The time to start preparing for the future is now.
After being near the bottom of the league in salary cap space last year, the Los Angeles Chargers find themselves near the middle of the pack when the new league year begins in the middle of March.
Even though the estimations aren’t exact because the league has yet to announce what the salary cap will be, the Chargers are expected to have a little over $53 million in salary cap space based on a $200 million cap. That ranks No. 14 in the league.
Despite possessing one of the more talented rosters, the Bolts have several needs to address this offseason. Upgrading the offensive line and adding to the wide receiver, cornerback and defensive tackle room is a must.
At the same time, a good chunk of that money will likely be used on a few key free agents of their own, including tight end Hunter Henry, safety Adrian Phillips, guard Michael Schofield among others.
The Chargers can’t begin negotiating with other free agents until March 16, which is officially the start date of the legal tampering period.
This will be one of the more enticing offseasons for Los Angeles. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if general manager Tom Telesco does some more wheeling and dealing this free agency period than he has ever done to bring in players that have proven their worth in the league already.