3 biggest offseason storylines for the Chargers

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out three of the biggest offseason storylines for the Los Angeles Chargers.

As the final days of the 2019 season wind down, it’s almost time to officially shift the spotlight toward the offseason.

With that, here are the three storylines that will dominate for the Chargers leading up into it:

What’s in store for the quarterback position?

Could the 2020 regular season mark the first time that the Chargers have a different starting quarterback since 2006? With Philip Rivers set to be an unrestricted free agent, it’s very possible that Los Angeles could have a new signal-caller.

Rivers has suggested that he still wants to play, but that he was still going to go over his options with his family when the season concluded. The 38-year old is coming off a year where he tossed 20 interceptions.

Though he was plagued by inconsistency on the offensive line, his arm strength and decision-making was still questionable, drawing some questions in regards to whether or not he can still play at a high level next season and beyond.

Should the Bolts decide to move on from Rivers, Tyrod Taylor would likely begin Week 1 as the starting quarterback and the bridge to the rookie – assuming they choose to take one in the early rounds of the 2020 NFL draft, with options at the top like Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Jordan Love.

No matter what route they go, the Chargers need to determine what their future is going to look like there at the position.

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Trio of Chargers included in ESPN’s top-50 free agents list

The Los Angeles Chargers have three of the top-50 free agents heading into the offseason.

We still have a couple of months until the new league year begins in the middle of March, but everyone is already gearing up for what will be one of the most enticing offseasons for the Chargers in the last decade.

While there are a number of players from other teams that look like good bait to sign during the free agency period, Los Angeles will have a handful of in-house names that are intriguing other teams that they will have to decide on.

ESPN released their top-50 free agents to hit the market, and the Bolts had three players listed: tight end Hunter Henry, quarterback Philip Rivers and running back Melvin Gordon.

Checking in at No. 9 is Henry:

Henry returned to full strength after a torn ACL cost him the 2018 season, catching 55 passes for 652 yards — both career-highs. The dynamic role of tight ends in today’s offenses suggests he will be highly sought-after if he reaches the market. The Patriots, in particular, seem like an obvious team of interest.

Henry should be a priority for general manager Tom Telesco. Though he has been hindered by a couple knee injuries, he is a difference-maker in the passing game and he is arguably one of the better blockers on the team. It wouldn’t be surprising if Henry becomes the highest-paid tight end in the league.

Seven spots after Henry is Rivers at No. 16:

Rivers slipped in his 16th season, finishing No. 22 in QBR (48.9), and his teary Week 17 postgame press conference suggested he is ready and willing to move on. It’s not outlandish to think he could put a playoff-ready team over the top. Remember, Brett Favre was 39 when he signed with the Vikings in 2009.

All eyes are on the 38-year old during this period. Rivers is coming off one of his worst seasons yet, and it just so happened to occur on a contract year, giving the team some pause in regards to his future. While some of it falls on the offensive line carousel throughout the season, there were clear signs of regression in terms of his arm strength and decision-making.

Lastly, is Gordon, who checks in at No. 24:

The Chargers’ decision to stand firm during Gordon’s 2019 holdout, and Gordon’s career-low 612 rushing yards upon his return, seem to suggest a parting of ways this offseason. Gordon did manage to rush for eight touchdowns, and his total of 26 over the past three seasons ranks No. 6 in the NFL. His holdout reduced the mileage on his body, but at least some teams will view him as an aging running back whose best years have passed.

Gordon spent last offseason and a few games into the 2019 regular season holding out in hopes of receiving a new paycheck. That was never granted, so he decided to return to show his worth. He finished the season with 612 rushing yards (3.8 yards per carry) and nine total touchdowns.

It was an up-and-down year for the former Wisconsin product, but durability concerns still loom and the emergence of running backs Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson could justify the team’s decision to move on from him this offseason.

ESPN labels Patriots as team to show interest in Chargers TE Hunter Henry

Re-signing tight end Hunter Henry should be a top priority for the Los Angeles Chargers.

One of the top priorities for the Los Angeles Chargers is re-signing tight end Hunter Henry.

Henry, the 2016 second-round selection, is set to become a free agent. Since entering the league, the former Arkansas product has proven himself to be one of the better tight ends in the league.

Henry has injury concerns – as he has dealt with multiple knee injuries, including one that forced him to miss the entire 2018 season – but he is productive when he is on the field.

