Chargers' Future Salary Cap, Draft Picks, FA Targets to Build Around Justin Herbert

The move everyone has been expecting to happen finally occurred on Friday when the Los Angeles Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.

Team owner Dean Spanos issued a statement about the decision, which came just hours after a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football.

Looking ahead to what the next head coach and general manager will be working with, there's one obvious benefit to this job that's surrounded by a whole lot of question marks.

The easy selling point for the Chargers is Justin Herbert. The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over the past four seasons. He's under contract through the 2029 season after signing a five-year, $262.5 million extension in July.

Let's examine where things stand for the Chargers from a salary cap and draft standpoint before diving into potential free agents the next regime could potentially target in the offseason.

Future Salary Cap

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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 19: Joey Bosa #97 of the Los Angeles Chargers participates in warmups prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 19, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Chargers 23-20. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Having Herbert under contract is pretty much where the pro-Chargers points end. Telesco was often aggressive with his trade acquisitions and contract signings, to the point their cap situation and roster around Herbert are a big mess right now.

Per ESPN's Bill Barnwell, the Chargers ranked 12th in snap-adjusted age among all teams midway through this season.

This does leave the Chargers in a better spot than, say, the New Orleans Saints, who continue to play fast and loose with draft capital and have kicked the salary cap can so far down the road they're probably already over the mark for 2030.

Telesco's main failure was being unable to hit on draft picks after he hit a home run with Herbert at No. 6 overall in 2020.

Months after the run on wide receivers in the 2023 NFL draft, the Chargers now appear to have made the worst decision. Quentin Johnston has shown up on more highlights for drops than actual receptions.

Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison, who were the next two picks after Johnston, have combined for 1,386 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Johnston is only 22 and has time to improve, but the initial returns have not been encouraging.

There were plenty of free-agent failures along the way. J.C. Jackson (five years, $82.5 million) was a bust right from the start and only appeared in seven games before being traded to the New England Patriots in October for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.

Future Draft Capital

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DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 24: The NFL Draft 2024 logo is pictured on the exterior of Ford Field before a college football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan State Spartans on November 24, 2023 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Chargers have seven picks in the 2024 NFL draft, with one in each round. Their top pick is currently projected at No. 5 overall.

Assuming Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are the top two picks, here are the best prospects in the class on B/R's NFL scouting department big board after the quarterbacks:

• Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State (No. 1 overall)
• Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia (No. 2)
• Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State (No. 5)
  
• Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame (No. 6)
• Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State (No. 7)
• Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State (No. 8)
• Rome Odunze, WR, Washington (No. 9)
• Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA (No. 10)

The dream scenario would be pairing Herbert with Marvin Harrison Jr., but the Chargers will probably need some help from the teams currently ahead of them in the draft order to have a chance to make that happen.

Brock Bowers or Keon Coleman would be more than acceptable consolation prizes if Harrison is off the board.

Rashawn Slater's presence at left tackle complicates things if the Chargers want to upgrade their offensive line with either Olumuyiwa Fashanu or Joe Alt. They could try to move them to the right side, but that's not really a great use of a first-round pick.

Either of the top edge defenders would also work because Los Angeles' pass-rush is built almost entirely around 32-year-old Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, who has missed at least four games in two consecutive seasons.

Free-Agent Targets

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KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 20: Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) runs onto the field before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Nov 20, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Free agency is very complicated for the Chargers, both because of their cap situation and Spanos' history of not wanting to spend a lot of money if he can avoid it.

If the Cincinnati Bengals decide to let Tee Higgins walk in free agency, the Chargers should try to find a way to make it happen. He'll turn 25 on Jan. 18 and had more than 900 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons.

But it's probably not practical to think the Chargers are going to give Higgins a deal worth $25 million per year that it would probably cost to sign him.

If there's one position the next general manager and head coach for the Chargers need to prioritize, it's cornerback. We already talked about the disaster that was Jackson's contract, but he's hardly been the only problem.

Aidan O'Connell lit up the Los Angeles secondary on Thursday night with 248 yards and four touchdowns because his receivers frequently had no one around them.

Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears is the best potential free-agent cornerback, though it would be a surprise if he isn't given the franchise tag since they reportedly had a high asking price after giving him permission to explore trade opportunities before the Oct. 31 deadline.

L'Jarius Sneed, who has been a solid starter over the past three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, might be a more realistic option. Kendall Fuller, Chidobe Awuzie and Kenny Moore could also be available in free agency.

Stephon Gilmore is having a good season with the Dallas Cowboys and could be nice on a one-year deal since he will play most of next season at 34 years old, but he's not a player who you build an entire cornerback room around at this point in his career.

There are also legitimate questions about how eager free agents will be to join the Chargers based on how their current players feel about the organization.

In a survey conducted by the NFLPA, the Chargers received grades of D-minus or worse in categories that include treatment of families, nutrition, training room and locker room. Their strength coaches (A-minus) and team travel (B) were the only categories they received positive marks.

Plus, there's the problem of the Chargers feeling like they play 17 road games because SoFi Stadium is routinely covered in the colors for the opposing team.