Official 2025 Chargers Discussion | 2025 Roster Build | Free Agency and Draft

[AKFlyFisher]

I trust Hortiz and Harbaugh. I trust that there are specific players and attributes they are looking for. They are also managing a team with a significant amount of money spent at QB, likely a lot of money being spent at LT with an extension, and a lot of money at safety. In building this team, as I said elsewhere, Hortiz wants to raise the floor. Spending big money on FAs may improve a position, but it means are positions are not addressed; thereby failing to raise the team's floor. Telesco failed miserably at providing this team with a solid floor -- and it showed. We are going to see if Hortiz can do it -- and I think he can.

We should look back and see when players like Poona Ford, Tartt, Fulton, and Dissly were signed. I think they were much later in the FA cycle than folks may realize. You are about to see a ton of players hit the waiver wire, and those players will be cheap, won't cost comp picks, and will raise the floor of this team. Hortiz is adhering to the Ravens model in every way.

[dmac_bolt]

These guys get it ... the Trust Joe crowd are pretending they can't see what their own lying eyes are showing them ...

https://boltbeat.com/chargers-signing-clearance-section-benjamin-st-juste

Chargers make yet another signing straight from the clearance section



Cleveland Browns v Washington Commanders | Timothy Nwachukwu/GettyImages

ByJason Reed|1 hour ago
The LA Chargers have had an interesting offseason to say the least. Despite having the second-most cap space to spend, the Chargers have been rather inactive in NFL free agency. The moves the Chargers have made have also been questionable.

General manager Joe Hortiz made another questionable move on Wednesday in signing Washington Commanders cornerback Benjamin St-Juste. This follows a familiar trend as the Donte Jackson signing from two days earlier as the Bolts are signing someone who has struggled in recent years.

This is another discount signing for the Chargers with St-Juste agreeing to a one-year deal with the team. It also fits perfectly with the trend of the offseason, as Chargers fans are not happy with the signing.

Chargers sign another project in Benjamin St-Juste

It's starting to feel like Hortiz is addicted to signing bad players and fixing them on the Chargers. The Chargers had some success doing that last offseason but the team also had no cap space to work this.

Los Angeles has ample cap space this offseason and is still working around the fringes and signing players off the scrap heap. It is safe to say this isn't what Chargers fans expected out of this offseason.

All it takes is one glance at St-Juste's Pro Football Focus page to see how much he has struggled in the NFL. While PFF grades are not everything, it's never a great sign when your career-high is a 59.9 PFF grade. St-Juste had a 47.7 defense grade in 2024 with a 46.5 coverage grade.

Maybe grades aren't your thing— great. Let's look at the numbers. St-Juste allowed 48 receptions on 79 targets for 638 yards and four touchdowns last season. He had more penalties (9) than he did pass break-ups (7).

There is nothing wrong with taking fliers on players who have struggled with their previous teams. Hortiz had success taking those fliers last offseason and they do serve an important role in the team-building process.

However, a team with the second-most cap space in the league shouldn't only be taking fliers. Hortiz is potentially flying too close to the sun thinking the Chargers can turn around every single mediocre player they sign this offseason.

The Chargers are operating the same way in 2025 as they were in 2024. The main difference is last year, the Chargers had to cut players simply to be cap compliant. This year, the team has ample money to spend but is too fixated on the dollar menu.

[CanadianBoltFan]

I trust Hortiz and Harbaugh. I trust that there are specific players and attributes they are looking for. They are also managing a team with a significant amount of money spent at QB, likely a lot of money being spent at LT with an extension, and a lot of money at safety. In building this team, as I said elsewhere, Hortiz wants to raise the floor. Spending big money on FAs may improve a position, but it means are positions are not addressed; thereby failing to raise the team's floor. Telesco failed miserably at providing this team with a solid floor -- and it showed. We are going to see if Hortiz can do it -- and I think he can.

We should look back and see when players like Poona Ford, Tartt, Fulton, and Dissly were signed. I think they were much later in the FA cycle than folks may realize. You are about to see a ton of players hit the waiver wire, and those players will be cheap, won't cost comp picks, and will raise the floor of this team. Hortiz is adhering to the Ravens model in every way.

Good points all...but...the one thing most of us are a bit flustered by is IOL. Good lineman that are actual solutions are not found in the bargain bin.

They clearly did not get IOL right last year because it sucked...the weakest group on the team. They chose and signed Bozeman at center...didnt work...they moved Pipkins to guard...didnt work. Zion i get as high draft capital has been invested.

