Chargers’ Biggest Reported Free Agency Miss Could Come Back to Haunt Them

The Chargers were interested in this free agent. Actually making it happen would have dramatically changed the offseason for LA.

Jim Harbaugh | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

It’s not exactly a secret where the Los Angeles Chargers badly missed during the opening salvo of NFL free agency over the last week or so. 

It’s sure to make Chargers fans wince, too: It’s Justin Herbert’s offensive line. 

The Chargers provided some early hype for the unit with the signing of new starting center Tyler Biadasz before the free-agent market even opened. 

But the Chargers then turtled into a shell, merely signing Cole Strange for one of the two guard spots and hyper-focusing on the NFL draft compensatory pick formula. 

By far the biggest miss for the Chargers in free agency, though, is with one specific name. 

Chargers were interested in Packers free agent

Elgton Jenkins | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It was extremely common to see the Chargers linked to Green Bay Packers veteran lineman Elgton Jenkins. 

Jenkins wound up with the Cleveland Browns (alongside Chargers free agent Zion Johnson). Bummer, considering he's still just 30 years old and has positional versatility across the line.

It apparently wasn’t without the Chargers being interested, though, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic:

“The toughest non-move to stomach was the Chargers missing out on Elgton Jenkins. The Green Bay Packers moved on from Jenkins and saved considerable cap space. Jenkins hit the open market. The Chargers were interested, but Jenkins ended up signing with the Cleveland Browns on a deal averaging $12 million per year. Jenkins’ best position is left guard. He has proven production at this position in Matt LaFleur’s offense in Green Bay. LaFleur and McDaniel come from the same coaching tree.”

It takes two to make a deal happen, no doubt. But for Chargers fans who know all too well just how bad the interior of Herbert’s line was over the last few years, it’s a brutal miss while knowing that they approached free agency with roughly $99 million. 

And as we write often here, there’s some serious cause for concern going into Round 1 of a draft with such obvious needs. The need at guard makes the Chargers predictable and, as a result, easy to jump in the order. 

Having Jenkins on the depth chart next to Tyler Biadasz and Strange as a possible starter or backup would have put the Chargers in a much better spot, both in the draft and on the field. 

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