The Los Angeles Chargers had one of the best teams in all of the NFL this past season. They were dwarfed in media attention by their own intercity rival, the Rams. Philip Rivers had one of the best seasons of his career, and the team just seemed to click. Their first-round performance against the Baltimore Ravens proved that they could stop the run without nearly any of their linebackers.
The New England Patriots were able to expose that lack of depth down the middle, but the Chargers proved that their formidable offensive line featuring Joey Bosa has the potential to be solidified with improved depth at the linebacker spot.
It wasn't as if they didn't have that depth in the regular season Kyzir White, Denzel Perryman, and Jatavis Brown — all suffered season-ending injuries before the playoffs. But otherwise, the team was left to picking up free agents or practice squad players to fill in their places. It was simply a predicament that they didn't have the depth to surmount.
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco knows that their depth is a problem, and will make sure that the position is suitably covered moving forward.
“We didn’t quite recover from (those injuries). (Linebacker) is one particular group we need to focus on pretty heavily in the offseason.”
The Chargers had gone 12-4 on the season and finished first overall in the AFC West Division. They will likely be a top team in the AFC again next season, and with established depth in the front seven, the team will be better prepared for a deep playoff run.
