LA Chargers Season Preview
By: Michael Sewell
The 2020 season was very disappointing for the Los Angeles Chargers. Even after finishing the season with 4 straight wins, they ended with a 7-9 record no where near a playoff spot. Even with the bad record, there were plenty of reasons for optimism including the award winning rookie quarterback, Justin Herbert. With a new coaching staff to lead the team, the Chargers have a lot to look forward to.
After not even being expected to play the season due to his rookie status, Herbert was thrown in to only the second game of the season at the last second due to an injury to the usual starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor. He went on to start the rest of the season and lit up the stat sheet finishing with 4,336 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and a 98.3 passer rating after 15 games. A franchise quarterback is the key to a competitive team, and with that covered the future of the Chargers is very bright.
Even with the quarterback position secured for future, there are still needs to be filled on the Chargers roster. Some positions that needed to be upgraded included the entire offensive line (depth and starters), pass rusher and the cornerback position. The Chargers offensive line was among the worst in the league last season, and protection is very crucial for a young quarterback. Some good starters were lost in free agency at the end of the season including cornerback Casey Hayward, pass rusher Melvin Ingram and tight end Hunter Henry.
The first major signing after the season for the Chargers was center Corey Linsley from the Green Bay Packers, widely regarded as one of the best offensive lineman in the league. This immediately improves the Chargers offensive line on paper and they went on to add two other quality starters. Offensive guard Oday Aboushi was brought in from the Detroit Lions on a cheap one year deal. Lastly, Matt Feiler, versatile offensive guard was signed from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The signings did not stop there. Resigning cornerback Michael Davis solidifies that position for next season with a familiar presence. Additionally, veteran tight end Jared Cook was signed to a one year deal to replace former tight end Hunter Henry. Quarterback Chase Daniel and linebacker Kyler Fackrell were signed to cheap deals to give Justin Herbert a backup option and to add more versatility and pass rush ability to the locker room.
Any final additions will come through the NFL Draft beginning on April 29th. The Chargers biggest remaining needs are offensive tackle and cornerback. General manager Tom Telesco may look to draft these positions early on to get the best possible players. With the Draft coming at the end of the month, Telesco has his work cut out for him to improve on this Chargers team.