Mike Pouncey
Mike Pouncey‘s 2019 season was unfortunately devastated by a neck injury that left many wondering if he could even play in 2020. Luckily, Pouncey was cleared by his surgical team back in May. He’s a solid addition to the Chargers’ acquisitions of Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner in the offseason.
The decision on Pouncey will mostly come down to how he plays this season. If he plays well, it’s not hard to see the Chargers giving him a shot-term deal. How Pouncey’s mobility and range of motion ultimately returns remains to be seen though.
There’s been a pretty steady decline in Pouncey’s run and pass blocking over the past few years. In 2015, he earned a 75.9 offensive grade. In his last full season in 2018, that dipped to a 59.1. The pass blocking is still decent, but the run blocking has been close to subpar.
The other factor in the decision on Pouncey is Scott Quessenberry. He played pretty well last year and has two years left on his cheap rookie deal. Looking at some of the advanced stats, there’s not a lot of difference in terms of production between the two. Pouncey edges him by a little bit in pass blocking, but Quessenberry beats him in the run game.
Even if the Chargers didn’t re-sign Pouncey or look at Quessenberry as 2021’s starting center, there’s always the draft. The LA Chargers will have an extra draft pick to possibly take a center somewhere in the mid-rounds if it’s necessary. With the neck injury and decline, I don’t see Pouncey coming back in 2020.
Chance of re-signing: 30%