LA Chargers: Joey Bosa is the best bet for Defensive Player of the Year
By Jason Reed
LA Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa is a smart bet to make some money.
The LA Chargers have one of the best edge-rushing duos in the entire league in Joey Bosaand Melvin Ingram. Bosa is easily a top-five, at worst, a defensive end in the league while Ingram is also a top-10 player at the position.
It does not get any better than the duo that the LA Chargers have and this season we might be able to expect and even better year out of the two. Both guys are in contact years, and especially for Bosa, this year serves as a proving grounds to earn even more money on his next contract.
Bosa is already one of the best defensive players in the league and with him playing for something extra, he might just be in the running for some hardware at the end of the year.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that Bosa is the best bet to win the Defensive Player of the Year from a value standpoint.
Joey Bosa’s Defensive Player of the Year case:
Bosa has already had the kind of season worthy of winning Defensive Player of the Year, so there should be no questions on whether he has it in him to take that next step. Just compare his 2017 season to the 2017 winner, Aaron Donald.
Bosa had 54 tackles, 21 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Donald had 32 tackles, 27 quarterback hits, 15 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Bosa was right there with Donald.
We already know that he can put together the kind of season worth winning the award, so what are his odds heading into the season? According to Odds Shark, Bosa has +2000 (20/1) odds to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. He has the seventh-best odds in the league.
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Not only can we expect Bosa to have a better year because he is in a contract season, but he is right in the sweet spot where he is at the start of his prime. He will be 25 this season and in the fifth year of his career.
Plus, a lot of award voting has to do with narratives and he might have some favorable ones when the season is all said and done. If the Chargers are a playoff team it is going to be because their defense played up to their potential and was one of the best in the league.
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And in having a career year, Bosa will be the face of a defense that willed the Chargers to a playoff appearance. They don’t even have to win the division, just being a playoff team and being the face of a solid season, in the best year of your career, is more than enough of a narrative to persuade voters.