere, or would you prefer that the speakers be turned down a bit – even if it’s only once in a while – so you can hear yourself think or actually, you know, talk to the person next to you without having to scream?

Or is it all about winning and nothing else? Do you judge an owner by the money he/she spends on the team, and patience with and commitment to coaches and or managers? Or is there such a thing as too much patience? Do you want your owner to be involved, or does it matter if they’re hands-off or absentee owners who don’t sweat the details? (And, in some cases, might you prefer your owner to just keep writing checks and otherwise stay away?)

We have a pretty varied menagerie of ownership in SoCal. It’s not hard to figure out which ones are successful by classic standards; in most cases, you can look at the won-loss record for hints. But do the standards go deeper than the standings or playoff results?

I’ve got my ideas, as you might suspect. But I want to hear from you, the fans, and not just those who, um, are loyal to a particular team but can’t stand the owner. (Angels fans, I think we all know where Arte Moreno winds up on this list.) What makes the good ones stand out? What do they do to earn your loyalty? What can they do better?

As you might have already suspected from the way this column began, yes, I am trolling for responses. The more you cheer, or vent, the more additional columns come out of this concept. I’m only a little bit shameless.

Here are my thoughts, ranked by order of (my perceived) ownership quality:

1. Dodgers (Guggenheim ownership group, led by Mark Walter): Since closing their purchase from Frank McCourt on May 1, 2012, the Guggenheim Dodgers have won 11 division titles in 12 seasons and have a .602 regular-season winning percentage, along with one World Series title in 2020 – and the organizational feeling is that one is not enough, which fans should appreciate. And they’ve plunged lots of money into rejuvenating Dodger Stadium. (But I do wish they’d turn those speakers down once in a while.)

2. Clippers (Steve Ballmer): Ballmer, too, fares well in comparison with the previous ownership (i.e., the Donald Sterling reign of error). On-court success has been mixed and is elusive in the postseason largely because of injuries, primarily to Kawhi Leonard. But the Clippers have a stable, professional front office and what should be a transformative new home, the Intuit Dome, beginning next season.

3. Rams (Stan Kroenke): They’ve made the playoffs five of the last seven seasons and have stability, with Sean McVay on the sideline, Les Snead making the calls in the front office – including draft successes that are a that sometimes – and Kevin Demoff overseeing things. And SoFi Stadium has raised the standards for NFL stadia, although game day parking can still be a mess.

4. LAFC: (Multiple-person ownership structure including Magic Johnson, Nomar Garciaparra and wife Mia Hamm and Will Ferrell, among many others, with Bennett Rosenthal currently listed as lead managing owner): Success on the field, a gem of a facility in BMO Stadium, organizational stability and a bond with its supporters – considering that well before this team had any players, management listened to potential fans’ concerns and suggestions. Who else does that?

5. Ducks (Henry and Susan Samueli): They’re coming out of a rebuild, but this is a stable franchise with a loyal fan base, and Honda Center is 31 years old but still a first-class building. The OCVIBE development that will surround it, currently under construction, is essentially Anaheim’s answer to L.A. Live.

6. Chargers (Dean Spanos): Their tenancy in SoFi Stadium has quieted the narrative that accompanied them here in 2017 – “Who asked for you?” – and hiring Jim Harbaugh created their biggest splash since the move. Spanos was (and probably still is) hated in San Diego but has upgraded to meh in Los Angeles.

7. Lakers (Jeanie Buss): The 2020 bubble championship changed the narrative for a bit, but the feeling remains that Buss and her advisors aren’t really living up to the standards of Laker Exceptionalism. The circumstances around the firing of Darvin Ham led to a good amount of “do they know what they’re doing?” talk among a devoted but increasingly frustrated fan base. Can’t blame them.

8. Angel City Football Club (Multi-person ownership group, currently led by investor-owners Kara Nortman, Julie Uhrman, Natalie Portman and Alexis Ohanian and featuring plenty of celebrity involvement): The second-year franchise is worth $180 million, the highest of the 14 teams in the National Women’s Soccer League and evidence that the league waited way too long to expand to L.A. – but there’s talk about amid suggestions that those in charge are overspending. Potentially messy stuff, but the organization has done a lot right with its initiatives in the surrounding community.

