Even though free agency is not necessarily over, the big-ticket players are all gone. The Chargers signed a few players before turning their full attention to the 2020 NFL Draft, which is just weeks away.
Los Angeles made some aggressive moves in the first week of the new league year, which will likely have an impact on their game-plan later this month as they continue to build the roster.
Here are four takeaways from the Bolts’ free agency and ahead of the upcoming draft.
Only a couple of pieces away from a competent line
Heading into free agency, one of the Chargers’ biggest needs lied along the offensive line after finishing among the league’s worst last season. To address it, Los Angeles traded for five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner and offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga.
The additions of Turner and Bulaga shored up the right side of the line, but there are still questions that need to be answered with the rest of the unit.
Uncertainty lies at the left tackle position as to whether or not the team believes in Trey Pipkins as the starter moving forward. Center Mike Pouncey has not been cleared to play yet after sustaining a severe neck injury. And it remains to be seen if Dan Feeney or Forrest Lamp can be reliable starters at left guard going forward.
The questions that loom large can and likely will be addressed in the upcoming draft. If the Bolts draft their quarterback of the future in Round 1, I expect them to follow that up with a tackle to compete for a starting job as well as an interior offensive lineman for more depth in case Feeney or Lamp don’t pan out or Pouncey isn’t able to play.
Banking on Tyrod…for now
The Chargers fell short in the sweepstakes for Tom Brady, who ultimately chose to sign with the Buccaneers. There have been murmurs of the team going after Cam Newton, but NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said that they’re not interested in acquiring the former MVP at the moment.
Things can change, but Los Angeles appears to be banking on Tyrod Taylor as the team’s starting quarterback. However, that doesn’t mean he’s going to be the long-term answer. Taylor only has one more year remaining on his contract and given the fact that they possess the No. 6 overall selection, they’re in a perfect position to land one of the top signal-callers.
With moving into a new brand stadium, this is the perfect opportunity to give fans the glimpse of what the future holds after choosing to move on from Philip Rivers, whether that be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert or Utah State’s Jordan Love while Taylor serves as the bridge this upcoming season.
Like I’ve mentioned before, the perfect way to build a Super Bowl-contending roster is by having a quarterback on a rookie deal. If you’re not paying your quarterback top-of-the-market money, then you can use that cap space to fulfill other positions of need.
Linebacker might be addressed sooner than many think
Last offseason, the Chargers made the point to prioritize the linebacker position by re-signing Denzel Perryman, signing Thomas Davis and drafting Drue Tranquill and Emeke Egbule. Fast forward to now, they sit in a position where they have to continue to retool the positional group.
Los Angeles elected to release Davis after a year of his services. Perryman only has one more year remaining on his contract. And it’s uncertain whether or not the team can bank on Kyzir White after drawing durability concerns from a lingering knee injury sustained in his rookie campaign, which is why he hardly saw the field this past season.
On Wednesday, Lynn said that Perryman is pencilled in as the starting Mike linebacker. But rookie sensation Drue Tranquill will compete there and at the weak side linebacker position. “If we get a guy in the draft. Drue could also go over and play MIKE. So we’ll see,” Lynn said, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
Words like that likely indicate that the position sits atop of the team’s needs still. I listed five potential mid-round options, but it wouldn’t be surprising for the Chargers look to address it earlier than that, possibly as early as the second-round.
Valuing the wide receiver class
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are both coming off productive seasons, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards. However, there is no one behind the two that can be called upon. Travis Benjamin was released and the other guys at the position didn’t produce when they had the opportunity last season.
The Chargers didn’t dip into the free agency pool in hopes of finding a guy to play opposite of Williams, which means that they realize how deep this year’s wideout class is. There will be plenty of options beyond Round 1 that they should consider, and I expect them to grab one within the first four rounds.
