The L.A. Chargers have been taking things in measured ways this offseason which might be a sign of growth.
One year after handing out sacks of cash for the likes of cornerback J.C. Jackson or pass rusher Khalil Mack, the Los Angeles Chargers have toned things down a bit. This offseason has been a bit more steady and measured in the organizational approach, according to Jason Reed, site expert for Bolt Beat. It’s one aspect that has Chargers fans optimistic about the road ahead.
That’s not to say the Chargers don’t have serious concerns about what’s ahead. They have to figure out the Chiefs and a loaded AFC by gathering the best talent that they can, but that means figuring out what to do with an unhappy Austin Ekeler and stopping the bleeding from losing a player like Drue Tranquill to K.C.
In order to get a read on the Chargers’ offseason so far, we asked Jason if he’d answer a few of our questions in hopes of helping us size up one of our AFC West rivals. (You can see our earlier updates on the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos here.)
In this early stage of the offseason, what has you the most excited or heartened about the Chargers’ activities?
I have been excited about how the Chargers have gone about their business. There have been years in the past where the team gets overzealous and will re-sign/sign players for above-market value as they feared losing them. This year, so far, they have played their cards right and have been able to bring back or replace key players at a cheap price that does not hinder any potential future plans.
What remains the biggest frustration at this point?
Probably the Drue Tranquill situation. It has been a game of he-said, she-said, with some reporting that Tranquill rejected an offer from the Chargers to feel out his market while others have reported that the Chargers never offered him a deal. Regardless, this is the second offseason in a row where the Chargers let a breakout linebacker walk for $3 million. Kendricks is a nice addition to the room but the defense could have been much more dangerous if the team paired Kendricks with Tranquill instead of trusting on Kenneth Murray to once again play starting snaps.
Is there anything that could be termed as a major surprise for the franchise?
How aggressive the front office was in restructuring several contracts (Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen) to make enough salary-cap space to be able to make these moves. Those four players are going to account for over half the salary cap next season and it resulted in there being more dead money on their deals. So while 1-2 of those players will inevitably be salary-cap casualties next offseason, the Chargers will save less.
Tom Telesco has never been this bold in making those kinds of moves and that tells me that he is a general manager who is operating like he is not sure if he will be here in a year. This season absolutely has to work out and the team can figure out the rest later because if not, it will likely be someone else’s problem to solve.
What’s the biggest hurdle in front of them in terms of roster construction?
The fate of Austin Ekeler and whether or not the team actually trades him. Ekeler wants an extension that pays him market value without realizing that the market value for running backs this year is much lower than it has been in the past. That could result in Ekeler simply returning to the team in 2023 and playing out the final year of his deal without being too happy about it.
As crazy as it sounds, it might be best for the Chargers to get draft capital for Ekeler and just move on at the position, especially if there is a special RB like Bijan Robinson available with the 21st pick. As great as Ekeler is for fantasy football and as a pass-catcher, he could not run between the tackles last season. It was an issue that reared its ugly head in the playoff loss to Jacksonville.