The Chargers won’t be the only team that will show interest in the 26-year old. Multiple teams will, but ESPN’s Kevin Seifert believes the New England Patriots will be an “obvious team” that will have interest in acquiring Henry.

“Henry returned to full strength after a torn ACL cost him the 2018 season, catching 55 passes for 652 yards — both career-highs,” Seifert wrote. “The dynamic role of tight ends in today’s offenses suggests he will be highly sought-after if he reaches the market. The Patriots, in particular, seem like an obvious team of interest,” Seifert said.

Bolstering the tight end position will be a focal point for New England, so it’s no surprise that they will show interest in Henry, along with the other top tight end free agents.

Henry should be atop of general manager Tom Telesco’s must re-sign list. He is a proven pass-catcher, and is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. Replacing him would be an extremely difficult task.

Should it be a surprise if Henry becomes the highest-paid tight end? Absolutely not. Green Bay’s Jimmy Graham currently tops the position with an annual salary of $10 million – but Henry could very well surpass that.

These two tight ends should be the Patriots’ top priority in free agency

The tight end class in free agency is extremely talented.

The New England Patriots had a pass-catcher problem in 2019. And the solution seems obvious. Bill Belichick should go out a sign a big-name free agent during free agency. The obvious answer isn’t always the correct one.

Receiver A.J. Green will be available, for example. Or maybe the Patriots can look beyond the free agency market to pry Odell Beckham Jr. away from the Cleveland Browns in a trade. But those deals could prove debilitating for New England. They also hinge largely up on Tom Brady’s return — and they work off the assumption that Brady, who is set to enter free agency, is still a desirable quarterback after his rough 2019 season. Green’s contract is likely to exceed his production, considering his injury history. Unless the Patriots get him to accept an incentive-laden deal, he won’t be worth the money. He won’t take that show-me deal unless he really wants to play with Brady or for Belichick.

Beckham, while extremely talented, has pricey value on the trade market, even at what is probably his lowest point. He may not even be excited about joining the Patriots, if Brady isn’t on the team in 2020.

While the receiver position is thin, there are a handful of supremely talented tight ends hitting the market in free agency. These players are far more likely to be worth their large salaries. In particular, the Patriots should consider Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, who were two of the most productive tight ends in the NFL in 2019. Even Eric Ebron, who had a breakout season in 2018, could be a good option. Just one of the three will do.

There’s a common adage: Belichick doesn’t go after top talent, he develops it. And that adage is wrong. The Patriots coach and general manager went after Jared Cook last offseason — he was the premier free agent at the position. And Belichick hasn’t done a great job developing tight end talent in the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement. In fact, Jacob Hollister put together a nice season with the Seattle Seahawks (41 catches, 349 yards, three touchdowns) after Belichick traded Hollister during the 2019 offseason. He essentially bested the production of the Patriots’ tight ends combined (36 catches, 418 yards, two touchdowns).

Belichick will spend for talent, if the talent is right (see: Stephon Gilmore). If the Patriots pursued a tight end in free agency, they could finally begin to close the gap in production after Gronkowski’s departure. New England also has some potential at the receiver position, with 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry and veteran Mohamed Sanu, who cost the Patriots a 2020 second-round pick at the trade deadline. This year might be the perfect offseason to spend big on tight end to support Brady or the team’s next quarterback.

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Free agency provides the Jags with best chance to land a starter at TE

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a variety of needs but one of their most pressing without a doubt is at tight end. It seems as though they’ve been trying to address the position for much of Dave Caldwell’s career as general manager and he’ll once …

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Caldwell’s first big attempt at fixing the position came when the team signed Julius Thomas to an expensive five-year, $46 million contract in 2015. However, injuries held him back and he was eventually traded to the Miami Dolphins within two seasons.

In 2018, the team released longtime veteran Marcedes Lewis and tried to replace him with tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. That approach didn’t pan out either as he didn’t have the second year of his contract picked up.

Last offseason, the team took a different approach and used the draft to pick up a tight end by selecting Josh Oliver in the third-round. Unfortunately, just like their other attempts at the position, it didn’t pan out although the young tight end has plenty of time to blossom into a starter in the future.

Now, with an important offseason coming up, the Jags once again don’t know who their starter will be at the position in 2020. Three of their eight tight ends are set to hit free agency in April in Seth DeValve, Nick O’Leary, and Ben Koyack.

