As the LA Chargers lost star edge rusher Khalil Mack to a gruesome arm injury at the end of the first quarter of their Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, all eyes immediately turned to the rest of their edge rusher core.
One central question stood out. With limited depth available at the edge rusher position, who will the Chargers now turn to in order to make up for Mack's superstar-level production with him being evidently set to miss time?
Luckily, there is one painfully obvious move for them to make on the market. Preston Smith is still a free agent as Week 2 comes to an end, and Los Angeles's defense could benefit hugely from another veteran presence in Mack's absence.
Preston Smith could be a painfully obvious pickup for the Chargers after Khalil Mack's injury
The fact is that nobody, really, can replace Mack. Last season, even through a downtick in his sack production, Mack yielded 15 QB hits through 16 games and was nominated to his third straight Pro Bowl.
Yet, behind Mack, the Chargers do not have much depth in their 3-4 defensive structure. Their other outside linebacker, Tuli Tuipulotu, is still emerging as a promising young player, but he thrives primarily in acting off of the gravity of Mack, and it is unclear whether he can take on the primary offensive line matchups that Mack faces on a weekly basis.
Moreover, beyond Tuipulotu, Los Angeles has an aging Bud Dupree, who has worked well as a rotational piece thus far in his stint with the Chargers but does not look like he has the speed any longer to be an uber-effective pass rusher, as well as rookie Kyle Kennard and newcomer Caleb Murphy.
Therefore, Smith, who has a decade of NFL experience and remains a free agent after being released by the Pittsburgh Steelers in February, could bring a healthy modicum of experience to the otherwise underwhelming Chargers' edge rusher group.
Last season, between Pittsburgh and the Green Bay Packers, Smith started nine games, posting 4.5 sacks and taking on serious rotational snaps between the two organizations.
Moreover, part of the reason he requested a trade from Green Bay to Pittsburgh was his preference to play in a 3-4 defense. While, at age 32, Smith could probably not take on the full load of versatility that being a full-time outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense demands, he could certainly ease some of the pressure on Los Angeles's young crop to take over Mack's production.
Therefore, the Chargers must make a call immediately to Smith's camp in order to prevent a complete disaster in Mack's absence.