Los Angeles Chargers: Offseason Wants, Needs & Preview

[Finished 7-9 Overall]

The former San Diego Chargers underwent many changes during the last offseason. It's hard to argue whether the most dramatic change was in quarterback or in venue, but either way, this team needed to find an identity in the city of angels. Former QB Phillip Rivers moved on to Indianapolis in 2020 to chase the Lombardi trophy. Los Angeles needed someone to take the keys to the franchise and found exactly what they were looking for in a young Justin Herbert.

Finding an elite quarterback is one of the most challenging things to uncover in the draft. It's hard to imagine where this team would've been if the original starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, had not had his lung punctured during a botched pain-killing injection. After overcoming some coaching mishaps and unlucky injuries, Los Angeles struck gold with Herbert. For the Chargers to become a force to reckon with in the AFC come 2021, they must be aggressive and changes need to happen this offseason.

Coaching Changes

Former Rams DC Brandon Staley took a huge promotion in becoming the new HC of the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason. There were plenty of suitable options for the Chargers to hire to take this team in the right direction. Ultimately, the franchise decided that it wanted a defensive-minded head coach. Why? To work on developing a defense capable of stopping Patrick Mahomes, of course.

Staley's reputation precedes him. In only 1 year as the defensive coordinator for the Rams, he built the number one defense in the NFL. Now, Staley looks to build his defense in a similar fashion for the Chargers who, by the way, share the same stadium as his former team. Newly hired OC Joe Lombardi promises to feature RB Austin Ekeler in the same fashion he featured RB Alvin Kamara during his time with the saints. This makes Ekeler an intriguing late first-round fantasy draft choice in 2021. WR Keenan Allen has excellent chemistry with Hebert and remains one of the most underrated fantasy players in the NFL.

Key Free Agents

• QB Tyrod Taylor • TE Hunter Henry

• G/C Dan Feeney

• G Forrest Lamp

• DE Melvin Ingram • LB Denzel Perryman

• LB Nick Vigil • CB Michael Davis • S Rayshawn Jenkins • T Sam Tevi

Offensive Needs

First and foremost, the Chargers must protect QB Justin Herbert at all costs. The offensive line has to be of concern for the Chargers since the rookie signal-caller was sacked the 9th most times in the NFL. Some of this is simply attributed to the talent on the other side of the ball, while the rest can be due to injuries such as C Mike Pouncey, who won't be returning. It would be foolish for Los Angeles to not address several essential positions on the offensive line through the draft or free agency.

The important question here is do the Chargers elect to bring vital players back such as TE Hunter Henry and DE Melvin Ingrim? The franchise could view this as a fresh start and let them walk in free agency to clear up some cap room and build for the future. Big WR Mike Williams may also be a salary cap casualty as the chargers are very loaded at receiver with players such as Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton.

Until TE Hunter Henry is re-signed, there are reasons to believe TE Donald Parham is a deep-league breakout candidate. He’s 6-foot-8, 237 pounds, and did just enough on 20 targets last year to make us believe in his pass-catching upside. Parham, considered the best prospect coming out of the XFL last year, will be 24 years old in 2021 and may face little competition at the position if Henry signs elsewhere. Parham had multiple red-zone plays drawn up for him as a rookie last year. He was also money in the bank for DFS players late last season.

The Chargers had a rollercoaster season at the running back position due to numerous injuries. During the last offseason, they rewarded RB Austin Ekeler with a four-year contract extension, and he became the main man in the backfield. Even though he suffered an injury last season, he should come back strong. That being said, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the second back in 2021. Rookie RB Joshua Kelley will definitely return, albeit after fighting off fumbles and landing in former HC Anthony Lynn’s doghouse. Productive RB Justin Jackson is on the roster bubble and RB Kalen Ballage is set for free agency. Ekeler, in the future, should line up as a receiver, and they should move him with pre-snap motion at times. Coming off a 181-touch, 933 yards, and three-touchdown season, expect the Chargers to use their number one back in a variety of different ways. While Kelley will certainly get a new chance with the new staff, Jackson had a more productive season but it remains to be seen if he fits new OC Joe Lombardi’s system.

Running back isn’t the biggest need for the Chargers heading into 2021, but they need a power back. The Chargers were not very good in short-yardage running situations. Hence the Herbert quarterback sneaks! If they could add a power-back to the speed that they have in Ekeler, it could change their offensive dynamic. Late in games, when teams try to bleed out the clock and the defense is tired, having a big back can finish off the game. Expect the Chargers to add another back in free agency or the draft if they have truly given up on Kelley.

There was some good play by both WR Jalen Guyton and WR Tyron Johnson. Guyton was the third receiver who made some big plays, but Johnson came out of nowhere. He worked his way up in training camp and turned out to be a significant contributor. The Bolts did draft WR KJ Hill and WR Joe Reed last season, but neither really stepped up. Those were Anthony Lynn picks, so Brandon Staley could decide to move on from them. If the team doesn’t sign a free agent speedy receiver, they will need to look in the draft to add to this position. Receiver isn’t a pressing need at the moment for this team since Herbert is very capable of spreading the ball to any open receiver when he's not tirelessly targeting WR Keenan Allen.

Defensive Needs

When playing in a division where you face the Chiefs, the Raiders, and the Broncos, you have to have an elite secondary. Point blank, it's a paramount part of any team's success. On paper, the Chargers have good players in CB Casey Hayward, CB Chris Harris Jr., and CB Michael Davis; however, the results did not tell the same story. The Chargers need to add depth at corner in acquiring shutdown corners to slow down players like WR Tyreek Hill.

Too Long Didn't Read Version

After finishing top ten in both offense and defense, the Chargers didn't make it into the playoffs. Yes, you read that correctly. Why? Well, in games that were decided by 7 points or fewer, the Chargers were 5-6. That's 11 games that came down to just one possession. Year after year it seems an enormous amount of star players on this team end up on the injured reserve. This team, if they can stay healthy, can easily be a playoff team with new hire aspirations.

There's no question that rookie QB Justin Herbert played his heart out. Much like Bills QB Josh Allen, look for the Chargers to build around his skill set to get this team the next step in 2021. This team could use more help in the depth department in multiple positions. This franchise needs to make it a priority to aggressively target the right personnel in the draft and in free agency. They need players who not only fit Staley’s scheme but players who can help Justin Herbert to develop into the best quarterback in the NFL. As far-fetched as it sounds, he is that far off from getting to that level. With $40M in cap space and 9 picks in the upcoming draft, expect an exciting offseason for Bolts fans!