First-year GM Joe Hortiz continues to refine his recipe for building the Chargers roster

AP Sports Writer

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Joe Hortiz had already earned a nickname from the Harbaugh family before his first game as the Los Angeles Chargers general manager.

Hortiz was called “Chef Hortiz” by Jack Harbaugh, the father of coach Jim Harbaugh, after making a series of moves during the final two weeks of training camp to try and bolster the roster.

Four weeks into the season, Hortiz has given Harbaugh plenty of ingredients. The final dish remains a work in progress. The Chargers are 2-2 going into their bye week, the third straight season and the fifth time since 2017 they have been at the .500 mark one quarter into the season.

“I don’t think there’s been any surprises,” Hortiz said about his first year as a general manager. “I think 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 I have from the pro department, it’s like I set the agenda and the process and you keep working at it.”

The Chargers hired Hortiz on Jan. 29, the day after Baltimore lost to Kansas City in the AFC championship game. Hortiz had spent his entire 26-year NFL career with the Ravens, working his way up from area scout to director of player personnel, where he oversaw all aspects of pro and college scouting.

He also had a 10-year stint 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 had learned from former Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and current GM Eric DeCosta until he started with the Chargers.

“I didn’t even realize how much I knew because of Ozzie and Eric,” Hortiz said. “I didn’t realize what was taught to me until I was sitting in the chair. You don’t even realize when you’re learning. I think that’s the great thing. You keep doing it, all of our jobs. When you do it together with your peers and keep learning from each other, you pay attention and pick it up.”

Hortiz’s relationship with Jim Harbaugh has gone as well 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 how the relationship with a general manager would go or if Harbaugh would have control of personnel.

So far, the working relationship has stayed strong.

“It’s huge for the GM and head coach to exist well. Sometimes you have to work at it. We don’t have to work at this,” Hortiz said. “We have the same type of vision and philosophy. I’m brothers with John. I’m already brothers with Jim. We’re having a lot of fun.”

Some of Hortiz’s additions have paid early dividends. Running back J.K. Dobbins is sixth in the league in rushing and making a bid for AP Comeback Player of the Year honors after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in last year’s opener.

Safety Elijah Molden, acquired from Tennessee during the final week of training camp, has started two games and had an interception.

Offensive tackle Joe Alt, the fifth overall pick in the draft, had an impressive opener against Las Vegas when he held prolific pass rusher Maxx Crosby without a quarterback pressure.

“The ingredients he has mixed in with this team have been outstanding,” Harbaugh said.

The Chargers got off to their first 2-0 start since 2012 before losing at Pittsburgh and to Kansas City. Quarterback Justin Herbert has been hampered with a high right ankle sprain 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’re still a growing team. What you see in Week 4 with a lot of these teams, it’s not going to be in Week 7 or 18. I think it’s great so far, and we’re working to get better,” Hortiz said.

During the six weeks of training camp and the preseason, Hortiz signed nine players, traded for two, and made a waiver claim. Despite some solid play from Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, the wide receiver position remains a huge question mark because of a lack of experience.

Depending on the market, Hortiz could be aggressive in continuing to retool the roster before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

“We’ll always be listening and looking. I think you’ve got to evaluate all opportunities from a short term, immediate impact and then the long-term impact,” he said.

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