But the bottom line is their IOL solution last year was a big fail. Most of us went into this off season thinking that fixing the IOL is the top priority for Hortiz and Harbaugh....maybe they do have a plan...but not seeing the priority so far. Leaving themselves desparate and pigeon holed to have to take a guard at 22 is not a plan to me.

[dmac_bolt]

It may be another rough year ...

https://boltbeat.com/chargers-caught-sleeping-broncos-steal-perfect-justin-herbert-weapon-evan-engram

Chargers caught sleeping as Broncos steal perfect Justin Herbert weapon

Eventually the Chargers will sign someone to help Justin Herbert!

ByJason Reed|2 hours ago

One of the biggest needs for the LA Chargers entering the offseason was more pass catchers for Justin Herbert to throw the ball to. Prominent name after prominent name has come off the board and the only signing the Chargers have made to the passing game is, disappointingly, Jalen Reagor.

This continued into Wednesday as the Chargers lost an ideal tight end target to the Denver Broncos. After meeting with the Chargers on Tuesday, free-agent tight end Evan Engram ultimately signed with the Bolts' division rival.

The Chargers are now back to the drawing board as the team looks to supplement the tight end position. With the nature of the market, signing Engram would have been huge. Alas, he will be in Denver.

Chargers left scrambling after Broncos sign Evan Engram

Tight end is one of the biggest needs for the Chargers this offseason and there are not very many options to pursue left. The 2025 NFL Draft is stacked with tight ends, but with the Bolts not addressing any other needs in free agency, it is hard to pinpoint when they may be able to take a tight end.

Basically the Chargers are left hoping that Mark Andrews and/or Dallas Goedert get released by their respective teams and have an interest in signing with the Chargers. If not, the Bolts have to hope that Michigan's Colston Loveland falls to the No. 22 pick, which isn't the best spot to be in.

Pigeonholing yourself to one draft need in the first round, especially when you pick in the 20s, is not a great spot to be in. Loveland very well may be picked before 22 and the Chargers would be forced to scramble.

Sure, the Chargers can still draft a talented tight end with upside in the mid-rounds. After all, this is a deep draft class and there are exciting pass-catching options that should be available in the second and third round.

But taking a tight end in the middle rounds has inherent risk. it does not matter how much a team or the fanbase likes a prospect in the draft. There is a lot of variance with mid-round picks and sometimes they just don't work out.

He's a completely different type of tight end, but look at Tre' McKitty. Chargers fans were over the moon for him after the 2021 NFL Draft, hyping up his upside as tight end who could block and develop as a pass-catcher. McKitty didn't even last his entire rookie contract.

Signing Engram wouldn't have kept the Chargers from drafting Loveland in the first round. If anything, it would have given the Bolts a safety net in case Loveland was off the board and the Bolts wanted to go a different direction in the mid rounds.

But with Engram now on the Broncos, the Chargers will be forced to scramble to fix the tight end position. If they don't, it may be another rough year.

[Bolts&noles]

me too, and I was once the Mayor of Flipville.

I cannot understand the nothingness, its even less than nothing. I can understand not going batshit crazy and signing 10 guys, backloading cap hits so we are in hell in 2 yrs. I cannot understand less than nothing.

Matlock sucks - why anyone still talks about that guy, idunno, man. Thats where we are - we're talking about Matlock.
Matlock is not the answer to any question thats worth asking.

The Matlock hype is questioning.

[Cdn Bolt]

We are on a similar pace as 2024. Signings:

Mar 13: Gus Edwards , Alohi Gilman, Will Dissley
Mar 15: H Hurst
Mar 16 Poona Ford, E Stick
Mar 18 Troy Dye, B Bozeman
Mar 19 Perryman
Mar 28 Fulton
Apr 18 Dobbins
May 6 Chark

2025

Mar 10 Mack , Bozeman, Tart
Mar 12 Dye , Reagor, Donte Jackson, Najee Harris
Mar 13 Perryman , St Juste

We are only about 1/2 way through the window. This and the $30M or so they still have is making me a little more patient again

[eaterfan]

Good points all...but...the one thing most of us are a bit flustered by is IOL. Good lineman that are actual solutions are not found in the bargain bin.

They clearly did not get IOL right last year because it sucked...the weakest group on the team. They chose and signed Bozeman at center...didnt work...they moved Pipkins to guard...didnt work. Zion i get as high draft capital has been invested.

