With the need to bring in more veterans to an already talented roster, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco didn’t shy away from adding a few earlier this offseason.
With that in mind, here is what fans can expect from each of Telesco’s acquisitions heading into the upcoming season:
WR Darius Jennings
The special teams department has been a major concern for the Chargers the past few seasons, and it’s clear that they made it a priority to shore up after the Jennings along with rookie Joe Reed. Over the past two seasons, he returned 31 kickoffs for 894 yards, including a 94-yarder for a touchdown. Jennings has a chance of making the roster. And while he will unlikely see the field on a consistent basis on offense, but he will be in contention for the starting kick returner job. At most, he will be a special teamer in 2020.
LB Nick Vigil
The Bolts released Thomas Davis prior to the start of the new league year and they lost a few key special teamers in free agency, which left some spots that needed to be filled. Vigil offers positional versatility, which is highly coveted in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s defense. With Denzel Perryman, Kenneth Murray and Kyzir White projected to be the starters, Vigil will provide depth, and would likely see the field on obvious passing downs since he has earned a strong reputation for his play in coverage. Despite not being a starter, Vigil will make his money on special teams right out of the gate.
DT Linval Joseph
Joseph projects as the Day 1 starter in the middle of the defensive line. It remains to be if he will play all three downs, given the fact that he played only 553 snaps last season which was just over 50%. Known for his ability to defend the run, Joseph will be on the playing field on rushing situations, while Damion Square rotates in or Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery slide in on obvious passing situations. However, Joseph has the capability of staying on the field in those situations as he finished top-4 on the team in quarterback knockdowns in three of his first four seasons with the Vikings, recording 41 in total along with 11 sacks.
CB Chris Harris, Jr.
According to NFL.com research, the Chargers allowed nine yards per slot target last season, which was the fifth-highest average in the league. They also ranked No. 30 in completion percentage to slot targets. Harris Jr., 30, is one of the NFL’s polished cornerbacks in that he can play outside corner and shadow a No. 1 wide receiver but also excel as a slot cornerback. Harris projects as the starting slot corner, overtaking Desmond King in that role. Harris is capable of playing on the outside along with some safety, but we can expect to see him primarily on the inside. His coverage skills and open space tackling will be key as the team looks to stop the Chiefs’ high-powered offense.
OT Bryan Bulaga
The right tackle position produced inconsistent results for the past few seasons, but that will quickly change after the signing of Bulaga, who will start from Week 1. Bulaga reunites with former offensive line coach James Campen from their playing days with the Packers, which is a nice to have familiarity on the roster. One of the better pass protecting tackles in the league, and very capable in the run game, Bulaga provides the trenches with a huge boost. If all goes well and he stays healthy, the 10-year veteran could earn a trip to the Pro Bowl, finally.