Some of the doubt around the Chargers is coming from the outside, but it is landing on a team with a few real pressure points.
The buzz around Justin Herbert working with an offensive mind like Mike McDaniel is easy to understand. The problem is that the rest of the roster still comes with plenty of questions. Injuries have already piled up on both sides of the ball before Week 1 practices even begin, the offensive line remains a concern, and there’s a quiet coordinator change on defense for a unit that could be thin in spots.
That combination is why some NFL executives are looking at the Chargers and asking how high the ceiling really is.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando recently spoke with personnel around the league about every team, and the Chargers landed eighth in the AFC in the poll. One exec pointed straight at the line issues, asking whether a team can afford to “have multiple years of your offensive line being decimated.”
Another executive zeroed in on two of the Chargers’ most important veterans.
"Khalil Mack is older, and at what point does Derwin James hit the wall?" the exec said, per Sando. "There is a lot to like with Herbert and the passing game…I want to see it first, and I do expect some regression on defense with Jesse Minter gone."
That skepticism has some footing. Chris O’Leary is stepping in with just one year of coordinator experience at the college level, and there’s no guarantee he can keep the defense humming. There’s also the question of whether the unit can get the same kind of production from a rookie like Akheem Mesidor that it got from Odafe Oweh last year.
Up front, the Chargers have issues that are harder to dismiss. The Tyler Biadasz injury is one of the things they simply can’t control, but there were warning signs in how the roster was handled, including hoarding assets while the guard spots remained underwhelming. Using a second-round pick on a center with the intention of moving him to guard also raised eyebrows.
Mack and James are aging, and the Chargers can’t stop that clock. They can only decide whether they’ve done enough to protect themselves from the fallout. Right now, that’s exactly where the questions are coming from.
In Other News...
Chargers Backup QB Question Just Revived A Familiar Harbaugh Connection
The Chargers quarterback room has a lot of attention on Justin Herbert, but the backup discussion has started to pull in a familiar Harbaugh connection. Trey Lance is on the active roster and DJ Uiagalelei is on the practice squad, yet the speculation around a possible long-term answer behind Herbert has pushed Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy into the conversation.
It is the sort of idea that makes sense on paper for a coach with deep ties to Michigan, even if nothing has been put in motion. Bleacher Reports Kristopher Knox floated the possibility of a McCarthy trade, but for now there has been no official move involving him, leaving the Chargers with a backup question that is still more rumor than reality. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Just Sent A Brutal Message About Roster Security
Nadame Tucker seemed to have built enough momentum in training camp to stick around in some capacity, with the rookie EDGE rusher initially viewed as a candidate for either the Chargers final roster or the practice squad. His preseason work and ties to defensive coordinator Chris OLeary gave him a real path to stay in the organization, which made his first cut a little surprising and his return to the practice squad feel like a second chance.
Instead, the Chargers kept moving on from him, signing Tucker to the practice squad only to release him again in favor of Caleb Murphy. It was a sharp reminder that nothing is guaranteed for young pass rushers trying to carve out a role, even when they flash in camp and appear to have a coachs trust, and it leaves the door open on just how secure the depth chart really is behind the top names. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Are Getting Serious Buzz For One Big Reason
Optimism around the Chargers has been building through camp, and a recent visit from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport only added to it. From the outside looking in, the roster appears to have more balance and a clearer sense of direction than it has in a while, with the addition of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel drawing particular attention as the staff tries to put Justin Herbert in a better position to thrive.
Herberts fit in the new offense is a major reason there is genuine buzz, but the bigger picture still comes with plenty of difficulty. The Chargers are trying to sort through a tough division, a new defensive coordinator and a demanding schedule, so the enthusiasm is coming with a healthy dose of caution. Even so, this is the kind of camp energy that suggests the organization believes it finally has a real chance to turn promise into something more substantial. [Read more 🡒]