Chargers’ Explanation for Conservative Offseason Around Justin Herbert Falls Flat

Have the Chargers done enough for Justin Herbert this offseason?

Justin Herbert | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers moved through NFL free agency like a team with minimal resources. 

One problem: The Chargers should be all-in around the Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel pairing. They had nearly $100 million in free cap space. The NFL draft is days away and they still have nearly $50 million and some major concerns across multiple spots on the roster. 

So what gives? 

The Chargers hit some needs on the open market, no doubt. But general manager Joe Hortiz and the front office stubbornly stuck close to the NFL draft compensatory pick formula, making extra sure not to spend too much and sacrifice any of those extra picks coming in future years.

While a measured approach, the timid nature of it all opens up the Chargers to some very justifiable criticism.

Chargers’ NFL free agency explanation seems concerning

Joe Hortiz | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Let Hortiz tell it, the Chargers’ approach to free agency was by the books and they’re pretty happy with it as the draft approaches. 

“I don’t believe in just going out and having a shopping spree,” Hortiz said, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. “I think free agency is for targeted (signings). You target players that can help what you want to do. That’s how you approach it. You make smart investments in good players.”

Hortiz added, per Popper, that this idea works in concert with the draft: “I just believe in building through the draft, and I believe in paying the players that you know. That’s how I was raised.”

That all sounds great, but the problems are obvious. 

The Chargers unquestionably upgraded at center with Tyler Biadasz. But "upgrading" on Bradley Bozeman was a given. 

Much of the team’s signings were mid-tier at best while laser focused on finding guys who profile well in Mike McDaniel’s new offense. Charlie Kolar is a blocking tight end. Alec Ingold is a fullback. Cole Strange is a semi-former-first-round bust at guard. Kendall Milton is a running back another contender wasn’t worried about losing. 

Meanwhile, the Chargers still need serious help on the interior offensive line and arguably at every level of the defense. That defense is more important than it seems, too, given the transition from Jesse Minter to Chris O’Leary at coordinator. 

Nobody is saying the Chargers should have gone out and spent major cash on gambles. But they could have done more. And for a team that is so locked-in on draft picks, surrendering one in an Odafe Oweh trade, getting a major breakout from him on the field, then not paying to keep him long-term smacks a bit silly, really. 

The Chargers rightfully didn’t want to pay first-round bust Zion Johnson on the market, but there’s another problem: The drafting isn’t guaranteed to work out, either, clearly. 

All of these critiques go away if the Chargers win. Tale as old as time. But it’s hard to blame anyone who looks at the Herbert-McDaniel situation and lack of playoff success and sees the $50ish million in cap space and wonders what the heck the plan really is and if it’ll work. 

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