Chargers' offseason signing looks much worse after latest Ravens deal

There has been an obvious Baltimore Ravens influence on how the LA Chargers have operated this offseason. New general manager Joe Hortiz spent over two decades in the Baltimore front office and he has tapped into that experience in his first offseason with the Bolts.

Los Angeles hired a former Ravens offensive coordinator in Greg Roman and signed several former Ravens players. The latest of those additions was veteran safety Tony Jefferson, who actually spent a year retired from the league as a scouting intern for the Ravens in 2023.

Jefferson is coming out of retirement to try and win the wide-open third safety job for the Bolts in 2024. While there is nothing wrong with taking a flier on a less consequential depth spot, Hortiz's former team has proven that the Bolts could have done better.

Veteran safety Eddie Jackson, who was cut by the Chicago Bears as a cap casualty earlier this offseason, signed a one-year deal with Baltimore shortly before training camp began. On Tuesday, the terms of the deal were revealed and it became clear that the Chargers missed a real opportunity.

Chargers' Tony Jefferson signing looks worse after Ravens sign Eddie Jackson

Baltimore signed a two-time Pro Bowler who might be past his primed but is still very productive at a minuscule cost. It goes without saying that the Chargers absolutely could have afforded this and it is worth questioning why this option was not explored. And if it was, why didn't it happen?

Jefferson signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Chargers as he attempts to come back to the league. The main difference is Jefferson does not have any guaranteed money on his contract and the Chargers can cut ties with his $985,000 cap hit without issue.

The third safety position is wide open so while it is nice to be able to cut ties with someone completely if they do not win the job, it would have been nicer to get a more qualified player who actually played in the NFL last season.

If the Chargers were interested in Jackson but he did not want to sign with the team, whether it be because of contending reasons or because he wanted roster assurance, then that is easier to stomach.

However, if the Chargers had a chance to sign Jackson, and passed on him in favor of Jefferson, then it is harder to explain away. There really is no evidence to support the idea that Jefferson will be better than Jackson this season, especially considering he was not even in the league in 2023.

Sometimes it is all about who you know and this is another example of that. Jefferson had existing ties to Hortiz and that obviously played in his favor. But if Jackson ends up having a productive year and Jefferson does not then this shrewd attempt at networking will not be received kindly by Chargers fans.

More Chargers news and analysis