LA Chargers: Four remaining free agents to consider

DT Marcell Dareus

The Jaguars acquired Marcell Dareus in 2017 to bolster their defensive line. He played well for two years. Unfortunately in 2019, he suffered from a core muscle injury that landed him on injured reserve by October.

It was fairly obvious Dareus wouldn’t be back with the Jaguars in 2020, mostly because the team would have to pick up a $19.5 million dollar option. Maybe the team has some interest in bringing him back at a cheaper rate, but Dareus is a free agent now.

As mentioned earlier, the Chargers did pick up Joseph to start on the line, but the team could always use more defensive tackles. They’ve struggled because of the weakness of the interior, despite having Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa shooting off the ends. Remember that they also cut Brandon Mebane to clear cap.

Dareus is only 30, whereas the aforementioned Mebane would’ve been 35 heading into the 2020 season. He’s still a powerful force at the point of attack. The Chargers could always use more support against the run. When he was healthy in 2018, Dareus earned an 80.9 PFF Grade.

Another thing to consider about the team is development. The team has Justin Jones and Linval Joseph starting, but other than that they really just have Jerry Tillery and Cortez Broughton on the roster currently.

Tillery still has room to improve and develop, but it’s hard to tell how much he’ll improve in one offseason. Broughton isn’t a terrible depth option, but he was a seventh-round pick for a reason.

Cheap free agents in week two of free agency are a necessity for Telesco to hit on with the depth thin in some areas. Giving three or four million to a defensive tackle who’s only two years removed from doing stuff like this doesn’t seem like a bad idea:

Marcell Dareus just did this…. pic.twitter.com/9BaYGqn9xz

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) January 21, 2018