Chargers praised for quiet signing that could turn into massive steal

The Los Angeles Chargers have not made a whole lot of splashy moves this offseason, which comes as a surprise given how they entered free agency with expansive cap room.

However, the Chargers have made little additions here and there on both sides of the ball, and Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport is impressed with one in particular: signing defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand.

"However, the 6’3”, 302-pounder is a solid run stuffer who had a career-high 31 total tackles in a career-high 563 snaps with the Miami Dolphins last season," Davenport wrote. "It’s hardly a surprise that Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh puts a premium on the offensive and defensive lines. Hand is now arguably the team’s best interior lineman, and a one-year deal for less than $3 million makes this essentially a no-risk transaction."

Hand, who played his collegiate football at Alabama, was originally selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He spent three-plus years with the Lions, but outside of posting 27 tackles and three sacks during his rookie campaign, he was never able to forge much of a role and was waived midway through 2021. Hand then signed with the Tennessee Titans, where appeared in just two games while failing to log a single tack over parts of two seasons.

That was when Hand joined the Dolphins, and this past year, he played in all 17 games.

Hand is already 29 years old, so he may not have much more room for growth, but perhaps he could comprise a potential breakout candidate in the same way that Poona Ford did for the Chargers in 2024.

Da'Shawn Hand. — Aug 15, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand (91) talks to reporters after joint practice with the Washington Commanders at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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