The Chargers will make an effort to significantly upgrade their roster over the course of the next few months. With 13 unrestricted free agents in March, they will have to make a decision to re-sign or let go to find another team for next season.
Earlier, we mentioned three players that Los Angeles should absolutely bring back. But now, in order to create cap space, they will have to say goodbye to some players.
With that being said, here are four players that L.A. should avoid re-signing.
Jason Verrett | CB
Verrett broke out in his second season as a Chargers, amassing 12 passes defensed and three interceptions. He was named to the 2015 Pro Bowl for his efforts. Since then, injuries have stopped him from seeing the field for a full season in three consecutive years.
Cornerback is one of the more shallow free agent positions this offseason, and Verrett is one of the more interesting players. He’s not near the end of his prime, as he’s still young in age. The Chargers could hypothetically bring him back on a ‘prove it’ deal, but, with his durability is a major concern and it’s tough to say whether or not he has the juice still.
Cornerback is a deep position group this offseason in the draft, so Los Angeles can find an option in the middle rounds to develop into a reliable CB. They showed to do it back in 2017 with the selection of Desmond King.
Denzel Perryman | LB
Just like Verrett, the hard-hitting linebacker has struggled to stay on the field due to a consecutive season-ending injuries. After being the 2015 second-round selection, where he excelled in his rookie season, Perryman’s presence hasn’t been able to be felt in games that have mattered the most.
When on the field, the 26-year old LB has flashed as a run defender, but has been a liability in coverage. The way he sets the tone in that aspect of the game is huge for the Chargers. But they managed to find a way to close out contests, despite having a thin linebacker group with the absence of him, Kyzir White and Jatavis Brown.
It’s easy to make an argument for Los Angeles attempting to offer a ‘prove it’ deal, but Perryman might feel like he deserves more money for his efforts when he’s healthy. The leadership is hard to let go, but it’s hard to keep players around that can’t stay healthy.
With players such as C.J. Mosley, Stephone Anthony, or Preston Brown available this offseason, they have plenty of options that they can pursue to solidify their defense. The draft is thin at the position, but the middle round options are enticing, which is something we will continue to showcase in our scouting reports from now until then.
Tyrell Williams | WR
Over the past few seasons, Williams has proven to be a reliable deep threat for the Chargers. Making his mark in 2016 when Keenan Allen went down, he has nearly 2,500 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns over the last three seasons.
Williams had a bit of a down season in 2018, aside from two monster games where he recorded seven receptions for 236 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He was on a team with a corps full of reliable receivers, which didn’t allow him to unlock his full potential.
However, as the 26-year old WR is set to become an unrestricted free agent, he feels that he’s more than capable of being an NFL team’s No. 1 or 2 wideout. With that, it means that he will be requesting more money this offseason.
With how deep the Bolts are at the position, it’s hard to believe that they will throw a lot of cash at him. Free agency is filled with cheaper options such as John Brown. The NFL draft possesses prospects that could serve as a deep threat, too. Not to mention, they will still have 2018 sixth-round selection Dylan Cantrell and Artavis Scott as options to join Allen and Mike Williams.
Brandon Mebane | DT
Mebane will be entering his 13th season in the NFL. The 34-year old defensive tackle dealt with a rough 2018 campaign, as he went through a very sad and tragic family matter with the loss of his daughter.
Mebane’s veteran leadership has benefited the defensive line and run defense as a whole. Registering 91 tackles and two sacks in his three seasons with the Chargers, they managed to finish as a top-10 unit against the run this past season.
Los Angeles will have two other defensive tackles unrestricted free agents — Darius Philon and Damion Square. Both players were major contributors in Mebane’s absence. Philon and Square will likely be re-signed, but Mebane’s future is up in the air.
With the emergence of former third-round pick Justin Jones and a draft class deep with interior defensive linemen, L.A. may benefit from getting younger at the position, which will require to move on from Mebane.
