The LA Chargers are not afraid to let players walk away via free agency and this past offseason was the prime example of that. Both Hunter Henry and Rayshawn Jenkins took big deals elsewhere and nearly the entire offensive line from last season is now on another team.
While the offensive line was going to get overhauled anyways, it was surprising that the team did not bring back any of the former offensive linemen for depth purposes. But hey, the team gets compensatory picks out of it, which is a huge win.
In fact, Over The Cap predicts that the LA Chargers will have four compensatory picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The same situation will happen next offseason. Whether it be expiring contracts or potential cuts after 2021, there are players who are likely entering their last season donning the powder blue.
Here are five players who could be entering their last season with the LA Chargers:
1. Linval Joseph
Linval Joseph is entering the final year of a two-year deal that he signed with the LA Chargers prior to the 2020 season. While he was the best free agent that the team signed last offseason, there is no way that he is going to get another contract from the team.
Joseph still was not the prime version of himself and let’s face it: he is getting older. He started showing signs of regression last year and it can happen so suddenly once you get over that 30-year-old threshold. There is a legitimate chance that Joseph is a below-average football player next year.
Even if he isn’t, it would not benefit the team to continue paying an aging veteran defensive tackle and I would expect that to be one of the positions that the team targets early in the 2022 NFL Draft. It does not matter how well Joseph plays in 2021, it is hard to see him returning in 2022.