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2021 Free Agency: DL Leonard Williams would be splash signing for Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers would have one of the best defensive lines.

With a healthy amount of salary cap space, the Chargers will look to make some notable free agent signings in hopes of bolstering an already talented roster to finally dethrone the Chiefs as AFC West champions.

Among the big-name players that could be available come March that would make a lot of sense for Los Angeles is Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams.

After struggling to piece it all together in 2019, Williams boasted his best season to date the year after, which included double-digit sacks (11.5), and career-highs in quarterback hits (30), pressures (42) and tackles for loss (14). He finished as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best interior defensive lineman.

The interior part of the Bolts’ defensive line leaves a lot to be desired.

Linval Joseph was arguably the best player among the crop last season, but he will be on the final year of his deal. Jerry Tillery hasn’t lived up to his first-round status. Justin Jones has flashed here and there, but he hasn’t been consistently dominant.

Given the fact that head coach Brandon Staley’s system is heavily predicated on being able to win one-on-one matchups in the trenches, the Chargers could benefit from someone like Williams who has proven himself as a premiere pass-rusher and a reliable run defender.

After playing this past season on the franchise tag, Williams enters this offseason well-deserving of a big paycheck. With a projected $24.2 million available in cap space, Los Angeles could afford to work out a deal to add the former first-round pick.

6 Chargers offensive free agent, draft ‘crushes’

With Valentine’s Day here, Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez shares his 2021 NFL draft and free agent crushes for Los Angeles.

‘Tis the season for finding or celebrating your perfect match, and the Chargers will be searching for their own when the 2021 offseason begins.

With the hopes of making a run next season, Los Angeles should push really hard to land six of these offensive players to compliment Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert.

Let’s take a look at which players the Bolts should love:

OT Trent Williams, 49ers

While Sam Tevi had a decent 2020 season, he will be a free agent this offseason. Williams was one the best offensive players for the 49ers in a injury-ravaged season. The 32-year old, who sat our all of 2019 due to a dispute with The Football Team, regained his All-Pro form with San Francisco. Williams earned a 91.9-grade this past season, the highest of any tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. Even though he’s getting up there in age, he’s still proven to play the position at a high level, and he would serve well as a stop-gap option.

OL Brandon Scherff, Redskins

Scherff, the four-time Pro Bowler, allowed only one sack and was flagged for just one penalty in 13 games in 2020. A wall in pass protection, Scherff graded as the seventh-best guard in the league this year, per Pro Football Focus. The 29-year old was voted All-Pro in 2020, marking the first of his career. The former Iowa product has battled through some injuries, but he has overcame them and has managed to continue to still play at a high level. With Forrest Lamp and Trai Turner’s future up in the air, Scherff would be an immediate upgrade.

OL Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

The Chargers should use their first-round pick on an offensive lineman and if Slater’s available at No. 13 overall, it should be a no-brainer. Slater’s production in his final season at Northwestern was eyebrow-raising as he only gave up five pressures in 787 total snaps. Slater opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the draft, but the year before that he stymied Chase Young, No. 2 overall selection of the 2020 NFL draft en route to receiving a 90.1 grade, per PFF. Slater doesn’t possess ideal height or length and could be moved inside, but his athletic skill set and overall technique project well as a premiere blind-side protector.

OT Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State

Radunz only played in one game this past season, but he made 32 consecutive starts at left tackle to close out his collegiate career and the Bison went 32-0 in those games. While he needs to get better at finishing blocks, Radunz has the athleticism, range, foot quickness and run-blocking temperament needed for the NFL. With Los Angeles, Radunz is capable of playing either tackle or guard. While he develops more mass and add bulk to his frame, his skillset suggests a high ceiling. If he’s available when Los Angeles is on the clock in the second-round, it would be a home run selection.

