The Los Angeles Chargers. Although it still sounds strange to say, to this point the Chargers have left a city it didn’t want to leave to go to a place that doesn’t seem to want it. They’ll play football in a soccer stadium in front of 30,000 intrigued locals, knowing that anything less than success will have those same locals heading towards the door. The question for the Chargers is more pertinent than for most teams: what are the top three needs the Chargers have that will keep those locals coming back?
Los Angeles Chargers 2017 Off-Season: Top 3 Needs
The Los Angeles Chargers need a fresh start. A team that won the AFC West three years in a row under Norv Turner have managed only nine wins in the last two seasons. This despite having one of the best to ever play the position as their franchise quarterback. However strange it is to think of Philip Rivers as old whilst the man he replaced is still going strong over in New Orleans, the Chargers have a limited window.
First things first then. Even the most ardent fan of the other AFC West teams would admit that the Chargers have had terrible luck with injuries last year. In fact, terrible luck doesn’t really do it justice. Have a read of this piece on The Ringer from October last year. They were dropping like flies.
Review and Improve Their Strength and Conditioning Coaching
This isn’t meant to sound flippant. When you lose three people to damaged ACLs and three more people to achilies injuries, you have to look at every possible factor. Injuries can be more than just bad luck. A thorough investigation into every aspect of their system was actually called for by John Spanos back in October. Let’s hope its been followed through and acted on, because keeping their players healthy should be their number one priority.
Teams talk about getting a player back from injury as being like signing a new starter. Well, the Chargers are going to be signing at least five of them. They lost their starting wide receiver, their Pro Bowl cornerback, their most productive running back and two of their starting linebackers (and this is not a full list). Getting them back healthy is just the start though. The Chargers need to do everything in their power to keep them healthy, and that needs to be offseason priority number one.
Improve the Offensive Line
The Chargers allowed 36 sacks last year. They allowed 40 the year before and 37 the year before that. That’s not the worst in the NFL over that three year period, but it’s not great either. Players like DJ Fluker and Orlando Franklin must be close to being on the way out. It’s a shame for the Chargers that this year’s draft is rumoured to be poor for offensive linemen. That being said, look for them to draft a guard in an early round. This is important. The success of teams like Dallas and Oakland has proved that a strong offensive is a great starting point.
This isn’t just players. In Oakland, the arrival of Mike Tice represented a definite turning point. Anthony Lynn’s vaunted run game planning could well help here, but Pat Mayer – the offensive line coach – has limited experience in the NFL. Ensuring the o-line is well coached should something that Lynn and Mayer are working hard on.
Find a Young Safety
Dwight Lowery did an admirable job replacing Eric Weddle but he’s already 31. Jaheel Addae played well until he got hurt but he’s an unrestricted free agent coming off a season-ending injury. There is no guarantee he will be back. They need a replacement and, with the assumption that Eric Berry won’t make it to free agency, should look to the draft to do so.
The rest of the Chargers defense looks hugely impressive on paper. Featuring the likes of Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Denzel Perryman and Jason Verret, this is a unit that could cause serious problems for the rest of the NFL. Finding a rangy safety who can act as a weapon for new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley would be the icing on the cake.
Chargers In A Position To Surprise
In truth, reviewing the roster of this team reveals few true weak spots. They have a deep group of wide receivers, Antonio Gates and first round pick Hunter Henry at tight end, and Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead in the backfield. Anthony Lynn has experienced help at both offensive and defensive coordinator. If they can keep everyone healthy, then this Chargers team could be a real threat in the AFC West.
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