The Los Angeles Chargers made history on Wednesday morning by re-signing safety Derwin James to a four-year $76.4 million contract, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal averages $19.33 million a year and includes $42 million in guaranteed money. In totality, it makes James the highest-paid safety in NFL history. It’s a lot of money, but for a player of his calibre, it’s worth every penny.
James is another benefactor of a booming safety market that has seen the likes of Marcus Williams and Minkah Fitzpatrick sign mega deals this offseason, all while the safety position becomes more valuable in the NFL. And if there was any player that could lend credence to that sentence, it’s James.
The Chargers drafted James with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was considered one of the most talented players in the draft, period, but positional value always meant that James wouldn’t be a top-10 pick, even if his talent was potentially top-5. Of course, if you were to redraft the 2018 class, James would undoubtedly be a top-10 pick and would likely be drafted ahead of Fitzpatrick – the first safety off the board in 2018.
The one bugaboo surrounding James has been his inability to stay on the field. Between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, James played just five games due to two separate injuries – a fracture in his foot and a meniscus tear in his knee. However, James played 15 games in 2021, missing two games because of a hamstring injury. There’s hope, and expectation given the fact the Chargers are paying James $29 million in his first year, that he’ll manage a full slate of games in 2022.
James’ role with the Chargers is essentially the Swiss army knife. You’re just as likely to find him lined up in the box as you are to see him playing as a deep half safety. Per PFF, James lined up in the box 361 times and as a deep safety 326 times in 2021. He then spent the rest of his snaps in the slot or as a blitzer at the line of scrimmage.
Not many players possess that sort of versatility, and that’s what sets James apart. His rookie season was nothing short of elite as James finished as a First Team All-Pro, and in his 2021 season he did an excellent job of reminding everyone just how good he can be when healthy. At that point, it was less speculation and what if’s, and more just James being himself.
James’ versatility and usage in the Chargers defense thoroughly encapsulates just how valuable Brandon Staley and the front office believe him to be. Just like Jalen Ramsey while Staley was the defensive coordinator for the Rams, James was put into positions to be around the ball as often as possible. And with an improved defense around him, that’ll be the same line of thought in 2022 and beyond. It’s a hefty price to pay, but Derwin James is worth every penny.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport