Under the Joe Hortiz regime, the Los Angeles Chargers' modus operandi has been to replace veteran talent as it departs naturally through the open market.
Last season, they did that successfully in the secondary, replacing the production of Kristian Fulton, who went to the Kansas City Chiefs on a two-year, $20 million deal, with enhanced roles for both Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart. This season, they'll need to replace the production of Benjamin St-Juste, who signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency.
The Chargers secondary will be fine. They have one of the league's most remarkably resurgent cornerbacks in Donte Jackson, and they simply need to sort out who will take on snaps beyond Still and Hart. But as Fulton continues to fight for his NFL career, the Chiefs have continued to ramp up the pressure on the veteran in their replenished secondary.
In a recent piece for ESPN, Kansas City beat writer Nate Taylor outlined just how competitive the cornerback room will be for the Chiefs in training camp:
"There's the top draft pick (Mansoor Delane), the second-year player with plenty of potential (Nohl Williams), the former champion returning to the team after two seasons away (L'Jarius Sneed), the veteran hoping to regain top form (Kristian Fulton), the player who has been on the roster the longest (Chris Roland-Wallace) and the rookie the Chiefs hope becomes a draft steal (Jadon Canady). The three winners, of course, will earn starting spots on defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit on opening night against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14." Nate Taylor, ESPN
Fulton's first season in Kansas City was marred by injuries, and now he'll face another uphill battle to carve out a consistent role this offseason.
The pressure is on for Kristian Fulton heading into training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs
Of course, the entire AFC West needs to keep a wary eye on the potential for a Chiefs' offensive resurgence, assuming that Patrick Mahomes is healthy and their acquisition of Kenneth Walker III pays the dividends they expect it to. But if there's any hope for another shaky year from Kansas City, it likely lies in their re-shaped defense.
The Chiefs traded All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, later losing Jaylen Watson to the same team in free agency. That doesn't mean the secondary is wide open for a player like Fulton, though.
They responded by trading up to get Mansoor Delane, the top cornerback in this year's draft class, and adding veteran L'Jarius Sneed and selecting Jadon Canady in the fourth round of the Draft.
Fulton was highly productive in his lone season in Los Angeles, playing 79% of defensive snaps and posting 42 tackles and five PBUs, per Pro Football Focus. But an offseason knee surgery and an early-season ankle injury delayed the start of his Chiefs tenure. Now, he'll need to compete with Delane, Canady, Nohl Williams, and Sneed for a starting spot on Kansas City's defense.
Delane should be seen as a lock after the capital the Chiefs spent to acquire him in the Draft. Williams, meanwhile, had an impressive rookie campaign, and Kansas City will be looking for him to take strides as a sophomore. Even Sneed, with his experience in Steve Spagnuolo's defense, likely has the upper hand on Fulton.
Fulton likely would have had to face a similar position battle if he had stayed in Los Angeles. But now, playing for a division rival, the veteran cornerback is facing a nearly insurmountable amount of pressure this offseason. It could lead to a minimized role, or even a trade, if things don't break his way.
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