INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 27: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks to pass during the first half of a game against the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium on December 27, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Chargers head into free agency with a sizable amount of cash to spend. Who will Los Angeles sign to help Justin Herbert lead this team to victory?
The flashes of greatness Justin Herbert showed during his rookie campaign gives every Chargers fan legitimate hope for the team’s future. The challenge for Los Angeles this offseason is surrounding him with enough talent to take a significant step forward in 2021.
Fortunately for the Chargers, they have a significant amount of money to spend on free agents. Currently, the franchise projects to have just under $34 million to spend on the open market. It’s imperative for Los Angeles to find value in free agency if they want to get back into the postseason anytime soon.
Acquiring better protection for Herbert should be the team’s top priority. The Chargers could also stand to improve the quality of their defensive front. It might be impossible for Los Angeles to fill every hole in their roster via free agency, but targeting the following five players could help accelerate the team’s rebuild.
5. Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson isn’t the most well-known edge rusher in this year’s free agent class, but he’s going to draw a lot of interest from teams shopping for a potential bargain. He quietly won more than his share of pass-rushing snaps for the Saints last season.
He’s probably never going to develop into a dominant double-digit sack artist on the outside, but he can give the Chargers a really good option to deploy opposite Joey Bosa on obvious passing downs. Hendrickson doesn’t have the same twitch off the edge that made Melvin Ingram so dangerous in that role, but he’s a much better run defender.