Nov 23, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Cobi Hamilton (11) looks on during the game against the LSU Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. LSU defeated Arkansas 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Danario Alexander was a bright spot in a less than impressive Chargers offense in 2012. In 10 games last season, Alexander caught 37 passes for 657 yards and seven touchdowns.

However, Alexander has a history of knee issues. The 6’5″ wide receiver has had five knee surgeries dating back to his days as a college receiver at Missouri. Even though he didn’t miss a game last season, the Chargers have offered him the lowest RFA tender. You can expect Alexander to be a free agent after the 2013 season.

If Alexander were to leave, San Diego would be left without a big target for Phillip Rivers to throw to. They also wouldn’t have a solid #1 wide receiver on their roster. They have Malcolm Floyd, who has talent but is not a proven #1. Vincent Brown is young and has great potential, but also is not a #1 wideout. San Diego would have to look at either free agency or the draft if they want to add a receiver of Alexander’s size and speed.

The Chargers do not have a lot of space under the salary cap, so it would make more sense for them to find a reliable wide receiver in the 2013 NFL Draft. One receiver that the Chargers should consider is former Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Cobi Hamilton. Hamilton shattered school records at Arkansas in 2012 with 90 catches for 1,335 yards in the defense heavy Southeastern Conference. Hamilton also recorded five touchdowns and caught 18 in his career as a Razorback.

At the 2013 NFL Combine, Hamilton measured at 6’2″ and 212 lbs. He ran a 4.5 40 and recorded a 29 1/2″ vertical. Scouting reports on Hamilton state that he is a big target with a well-built frame. He has the strength to break out of arm tackles, but can also has the speed to move past defenders.

Hamilton is the #17 wide receiver in this year’s NFL Draft, and could be a steal for any team that takes chooses to draft him. Should the Chargers be the team to draft him, they will have a a viable big target if Alexander were to become an unrestricted free agent.

Dec 2, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers center Nick Hardwick (center) listen to the play call from quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers were next to last in yards per game last season. They also averaged 21.9 points per game, which was good enough for 20th in the NFL. So, the stats make this point easy to see. They couldn’t move the ball, and because of that they couldn’t score.

Let’s look at the statistics from last season and see just how San Diego fared against their opponents. While the Chargers averaged 4.8 yards per play, opponents averaged 5.2. San Diego, who once had a feared passing attack, ranked 24th in passing yards per game. Phillip Rivers threw 15 interceptions while opposing quarterbacks threw only 14. Opposing quarterbacks also threw 28 touchdowns, two more than Rivers threw.

But the lack of offense through the air wasn’t the only problem that hindered the team. The Chargers ranked 27th in rushing with 91.3 yards per game. As a team, San Diego ran for 1,461 yards,

Ryan Matthews, Jackie Battle, Ronnie Brown, Curtis Brinkley, and Le’Ron McClain rushed for 1,395 of those yards. Six individual running backs with other teams rushed for more than this entire group. Matthews was the team’s leading rusher with 707 yards. 24 other running backs and two quarterbacks had more yards on the ground than Matthews. He also had only one touchdown. Battle led the team with three. 22 opposing players had more touchdowns than this whole team.

In order for the Chargers to win more games in the future, they will have to have the offensive success they’ve had in past seasons. To be really effective, they will have to find a way to generate yards on the ground. This will allow for more rushing touchdowns, and will also open up the passing game. Unless they can fix this problem, expect more seasons like the one we saw in 2012.