The Chargers ended up deciding to let Anthony Lynn go. Decision which seemed obvious a few weeks ago after a few blunders at the end of the match, it is today, after 4 consecutive victories, a little more surprising.
But the purpose of my article today is to give an idea of the situation of the concession to attract a quality coach, as I had done for the Falcons, the Texans and Lions when positions became available, and for the Jets and Jaguars following Black Monday.
Quarterback
This is obviously what makes this position attractive. The presence of a young QB who broke all kinds of records despite a deficient OL and play-calling which raised eyebrows on occasion. He has 3 years left on his recruit contract at a discount, plus his 5th option year where the discount is less, but still significant. On the other hand, it is stressed that the presence of Pep Hamilton as coach of the QBs was an excellent influence for him (he had also contributed to the development of Andrew Luck), and that he risks jumping under the new coach. Unless we find a way to keep Hamilton in this role, he who has been less successful in the role of coordinator. Note that coordinators Shane Steichen and Gus Bradley have not yet been dismissed and could stay.
Other players to build around
Joey Bosa, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen are on long term contracts and are still in their prime. Kenneth Murray, in the 1st round last year, showed great things. I wish I could say the same about Jerry Tillery, whom I loved at Notre Dame, but who disappoints. We saw Uchena Nwosu take over from Ingram a bit, and above all, we keep our fingers crossed that Derwin James, after two injuries that cost him a full season each, can almost become the player he was again: a real ” difference maker ”in defense.
Mike Williams will play on the 5th year option. He has shown good qualities, but the performance of young Tyron Johnson (and, to a lesser extent, Jalen Guyton) this year suggests that he could be let go after 2021. Casey Heyward? He’s slowed down a lot this year, he has one year left at $ 11.75M, his return is uncertain, same for Chris Harris Jr.
The list of players whose contracts have expired is long and impressive: Hunter Henry, Denzel Perryman, Melvin Ingram, even young CB Michael Davis showed great things.
The OL will have to be completely rebuilt. The cost of letting Brian Bulaga go would be prohibitive, but in his absence Sam Tevi and Trey Pipkins have shown they are no match. Inside OL – Mike Pouncey, Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney – are free agents too. For his part, Trai Turner was horrible and we can recover $ 11.5M without penalty by letting him go.
Salary ceiling situation
It’s not so bad. We are talking about $ 30M available according to www.overthecap.com, and the possibility of creating a lot of space by freeing Turner, Heyward and / or Harris, Linval Joseph. They therefore have the means to keep one of Henry, Perryman or Ingram certainly. And maybe go and test the market for another OL.
Players to trade who could be of value
That’s slim and probably not significant, other than if they decided to trade Mike Williams to make room for the youngsters.
Upcoming draft pick
They lost their chances to a high pick with the streak of 4 wins at the end of the season, and will choose 13th in the 1st round and 15th in the 2nd. They all have their choices plus an extra 6th. So in terms of capital available, it’s a little better than the league median.
Owners and organization
This is where it spoils a bit. The Spanos are probably the most “cheap” owners in the league. They have been constantly embroiled in contract issues, think Ingram this summer during Hard Knocks, and the rookie contract holdout of Joey Bosa, one of the only rookie holdouts in 10 years of this collective agreement that sets the terms in advance. . They may also have more interest in selling tickets than winning the Super Bowl. But hey, we allied with Tom Telesco, who has been in place since 2013 (so this will probably be his last HC hiring) and who has a good reputation after assembling all this talent.
Conclusion
Herbert. A team that has won 7 games and should, with proper clock management, have won at least 2 more. A little money to work, and a DE concession on a long-term contract. These are all attractive elements. We have also all had the impression in recent years that the defense is underperforming despite the talent available to Gus Bradley. Hiring a solid DC and a solid OL coach will be essential.