5 Mistakes the San Diego Chargers Can't Afford to Make This Offseason
Tom Telesco has made few mistakes, if any, since he became general manager of the San Diego Chargers.
To my knowledge, there's only been one—Derek Cox.
The first major signing in free agency for Telesco was Cox, who was coming off a strong 2012 campaign with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chargers inked him to a four-year, $20 million deal with $6 million in guaranteed money.
At first glance, Cox looked like a surefire addition given the state of the secondary at the time, but it only took 16 games to realize bringing him in was a mistake. A string of poor performances on the field led to the team benching Cox midseason. By next March, he was gone.
Telesco admitted to the mistake by cutting Cox a year into his contract instead of holding out hope that he'd eventually get better in order to justify the signing.
Since then, Telesco has been on his game in free agency, finding value and keeping the risk low.
In his third offseason, here are five mistakes Telesco and the Chargers need to avoid.
Let King Dunlap Walk in Free Agency
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Telesco signed Dunlap two seasons ago to a $3.7 million deal in the hope that he'd fill out a roster spot as the team's swing tackle, but Dunlap went above and beyond that calling.
He beat out Max Starks for the starting job at left tackle in 2013, making 11 appearances. This past year, he started all 16 games and improved his play on the field immensely. The 29-year-old squared off with a number of elite pass-rushers in 2014 and held up like a franchise left tackle should.
San Diego's offensive line struggled in all facets last season, but protecting Philip Rivers was a serious weakness. Dunlap was arguably the MVP of that unit, and losing him would set the Chargers back in their goal of another postseason run.
Keep the Offensive Line as Is
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The offensive line doesn't need just one or two tweaks here and there; it needs a substantial makeover. Whether Telesco handles that through the draft or free agency is up to him, but there's no way San Diego keeps things as is, especially after what Rivers had go through in terms of injuries.
Starting with right tackle, D.J. Fluker needs to slide inside at guard where his strengths suit him best. He may not be the best pass-blocker, but he mauls defenders in the run game. In his place, the Chargers could look to take a tackle in the draft, one with a better resume protecting the edge.
Next, the team has to make a decision at center, where San Diego had five different starters in 2014. Longtime guard Chris Watt picked up the position quickly his rookie year, but keeping him there permanently would mean nixing a return to his natural position at left guard, where there are issues too.
Chad Rinehart did not have his best season, but a former teammate doesn't think all the blame should go on the veteran guard. Nick Hardwick spoke on Xtra Sports 1360 AM, pointing to the revolving door at center as having a major impact on Rinehart's performance. The 29-year-old has one more year left on his contract.
And at left tackle, the best-case scenario would be retaining Dunlap, but free agency isn't always a sure thing. Another team could outbid San Diego, forcing Telesco to find a replacement.
This unit was the weakest on the roster in 2014, and it's vital the Chargers make the necessary changes to improve it.
Let Brandon Flowers Walk in Free Agency
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Signing Flowers to a one-year "prove-it" deal was the right move by San Diego, as he passed the test with high marks in 2014. He broke up 10 passes and made three interceptions—both team highs.
The Chargers had the fourth-ranked passing defense last season despite injuries to Flowers, Shareece Wright and rookie Jason Verrett. Wright, the starting corner opposite Flowers for most of last year, is also a free agent. When it comes down to it, San Diego could wind up only keeping one to pair with Verrett next season.
Wright has shown glimpses of being a high-caliber defender in this league, but he lacks consistency. With Flowers, you know what you're a getting—a true No. 1 corner with experience. Verrett will be a good player down the road, but in the meantime, San Diego needs Flowers to keep the secondary in good standing heading into 2015.
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Sign Ryan Mathews to a Long-Term Deal
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One of San Diego's biggest offseason questions is Mathews and how the team chooses to handle his situation. The former first-round pick has approached the end of his rookie contract; he'll be a free agent in March unless a new deal is put into place.
Of his five seasons with the Chargers, Mathews has produced two 1,000-yard rushing campaigns. The rest of his career has been plagued by injuries. 2014 was his worst yet, as knee and ankle injuries kept him out of 10 games.
When healthy, Mathews has shown to be a capable weapon on offense, but his struggle with setbacks has been frustrating to watch. With that in mind, I hope Telesco tries to woo Mathews with an incentive-laden deal that keeps him in San Diego at a low risk to the team.
Life without Mathews proved too difficult for the Chargers last season, and I'm not so sure they're prepared to move forward with Danny Woodhead, Donald Brown and Branden Oliver as the core rushing attack next season.
Avoid Taking a Running Back in the Draft
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This year's class features young and talented running backs, and that goes for prospects who are projected to go well beyond the early rounds. I don't see how the Chargers avoid taking a running back at some point in the draft considering they ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing last season.
Depth was also a concern in 2014 after Mathews, Woodhead and Brown went down with injuries just a few games in, leaving the workload to an undrafted rookie (Oliver) and Ronnie Brown. Oliver had a good run for a short while, but when his production stalled, the Chargers were left with no ground game to fall back on, putting a lot of pressure on Rivers to carry them most weeks.
San Diego has picks in the first six rounds, and I would expect one of those to be a running back.
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