The Los Angeles Chargers will have a new stadium, a new quarterback(s), and a new look. It’s the perfect set up for success. They’ve had stretches of it during the near two decades Philip Rivers was under center, but it never culminated in a Super Bowl appearance.
The Chargers are still a ways away from the annual championship. Veteran Tyrod Taylor will be a bridge for rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. How long that bridge will stretch remains to be seen; head coach Anthony Lynn said there will continue to be a quarterback competition but he’s also “very comfortable” with Taylor. Whoever lines up at quarterback will bring a much-needed update to this offense. The days of the pocket-passing Rivers are out of the window with the mobility of Taylor and Herbert.
In order for the Chargers to be successful in 2020, they must lay the groundwork for their next franchise passer and return to the playoffs.
Good quarterback play will come from either Taylor or Herbert, but unless Herbert shines at training camp, it’s hard to see him starting over Taylor. The Chargers had options at quarterback this offseason. Tom Brady and Cam Newton were some of the biggest names on the market, and Lynn has expressed interest in Colin Kaepernick, saying, he “fits the style of quarterback for the system we’ll be running.” Los Angeles, however, stuck with Taylor, who signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the team in 2019. Taylor came in for relief of Rivers in Week 14 last season but hasn’t played a stretch of games since 2018 with the Cleveland Browns and a successful stretch since 2017 with the Buffalo Bills.
The Chargers would be wise to sit Herbert a year and let him soak in what could be one of the more unique NFL seasons. He’s the team’s future, but Lynn isn’t putting a timetable on when that future begins. It’s been a while since there was anything to truly be excited about. Los Angeles hasn’t made it past the AFC Championship Game since its Super Bowl 29 appearance in 1994. If Taylor can have another successful season starting, he’ll be able to keep the fans engaged.
There’s more than a quarterback battle to pay attention to. The Chargers need depth at running back after Melvin Gordon’s departure. Austin Ekeler is the projected starter, but behind him, there’s Justin Jackson and 2020 third-round draft pick Joshua Kelley. Los Angeles also reconstructed its offensive line. Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner were additions to the right side, but the Chargers still need an answer for the left which saw Russell Okung leave in the Turner trade.
The defense also features new faces and one very familiar, extremely well paid one. The team announced earlier this week it agreed to a contract extension with defensive end Joey Bosa, which ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported has $78 million fully guaranteed at signing and $102 million guaranteed to set a new defensive record. He’ll return with teammate Melvin Ingram to continue the 1-2 punch on either side. First-round draft pick Kenneth Murray is one of the new faces. He’ll shore up the middle of the defense as he enters the league as one of the best off-ball linebackers from the 2020 class. Each level of the Charges’ defense features a new look, which seems to be a running theme here. Chris Harris Jr. now joins Casey Hayward in the secondary. The former AFC West foe can compliment Hayward, Desmond King, and Michael Davis, who will play on the outside.
There’s plenty that could go right for Los Angeles: an improved offense featuring a dynamic quarterback and (hopefully) better offensive line and a defense that has been one of the better units in the league that now has added depth and fresh talent. Still, there’s plenty that could go wrong; we’ve seen it through some of Rivers’ more frustrating seasons. The Chargers need this upcoming season to end in a playoff run.
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