Chargers didn’t lose much in the offseason

Sep 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead (39) looks on from the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego won 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead (39) looks on from the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego won 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chargers are coming off back-to-back losing seasons, but general manager Tom Telesco did his job in upgrading the team and having them ready to compete in 2017 without losing much talent.

The offseason is a time where many players move around. It’s also a time where teams try to build through the draft.

Many analysts believe the Los Angeles Chargers are a playoff-caliber team in 2017, and it’s because of the free agents they kept and the players they drafted. It’s also because they’ll be getting back a handful of impact players that missed time due to injury, which is basically like another draft in itself.

The Chargers were able to re-sign DE/OLB Melvin Ingram, S Jahleel Addae, LB Korey Toomer, DT Damion Square, DL Tenny Palepoi, WR Dontrelle Inman and RB Branden Oliver. They only brought in three outside free agents in LT Russell Okung, FS Tre Boston and RB Kenjon Barner, but both Okung and Boston are upgrades at their respective positions (and only one was given a big deal).

They received praise for the draft, adding arguably the top WR in Mike Williams, stealing offensive linemen Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney and adding some playmakers in the secondary with the selections of Desmond King and Rayshawn Jenkins.

And those impact players coming back from injury? The Chargers are a completely different team when they have their No. 1 wide receiver (Keenan Allen) and No. 1 corner (Jason Verrett) on the field.

You could argue that elite third-down specialist Danny Woodhead was the only major loss in the offseason. Woodhead, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens, made quarterback Philip Rivers’ life so much easier. He was always there to bail Rivers out and come up with big plays, especially in crunch time. The problem: Woodhead just couldn’t stay healthy. The 32-year-old missed 27 games over the last three years.

The Chargers have had a busy offseason pic.twitter.com/TRoTSCSCUK

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 28, 2017

The Chargers have talent, but having the right coach to develop that talent, as well as being able to lead a team, is what the Chargers have been missing. Perhaps the best move of the offseason was replacing Mike McCoy with Anthony Lynn, who brings a different mentality to the Chargers. Not only that, but his overall staff might be the best we’ve seen in a long time.

The arrow is definitely pointing up for the Chargers.