Oct 23, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; San Diego Chargers wide receiver
Eddie Royal(11) during the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
It is currently February and we are less than a month away from the free-agent deadline in March.
It could be one of the most important in San Diego Chargers’ history.
The actions of Tom Telesco are as predictable as the weather in San Diego during the winter (which is pretty unpredictable).
Thus, in a roundabout way, I’m telling you that your guess is as good as mine to whether or not the Bolts keep or ditch certain players. Everything is speculation at this point as we have seen GMs in the past go back on their verbal commitments and take certain players over others.
Below is a list of the players that San Diego needs to re-sign this offseason.
Pieces That Have To Stay:
- WR Eddie Royal
- CB Brandon Flowers
- CB Shareece Wright
- SS Marcus Gilchrist
- OG/C Rich Ohrnberger
- OT King Dunlap
- RB Ryan Mathews
In terms of who they need to re-hire, the Bolts mainly should keep their offensive firepower. And while the offensive line wasn’t spectacular in 2014 (due to numerous injuries), starting over from scratch is not the best idea. Considering long-time center Nick Hardwick retired, the Bolts most definitely need to do everything in their power keep tackle King Dunlap and guard Rich Ohrnberger. The latter is listed as a guard, but he can also play the center position. Hardwick was the staple of the Chargers’ offensive line and will likely see a free agent or rookie replacement in the future.
As for the other offensive players, the Chargers must re-sign wide receiver Eddie Royal. He was the third leading receiver for the Bolts with 778 yards and seven touchdowns on 62 receptions. He was instrumental in the punt game averaging 9.1 yards per punt return, splitting time with Keenan Allen. Not to mention, he was huge around the goal line this season with some close touchdowns from inside-the-20. Against Buffalo, Royal caught four balls for 42 yards, with two of his catches going for touchdowns of five and three yards.
Without him, the Bolts have only injury-prone Malcom Floyd and wide receiver Keenan Allen who saw a drop-off in production this season. Unless they sign a free agent and draft a rookie receiver, re-signing Royal is imperative to the offense’s success in 2015.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bolts have three of their biggest secondary pieces on free agency. Cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Shareece Wright and strong safety Marcus Gilchrist might be up for grabs in March. Having those three players lost would basically signify the death of the Chargers secondary.
Wright had 10 passes defended and 60 tackles, while Flowers had 52 tackles, 10 passes defended and three interceptions. The Chargers gave up 24 passing touchdowns and a 61.1% completion percentage, ranked 12th and 11th, respectively, in the league – a dramatic improvement from the previous season.
If they re-sign anybody, it has to be Flowers and Gilchrist. There are many cornerbacks out on free agency, but Flowers and Gilchrist have both proved to be winners.
In keeping Ryan Mathews, I know I will receive some bad comments, but let’s look at the facts. While Mathews is injury-prone, he has still produced for the Chargers over the past four seasons. He’s only 27 and he has some great years ahead of him. If Mathews had played poorly in 2014, I would agree that his days in the powder blues are done, but his 4.5 yards per carry average signals to me that he still has something left in the tank.
I think that this year should be a decision year for Mathews. He has had some bad luck throughout his career and I don’t believe that he should be punished for it. I think Telesco should offer the former Fresno State Bulldog a one-year contract. If he produces, he’s in the clear for another multi-year deal. If not, then the Bolts look to draft in 2016.
In short, these seven players have shown their value in terms of position as well as their skill. If Telesco doesn’t re-sign these guys, it is definitely going to be tough for the Bolts to find these same positions in free agency, let alone the draft.
Next: Pieces That Need to Go