LA Chargers mailbag: The most overrated and underrated signings

We are still (hopefully) a few months away from the 2020 NFL season and seeing the new-look LA Chargers in action. However, there are still plenty of questions regarding the team after what has been a really busy offseason.

The front office has been busy in making free agent and trade acquisitions as well as drafting the quarterback of the future in Justin Herbert. All that change has created questions around the team.

We wanted to try something that we have not done in almost an entire year: a mailbag. We asked you to send in your questions on our Twitter, here are some of the ones we wanted to highlight.

LA Chargers post-2020 NFL Draft mailbag:

“How big of a leap do you expect the OL play to be with our new additions and Campen as the coach?” – @ryan_tarvers

Simply put — a large one. As we all know, the offensive line has been the Achilles’ Heel of the Chargers’ offense for quite some time and I think the team did all the right things to bolster it and create a legitimate line in front of Tyrod Taylor.

Trai Turner and Bryan Bulaga are huge additions on the right side and a healthy Mike Pouncey could open the door for Scott Quessenberry to play left guard, which might be the best possible outcome. The team has options at left tackle as well, although I am much higher on Trey Pipkins than most.

James Campen is one of the best O-line coaches in the league and was a big part of the great offensive lines up in Green Bay. Not only did the Chargers get more talented, but players such as Pipkins, Quessenberry, Lamp and Feeney are going to get the best coaching of their young career.

I think the Chargers are a lock for a top-15 offensive line and could even fall in the 9-12 range.

“Will the Chargers extend Joey Bosa before he becomes a FA?” – @jgeigerselva

I highly, highly, highly, doubt it. Unless the LA Chargers offer Bosa market-setting money then he is probably going to test the free-agent market. Despite Bosa being one of the best perimeter rushers in the league, I doubt the Chargers offer him that record-setting money at some point this season as it would have already happened by now if they wanted to do so.

Does that rule out the team re-signing Bosa? Not at all. However, I might add, out of all the big-name free agents after the 2020 season, I think he has the best chance of leaving the team.

“Who is the most underrated and overrated free agent addition?” – @BritishBolt

The most underrated signing has to be one of the XFL signings, either Donald Parham or Storm Norton. I do not think Norton will win a starting job so I am going to go with Parham. I think we are going to see Virgil Green used less in the last year of his contract and Parham is going to make some big plays for the Bolts.

The most overrated signing, in my eyes, is Chris Harris. Harris is a fine player without a doubt, but it feels as if a lot of Charger fans are clinging onto what he used to be. If you read our article about three players that will disappoint in 2020, you will read that Harris actually had some of the worst numbers of his career last season and he is not getting any younger.

“I am interested in the timeline that Herbert will take, do you think it’ll be skewed for the worse if there’s no off/preseason activities or do you guys think he won’t be up to speed before the end of the 2020 season regardless?” – @DavonMJackson34

I don’t think any of this unique situation really matters. By the start of the 2021 season, Justin Herbert should absolutely be ready to be the starting quarterback of the LA Chargers. A lot of the questions around him is how he will perform against a higher level of talent and that is something we will not really know until he is out there.

Herbert does not need longer than one year to learn the system and get acclimated. Anything more than one year is behind schedule, in my opinion.

“Should the Chargers try to sign Antonio Brown?” – @Donavon_15

No.

“Could we [the LA Chargers] acquire Malik Hooker after the Colts declined his fifth-year option?” – @Daryn_stack

I don’t think so. Things could change and they could give up on Nasir Adderley as a starting-caliber safety but I highly doubt it. Plus, there is going to be a robust market for him because of his age and potential and with so many other things to address next offseason, Hooker likely won’t be on the radar.

“Which personnel member is under the most pressure heading into this season and why?” – @CaliDislocated

This might be surprising, but I think it is Anthony Lynn. Charger fans love Anthony Lynn and rightfully so, he led the LA Chargers to the team’s best record of the decade in 2018 and two of his three seasons have been winning seasons.

However, we are going into a season where Tyrod Taylor has been chosen to be the guy to be a transition quarterback and Lynn is really high on him. If this thing blows up in his face, and the Chargers win five or fewer games for the second season in a row, despite all of the talent on the roster, then the hot seat will be scorching.

A big issue for the Chargers late in games is turnovers and penalties, which can be circled back to the coaching. It is not all Lynn’s fault, and I think it is more likely that he goes 11-5 than 5-11, but another disappointing season, with Taylor under center, could leave the LA Chargers looking for a new coach for Justin Herbert.