San Diego Chargers: Would Tashaun Gipson make sense?

With the messy split between the San Diego Chargers and Eric Weddle about to end this offseason, the attention of the organization will have to turn to finding a new starting free safety.

Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry is such a dominant and well-rounded player that he transcends the free vs. strong designation, and Cincinnati Bengals veteran Reggie Nelson is another strong safety option who could hit the open market this offseason. However, Berry is a pipe dream of an option, and Nelson might be too old for the Chargers liking.

Another impending free agent safety who could be available? Tashaun Gipson of the Cleveland Browns, though his chances of remaining in Cleveland have increased with the firing of Ray Farmer. If you’ll recall, Gipson was forced to play out the 2015 season on a one-year, $2.356 million restricted free agent tender instead of a long-term deal, which is something he wasn’t too pleased about.

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Gipson’s play, unfortunately, regressed last season, but the same can be said for the entire pass defense. With Joe Haden‘s season robbed by concussion, defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil completely failing at his job, and the 3-13 Browns defense allowing the fourth-most points per game overall, you can see why Gipson was unable to have a strong season.

How far did his numbers fall? Well, in 2013, Gipson had five interceptions with 12 passes defended, and he picked off six passes with eight PDs in 2014. But in 2015? Gipson had just two interceptions and no additional passes defended. He was frequently exposed in coverage, and his run defense was equally deplorable, partially thanks to a bevy of missed tackles.

There’s no doubt that Gipson’s drop-off in play in his final season looks troubling, but I’m not concerned about him as an impending free agent. If anything, his poor season on that one-year tender might help teams looking to sign him- if he does indeed hit the open market in March- because it will cause his price to drop.

Based on the numbers of plays the ball-hawking free safety made in 2013 and 2014 and the fact that he was an elite safety in 2014, it’s hard to question the fact that Gipson can be a difference-maker for any team. Free safeties are always in high demand, so, of course, even a drop in price caused by his poor 2015 season won’t exactly make him a cheap option for the Chargers.

Since Jason Verrett is often injured, Brandon Flowers might be declining, and the Chargers lack any other options at the safety position once Weddle leaves, they need to go for the best free safety possible. Additionally, it’s best for them to find a player who projects as a ball-hawk, in addition be being a player with the speed to be a true center-fielder on their defense.

Gipson fits these requirements, and what makes me so optimistic about him long-term is the fact that 25-year-old players generally get better, not worse; hence, the term “upside”. I think Gipson’s struggles in 2015 can be easily explained away by awful coaching and subpar performances from the players around him. His 2015 shows that he is no sure thing at the free safety position, but I’ll take two years of stellar play on a competent, well-coached defense over one lousy season on a team that was in complete shambles.

The Chargers have their own issues on defense, but nobody can criticize their CBs (when healthy) and the extremely underrated OLB duo of Jeremiah Attaochu and Melvin Ingram, who had an especially beastly Week 17 against the Denver Broncos. Not only can Gipson elevate the players around him by being that playmaking, coverage FS, but he could also be the piece that helps the Chargers defense rise from incompetency.

There’s no way Gipson is as good as Weddle was in his prime, nor will he ever be as well-rounded as a man who literally brought everything to the table. That said, Gipson can be an upgrade on the 2015 version of Weddle in terms of pure coverage ability, and he might be the best free safety option when free agency opens.

It’s important to note that the Chargers, who were 28th in the NFL in net yards per pass attempt last season, have struggled with generating big plays as a pass defense over the past two seasons. In 2015, they had 11 interceptions, and none of them were produced by Weddle. That’s one area in which Gipson would be a sure-fire upgrade over Weddle, and there is no doubting the Browns safety’s ability to make game-changing plays at the back-end of the secondary.

Dec 20, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers free safety Eric Weddle (32) stops Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller (26) after a gain of six yards in the first half of the game at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Cost will be the deciding factor here, but Gipson checks off the age, room-for-improvement, playmaking, speed, and coverage ability boxes.

Even if Gipson doesn’t end up being the best option available, the Chargers have to consider him, since free safety will be their biggest position of need on defense when FA opens up.

Unlike 3-4 defensive end (the Chargers need to find Corey Liuget a partner-in-crime), it is extremely difficult to find a top-notch option at safety in this year’s draft.

Remember, Browns former defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who is one of the best in the business, and a big reason for the Tennessee Titans surprisingly positive showing on that side of the ball in 2015, named Gipson his defense’s MVP in 2013.

That caught some offguard, but Horton’s declaration is a reminder of just how valuable a true free safety can be to a defense. Chargers fans know how much Weddle helped them, and, again, while Gipson isn’t the caliber of player Weddle was in his prime, he is just 25 and has plenty of talent in his own right.

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A four-year deal worth $32 million with about $14.5 million in guaranteed money seems like the type of deal Gipson would command, and the Chargers would likely be wise to agree to that price if there are no other alternatives available in March; adding a true FS has to be a priority for Tom Telesco and the front office.

There’s no guarantee that Gipson will be available, especially with Farmer out the door, but he could give the Chargers two excellent young DBs with Verrett quietly establishing himself as a borderline-elite CB.

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