Le Journal

NPR's Juana Summers speaks with author Gabriel Tallent about his new novel Cruxand why not taking risks doesn't always guarantee a safety net.

As the festival prepares to move to Colorado, filmmakers and cinephiles gather to celebrate its founder and the future of indie film.

Everyone and their mother knows that the Chargers’ biggest need this offseason is reinforcements along the interior offensive line. However, there are still plenty of draft analysts that believe the Bolts could stand to upgrade the interior of their defensive line. To be quite honest, I’m not entirely sure where this pressing need seems to be coming from. The Chargers finished the 2025 regular season as the eight-best defense against the run. Veteran Teair Tart had arguably the best season of his career and it’s highly unlikely he plays elsewhere given that LA is the only place he’s played up to this level (they’re also no doubt the team will give him his worth this offseason). The team also just drafted Jamaree Caldwell in the third round a year ago and he played as the other starter in the middle for most of the season. Still, ESPN’s Mel Kiper believes the Bolts need an upgraded presence along the interior, it’s just not the side of the ball that most fans would agree with. In his first mock of the year for the 2026 draft, Kiper has the Chargers taking Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods with the 22nd-overall pick. “Woods looked like a top-10 pick heading into the season, but the production dipped, and here he is outside the top 20,“ says Kiper. ”The Chargers won’t complain, though. They would love to bring in a talented 3-technique with strength and versatility. At his best, Woods can wreck an opponent’s game plan. Can coach Jim Harbaugh (and maybe defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, if he isn’t hired elsewhere as a head coach) get Woods’ game back to that level? If so, he’d be a really good replacement for free agent Teair Tart.“ The 6’4, 310-pound Woods was seen as the top defensive tackle in the draft prior to the 2025 season. However, after recording eight tackles for loss and three sacks a year ago, those numbers dropped to 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks this season which is not what you want to see from a player projected to go early on day one. A fun fact: Woods was used as a goal-line back for the Tigers in 2025, earning eight carries for 15 yards and scoring twice. New Scott Matlock 2.0? One can hope. Clemson DT Peter Woods is a nightmare for offensive linemen.Super violent hands that shock & shed blocks instantly + elite get-off to dominate one-on-one in the run game. A refined pass-rush arsenal that disrupts QBs from the interior with serious power and quickness. He can… pic.twitter.com/Vvnkr6Zvvy— Josh Benzo (@JoshBenzo) January 9, 2026 Is this a pick you would like to see the Chargers make in April? Is offensive guard or center simply too high of a priority to consider anything else in the first round? Let us know all of your thoughts below!

The Chargers have found their next offensive coordinator. According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Chargers are expected to make former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel their next offensive play-caller, replacing Greg Roman who was fired following the team’s wild card loss to the Patriots. McDaniel has spent the past four seasons with Miami where his offense ranked in the top six twice, including the league’s number one offense during the 2023 season (401.3 yards per game). In his first season with the Dolphins (2022), he took the NFL’s 25th-ranked offense and turned it into the sixth-ranked offense, going from an average of 307.0 yards per game to 364.5. Former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel is expected to become the Chargers offensive coordinator barring a change of heart, per @JeffDarlington and me. McDaniel has informed other teams that they’re out, the Chargers clearly want him, and the two sides are having dinner tonight. But the… pic.twitter.com/N7onkCadlK— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 21, 2026 During the 2023 season, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for a career high 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns to go with a 69.3 completion percentage. In 2024, Tagovailoa struggled with injuries and missed six games, but he still completed a career-high 72.9 percent of his passes for 2,867 yards in 11 games. One of the underrated aspects of McDaniel’s time with the Dolphins was his ability to get a lot out of the run game along with his explosive passing attack. During that 2023 season, his team averaged 135.8 rushing yards per game, good for sixth in the NFL. In 2025, with Tagovailoa and the passing game having taken a massive step back, the ground game still ranked 13th with 120.2 yards per game. During his last stint as an offensive coordinator, McDaniel helped lead the 49ers offense to the seventh-ranked unit in the NFL with an average of 375.7 yards per game. They also ranked seventh in rushing yards per game with 127.4 per game. Out of all the available play-callers left on the market, McDaniel was arguably the best there was. He had several interviews for head coaching opportunities this cycle but he chose to step out of the running for those and make his way out to Los Angeles where he will get the chance to coach Justin Herbert in 2026.