With Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and the recent emergence of Keenan Allen, the Chargers’ offense should still be dangerous, but the team just traversed a rough offseason. San Diego will try to bounce back from a rough year even after losing Eric Weddle, Ladarius Green and Patrick Robinson in free agency. That doesn’t bode particularly well for a team that finished 4-12 in 2015 and struggled to do much more than pass the ball effectively.
The Chargers addressed the team’s biggest need in the 2016 NFL Draft by selecting Joey Bosa at No. 3 overall, but their inability to agree to a rookie contract with the former Ohio State defensive end until the final week of the preseason absorbed much of the offseason conversation for San Diego. The team was No. 32 in rushing yards per attempt and No. 30 in rushing yards allowed per attempt and didn’t make many moves to correct those problems, so it could be another bumpy season in San Diego.
5 questions with Bolts from the Blue
The Chargers seem like a franchise at a crossroads right now, with the stadium situation unresolved and the team attempting to rebuild around an aging Philip Rivers. Do you think Mike McCoy and Tom Telesco will be able to build a contender while Rivers still has a few good years left?
I want to answer this question in the affirmative so badly, but the Chargers coaching staff and front office do not inspire that kind of faith. The Joey Bosa contract standoff, in particular, reminded Chargers fans that even when the organization does something right (like drafting Bosa), they will find a way to ruin it (like insisting on deferring half of his signing bonus until the next league year). There is some talent on the roster, but there is very little depth and no history of the Chargers maintaining the health of their starters.
Melvin Gordon had a disastrous rookie year and underwent microfracture surgery for good measure. Is there any hope of him making a second-year leap?
There is hope! Gordon is a talented player who has very clear strengths and weaknesses. Last year, he had an offensive coordinator who did not understand how to emphasize those strengths and minimize those weaknesses. This year he has Ken Whisenhunt, who truly appears to have already figured out how to get the most out of Gordon. The offensive line is also much improved by the addition of Matt Slauson (and removal of Trevor Robinson). The microfracture surgery might shorten Gordon’s career, but this year should not be a concern.
Joey Bosa’s holdout lasted nearly the entire preseason. How much do you expect it to affect the Chargers on the field this year?
It’s not good. Darius Philon is a solid backup, but he is stretched too far as a starter. Also, the depth behind Philon is all but nonexistent. Bosa was supposed to be one of the strengths of the defense. Now, at best, he will still be learning the position when Week 1 rolls around. This could easily end up costing the team a game or two.
Although Eric Weddle was getting up there in years, he was a rock in the secondary for years and his absence will surely be felt. Who do the Chargers have lined up to replace him at safety?
Dwight Lowery will be asked to replace Eric Weddle. If training camp and the first preseason game are any indication, it’s not going to go well. Lowery hits harder, but he is much slower to read and react. Chargers corners will be wondering where that over-the-top help was that they were expecting too frequently last season.
How does the first month of the season go? The last month of the season? What's the final record going to be?
The first month of the season features road games at Kansas CIty and Indianapolis. Those are almost guaranteed losses. They also host the Saints and Jaguars. The Chargers will probably win one of those. The last month of the season starts with an away game against the Panthers, which should be a loss, followed by home games against the Raiders and Chiefs split up by a trip to Cleveland. In classic Chargers fashion, they’ll win those final three games to ruin their draft position. Final record: 7-9.
