1. Becton fired up to be in LA

Mekhi Becton knew the Chargers were the spot for him.

“They’re a team that is really close,” Becton said. “Got a lot of pieces … they welcomed me with open arms. It felt like home.”

Becton, who spoke to reporters for the first time since signing with the Chargers last month, expressed his excitement with his new team during the first day of the offseason program.

There were many factors that led the big guard to Los Angeles — one of them being none other than the Chargers Head Coach.

Even though Becton didn’t play for Jim Harbaugh in college, Harbaugh did recruit Becton out of high school and got along with him quite well throughout the process.

Now meeting up years later during free agency, he said it felt like things picked up where they left off.

“He recruited me in high school so we had already seen each other and had known each other,” Becton said. “That ice was already broken. It was like seeing a long-lost friend again.”

Becton was then asked what attracted him about Harbaugh.

“He’s a tenacious coach. He’s a dog,” Becton said. “He doesn’t care about anything and just wants to win. You can tell just by the way he is.”

Becton now joins the Chargers a year removed from moving inside to guard and helping the Eagles win a Super Bowl.

He thrived in his first year on the inside, posting an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 75.2 in the regular season, good for 16th among guards with at least 500 snaps.

He was effective as a run blocker, too, posting a PFF grade of 74.7, which was the 14th-best mark among all guards with 500-plus snaps.

He had a career year of sorts, but the 26-year-old credited it first and foremost to staying on the field.

“Yeah, some people could say that,” Becton said. “I would say it was my best year because it was the most games I played.

“For me, yeah, it was my best year because I was healthy,” Becton added.

Now, the guard has his sights set on being more than that for the Bolts and being something the team needs heading into 2025.

“I feel like they needed a few pieces,” Becton said. “And I’m one of those pieces that can help out.”