Additionally, veteran Geoff Swaim could be a cap casualty, which could leave the Jags with just Oliver, Charles Jones, James O’Shaugnessy (a favorite target of Gardner Minshew), and Matt Skol. Clearly, that means the Jags could look to add a No. 1 at the position this offseason, even with the returns of promising players like O’Shaugnessy, and Oliver.

When looking at the Jags’ failures to find a No. 1 at the position regardless of their approach, the big question fans will have going into 2020 is whether they should look to get a No. 1 out of the draft or free agency. Upon looking at the options this offseason, it appears the answer may be to try and land a veteran as the tight end free-agent class for 2020 is set to have several stars.

Per Over the Cap, some of the marquee names who will hit the market include Indy’s Eric Ebron, Hunter Henry of the Los Angeles Chargers and Austin Hooper of the Atlanta Falcons. All three are under the age of 28 and are currently in their primes, which could make them perfect to lead the Jags’ tight end group.

If the Jags are looking for experience, Ebron could be intriguing as 2020 will mark his sixth season, giving him the edge over Hooper and Henry, who will be entering their fourth seasons. The Jags also might be intrigued by Ebron because of their familiarity with him as he’s put up some big-time numbers against them while at Indy. That was especially the case when looking at his 2018 season as he caught 66 passes for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns, all of which were career-high figures.

With Colts general manager Chris Ballard stating that the team will “probably move on” from the veteran, it appears the Jags are guaranteed to have an opportunity to sign Ebron, but of course, they’ll have to get their cap situation right. Once that happens, it’s a given they’ll start trying to add weapons for whoever the 2020 starter at quarterback is and coordinator John DeFilippo, who really needs some production at tight end for his scheme to flourish.

As for Henry and Hooper, both are young and will be coming off career years. Hooper finished the 2019 season with nearly 800 yards and six touchdowns and hasn’t had a season with less than 500 yards since his rookie year. Meanwhile, Henry will be coming off a 2019 season in which he accumulated 652 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also at least accumulated 478 yards or more since entering the league, which like Hooper, marks the kind of production the Jags haven’t had at the position for a while.

Of course, granted the age of all of the aforementioned players, none of them may come cheap and that may be a problem with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue needing a new deal. However, Caldwell and cap specialist John Idzik have been solid in making space for free-agents, so there may be a solution for them to get one big free agent and sign Ngakoue, too.

Three tight ends the Redskins should target in 2020 Free Agency

The Redskins desperately need to find someone to step up at the TE position, and it’s likely they’ll look to fill that need in free agency.

For any young quarterback, arguably the biggest asset that you can have to help him on offense is a reliable tight end that is able to get him out of a jam over the middle. If there’s anything that Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins didn’t have in his rookie season, it was a reliable tight end.

Jordan Reed was lost for the season after suffering his seventh documented concussion, and Vernon Davis also missed a lot of time due to injury. That left Haskins to rely on Jeremy Sprinkle and Hale Hentges; hardly anything to write home about for a rookie passer.

So, going into Haskins’ second year in the NFL, what’s one roster move that the Redskins could make that would greatly bolster their offense’s potential? Sign a high-profile tight end in free agency, and give their young QB a safety valve over the middle.

But who would they sign? Here are a few names to look out for.

Hunter Henry | Los Angeles Chargers | 25

CARSON, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 15: Hunter Henry #86 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass while defended by free safety Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter at Dignity Health Sports Park on December 15, 2019 in Carson, California. The Vikings defeated the Chargers 39-10. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Henry has been a great player for the Chargers over the last several years after he was drafted in the second round in 2016. Taking over for an aging Antonio Gates, Henry burst onto the scene with eight touchdowns in his rookie season, and he had 652 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games this season.

With 17 career touchdowns, Henry has proven that he can be a dynamic threat over the middle and down the seam, though he does have a bit of an injury history that could be cause for some concern for Washington fans. However, that injury risk could help knock down his price a bit on the open market this year, and when healthy, Henry has shown that he can be an absolute difference-maker.

Austin Hooper | Atlanta Falcons | 25

ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 27: Austin Hooper #81 of the Atlanta Falcons stiff arms Marquise Blair #27 of the Seattle Seahawks in the second half of an NFL game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Hooper has been highly productive as of late, with six touchdowns and 787 yards in 15 games with the Falcons this season. On top of that, Hooper has publically said that he is yet to receive a contract offer from Atlanta this season, which means that he could very well be available on the market. That won’t come at a cheap price though, as the top TE’s in the league are signing for roughly $9-10 million per year.

