The Los Angeles Chargers have made a number of moves this offseason. After coming up short one game from the playoffs in 2021, the Chargers seem to be going all in for 2022. In just one offseason, the Chargers have added household names as well as savvy veterans with championship pedigree. In an competitive AFC West, the Chargers look to achieve success by following the Rams blueprint.
Rams Blueprint
While the general thought process is to build through the draft, the Los Angeles Rams won the Superbowl in spite of giving up draft picks. Instead, they leveraged those picks to get superstars. In 2019, the Rams acquired CB Jalen Ramsey by trading two first round picks and one fourth rounder. Early in the 2021 offseason, they traded QB Jared Goff, two first round picks, and a third round pick to get Matthew Stafford. Midway through the 2021 regular season, the Rams traded 2022 second and third round picks to get Von Miller. After being released from Cleveland, WR Odell Beckham Jr. signed a 1 year deal with the Rams worth $4.25 million. All of the players mentioned had key contributions in getting this team to the Superbowl. That being said, the Chargers understood what needed to be done to get to the next level.
Aggressive Free Agency
As I stated before, the Chargers added a number of household names to the roster for 2022. Not only did they add stars, but they also added players that understand what it takes to win. Below is a list of the free agent pickups in 2022 via overthecap.com:
- LB Khalil Mack
- CB JC Jackson
- DT Sebastian Joseph-Day
- LB Troy Reeder
- TE Gerald Everett
- LB Kyle Van Oy
- WR DeAndre Carter
- CB Bryce Callahan
- DT Austin Johnson
- DE Morgan Fox
- RB Sony Michel
Two of the biggest additions in free agency were LB Khalil Mack and CB JC Jackson. The Chargers traded a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 sixth-round to get Khalil Mack. Head Coach Brandon Staley already had chemistry with Mack as he was the LBs coach for the Chicago Bears in 2018. On top of that, the Chargers signed JC Jackson to a five-year deal worth $82.5 million this offseason, including a $25 million signing bonus and $40 million in guarantees. Furthermore, the Chargers resigned WR Mike Williams and gave S Derwin James a record breaking contract extension. One of the reasons they were able to make these moves is because QB Justin Herbert is still on his rookie contract. They have built a team around him that plans to compete for years to come.
The Staley Effect
The culture of the Los Angeles Chargers has started to shift and Brandon Staley has played a part in that. Ironically, Staley was the defensive coordinator for the Rams prior to being hired by the Chargers. He had an opportunity to go against Sean McVay every day in practice. That competition fostered Staley’s quick rise as a head coach candidate. Furthermore, the Chargers have acquired some of the players he coached there including DT Sebastian Joseph-Day and LB Troy Reeder. TE Gerald Everett was also on the Rams in 2020 when Staley was there. While sharing the same stadium as the Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers look to overtake them in the battle for LA.