OL Quinn Meinerz, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Projected as a sixth/seventh-round pick coming into the Senior Bowl, the Division III product made his case to be selected within the top-100 picks. Against the nation’s top defensive linemen, Meinerz was a wall in pass protection and a road-grader in the run game, putting defenders on the turf. On film, Meinerz is a strong, mauling linemen who shows the awareness and power to deliver a blow to defenders. He projects as a center at the next level, but he has the versatility to fill in at every spot along the interior part of the offensive line.

WR Cornell Powell, Clemson

The Chargers could afford to add another target for Herbert this offseason and a player like Powell could a long way. Powell, the 6-foot and 210 pounder, is coming off the best season of his career in 2020 as a redshirt senior. In 12 games, Powell recorded 53 receptions for 882 yards and seven touchdowns. Powell is a well-built receiver who has the route savvy and suddenness in his breaks to separate along with the good body control, awareness and solid hands along the sidelines.

Chargers, OT Orlando Brown, Jr. trade among The Athletic’s bold predictions

The Chargers could be a top destination for the two-time Pro Bowler.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said that there’s a lot of improvements that need to happen with the offensive line.

After what he said, it’s clear that he’s going to go all in on making sure that quarterback Justin Herbert is protected, even if that means trading for a big-name player like offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

In The Athletic’s bold predictions for the offseason, Shiel Kapadia predicts that the Ravens trade Brown Jr. to Los Angeles.

“Let’s keep this one simple. A first-round pick is completely reasonable for a 25-year-old franchise left tackle. The Chargers trade the Ravens the 13th overall pick for Brown, and everyone goes home happy,” Kapadia said.

Prior to this, I laid out a few trade scenarios that make sense to acquire the two-time Pro Bowler.

Given the fact that he’s only going to be 25 years old next season and he’s played at a high level at both left and right tackle all without getting injured to this point, a first-round pick is likely the starting point to land him.

While no one likes shipping their first rounder, Brown would be well worth it. There’s no guarantee that a top consensus tackle pans out in the league, but the former Oklahoma product has already proven himself as a premiere blindside blocker.

Takeaways from new Chargers coaching staff

The Chargers coaching staff for the 2021 season is very well-rounded.

New Chargers head coach Brandon Staley introduced his first coaching staff on Thursday.

The staff is headed by the coordinators: Joe Lombardi on offense, Renaldo Hill on defense and Derius Swinton II on special teams.

Offense: Lombardi comes to Los Angeles with plenty of years working with quarterback Drew Brees. While his time as the offensive coordinator for the Lions was considered a bust, he has learned from his stint. The plan is to mesh with worked for quarterback Justin Herbert last year and what Lombardi picked up from Sean Payton when he was in New Orleans.

Passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shane Day will also be vital to Herbert’s development after he had the luxury of learning under Pep Hamilton last season. Day coached under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, so he brings some experience under his system, which has had success in years prior.

Improving the offensive line will be a key focal point heading into the new season, and the additions of Frank Smith and Shane Sarrett are already a plus. Smith has worked with members of the Raiders and Saints. Meanwhile, Sarrett was responsible of grooming players on the Steelers offensive line, all of whom boasted some of the league’s top offensive lines.

The group is very diverse. Aside from quarterbacks, Day has coached offensive lineman, tight ends in his time coaching in the NFL. Smith worked with tight ends during his time in Las Vegas, aiding in the development of All-Pro TE Darren Waller.

Defense: Even though Hill has the title of defensive coordinator under his name, Staley will be the one responsible for calling the defensive plays. Nonetheless, he will bring his expertise with defensive backs to the team and will have an input on game days while Staley calls plays.

Los Angeles goes into the season with the intentions of playing in a 3-4 defense. Hill said that they don’t want the defense to entice offenses to throw on them, noting the high level of QB play in the NFL, adding they can do that by always showing a Cover 2 shell and changing post-snap.

Defending the pass will be a vital, but stopping the run will be just as important. Run game coordinator/outside linebackers coach Jay Rodgers is a key addition. Rodgers was responsible of working with the Bears and Broncos, both of whom boasted some of the league’s top defensive lines.

