The Los Angeles Chargers are on the outside looking in on the playoffs at 4-9 and are essentially playing for pride for the rest of the regular season. While 2020 may not have produced overwhelming team success, the Chargers did take a key step towards relevancy after finding their franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, who was selected with the No. 6 overall pick last spring. That's good news for L.A. as the hardest part in any rebuild is finding that next leading man under center. With that already checked off the list, it makes a blueprint towards playoff contention a bit easier to map out.
Below, we're going to cover four key areas that Los Angeles will need to address over the course of the coming offseason that can put it on a path that could lead to a rather quick turnaround so long as Herbert continues to develop into the quarterback he's flashed this season.
Assess the coaching staff
This is the main priority for Los Angeles as soon as the 2020 season concludes. The Chargers will need to take a hard look at head coach Anthony Lynn and his staff to see if they are the correct unit to go forward with in the Hebert era. Throughout this season there have been a number of situations where the Chargers have been plagued by poor coaching by Lynn and his underlings, and are slowly but surely losing the confidence across the roster as the effort has noticeably been lacking. That was on full display against New England back in Week 13 when they gave away 14 points simply due to poor execution on special teams and also were caught with too many men on the field more than once.
That simply comes down to coaching and is not a one-off. Just last week in Los Angeles' win over the Falcons, Lynn mismanaged the clock at the end of the second quarter when he had no timeouts and just 22 seconds were remaining before halftime. On third-and-1, Lynn's offense made the curious decision to run the ball up the middle with Kalen Ballage -- who was stopped for no gain -- instead of passing, and time expired before the field goal unit could make the attempt for three points. Again, a well-oiled coaching staff doesn't make that decision and a shakeup at the top of the masthead could be the culture change that Los Angeles needs to turn the tide.
Figure out which free agents are worth keeping
L.A. has a number of heavy hitters set to hit free agency this offseason, including linebacker Melvin Ingram III and tight end Hunter Henry, along with guards Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp. On top of that, there are players like corner Chris Harris, guard Trai Turner and receiver Mike Williams who carry significant cap charges that the club could get out from under. With a new coaching staff possibly on the horizon and Herbert just scratching the surface of his NFL career, Los Angeles will need to be smart with who they bring in and whether or not it fits the path they are on with him.
For example, Hunter Henry is someone who L.A. should put an emphasis on keeping. He has proved to be a solid weapon for Herbert in the passing game and is only 26 years old. While the club may want to tweak Mike Williams' $15.6 million cap hit for 2021, he's another younger piece that could be worth hanging onto at the right price. On the flip side, there may be a case to clear the near $7.8 million in cap space and move on from corner Chris Harris, who has allowed 17 receptions on 25 targets for 291 yards in just six games.
Trying to figure out who are building blocks for this new era in the franchise's history will be a meticulous endeavor, but an important one as Los Angeles moves forward into 2021.
Get injured players back healthy
The Chargers always seem to have key players on the shelf and 2020 was no exception. If they are able to get the likes of safety Derwin James (season-ending meniscus injury) and linebacker Drue Tranquill (broken ankle in Week 1) back in the fold healthy for 2021, that'll go a long way in making the Chargers a more balanced club on that side of the ball.
After an impressive rookie season where he was named first-team All-Pro, James has been seriously bitten by the injury bug, only playing in five games over the past two seasons. When Healthy, he can be the face of this secondary and help the overall defense tremendously. As for Tranquill, the former fourth-round pick impressed during his rookie season in 2019 with 75 tackles inside the middle of Los Angeles' defense. He's another young piece who could be re-injected into this front seven and could help make them a respectable unit as quickly as next season.
Linebacker Melvin Ingram III and veteran center Mike Pouncey are two other key contributors who have spent time on IR this season and are set to be free agents. If the Chargers are planning on having them back, it'll need to be with a clean bill of health.
Take advantage of Justin Herbert's rookie contract
This is an overall philosophy rather than a specific step for Los Angeles. Part of the benefit of finding a player like Herbert so early is that you don't have to pay him. Over the next three seasons, his cap hit will not exceed $8.5 million and if he continues to provide the kind of play he did in 2020 that's an absolute steal. For the Chargers to take full advantage of those savings under center, however, they'll need to spend that money elsewhere to build a contender around Herbert.
In the AFC, Los Angeles has seen firsthand what a team can look like if you make smart decisions while your quarterback is still on his rookie deal. Their AFC West rival in the Kansas City Chiefs played their situation with Patrick Mahomes perfectly and has already produced a Super Bowl for their efforts. Meanwhile, a team like the Jets -- who selected Sam Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick a few years back -- never built anything resembling a contender around him and are now on the verge of a reset.
How can L.A. take advantage? It can start by building a wall around Herbert along the offensive line and spending high capital (money in free agency and at the draft) in that area. While the Chargers ranking 14th in the NFL in adjusted sack rate isn't horrible, it needs to be better to keep their face of the franchise upright. Outside of the line, Herbert does have enough weapons to put up points so long as they keep -- or adequately replace -- Hunter Henry this offseason.
What would benefit the young QB the most, however, is continuing to spend on the defensive side of the ball, specifically at corner. Chris Harris and Casey Hayward's better days may be behind them now and it'd behoove the Chargers to injected some young talent at that position. The Chargers are allowing 27.8 points per game this season, which is the seventh-highest mark in the league. Relieving the pressure of Herbert needing to drop 30 points on a weekly basis will help his development.
