General manager Joe Hortiz has done a great job with the LA Chargers since getting the job early in 2024. Hortiz turned the Chargers into a playoff team despite limited resources in his first season and added exciting depth heading into 2025 (without making a big signing).
Hortiz isn't perfect, though, and suggesting otherwise would be disingenuous. There are several mistakes Hortiz has made, both big and small, that previously had an impact on the Chargers or will have an impact in the future.
One of those future impacts may come on the offensive line. Late last season, the Chargers shockingly released recent draft pick Jordan McFadden ahead of the team's playoff game against the Houston Texans. And while McFadden wouldn't have been the savior of the team's offensive line, giving up on offensive line depth may come back to burn the Bolts.
Chargers may live to regret giving up on Jordan McFadden too soon
Los Angeles released McFadden prior to the NFL Playoffs so the team could make a practice squad elevation against the Texans. Many assumed at the time that elevation would be Ezekiel Elliott, but instead, it was running back Jaret Patterson.
J.K. Dobbins was shaky at the time and Patterson was brought up for running back depth. That being said, he did not carry the ball a single time in which the Chargers were blown out.
There were obviously other factors in play, especially considering McFadden was a healthy scratch all season. However, in hindsight, it doesn't look like the best move to waive a recent draft pick to elevate a running back who literally did nothing in a blowout loss.
McFadden, now on the Chicago Bears, is receiving rave reviews and could factor into the team's success at some point in time. He is not a bona fide starter but he is a quality, versatile offensive lineman who can play any position on the interior.
That is valuable in the NFL, especially when you have Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson starting on the offensive line. The Chargers had a cost-controlled depth offensive lineman and gave him away for a short-term gain that had a limited ceiling. Now, the team's second-best backup guard is Branson Taylor, who is a rookie late-round pick.
It's bewildering considering how much Jim Harbaugh values the offensive line. Trey Pipkins literally has the fifth-highest salary on the team to be the swing tackle. You would think a cost-controlled lineman (who would have been on an expiring deal at this point) would be valuable to keep around.
Maybe McFadden never pans out and he becomes a forgotten NFL Draft pick. But if he does anything of note for the Bears, or the Chargers' offensive line depth is exposed, the decision to waive him will age poorly.