The Chargers and their fan base knew they were heading towards a pretty big change in personnel following the hire of Jim Harbaugh. Tom Telesco was no longer the general manager, which also meant Harbaugh would join up with a new voice and vision when it came to building this team for the future.
With the month of July about a week away, the team has since seen the most changes to the wide receiver, running back, and linebacker rooms. Gone are the brand-name players in Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams. New names blanket the roster from top to bottom. The only question remains…is the team in a better spot than it was before or does the fanbase have to prepare themselves for a year with less-than-lofty expectations?
ESPN’s Mike Clay recently went about ranking all 32 NFL rosters from worst to first and I hate to say it but he has the Bolts straddling the line of being in the bottom quarter of the league at No. 24. The only teams ranked below them are the (in descending order) Titans, Raiders, Patriots, Cardinals, Panthers, Commanders, Broncos, and Giants.
For each team, Clay highlighted the biggest strength and weakness, the X-factor, and several nonstarters that fans should know.
You can probably guess the biggest strength of the team as Clay tabbed the edge-rushing group of Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree. I don’t think there’s even a close second, in all honesty. This group is now not only top heavy, but deep, as well.
“Joey Bosa should be the headliner here, but injuries have been an issue, as he’s been limited to 14 games over the past two seasons,” said Clay. “Of course, he was a superstar during his first six seasons (58 sacks) and was effective in nine games in 2023 (6.5 sacks). Opposite Bosa is Khalil Mack, who is now 33 years old but still playing elite ball, having recorded 17.0 sacks last season (fourth-most in the league). Second-year man Tuli Tuipulotu and veteran newcomer Bud Dupree add solid depth.”
As for the biggest weakness, Clay believes that lies in the Chargers backfield. They enter the year with veteran power back Gus Edwards and the oft-injured J.K. Dobbins headlining the group while youngsters Isaiah Spiller and Kimani Vidal round out the depth.
“I had a ton of options here (interior OL? WR? DT? LB?), but running back gets the nod. Austin Ekeler is gone, and the team brought in a pair of ex-Ravens to hold down the position in Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. At 29, Edwards is over the hill for an NFL starting back and has never had 200 carries or 15 targets in a single season. Dobbins has upside, but he’s recovering from a torn Achilles and has appeared in nine games over the past three seasons. Sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal was the team’s only addition at the position during the draft.”
The thing about the running back group is that as long as it has young talent in the mix, there’s a chance for them as a whole to exceed any preseason expectations. If Dobbins happens to be healthy for the entire year, he could be the steal of the offseason. If Kimani Vidal plays any meaningful time, he may end up being the future of the backfield.
Next up Clay highlighted the X-factor of the team and he centered his sights on wideouts Ladd McConkey and Joshua Palmer. With Allen and Williams elsewhere in 2024, these two will be the go-to guys for Justin Herbert.
“Receivers Ladd McConkey and Joshua Palmer. The Chargers jettisoned Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, setting their sights on the future at wide receiver. It made sense for the long term. But if Palmer doesn’t ascend and McConkey can’t adapt quickly, it’s hard to imagine how threatening the Chargers’ passing game can be — even with QB Justin Herbert — in the immediate.”
It will be up to these two, and of course 2023 first-round Quentin Johnston to make sure the Chargers passing attack remains something to be respected. If no one ends up stepping up, it won’t matter how good the rushing attack is, defense will simply switch to keying on the run the same way they were able to do for the pass in previous seasons.
Last but not least, we’ve got the nonstarters that are worth a note regardless of how much playing time they’re expected to have at the start of the year. For him, it’s a pair of rookie cornerbacks who will have their chance at making some noise in a shallow position room. This blurb is from fellow analyst Aaron Schatz who does a lot of his own advanced analytics for ESPN.
“Cornerbacks Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still. The Chargers are lacking in secondary depth, which will put a lot of pressure on these two fifth-round rookies if there are any injuries among the starters. Hart is more of a projection with his size (6-2, 207 pounds) and skill. Still fits better in the slot, with better coverage talent but less size (6-1, 196 pounds) and speed.”
The Chargers desperately needed cornerback help entering this year’s draft and they did their best to help fill the room by double-dipping in the fifth round. Each has their own bit of potential and promise and it’ll be up to Jesse Minter and the defensive staff to make sure they develop as fast as they need to in order to contribute in this revamped defense.