Rival GMs Impressed by Chargers’ Offensive Upgrades, Wary of DL Signing

The Chargers offseason focus has been on fortifying the offense around star quarterback Justin Herbert, rebuilding the offensive line to improve pass protection and finding a more impactful thrust to the running back. 

The addition of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel earned rave reviews with sources around the league, but the personnel additions to the roster might prove mixed.

Los Angeles needed to take multiple swings adding depth and quality to the offensive line, and while they clearly upgraded at center bringing in Tyler Biadasz, work still needs to be done. 

“I really like that signing for them, nice upgrade over (retired Bradley) Bozeman,” one NFL general manager said. 

"They addressed swing tackle and also brought in former top pick Cole Strange to bolster their interior line (he was never going to pan out as a tackle)." 

“I like what they did on the line, for the most part,” another personnel executive said from a team that was looking for offensive line help, “but none of that is going to matter if they don’t get the tackles back playing like they were before the injuries.”

What About The Rest of Their Signings? 

Season-ending injuries to Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt derailed the Chargers season at times and looming incredibly large in the postseason. 

One way to offset the loss of elite pass rushers is to run the ball in an explosive and consistent manner, and that was a problem for them as well. Several execs pointed to the under-the-radar signing of Keaton Mitchell from Baltimore as a potential game breaker.

“I don’t know why Baltimore let him walk (an a non-tendered restricted free agent), but he is a perfect fit with McDaniel,” the general manager said. 

“That kid can do a lot of the stuff (Raheem) Mostert did in that offense… He can’t touch the ball more than 10 times a game or he’s going to break down, but he could be a home run hitter in that offense.”

As for the signing of defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, it comes with some risk. 

“The reason he didn’t sign with Green Bay like everyone thought was because of his weight,” the personnel exec said. 

“I heard he really didn’t look good. He’s going to have to put in a lot of work.”