Things are looking up for the future of the Chargers after their free agency haul from the first wave.
Los Angeles acquired guard Trai Turner, offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, cornerback Chris Harris Jr., defensive tackle Linval Joseph and linebacker Nick Vigil.
While there are still notable holes to fill, including the quarterback and left tackle position, general manager Tom Telesco has taken the necessary steps to get the Bolts back into playoff contention.
Our friend, Mark Schofield over at Touchdown Wire feels the same way, moving the Chargers up four spots in his middle of free agency power rankings:
The Chargers made some very intriguing moves over the past few weeks, but one huge question mark remains.
We can start with the additions. Bryan Bulaga gives them a very solid right tackle. Trai Turner is a young guard, acquired via a trade with the Carolina Panthers, who gives a big boost to the interior of the offensive line, which was a big issue for the Chargers a season ago. Chris Harris Jr. gives the Chargers a very solid slot cornerback who also has the ability to play along the boundary, although he did struggle there a season ago. Linval Joseph is a very nice piece on the inside who can occupy bodies, freeing up players like Isaac Rochell and Joey Bosa to get after the passer.
All very good moves, but the question mark is at quarterback. The team has indicated that they are willing to roll with Tyrod Taylor next season, but with players like Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston available, will they stick to that script? Also, with the sixth overall selection in the draft, will they pass on a rookie quarterback or not? Until they figure out the quarterback piece, it is hard to move them higher up the board.
In the rest of the AFC West, the Chiefs sit as the top dog (No. 1), followed by the Chargers (No. 13), Raiders (No. 21) and Broncos (No. 24).
With a little less than a month until the draft, the big question remains whether the Chargers will elect to sign Cam Newton, who was released on Tuesday. Or, will they choose to draft a quarterback with their first-round selection.
Once that is determined, that will likely have an impact on the team’s ranking in the next installment given the fact that the quarterback position is the most important on the football field.