The LA Chargers missed out on Davante Adams and DK Metcalf over the weekend and sat back while several other big names were signed on Monday. While the team brought back Khalil Mack, it also saw the departures of Poona Ford and Joshua Palmer.
While the rest of the league was making moves, the Chargers were sitting back waiting to make their first external signing of free agency. That finally happened four-and-a-half hours after the legal tampering window began. It was not the kind of signing fans were hoping for.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Chargers are signing former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson to a two-year, $13 million contract. Jackson joins a cornerback room led by sophomores Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart.
Chargers sign Donte Jackson, who struggled mightily last season
The surface-level numbers are not good for Jackson. Jackson posted a 45.1 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus last season, which ranked 196th among 223 cornerbacks in the NFL. Jackson also does not provide positional versatility, as he is exclusively an outside corner.
It is clear the Chargers see something in Jackson and just because he struggled last season does not mean he is guaranteed to be a flop. The veteran corner has been rather up-and-down throughout his NFL career and has put together productive seasons in the past.
After all, Kristian Fulton was coming off a similar season with the Tennessee Titans when the Chargers signed him last. While Fulton started to faltered as the year went on, he was a valuable member of the secondary for the Bolts.
The key difference that makes this disappointing is the two vastly different situations. Last offseason, the Chargers had to scratch and claw for every dollar they could get and were milions over the salary cap. This offseason, they have among the most cap space in the league.
If Jackson ends up being a small piece of the offseason puzzle then the move will be easier to understand. But if he is the only cornerback the team signs then it will not be received kindly by hte fanbase.
Either way, it is disappointing to see the Chargers let an impactful player like Poona Ford walk for $10 million a season only to pay a cornerback who struggled last season $6.5 million. For many fans, that feels like a misorganization of offseason priorities.
But alas, the Chargers' offseason story is not yet complete. Patience is a virtue, and the Chargers are giving a lesson in that to the fanbase.