3 LA Chargers who could lose their starting job this offseason
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers could undergo big changes this offseason as the team has 11 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and cap space to spend in free agency. There are various holes that this team needs to fill and it is crucial that Tom Telesco and co. hit a home run this offseason to capitalize on Justin Herbert's rookie contract.
While the focus will be filling the existing roster holes, there are also starting players on the Chargers who could very well lose their starting job. Whether it is because of a free agent, draft pick or internal competition, certain players are likely going to see fewer snaps in 2022 than they did in 2021.
Here are 3 LA Chargers who could lose their starting job this offseason:
Before we dive into the players, it is worth noting that we are not including players who are free agents and potentially leaving the Chargers this offseason. Obviously, Michael Schofield is going to lose his starting job as the right guard but that is because he probably won't be on the team in 2022.
1. Jerry Tillery
Jerry Tillery has not lived up to the expectations of being a first-round pick. Tillery had a marginal improvement under Brandon Staley in 2021 but it is clear that he is who he is at this point in his career. Tillery is a rotational interior defensive lineman who has shown flashes of being a decent pass rusher but cannot defend the run.
Despite being one-dimensional and struggling in the dimension that the Chargers struggled in last year, Tillery still got ample playing time. Tillery played the fourth-highest percentage of defensive snaps in 2021, playing 73.95% of the snaps.
That needs to change in 2022. The Chargers need to lower his playing time and bring in players who can reset the line of scrimmage in early downs as well as help in the pass-rushing aspect of the game. The best-case scenario for the Chargers is playing Tillery as little as possible on first downs and short-yardage situations.
If the Chargers didn't make the additions to allow them to play Tillery less in 2022 then that would be a mistake for the team.