The Los Angeles Chargers are in a state of transition—hopefully one for the better.
The Chargers let go of head coach Brandon Staley in December after a 63-21 drubbing on national television by the Las Vegas Raiders en route to a disastrous 5-12 season. But they did hire former Michigan Wolverines and San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who has won everywhere he's been. He will help turn Los Angeles around sooner than later.
But the Chargers are in the red when it comes to cap space to use on free agents in the 2024 offseason. They'll have to reorient their books and pluck some diamonds in the rough in free agency to bolster the roster around franchise quarterback Justin Herbert.
Though Los Angeles currently has around $44 million in cap space, they can work things around to free up some additional flexibility. They also have the fifth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, plus more selections in every round thereafter.
It is possible the Chargers can turn things around quickly and compete in the AFC as soon as this upcoming season. But they have to fortify their roster. Guard and tight end are positions of weakness for this team, holes that must be addressed in free agency.
Cody Whitehair, Guard
Austin Ekeler may or may not have lost a step in 2023. The ever-efficient Ekeler averaged a ghastly 3.5 yards per carry last season, which was by far the worst of his career. However Ekeler did average 4.02 yards created per touch, according to playerprofiler.com, which would suggest that he still has some juice in the tank despite approaching 29 years of age.
But the real issue for the Chargers' subpar running game was their offensive line. The majority of their line was either injured or just did not play well. ESPN graded Los Angeles as having the 24th-best run block win rate in football, a mark well below league average that explains why this team had trouble running ball all year long.
Someone who could help with that is Cody Whitehair, who was just released by the Chicago Bears in a cost-cutting move that will save the team roughly $9.1 million. ESPN graded Whitehair as having the 12th-best pass block win rate among interior offensive linemen in 2023. He could help with the Chargers' run game as well as with keeping Herbert upright.
Whitehair struggled in 2023, which ultimately led to him getting benched and released. But he does have a Pro Bowl appearance to his name and a history of stellar play. With him getting released now, Whitehair is free to sign with any team before free agency officially gets underway in March.
The Chargers have to clean up their books first, but Whitehair be a great addition to their offensive line.
Noah Fant, Tight End
Another way for Los Angeles to add to both the pass and run game would be to find a tight end who can catch and block. Gerald Everett has been a solid tight end for the Chargers over the past two seasons, but he has never been regarded for his blocking prowess. Noah Fant has grading out well blocking for both the run and pass this past season.
Fant has been productive as a receiver for the majority of his career as well. As a rookie, Fant generated 1.86 yards per route run, which ranked 16th among tight ends that season (2019). In the seasons after, Fant put up 1.75, 1.64, 1.47, and 1.28 yards per route run. Fant was among the league's most efficient tight ends in Denver, but his production faltered a bit with the Seattle Seahawks.
Harbaugh has always featured tight ends prominently in his offenses. At Stanford, he helped get many tight ends drafted into the NFL, including the likes of Zach Ertz and Coby Fleener. Vernon Davis was a big part of his offenses in San Francisco. Fant could be the next tight end to be featured under Harbaugh's watch, and would be a great fit in Los Angeles.
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