Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez supplies a list of six underrated players to watch out for the Los Angeles Chargers when the frenzy begins.
With free agency set to open on March 18, the Chargers won’t waste too much time to fill their roster holes.
Even though L.A. has the money to spend on one or two big-name free agents, I expect general manager Tom Telesco to still do what he does best by bargaining on some of the more underrated options on the market.
With that being said, here are six players that could be targeted:
CB Darqueze Dennard
The Chargers have one of the most talented cornerbacks in the league in Casey Hayward. However, the depth behind him isn’t the most optimal. Dennard, who was drafted in 2014, could help shore up a young secondary. Even though he played the majority of his snaps from the slot, he has proven he has the ability to play on the outside. He was limited to only 290 coverage snaps in 2019 but put up a career-high and 15th best coverage grade on those snaps. Dennard allowed only four catches of 10-plus yards, as well, per Pro Football Focus. The 5-foot-11 corner is also stout against the run.
DT Andrew Billings
The Chargers need to find veteran Brandon Mebane’s replacement since he isn’t likely to be on the team for much longer with one more year remaining on his contract. Even though he only has 3.5 sacks in a three-season span, Billings has done what he was drafted for which is the ability to dominate at the point of attack and take on double teams to allow other members from the front seven to roam freely downhill. The bottom line is that Billings is a true nose tackle, who’s young (25), won’t command as much money as the other interior defensive linemen on the market and could fill the run-plugging role that Mebane supplied with.
OL Connor McGovern
After acquiring guard Trai Turner, the interior offensive line got a boost, but it’s far from being shored up. McGovern, the former fifth-round pick, would supply versatility at both center and guard. The 26-year old started 23 consecutive games for Denver at center. Prior to playing center, McGovern played at right guard for two seasons. McGovern was the 10th-best center in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 82.5 pass-blocking grade was the fifth-highest in the league. In addition, McGovern was one of only three offensive linemen to play over 600 snaps without amassing a single penalty in 2019.
WR/ST Matthew Slater
Despite having two special teams standouts in Drue Tranquill and Derek Watt, the Chargers finished dead last in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average, and estimates “how many points, compared to league average, each team receives from the five elements of special teams,” per the website.) last season. To avoid this from happening again, they could use a proven player that’s lights out in this area of the game. Slater is one of the best gunners in NFL history. He was outstanding last year, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors at age 34. Overall, he has eight Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro selections. He’s also a phenomenal locker room presence.
OT Cornelius Lucas
The Chargers could benefit from starting-caliber players at the tackle position after the loss of Russell Okung, but they simply need more depth. Lucas, the journeyman who has played for four teams since 2014 could be a solid addition who has starter-upside. The 507 offensive snaps he played for the Bears this past season at a combination of the left and right tackle positions were more than he had played since his rookie season back in 2014, and the 72.2 overall grade that he earned marked the first time in his career that Lucas graded above 65.0, per Pro Football Focus. In 2019, he gave up just 12 pressures and one sack in starting the final five games of the season.
WR Demarcus Robinson
Wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams held the positional group down this past season, but there was hardly any production outside of those two, which means that adding a third wideout is an absolute must this offseason, specifically one with speed. This past season, Robinson managed to rack up a career-high 32 catches for 449 yards and four touchdowns. Even though the stat sheet might not be appealing, he has the straight-line speed and separation ability to be a reliable WR3.
