The LA Chargers' season ultimately ended in disappointment as the team missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. While there were improvements around the team, there were simply too many holes on the roster to make the playoffs as the Bolts lost key winnable games down the stretch.
A big reason for the disappointing finish was disappointing showings from certain players. While some players elevated their play in the first season under new head coach Brandon Staley, other players did not live up to expectations at all.
Those players need to improve this offseason if the Chargers are going to be successful in 2022.
4 LA Chargers who must improve greatly this offseason:
1. Kenneth Murray
Kenneth Murray was awful in his second season in the league and the team could not figure out what to do with him. He was not good as an inside linebacker and he was somehow even worse as an edge rusher. Making matters worse, the Chargers believed in him too much in man coverage and played him in just about every big third down against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Some fans want to see Murray get let go and that is just not practical. Giving up on him this early, as bad as he was last year, makes absolutely no sense. The team essentially spent a second and third-round pick on him and with linebacker being so thin, you have to hang onto him and hope he improves.
The Chargers are not going to get anything more than a sixth-round pick for him and it is not like his contract is restricting or anything. The team just has to hope that Murray goes to work this offseason and proves the doubters wrong by improving in his second year under Brandon Staley.
Linebacker is really weak for the Bolts and it is unclear how the team will try and fix it. Murray improving is one way to do that.