Coaching
The future of QB Justin Herbert lies in the hands of the Chargers’ new head coach Brandon Staley. He has been a fast move in the coaching ranks at the age of 38. His first pro job came in 2017 for the Bears as a linebackers coach. Staley had success last season running the Rams’ defense, which paved the way for his promotion. He has four years of coaching experience.
Los Angeles brought in Joe Lombardi to run the offense. He’s been coaching in the NFL since 2006, with most of his time coming in the Saints’ system. The Lions gave him an offensive coordinator job in '14 and '15 (only seven games before getting fired). Lombardi coached in New Orleans in '09 when they won the Super Bowl.
The Chargers pushed up to ninth in offensive yards with less value in points scored (384—18th). Their offense ranked in the top 11 offensive yards in each season under Anthony Lynn.
Renaldo Hill takes over the defensive coordinator job. He played in the NFL from 2001 to '10 before hanging up his cleats for a coaching job. From '18 to '20, Hill was a defensive backs coach for the Dolphins and Broncos. He’ll have a lot to prove based on his short résumé and step up in responsibilities.
For the second year in a row, Los Angeles ranked higher in yards allowed (10th) than in points allowed (426—23rd). Their defense regressed in each of the past three years on the scoreboard.
Free Agency
The Chargers lost TE Hunter Henry to the Patriots in the offseason. Henry has top-tier talent at the tight end position. Injuries cost him some development time, but he should be a massive upgrade for New England in the passing game. Over his first four seasons, Henry saw growth in his catches (36, 45, 55 and 60) and targets (53, 62, 76, 93) while missing nine games. He ranked 9th (151.20) and 12th (145.30) in tight end scoring in PPR leagues over the last two years. A battle with COVID-19 knocked him out of the final two games.
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Los Angeles replaced him with TE Jared Cook. His catch total in 2019 (43) and '20 (37) for the Saints didn’t make an impact, but Cook scored 16 touchdowns over 29 games while gaining 15.1 yards per catch. He’ll start the year at age 34.
QB Tyrod Taylor signed with the Texans.
The Chargers lost LB Denzel Perryman and S Rayshawn Jenkins off their defense.
Perryman worked over the bench during the past three seasons. He plays well in run support, but he’ll see minimal snaps on passing downs.
Jenkins set a career-best in tackles (84) in 2020 while chipping in with one sack, two interceptions and four defended passes. He does have risk against the run due to some missed tackles. Jenkins tends to keep receivers in front of him, leading to short yards per catch.
The final area addressed in the offseason was the offensive line by signing C Corey Linsley and G Matt Feiler.
Linsley has been an asset in both run blocking and pass protection in every season in the league since 2014. Part of his success was the great quarterback play in Green Bay by Aaron Rodgers.
Feiler made 13 starts in 2020 with a similar opportunity the previous year. His run blocking regressed each in the year, but Pittsburgh never found a viable lead running back to fill in the void of Le’Veon Bell after he left town. His value in pass protection showed some growth over the past two seasons.
Draft
T Rashawn Slater
His game relies on power while owing the vision and technique to reach a high ceiling at the next level. He has the anchor to handle a bull rush, plus the footwork and hands to keep pass rushers on the heels on the outside. Slater projects to play left tackle while having experience at right tackle.
CB Asante Samuel Jr.
His best play comes working over the short areas of the field, where he shows playmaking ability and wins with strength. Samuel should gain value in the red zone, but he lacks the wheels and confidence over the long field leading to some bad penalties. His lack of size (5' 10" and 180 lbs.) hurts Samuel when asked to cover elite physical receivers.
WR Josh Palmer
Palmer has flashes of upside, but his production has been empty in too many games. His route running continues to develop with a chain mover feel. Palmer brings good hands with a feel for setting up defenders. His challenge comes off the line in press coverage and his long speed.
TE Tre' McKitty
McKitty struggles to create separation out of his breaks while owning a below-par skill set in blocking. With a free release downfield, his game should test a defense at the third level with a chance to win with legs after the catch. To reach a higher ceiling, McKitty needs to get stronger and work on his route running.
DE Chris Rumph
Rumph is a development pass rusher who needs to get strong and add more bulk to win in the trenches. He works hard with quickness and moves to win on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Rumph won’t be an asset against the run early in his career.
T Brenden Jaimes
Jaimes has work to do in run blocking while a much more stable foundation in pass protection. His range looks limited, and he will struggle early in his career against power rushers. Jaimes has experience at both tackle spots.
LB Nick Niemann
Niemann brings speed to the linebacking position. His vision and acceleration grade well, but lack of size (6' 3" and 235 lbs.) can lead to traffic tickets. Niemann can lack patience at times, leading to overrun plays or mistakes in his path to ballcarriers.
RB Larry Rountree
Rountree has a step-and-go feel while offering the ability to make defenders miss in space. His lack of patience leads to him running into too many dead ends. Rountree won’t offer upside in the passing game.
S Mark Webb
Webb plays well in run support when moving forward, but his cover skill limits his playability in the passing game. His early playing time will come on special teams.
