LA Chargers: 4 easiest roster decisions for the defense this offseason
By Jason Reed
1. Let the old veterans go
This is a no-brainer and it would be legitimately shocking if the LA Chargers brought back either Chris Harris or Linval Joseph. However, I would not completely put it past Tom Telesco if he made the shocking decision to re-sign either of these veteran free agents.
Neither Harris or Joseph would get close to the salary that they were getting paid before with the Chargers but it is still time for the Bolts to move on and find someone new. Harris was a liability in the secondary and despite being one of the best corners in his prime, age has not treated him well and he is just a step (or a few) too slow.
Joseph was playing fine in the first half of the season but really regressed in the second half after being put on the COVID-19 list. While there could be optimism that Joseph will play better in 2022, he is going to be 34 in October and is only going to get worse with time.
It is not like Joseph was this dominating force that the Chargers simply have to re-sign. The Bolts can easily get his level of production from a much younger player that does not have the same risk of regressing.
The Chargers made three "big" signings in the 2020 offseason that consisted of Bryan Bulaga, Chris Harris and Linval Joseph. It is safe to say that those three did not exactly pan out how the Chargers would have hoped.