Los Angeles Chargers to give strong look to OL Russell Okung
By Travis Wakeman
We are on the doorstep of the new league year as the free-agent signing period will begin on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Chargers have made plenty of moves within their own roster over the last two days, but there haven’t been many rumblings about what the team will do with other players.
According to a tweet from Mike Klis, the Chargers are interested in signing former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Russell Okung.
I'm hearing Russell Okung to get strong interest form LA Chargers. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) March 8, 2017
After just one year with the Broncos, Okung is looking for work elsewhere after Denver chose not to pick up his option. However, the idea of him returning there is not out of the question as the Broncos are said to be interested in bringing him back at a lower rate.
The Chargers parted ways with former first-round pick D.J. Fluker earlier in the week and the chance of the team releasing King Dunlap is still a possibility.
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Much like Denver, the Chargers will be looking to revamp the offensive line this year as many fans will point to it as the main culprit for the team’s struggles over the last two seasons. Well that, and health.
Okung would bring a veteran presence to the team that is hard to find in today’s NFL. The No. 6 overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft, Okung made the Pro Bowl in 2012 as a member of the Seattle Seahawks and was widely considered one of the best tackles in football at the time. He didn’t have a great year with the Broncos in 2016, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still play.
However, fans will likely be quick to conjure up memories of the last time the Chargers signed an offensive lineman directly after playing in Denver. Orlando Franklin hasn’t lived up to the huge contract he was given following the 2014 season.
At the very least, the Chargers will likely speak with Okung and see if they can see a fit.