Chargers prime offseason targets may already be out of reach with Joe Hortiz comments

The Los Angeles Chargers should be poised to have a major offseason. They will hire a new offensive coordinator after firing Greg Roman, and they have close to $110 million in cap space with which to reshape their roster.

Although there are still vital players that need to be re-signed, including Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh, and Teair Tart, there should certainly be enough money left over for them to chase some big fish on the market.

However, considering General Manager Joe Hortiz's comments in the press conference on Thursday, it seems as though they might be more conservative in their approach:

In many ways, this approach makes sense. Just because you have ample financial flexibility one offseason doesn't mean that outsized contracts can't come back to bite you in later years.

Yet Los Angeles needs major talent upgrades at vital positions, and this stance may have already eliminated them from chasing their prime targets.

The Chargers need major additions in free agency, but Hortiz seems hesitant to take too many major risks

This offseason, the Chargers desperately need upgrades on the interior of their offensive line. Both center Bradley Bozeman and right guard Mekhi Becton likely need to be replaced, and left guard Zion Johnson will need to be extended.

They will also need to add a defensive tackle and depth to their secondary to help account for any schematic drop-off if Jesse Minter ultimately departs.

Los Angeles has enough to cap space to go after the premier names at these positions, and many fans would be thrilled if they did.

Tyler Linderbaum, for example, has not yet been extended by the Baltimore Ravens. He's made the Pro Bowl three times in his four NFL seasons, and if the Ravens fail to bring him back, he could fetch upward of $70 million over four years, according to Spotrac.

Connor McGovern, the Buffalo Bills' center, is another name to watch. His annual value will likely fall in the range of Linderbaum's.

While the names at defensive tackle are less flashy, there are still a number of highly productive players, such as David Onyemata, whom the Chargers could pursue.

If Hortiz is not looking to throw out over-sized contracts but instead go for distributed value and depth across the roster, that likely takes all three of these players off the table.

Nothing would be more frustrating than to see the Chargers attempt to turn mid-level, second contract depth players into the valuable starters they need this offseason.

There, however, is a distinct middle ground between that and splurging on a player like Linderbaum, and Hortiz must hope that is enough to vault Los Angeles into contention next season. If it's not, this stance could be seen as a serious mistake in hindsight.