For the added dimension that Hooper could bring to the Redskins’ offense, though, that number is extremely worth it. Hooper has a large body that makes him a solid blocker in both the run and pass game and his ability to go up and get the ball makes him a dynamic threat in the red zone.

Eric Ebron | Indianapolis Colts | 26

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 27: Eric Ebron #85 of the Indianapolis Colts runs the ball after a catch in the game against the Denver Broncos during the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Ebron is a difficult player to scout, as he’s shown both an incredible ability to make plays in high-pressure situations, but also a distinct knack for disappearing down the stretch. With a very up-and-down career since being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2014, Ebron had one of the worst seasons of his career this year with the Colts, hauling in only one touchdown and 248 yards in 13 games this year. However, he put on a show in 2018, when he had 66 catches for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Colts have already said that they don’t plan on bringing Ebron back into the mix next season, so he will definitely be available on the open market this season, and his recent down year will cheapen his price tag. For whatever team is willing to take the risk, Ebron will be available.

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Should Colts make a run at TE Hunter Henry in free agency?

Hunter Henry should be among the top targets for Indy.

The Indianapolis Colts struggled to find their offensive identity last season as the offense, especially in the passing game, seemed to go stagnant at times. Some of that blame lies on Jacoby Brissett, but the inconsistent performances and injuries in the receiving corps definitely did not help.

With the departure of Eric Ebron, the Colts are in need of another tight end to pair with Jack Doyle, who signed a three-year extension in early December. The obvious answer would be to look for that missing piece in the draft, but there are not a lot of standout tight end prospects in this draft class that really jump off the page.

If the Colts want an instant playmaker that can electrify this offense, GM Chris Ballard should look no further than Hunter Henry. Henry is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and there will certainly be a lot of teams bidding for him.

The 25-year-old out of Arkansas has been with the Chargers for four seasons and has been a key part of their offense. With 136 catches for 1,709 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 41 games played, Henry can be a dangerous threat in any system.

So why will the Chargers most likely not re-sign him? Well, Henry has been somewhat injury-prone in his time with the Chargers. He missed all of the 2018 season with a torn ACL that he suffered in OTAs but recovered ahead of schedule and was active for the Charger’s Divisional Round game against the Patriots.

He also missed five weeks this season with a tibial plateau fracture to his left knee but returned and was very productive. His injury history is somewhat of a concern, but with the combination of speed and size that Henry possesses, he may just be worth the risk.

Frank Reich loves to utilize tight ends in his offensive play designs and that has been apparent with the success Ebron and Doyle have had in the past two seasons. The combination of Doyle and Henry can be compared to the combination of Zach Ertz and Trey Burton, which Reich won a Super Bowl with in 2017.

Doyle is a very good tight end who can be a signature part of this offense, but he can not do it alone. Chris Ballard needs to take the risk and sign Henry to a more modest contract that does not lock him down in Indy on a long-term deal initially but presents the option to do so if he can stay healthy and continue his dominance.

Whoever will be under center in 2020 could have two reliable safety nets with Doyle and Henry. This move could be what turns the offense around under Franck Reich and what gets this young and talented team back in the playoffs. It is time to make some moves with the $96.4 million in cap space.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler expects ‘frenzy’ with free agency coming up

Running back Austin Ekeler expects a ‘frenzy’ around the Los Angeles Chargers with free agency near.

When the Chargers take the field on Sunday against the Raiders, it could be the last home game in the blue and gold for some notable players.

On Wednesday, running back Austin Ekeler acknowledged that it’s not just those social media that are wondering who’s going to be on the team when they move into their new stadium next year.

“I think upstairs they’re trying to keep that on the down low until the season’s over because it’s about to be a frenzy in our locker room, especially on the offensive side with all the contracts that are coming up.

Everyone’s kind of looking around like, ‘Hey, what do you guys think is going to go on?’ None of us know. We don’t know what they’re going to do upstairs. We know what we want. But that’s a different story,” Ekeler said.

After this season, quarterback Philip Rivers, running back Melvin Gordon, guard Michael Schofield, tight end Hunter Henry, and fullback Derek Watt will all become unrestricted free agents.

Ekeler is among the few who will be a restricted free agent.