The new positional coaches have had plenty of success in the past with their perspective teams. Linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite had an integral role with the Saints. Secondary coach Derrick Ansley has worked with the Raiders and at the collegiate level, specifically with Tennessee and Alabama, including star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Defensive line coach Giff Smith was a member who was retained. Smith has played a role in the stardom of edge defender Joey Bosa.

Special Teams: Like the offensive line, this will be another focal point after finishing last in the league in this department. Swinton comes with plenty of experience as a special teams coordinator. Staley said the goal is to try to model the game management method that he became familiar with he was with the Cardinals. Also brought on was Mayur Chaudhari, who had success during his time with the Falcons.

PFF identifies perfect early/late-round fits for Chargers in 2021 NFL draft

Pro Football Focus hones in on the offensive line for the Chargers.

With the 2020 season in the rearview, all attention has shifted to what the Los Angeles Chargers can do to their roster this offseason to be as competitive as possible to dethrone AFC West rivals, Kansas City Chiefs.

The 2021 NFL draft is one of the biggest events where the Bolts can pull out a slew of young talent.

Pro Football Focus recently identified the perfect fits for every team in the early and late-round.

Sitting with the No. 13 overall selection, Los Angeles will have plenty of the top prospects available when they’re on the clock.

Given the huge need to address the offensive line, PFF has former Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater as the perfect fit for the early-round.

Slater is the dream scenario for the Chargers sitting at 13 overall. He’s versatile enough to play all five positions and the most technically advanced lineman in the draft.

Slater has the experience and athleticism to start early as a left tackle for Los Angeles. However, his body type and skill set translate very well to guard or center, and L.A. could certainly believe his more promising future is inside.

If the Chargers were to land Slater, it would be a home run.

The perfect late-round fit for the Chargers that PFF identified is former Tennessee guard Trey Smith.

Smith is more of a boom-or-bust player who, despite his hype, never earned above a 73.1 pass-blocking grade in four seasons at Tennessee.

If it weren’t for an injury history, Smith would be a candidate to go in the first-round. However, I still believe he is going to be a second-round selection.

Regardless, Smith would be a plug-and-play guard for the Bolts. While he is limited as an athlete, he has the measurables, strength in pass protection and run-blocking prowess needed at the next level.

Perfect “late-round” options would include Illinois’ Kendrick Green, East Carolina’s D’Ante Smith, Notre Dame’s Robert Hainsey, BYU’s Brady Christensen, among others.

2021 NFL offseason: Important dates for Chargers

Here are some important dates to keep in mind over the next few months.

With the conclusion of Super Bowl LV, the offseason is in full swing.

The Los Angeles Chargers begin their roster-building process in hopes of getting them to Super LVI under new head coach Brandon Staley.

It’s important to keep up with some of the dates throughout the next few months that have value.

Here’s a glance:

Feb. 25: First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition players. March 9 is the last day that players can be franchise tag by their club.

Mar. 15: First day for clubs to begin negotiating with free agents.

Mar. 17: Clubs may begin signing free agents. The new league year officially begins.

Apr. 5: Offseason workout programs begin.

Apr. 29: The 2021 NFL draft begins and it will run through May 1.

Ex-Chargers HC Marty Schottenheimer dies at age 77

The longtime NFL coach passed away on Tuesday.

Former Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer died at the age 77. Schottenheimer had been battling Alzheimer’s disease since 2014.

After coaching the Chiefs, Brown, Football Team, Schottenheimer coached the Chargers in 2002, finishing with a 47-33 record.

He was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year in 2004 with the Chargers. His NFL career ended in 2006 following a 14-2 season with the Bolts and a divisional-round exit from the playoffs.

Schottenheimer compiled a 200-126-1 record. He sits eighth all-time in wins.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert beat out Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson for the prestigious award.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert capped off a fascinating debut campaign by nabbing the 2020 Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award at Saturday’s NFL Honors ceremony.

