Jim Harbaugh's Chargers playing a dangerous game that may cost them dearly

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers are treading dangerously during the NFL offseason.

Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh congratulates players after a score in the second half against the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jim Harbaugh certainly did a phenomenal job during his first season as Los Angeles Chargers head coach, leading the team to 11 wins and a playoff appearance in spite of a rather obvious talent disparity, especially on the offensive end.

It appeared to be a major step in the right direction for the Chargers, who were preparing to enter the offseason with ample cap room and had the chance to vault themselves into the upper echelon of legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Instead, Harbaugh and Co. have opted to play a rather dangerous game by failing to properly utilize its cap space, sitting on the sidelines when it came to the best players in free agency and also not getting heavily involved in trade talks.

As a result, Los Angeles has many of the same issues now that it had heading into 2024. Namely, it still lacks top-flight weaponry for Justin Herbert, which could cost the Chargers dearly next season.

All Los Angeles has really done this offseason in terms of bringing in wide receivers is replacing Joshua Palmer with Mike Williams. That's it. Yes, the Bolts can still sign Keenan Allen, which appears to be somewhat of an inevitability at this point, but as of right now, they've done next to nothing to address their biggest problem.

Are the Chargers going to aim to patch this glaring hole in the NFL Draft later this month? Perhaps, but not acquiring any real proven talents to make Herbert's life easier could absolutely come back to bite LA once the 2025 campaign begins.

We saw what happened to the Chargers in the playoffs this past year, where the Houston Texans thrashed them in the Wild Card Round and Herbert threw four interceptions. Sure, most of that was on Herbert, but not having a solid group of receivers also hurt him significantly.

Los Angeles has a golden opportunity at its fingertips right now. The AFC is really not that imposing, as the Kansas City Chiefs have displayed obvious vulnerability, and while teams like the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are certainly very good, they are not overly daunting.

The Chargers really could have taken things to another level this offseason, but they have decided to play it safe by not spending money in the right places.

Harbaugh is a good enough coach where he can still lead Los Angeles to another playoff appearance next season even as currently constructed, but will the Chargers actually be able to get over the hump after such an underwhelming free-agent period? We'll have to see.

Oct 21, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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