9. Kings (Phil Anschutz and Ed Roski): Do we know for sure that primary owner Anschutz, whose worth according to Forbes magazine really cares about the performance of the team he and Roski purchased in 1995? Especially now, in light of a third straight first-round elimination, I’d think Kings fans would want some kind of indication the owner is at least paying attention to what GM Rob Blake, president Luc Robitaille and CEO Dan Beckerman are doing with his hockey team.

10. Galaxy (also Anschutz): You can make the case that Anschutz, an early and large investor in Major League Soccer, helped keep that league alive. (That’s why his name is on the MLS Cup.) He once owned six MLS teams but now his ownership is limited to the Galaxy, which is a contender again after several years on the outskirts. Again, better if he’s paying attention or not?

11. Sparks (Eric Holoman, CEO and governor): They’ve always had a loyal fan base, though the on-court product in recent seasons has affected attendance. Now, with women’s sports in general and basketball in particular having a transcendent moment, are the Sparks prepared to capitalize?

12. Angels (Arte Moreno): Remember when Arte was the people’s choice, the Guy Who Lowered Beer Prices? Yeah, I know. That was more than two decades ago. The issue here is that he’s too involved, too impetuous, and should hire a president of baseball operations to talk him down from the ledge when needed.

Incomplete, Rugby FC Los Angeles (Pete Sickle, CEO and co-founder): Did you know SoCal had another Major League Rugby team? Neither did I until a couple of weeks ago, which suggests getting the word out was a lower priority than it should have been. The first franchise won a league title in 2021 and was terminated after 2022. This one is relocated from Atlanta, plays in Carson and has a 1-6-1 record midway through the season. If you attend these games, email me and let me know what the crowds and enthusiasm level are like.

jalexander@scng.com

In their first draft together, Hortiz and Harbaugh picked Ladd McConkey of Georgia in the second round and USC’s Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson of Michigan in the seventh. Veteran receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were jettisoned as salary cap casualties in March.

Chark, 27, spent this past season with the Carolina Panthers, catching 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. He played with the Detroit Lions in the 2022 season and the previous four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted him in the second round in 2018.

He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2019, his second season in the NFL, when he set career highs with 73 receptions on 118 targets for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns while with the Jaguars. Overall, he has averaged 14.5 yards per catch during his 69-game career over six seasons.

Chark and the three draft picks bolster a receiver corps that includes veteran Joshua Palmer and second-year players Derius Davis and Quentin Johnston. Palmer and Johnston were quarterback Justin Herbert’s top remaining targets after Allen was traded and Williams was released.

Slater’s base salary jumps from a little less than $3 million for the upcoming season to more than $19 million for the 2025 season, according to figures compiled by the website overthecap.com. Slater was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie after he was picked in the first round in 2021.

But he didn’t earn a repeat invitation in the next three seasons.

The Chargers’ move also means first-round draft pick Joe Alt from Notre Dame will likely compete with Trey Pipkins III for the starting right tackle position during training camp. Or, more likely, Pipkins will remain entrenched at right tackle and Alt will play the swing role, filling in for Slater and Pipkins.

It’s also possible Pipkins will make way for Alt at right tackle and shift over to right guard. Pipkins started all 17 games last season, playing opposite Slater, who also started all 17 games in the 2023 season after he was limited to only three games because of a ruptured biceps tendon.

“I think history will tell you guys are just unwilling to do it,” Chargers offensive line coach Mike Devlin said of shifting sides. “It just takes reps. It’s just a matter of rep after rep, and this (offseason training periods) is the time to do it. … It’s just, really, muscle memory to flip over from one side to the other.”

THANKS BUT NO THANKS

Nick Hardwick said he was feeling a bit bored while at home in Indiana after retiring following 11 seasons as the Chargers’ center. So, one day, he walked onto the campus of his nearby high school and offered his services as a volunteer coach of the team’s offensive linemen.

The response wasn’t exactly what he expected.

“They told me, no, at first,” Hardwick said, laughing at the memory. “I had to coach youth football – second and fourth graders for two years before I was allowed to coach at the high school. I had to earn my way in.”

Eventually, he worked his way up the food chain before he realized he could be getting paid by an NFL team instead of working for free for the high school, breaking down film until well past midnight. So, he put out a few feelers until Harbaugh reached out to him with an unexpected phone call one night.

