The AFC West is absolutely stacked for the 2022 season, with a lot of people saying it could be the best division in recent memory. All four teams have Super Bowl aspirations, and on paper, the talent to be serious contenders. In this article I will be focusing on the Los Angeles Chargers, and how they can use their remaining Cap Space to give themselves the best chance to stand atop the AFC West. There are plenty of remaining free agents available that can push a roster like the Chargers over the top.
First, we have to discuss how much cap space the Chargers have. According to Over the Cap they are sitting at about $14,483,195 with their top 51 players. Sportrac has the number a little lower with $14,040,498. These numbers are coming up before Derwin James Jr. has been extended, which could affect the potential of signing anyone long term. Either way, this leaves them some room for a couple of free agents to patch the remaining holes on the roster.
Corner Depth
Brandon Staley is a defensive coach who likes a diverse secondary. This can be seen in the drafting of JT Woods, and the signing of J.C. Jackson and Bryce Callahan. Despite these additions, some depth could be helpful. The Chargers have J.C. Jackson, Asante Samuel Jr., Bryce Callahan, and Michael Davis as their top four corners. This is a solid group but, J.C. Jackson was the only one to not miss time last year. Callahan in particular struggles with injuries. I am not confident in the pieces behind these four on the depth chart and would love to see them bring in a veteran on a one-year deal. Potential fits would be Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, and Xavier Rhodes. All three played at least 11 games, would likely come on a cheap, maybe veteran minimum deal, and would provide a decent rotational piece for a secondary that has a strong foundation.
Deep Threat Wide Receiver
When you are talking about the strongest arms in the NFL, Justin Herbert is definitely in the conversation. Bringing in a speedy receiver to let him air it out more and open up defenses for everyone else would be smart. Currently Jalen Guyton fills the speedster role, which is okay but there are low risk options that could improve the deep pass game.
These options break down into a couple categories. The first is older vets that have high upside. Julio Jones and T.Y. Hilton fit this bill. Projecting contracts for these two is difficult because they are big names, particularly Jones, but have struggled to stay on the field in recent years. Hilton seems more likely to fit into the Chargers price range for the role. The second category is younger veterans that have huge upside but have struggled to stay on the field. Odell Beckham Jr. and Will Fuller. OBJ comes with a couple issues being he will not be able to play right away, he may cost a significant amount of money, and it is a crowded wide receiver room where he will not be the focal point. Because of these issues, Will Fuller may fit into the role better at a cheaper price.
Offensive Tackle
Chargers seem set at four of the Offensive Line spots. The remaining issue is Right Tackle. The Bryan Bulaga experiment ended when the veteran was cut earlier this off-season. Early indications show that the coaching staff to at least some degree like Trey Pipkins for the role. Pipkins is only 25 as of writing this, and very well could break out this year. I have my concerns though. If I was Tom Telesco, I am protecting Justin Herbert at all costs and bringing in Daryl Williams. He is only 29, has solid experience at both tackle spots, and he should not break the bank. Offensive line depth is a great thing to have, and if Pipkins is great then you end up with an amazing swing tackle.
Conclusion
There are other spots the Chargers could improve, like Inside Linebacker, but Brandon Staley does not seem to value that position as much. Of the players I listed my dream scenario would be to bring in T.Y. Hilton, Janoris Jenkins, and Daryl Williams. Is it likely? No but it would improve the Chargers chances of coming out of the gauntlet that is the AFC West.
