Official 2026 Chargers Roster Discussion | Roster Build | Free Agency

[Chargers8491]

A RB I'm also keeping an eye on is Alexander Madison, Mia. I think would be a good addition to the RB room.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Herbert's issue wasn't holding onto the ball to long although it did cause a few sacks but I think you could chalk that up to him trying to make something out of nothing and just outright horrible play calling. I would also add you could tell that Herbert was gun shy and had no trust in his offensive line. He was the most jittery I have ever seen him behind the oline especially toward the end of the season and in the playoffs. The guy was just waiting to get piled driven into the ground.

I chalk any Herbert holding into the ball simply to the guy playing behind the worst o line known to man, a shitty play caller..and having to play hero ball

I really dont see this as some fundamental issue. We are good at QB, least of our worries.

[wu-dai clan]

Kris Rhim more or less takes what Hortiz says and predicts the Chargers order of battle.

--Sign as many in house UFAs as we can, at our set highest price or lower.
--Maybe make one splash UFA signing from 31 teams.
--Draft BPA at PONs.
--THEN fill out the roster with "one year show me" bargains.

[Chargers8491]

Kris Rhim more or less takes what Hortiz says and predicts the Chargers order of battle.

--Sign as many in house UFAs as we can, at our set highest price or lower.
--Maybe make one splash UFA signing from 31 teams.
--Draft BPA at PONs.
--THEN fill out the roster with "one year show me" bargains.

Not real rocket science it's what he has done the last 2 years. Only difference this year is he has more cap space than he has the last 2 years. Doesn't mean he is going to go and spend like a drunken sailor.

[wu-dai clan]

Not real rocket science it's what he has done the last 2 years. Only difference this year is he has more cap space than he has the last 2 years. Doesn't mean he is going to go and spend like a drunken sailor.

To our chagrin...
That cap space is probably used up to keep select players.
I would love to see your master plan happen !
Pretty much.

One thing I am thinking, 8491.
O'Leary wants to be able to blitz with all defenders, from time to time.
That makes people like Ponds, Golday and Elarms-Orr interesting.

[Chargers8491]

To our chagrin...
That cap space is probably used up to keep select players.
I would love to see your master plan happen !
Pretty much.

One thing I am thinking, 8491.
O'Leary wants to be able to blitz with all defenders, from time to time.
That makes people like Ponds, Golday and Elarms-Orr interesting.

Outside of free agents the Chargers need to sign they also think about extending Tuli and Henley. I don't think they will want those guys to even sniff free agency. IMHO, huge chunk of cap space is going to be trying to keep most of the team intact while extended players like Tuli and Henley. I expect those signings won't happen until after camp starts much like Slater.

I think they will let Zion walk and get a comp pick next year from him. I also believe that there are some OCs and OGs available that the Chargers won't have to break the bank on and should give the Chargers a better than average oline. Top 10 would be great but give me 11-15 and I would be happy. There are OGs out there that we don't know about. Really the only ones most know about are the top guys that will cost a fortune.

If they sign OGs that are in the 10m or under range, I could see them taking an OG in the 1st rnd but something tells me that this is going to be a defensive heavy draft early for the Chargers. I really believe they are going to set up OLeary to be successful in his 1st yr, but who knows, I could be wrong. We have seen the last 2 SB winning teams were teams that had dominate defensive fronts. They have DTs that they can rotate for days and just wear down olines. That is what the Chargers need. They could also use another free safety to play opposite Molden. Don't get me wrong, I love TJ but he is getting up there in age. A true #1 CB would also do wonders for the back half of the defense. Those 2 alone are in OLeary's wheelhouse. Plus add another edge and boom you're done. Those players could come free agency as well but this years draft is deep at all those positions with really good players. Just my opinions and thoughts.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Not real rocket science it's what he has done the last 2 years. Only difference this year is he has more cap space than he has the last 2 years. Doesn't mean he is going to go and spend like a drunken sailor.

And the other difference is that he has the worst IOL in the NFL that is totally holding his team back from winning anything significant so he might want to try something a bit different this off season because we know he sure as hell can't fix it once the season starts

[Chargers8491]

And the other difference is that he has the worst IOL in the NFL that is totally holding his team back from winning anything significant so he might want to try something a bit different this off season because we know he sure as hell can't fix it once the season starts

They did do something different they fired the OC and oline coach and hired a new competent staff.

[CanadianBoltFan]

They did do something different they fired the OC and oline coach and hired a new competent staff.

That is a start but every coach, especially Harbaugh, will tell you coaches are only as good as the players they have. Some competent offensive lineman are going to have to be signed and not only on cheap flier one year deals.

This theory that McDaniel can fix all the the offensive line personnel problems just because he calls plays differently than Roman is just a tad overblown. In theory this should help but nothing has been proven. But one thing is for certain, this team cannot leave Justin Herbert's protection to chance anymore and that is going to involve some good football players.

And we don't know for certain Butch Berry is the end all of OL coaches either. Some concerning stories out there that players hated him, let's wait and see. Personally I am not taking anything for granted on o line play as I have watched it be shitty for too many seasons now. If anything it is time for the Chargers to over compensate, not sign cheap average players and assume everything is alright because they switched coaches.

