Chargers boldly predicted to 'blow their free agency budget' on one player

The Los Angeles Chargers need to take some big swings this offseason.

That starts right now as Jim Harbaugh and Co. search for Justin Herbert’s new offensive coordinator.

But it also stretches far into the offseason, where they will likely attempt to take at least one big swing on the offensive line. Last year’s big swing, Mekhi Becton, fell completely flat, to the point Becton looks like an obvious cut candidate.

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently predicted a major contract the Chargers might look to dole out in free agency:

“The Chargers will blow their free agency budget on Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo. Despite turning 33 next season, he is still playing at a high level. Seumalo ranked second among all guards with a 96.9% pass block win rate this season.”

Seumalo is indeed getting up there in age, but it would be pretty hard to argue against the Chargers going and getting the 12th-overall graded guard at Pro Football Focus out of 81 graded.

Last offseason, we wrote that Becton was a major gamble. The Chargers hinted as much when they built an out into his contract that let them escape the two-year deal this offseason. He had a major injury history and only one quality year after switching to guard in Philadelphia, after all.

Seumalo has been more of a proven commodity over the course of his career. He hasn’t had perfect attendance by any means, but he’s been steady in locations like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Ideally, spending some of that more than $100 million in cap space on a Seumalo-type player and pairing him with a high-value draft pick aimed at fixing another spot on the interior offensive line would be a smart move.

Seumalo, a high draft pick and a returning Zion Johnson on a new deal would be a pretty solid way to address the offensive line in front of Herbert, giving the interior a respectable outlook to go along with the elite tackle tandem of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater.

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