For the most, Chargers already have a talented roster in place, but there are certain positions that could be cleaned up.
Therefore, general manager Tom Telesco will likely dip into the free agency pool to address them, like he did last offseason when he signed four notable players to contracts. Telesco could have plenty of intriguing options to choose from.
Pro Football Focus released their annual list of the league’s top 100 free agents, where they gave a brief summary of each player and who they predict them to sign with this offseason.
PFF connected Los Angeles with four players. The first one is one of their own, tight end Hunter Henry.
He is a productive and capable tight end with plenty of tools to be an excellent receiver in any offense. Henry has the size to box defenders out underneath, the savvy to find holes in a defense and enough route-running skills to separate over the middle.
The next one listed is Packers center Corey Linsley. With Dan Feeney slated to hit the market and Mike Pouncey’s career up in the air due to injury concerns, L.A. could afford to revamp the position with one of the league’s best.
Linsley has been outstanding in pass protection this season, allowing just four pressures on 437 pass-blocking attempts in 2020. He is also a strong run-blocker, ranking in the 84th percentile in the percentage of positively graded blocks and the 85th percentile when it comes to avoiding negatives.
The Bolts address the offensive line, specifically the left tackle position, with another veteran in Steelers’ Alejandro Villenueva. Sam Tevi’s contract is up and there’s a chance that the team could let him walk, despite him performing well as a blindside blocker.
There’s immense value in solid, mid-tier offensive linemen, and that’s exactly what Villanueva has been throughout his career. He’s graded between 74.0 and 82.0 in each of his last five seasons; he ranks in the 54th percentile in PFF pass-blocking grade and the 46th percentile in pass-blocking grade on true pass sets during that time.
Finally, PFF predicted Los Angeles to sign Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett to serve as the backup to Justin Herbert. Tyrod Taylor will be a free agent and might find an opportunity elsewhere. There’s the possibility of letting Easton Stick fill the role. They have been grooming him to be their backup since they drafted him in the fifth round in 2019.
Brissett has PFF grades of 62.4 in 2017 and 59.2 in 2019 as a starter, showing that he’s likely a high-end backup. Stylistically, Brissett has landed more on the game manager end of the spectrum, taking good care of the ball but also having a low percentage of big-time throws. When adding some rushing value to the mix, it’s clear that Brissett can be called upon to win a few games, but he hasn’t looked like a quarterback who is capable of carrying a team.
Two other Chargers are mentioned and PFF sees them signing elsewhere. Edge defender Melvin Ingram is predicted to sign with the Lions while linebacker Denzel Perryman is pegged to the Packers.