What to Expect for the Chargers in the Draft After Free Agency

September 23, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers linebacker

(51) talks in a team huddle prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

So Free Agency is finally here, teams are signing players from the market and filling in positions of need on their rosters. Tom Telesco hasn’t made a huge splash in free agency, not yet though, but he has resigned some important veterans from last season to eliminate another hole on the roster. Some of his latest work includes the re-signings of MLB Donald Butler (That was a close one), safety and special teams captain Darrell Stuckey, and newly re-signed OG Chad Rhinehart.

Telesco has done a good job so far of maintaining his best players set to hit free agency, but were still waiting for that sweet pickup in a couple of days. Here is a scenario (were going to go through each position in need) of the draft if Telesco were to pick up players within the next couple days.

Cornerback:

Expect Telesco to make a jump at a cornerback the next couple days, it would be really sweet if he were to pick up an already proven cornerback in the free agency market. It’s going to be tough to do, since most of the available corners are asking for a boat load of money, and were already strapped on cash. But if we can find a #1 corner for the right price, Telesco will not draft a cornerback early in the draft. He will most likely address the issue in the 3rd – 6th rounds of the draft. Now if he passes on a corner in FA, he will more than likely will address the issue early in the draft. I’m assuming within the first 3 rounds. If Telesco picks up an average cornerback, then it looks like that player will more than likely man the slot. He will be Johnny Patrick‘s replacement, and we will be drafting high in the draft still. This is definitely one of the bigger positions you would want to watch for the next couple days.

Offensive Line:

This situation is a little tricky, it all depends on whether or not Telesco decides to release Clary or have him take a pay cut. It could go wither way, but the results of the situation will be different in either way it goes. It looks like Jeromey Clary is going to stick around for another season. Now if we were to let him go soon, we will be looking for a OG early in the draft, most likely the first 3 rounds. If Clary takes a pay cut, then we will find a cheap guard to back him up in the free agency market and watch him develop or we will look into the later rounds of the draft. We will also be looking for a backup center in the draft FOR SURE since it looks like Nick Hardwick is getting ready to leave. We will most likely find one in the later rounds of the draft, sign someone on the cheap or try to dig through undrafted rookies and look for that diamond in the rough.