Even though Los Angeles’ season resulted in a 7-9 record, the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NFL draft gave a reason to optimistic for the future, setting numerous records during his first professional season.

Herbert set NFL single-season records for the most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback (31) and most total touchdowns by a rookie quarterback (36). He posted the most completions (396) and second-most passing yards (4,336) by a rookie quarterback in NFL history

In addition, Herbert posted eight games with at least 300 passing yards, surpassing Andrew Luck (six games in 2012) for the most 300-yard passing games by a rookie quarterback in league history.

This all came after Herbert was asked to come in to start Week 2 against the Chiefs after a medical emergency five minutes to QB Tyrod Taylor before the game started. It was then when a star was born.

Should Chargers re-sign EDGE Melvin Ingram?

Melvin Ingram’s future with the Chargers remains to be seen.

Edge defender Melvin Ingram will be one of the most polarizing pending free agents. While Ingram has been a key piece of the defense and locker room for years now, his time in the blue and gold is up in the air.

Ingram, 31, was originally selected by the Chargers in the first-round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2017, 2018, and 2019 after posting 24.5 sacks during that time.

However, limited to only seven games in 2020, it was the first season in Ingram’s career in which he did not record a sack. His season was cut short after being placed on the injured reserve twice.

That could be a bad combination for a player entering free agency: injured and unproductive. But given Ingram’s production throughout his career, he should have a market.

Sure, the injuries might make the market limited and Los Angeles could sign him cheap, but the team may use the money elsewhere.

Los Angeles has other unrestricted free agents that have proven themselves as worth keeping like Hunter Henry, Michael Davis and Rayshawn Jenkins.

The team could also be looking to use that money on other positions of need like the offensive line.

Looking ahead if Ingram isn’t re-signed, L.A. can roll with Uchenna Nwosu as a full-time starter. Nwosu has shown to be capable of earning an expanded role, but was never given the extended playing time due to Ingram’s presence.

Or, the team can draft someone to add to their pass-rush group. This year’s class presents plenty of talent across the board.

If Ingram is re-signed, it will likely be in the ballpark of $8-10 million per year for a season or two and $12-14 million guaranteed at signing.

Chargers 2021 NFL Draft Target: Texas OT Samuel Cosmi

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down former Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi.

Over the next couple of months, we are going to be taking a look at a handful of draft prospects leading up into the 2021 NFL Draft. With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.

Today, we are taking a look at Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi.

Vitals

Height | 6-7

Weight | 309

College Bio Page

One-Liner

Due to his length, natural balance, athleticism, and movement skills, Cosmi has a very high ceiling, but his pass-blocking technique will need to improve and he will need to get stronger and put more muscle mass on his body.

Highlights

Strengths

Moldable frame with long arms.

NFL-level athleticism. Balanced in his set-up and initial movements.

Uses length to his advantage to initiate contact when he wants. Relies on his reach to meet rushers and maintain spacing.

Coordinated feet, able to transition smoothly laterally, with blocking range to take out defenders at the second level and on the perimeter.

Drives his legs to uproot defenders as a run blocker.

Physical mind-set and always looking for someone to block.

Smart and quickly picks up defenders on delayed blitzes and combo blocks.

Versatility to play both tackle spots (14 games at right tackle, 21 at left tackle).

Weaknesses

Room to add more bulk and get stronger. Needs to develop his upper and lower half to strengthen his anchor.

Technique in lower half is a work-in-progress. Rushers take advantage of his leaning and overeager pass-sets.

Inconsistent hand/punch timing, allowing rushers to cross his face and get into his chest.

Pad level tends to rise at contact, allowing defenders to get underneath him.

Chargers Fit

Cosmi projects as a starting right tackle in his rookie season with the capability of becoming a full-time starter at left tackle once he becomes a more polished lineman and gains more mass. That’s unless the team is completely comfortable of allowing him to protect the blindside in Year 1.

Projected Round: Top-20