But the bottom line is their IOL solution last year was a big fail. Most of us went into this off season thinking that fixing the IOL is the top priority for Hortiz and Harbaugh....maybe they do have a plan...but not seeing the priority so far. Leaving themselves desparate and pigeon holed to have to take a guard at 22 is not a plan to me.

Half of their offensive moves last year were failures.

Successes - Dissly, Dobbins, Alt, McConkey
Failures - Bozeman, Hurst, Chark, Edwards

TBD - Vidal, Rice, Johnson (I don't think Rice and Johnson will make the success list, but they were 7th rounders anyway. Vidal has a chance to be serviceable, still).

They invested much more heavily in the offense than defense and were less successful, despite having a better starting point.

[powderblueboy]

It's not having blind faith! Its understanding we are trying to build something here with the right kind of players! With a very good head coach and GM that doesn't entail signing a large number of free agents maxing out our cap! We'll sign the right player here and there when the opportunity is there! We have a long time between now and the first game. Trust the process. We have a coach that can win with all levels of talent in players, we just need to bring in the right kind of player at this point. Najee Harris is the right kind of player.

Soon we'll be drafting the right kind of player, and signing the right kind of vet players as they become available.

It will be harder to draft the "right type of player" from the back ends of each round, instead of up front.

Baltimore has bad drafts.
Can the Charger afford one after, letting a few key pieces from last year walk and signing only guys who will accept one year contracts?

Probably not.

Its not like they have to pool up money to resign Telesco's triumphant 2022 draft next year.

We'll soon see where this is headed. Expecting to swoop in and grab free agent cuts on the Oline seems risky, at best.

[Charge!]

Don’t know. I can’t keep up.

lol

[Bolts&noles]

We are on a similar pace as 2024.

Mar 13: Gus Edwards , Alohi Gilman, Will Dissley
Mar 15: H Hurst
Mar 16 Poona Ford, E Stick
Mar 18 Troy Dye, B Bozeman
Mar 19 Perryman
Mar 28 Fulton
Apr 18 Dobbins
May 6 Chark

2025

Mar 10 Mack , Bozeman, Tart
Mar 12 Dye , Reagor, Donte Jackson, Najee Harris
Mar 13 Perryman , St Juste

We are only about 1/2 way through the window. This and the $30M or so they still have is making me a little more patient again

Only 30 mil left?
I don't think they bought much.

[powderblueboy]

Tells me Joe is fishing for bigger game... errr, hunting rather.

I'm guessing he'll aim lower than that .... bringing in a vet guard later in the week, whose price comes down.
There was so much confusion last year, and the Oline never quite figured out Greg Roman's system, I can't believe they'll try to plug gaps to the starting interior with 3rd/4rth round rookies.

I noticed that Ben Cleveland is a free agent.
Maybe they go there.

[dmac_bolt]

Good points all...but...the one thing most of us are a bit flustered by is IOL. Good lineman that are actual solutions are not found in the bargain bin.

They clearly did not get IOL right last year because it sucked...the weakest group on the team. They chose and signed Bozeman at center...didnt work...they moved Pipkins to guard...didnt work. Zion i get as high draft capital has been invested.

But the bottom line is their IOL solution last year was a big fail. Most of us went into this off season thinking that fixing the IOL is the top priority for Hortiz and Harbaugh....maybe they do have a plan...but not seeing the priority so far. Leaving themselves desparate and pigeon holed to have to take a guard at 22 is not a plan to me.

I see no plan to fix anything in 2025. Their 2024 "value FA" signings on offense that much of TPB thinks is a great strategy was a fucking disaster, a train wreck. 4 of the 6 primary guys signed to help the offense fell flat on their face. Completely, leaving gaping holes that became huge deficiencies. No real receiving TE. No real OC. No added WR. so here we are a year later and we still need OG, OC, TE, and WR again. And also now need Edge and DT - just to stay in place. Only one guy really produced, so of course he isn't even re-signed (JK). Dissly was ok as a surprise but he's far below what a top NFL TE is

Joe's plan sucks worse than I could have imagined. Every team that was better than us in 2024 has gotten even better, they all have signed high quality FAs, while we have gotten worse. "But he'll build it up in the draft" - FFS that is the dumbest shit ever. Every other team also gets to draft too. We are not making anything up vs anyone

Joe is tanking 2025, the question nop ... is why?