Rivers is the member that will be monitored the most. The veteran quarterback, who’s started 233 consecutive games in his 16-year stint, knows that this could be his last two games with the Bolts.

His remarks regarding his future following the loss to the Vikings raised eyebrows, but he clarified what he meant while stating he’s still focused on the rest of the season.

“I think I was just acknowledging the obvious. I think in anybody’s circumstance you better focus on the present. It’s not like I’m in Year 2 of a six-year contract.

You want to approach every week like it could be your last because you never know. Anything can happen. You never really want to take anything for granted. But you can’t over-dramatize each week based on the ‘what ifs,'” Rivers said.

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Which Chargers should be selected to 2020 NFL Pro Bowl?

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez says the eight Chargers players that should be selected to the 2020 Pro Bowl.

The rosters for the 2020 Pro Bowl are set to be announced on Tuesday on the NFL Network’s special “NFL Access: Pro Bowl Players Revealed” at 5:00 p.m. PT.

Even though it’s been a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Chargers, there are still a few players on the roster that have shown to be worthy enough to play in the prestigious game with the league’s best players.

First and foremost is defensive end Joey Bosa. Bosa is a lock because he still leads the AFC in votes at his perspective position. The former Ohio State product is fourth in tackles for loss (18) and eighth in sacks (10.5).

Opposite of Bosa is DE Melvin Ingram, who is also worthy of making the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season.

Ingram doesn’t nearly have the stats that Bosa does, but his presence is known on a weekly basis, where he’s been a force at generating pressure, stopping the run and coming up big on third-down situations.

Another player on the defensive side of the ball that should be voted in is cornerback Casey Hayward, who still isn’t getting enough attention as one of the best at the position.

Though he only has two interceptions this season, the numbers don’t do the justice to show how great he is in coverage. Opposing quarterbacks purposely don’t throw in his direction because they know they will likely have to pay a price.

On the other side of the ball, there are four players who are worthy of making the Pro Bowl — wide receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, tight end Hunter Henry and running back Austin Ekeler.

Allen surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark this past weekend (1,046), marking for a third straight season. He is 10 receptions shy from hitting the 100 mark and he has five touchdowns to go with that.

Williams is 88 yards shy from the 1,000 yard mark. He leads the NFL by averaging 21 yards per reception. It took a little bit to find the end zone after posting 10 last season, but he has a pair of scores in the last two weeks.

Henry is eighth in receiving yards at his position (565). The 25-year old also has four touchdowns. Not to mention, he did that while missing four weeks earlier this season.

Ekeler is the definition of efficient. He is nearing 1,400 yards from scrimmage and has 11 total touchdowns to go along with that, while serving as running back Melvin Gordon’s backup.

Finally, you can’t forget about fullback Derek Watt. Watt has been the team’s special teams ace, tied for the league in special teams total tackles with 15 on the season.

When the rosters are revealed tonight, we can expect between six and eight Chargers players to be named to the Pro Bowl roster.

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Ranking Chargers’ 15 unrestricted free agents by importance

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez ranks the Los Angeles Chargers’ 15 unrestricted free agents by importance.

The Los Angeles Chargers are in for one of their most intriguing offseasons yet. Slated to have 15 unrestricted free agents, they must decide who’s going to remain with the team when they move into their new stadium in 2020.

With that, we decided to do a ranking of what the Chargers’ top offseason priorities could look like, starting from the least enticing to the most polarizing options.

No. 15 — TE Lance Kendricks

Kendricks was brought in to serve as Virgil Green’s backup when Hunter Henry went down with a knee injury earlier this season. With Henry and Green back to their normal duties, it’s unlikely they bring back the veteran for another year.

No. 14 — C/G Ryan Groy

Groy, who was signed earlier this season to add depth to the offensive line, hasn’t been needed as Scott Quessenberry has served as the starting center. While the team will need offensive line help this offseason, they can likely look elsewhere to shore up the group.

No. 13 — LB Nick Dzubnar

Even though he hasn’t played much on the defensive side of the ball, Dzubnar has been kept by the Chargers because they covet his abilities on special teams. Rather than wasting a linebacker spot, they could look to find another option in next year’s draft to replace him.

No. 12 — WR Geremy Davis

Wide receiver depth will be an essential this offseason. But I can’t see Davis being in the team’s plans. Even though he has been a valuable blocker and special teamer, he hasn’t been productive in the passing game and an injury hampered him earlier this season.

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