Why the Chargers are the Ideal fit for Robert Saleh
49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has already begun the process towards becoming a head coach.
He started by interviewing with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. His next stops after that in no particular order will be the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars according to general manager John Lynch.
However, there is a new team that has tapped Saleh's shoulder. That team is the Los Angeles Chargers who requested to interview him on Tuesday.
Of all the teams that have head coach vacancies, the Chargers are the ideal fit for Saleh. He should have the Chargers circled as his top destination.
Despite going 7-9 due to a subpar defense, the Chargers are actually setup for success in the foreseeable future. They have pieces on defense that can be amplified with a head coach like Saleh. In 2018, the Chargers had one of the best defenses in the league. While some of those players are gone, such as cornerback Desmond King and potentially Melvin Ingram, there is still a lot to like about their defense.
Much like with the 49ers, health damaged the Chargers to the point where they could not keep the ship afloat. Imagine if they had a coach like Saleh installed. He would have handled the team better than Anthony Lynn and put them in more winnable positions.
With the Chargers, Saleh goes from one Bosa to another. He gets, hopefully, a healthy Derwin James, and will have so much fun plugging him all over the formation. Their secondary as a whole isn't too shabby either. This is where Saleh coming in can help shave down some of their rough corners that they had in 2020. Not to mention a young linebacker to develop in Kenneth Murray. Overall, this a defense that Saleh can work with and succeed with.
The best part of all is that he doesn't have to concern himself with the quarterback position. The Chargers already have their franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert. That is automatically going to make Saleh joyous. I can only imagine how many times he wished the 49ers had at the very least a decent quarterback under center for them. Had that happened, so many of the 49ers' impressive defensive performances would not have gone to waste.
Having Herbert means Saleh does not have to worry much about the offense. All he needs is an offensive coordinator, such as Mike LaFleur or Mike McDaniels, to come in and ensure consistency with the offense. The Chargers are poised to be in the playoffs next season with Saleh and all of their returning key players from injury.
This is why Los Angeles is the ideal fit for Saleh. It is a much better situation than the Lions and Falcons, surely. The Jaguars aren't a bad one considering the enormous amount of salary cap space and draft capital at their disposal.
If the Chargers want to win now, then they will hire Saleh. Both sides are a matchmade in heaven.