[Bolt4Knob]

Not real rocket science it's what he has done the last 2 years. Only difference this year is he has more cap space than he has the last 2 years. Doesn't mean he is going to go and spend like a drunken sailor.

My thing is -- why does it have to be signing your own free agents
if you can improve the roster - improve it -- and I am talking IDL, LB and CB == Hand, Perryman, St Juste - can you improve those positions
I am fine if Delshawn Phillips comes back for ST and LB depth but like Perryman, getting older
Hand - -why not a guy on the interior that can get more pass rush

That said - I never expected Hortiz to sign a bunch of external free agents especially if Oweh, Zion and Mack are back - -I think one makes sense - one big money player

[dmac_bolt]

My thing is -- why does it have to be signing your own free agents
if you can improve the roster - improve it -- and I am talking IDL, LB and CB == Hand, Perryman, St Juste - can you improve those positions
I am fine if Delshawn Phillips comes back for ST and LB depth but like Perryman, getting older
Hand - -why not a guy on the interior that can get more pass rush

That said - I never expected Hortiz to sign a bunch of external free agents especially if Oweh, Zion and Mack are back - -I think one makes sense - one big money player

You sign team players now if you can get team favorable deals before FA, no other reason as you well note. Players sign them (often) to get assurance that when FA hits, they ain’t sitting on a couch staring at a phone that don’t ring and eventually have to take a shittier short contract in May or Jun just to get on a team. We are not talking about pro bowlers here.

I don’t think they work too hard to extend Tuli or Henley this spring - only cuz I think they are in win-now mode and that will subtract from other improvements. If they sign Tuli to the contract he’s worth, how do they afford another Oweh or other good Edge player - just as an example.

[DerwinBosa]

Outside of free agents the Chargers need to sign they also think about extending Tuli and Henley. I don't think they will want those guys to even sniff free agency. IMHO, huge chunk of cap space is going to be trying to keep most of the team intact while extended players like Tuli and Henley. I expect those signings won't happen until after camp starts much like Slater.

I think they will let Zion walk and get a comp pick next year from him. I also believe that there are some OCs and OGs available that the Chargers won't have to break the bank on and should give the Chargers a better than average oline. Top 10 would be great but give me 11-15 and I would be happy. There are OGs out there that we don't know about. Really the only ones most know about are the top guys that will cost a fortune.

If they sign OGs that are in the 10m or under range, I could see them taking an OG in the 1st rnd but something tells me that this is going to be a defensive heavy draft early for the Chargers. I really believe they are going to set up OLeary to be successful in his 1st yr, but who knows, I could be wrong. We have seen the last 2 SB winning teams were teams that had dominate defensive fronts. They have DTs that they can rotate for days and just wear down olines. That is what the Chargers need. They could also use another free safety to play opposite Molden. Don't get me wrong, I love TJ but he is getting up there in age. A true #1 CB would also do wonders for the back half of the defense. Those 2 alone are in OLeary's wheelhouse. Plus add another edge and boom you're done. Those players could come free agency as well but this years draft is deep at all those positions with really good players. Just my opinions and thoughts.

I think Harbaugh and Hortiz will make a run at Linderbaum, due to him being worth the money (in spite of how some nerds have ranked him just a tad better than Bozeman as a pass blocker) and the Ravens connection (Hortiz was in Baltimore when Linderbaum was drafted). Other than that, I don't think they'll go crazy in free agency.

something tells me that this is going to be a defensive heavy draft early for the Chargers. I really believe they are going to set up OLeary to be successful in his 1st yr, but who knows, I could be wrong. We have seen the last 2 SB winning teams were teams that had dominate defensive fronts. They have DTs that they can rotate for days and just wear down olines. That is what the Chargers need. They could also use another free safety to play opposite Molden. Don't get me wrong, I love TJ but he is getting up there in age. A true #1 CB would also do wonders for the back half of the defense. Those 2 alone are in OLeary's wheelhouse. Plus add another edge and boom you're done. Those players could come free agency as well but this years draft is deep at all those positions with really good players. Just my opinions and thoughts.

I agree with all of this. Also, besides the Eagles and Seahawks, the Chiefs' championship run of three Super Bowl victories in five years featured quite a few big investments on the defense, with premium draft picks, signings, and a key trade.

Chris Jones was drafted in the second round in 2016. Derrick Nnadi was taken in the third round in 2018. In 2019 they traded a first-round pick for edge rusher Frank Clark, used their second-round pick on Juan Thornhill, and signed Tyrann Mathieu. Willie Gay, Jr. was their second-round pick in 2020. Nick Bolton was a second-rounder in 2021. In 2022 Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis III were first-round picks, and they signed Justin Reid that offseason.

The Chiefs were ranked seventh in points allowed in 2019, 10th in 2020 (when they lost the Super Bowl to the Bucs), eighth in 2021 (when they lost to the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game), 16th in 2022, second in 2023, and fourth in 2024 (when they lost to the Eagles in 2024). Five Super Bowl appearances and three Lombardi trophies in six years. Five of those years they had top ten defenses in points allowed.