“Coach Harbaugh calls and you say, yes, it’s what you do,” said Hardwick, who accepted the job as assistant offensive line coach without hesitation, without consulting his family. “You only get so many chances to get back in the game. … For me, it was the chance of a lifetime.”

SHEDDING TACKLES, LABELS

J.K. Dobbins said he understood why others might say he was an injury-prone running back because, let’s face it, he sure seemed to be injury-prone over the past three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. After all, he was limited to nine games over three seasons because of knee and Achilles injuries.

When he’s been healthy, he’s been very productive, averaging 5.8 yards per carry during his career. Staying on the field since a standout rookie season in 2020 has proven to be difficult, first because of a knee injury that sidelined him for all of 2021 and then for all but eight games in 2022.

Next, he ruptured his Achilles in Week 1 last season and was sidelined for the remainder of 2023. Dobbins pronounced himself 100 percent on Monday, but acknowledged the Chargers’ medical staff still must give him full clearance before he’s fit to play in the 2024 season.

“People around the league were like, ‘OK, it’s a high-risk, high-reward type of thing,’” Dobbins said of going through free agency last month. “Not even high-risk. It’s a low risk. It’s a business. I got hurt last year, so not as much money needs to be thrown my way. But I think everyone around the league knows that whenever I am on the field, the numbers don’t lie. A lot of teams were, like, ‘We’re going to give you this, but we need you to be healthy.’ When I am healthy, it’s going to be great.”

“I’ll tell you what, I’m really excited how it went,” he said. “I really believe we made our team better.”

The Chargers had nine picks in the seven-round draft, and they selected three wide receivers, two cornerbacks, one offensive lineman, one defensive lineman, one linebacker and one running back. They addressed their many needs with each of their picks, but especially at wide receiver.

Joe Alt, a mammoth left tackle from Notre Dame, was their first-round pick on Day 1. Ladd McConkey, a swift wide receiver from the University of Georgia, was their second-round selection and Junior Colson, a hard-nosed linebacker from University of Michigan, was their third-round pick on Day 2.

With six additional picks Saturday on Day, the Chargers had six opportunities to further beef up their roster. By the end of the day, the Chargers had received an A grade from the crack staff at Pro Football Focus, one of six teams to get the highest mark from the analytics-centric website.

“It was a good opportunity to really build our team and add to it,” Hortiz said.

Justin Eboigbe, a 6-foot-4, 297-pound defensive tackle from Alabama, was the Chargers’ fourth-round pick (105th overall). His selection filled another need for a Chargers roster that was considered wafer thin at too many positions to count heading into free agency and the draft.

Eboigbe recovered from a season-ending neck injury in 2022 to have a superb senior year at Alabama in ’23, recording 63 tackles and seven sacks in 14 games. He was named first-team All-SEC, but he played with a heavy heart stemming from the death of his brother, Trey, in May 2022.

An athletic trainer at Alabama told Eboigbe his injury was serious but not career threatening. Eboigbe had no thoughts of retiring from football, telling reporters on a Zoom call, “No sir, I’ve been playing this game since the age of 5.” He said it “wasn’t any luck, it was just work” that got him back on the field.

“I came back quicker than expected,” he said. “I put everything together. I had my best season. I realized that the adversity on and off of the field, losing my brother and having the neck injury, it made me more appreciative. It made me understand that there is no tomorrow. You have to give everything that you have today because, one day, it will be your last, and you never know.”

The Chargers used both of their fifth-round selections to draft cornerbacks. They selected Tarheeb Still from Maryland with the 137th pick and Cam Hart of Notre Dame with the 140th pick. The Chargers were thin at the position after Michael Davis signed with the Washington Commanders.

Kimani Vidal, a running back from Troy, was the Chargers’ sixth-round pick (181st). Vidal is the great nephew of the late MLB legend Hank Aaron. Listed at 5-foot-8 and 213 pounds, Vidal was described last month by one analyst at the NFL Draft Combine as a “sawed-off running back.”

Vidal said he never considered playing baseball despite his connection to Aaron.

“It was always football,” he said.

In the seventh round, the Chargers picked USC wide receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, with the 225th selection and took Michigan wide receiver Cornelius Johnson with the 253rd pick. Rice was a favorite target of Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams.