The 2022 offseason will go down in history with all of the big moves made around the league. Russell Wilson to Denver, Davante Adams to Vegas, Tyreek Hill to Miami, and much more. During this free agency period, more than $3.5 billion were spent in total, with some teams making over 20 moves. This period has been explosive since day one and expect to continue with this explosiveness going through the NFL draft, which takes place from April 28th to April 30th.
The Los Angeles Chargers have spent a little over $210 million this offseason, with around $90 million being dealt in first-year cash. Tom Telesco has gone all in this year to create the best possible team to allow Justin Herbert - who is still on his rookie contract - to win a super bowl.
There were a lot of places that the Chargers have vastly improved on this offseason. Whether it is the defensive line, secondary, special teams, and offensive weapons, they have gone every route to improve this team to make a strong run this season. We will go through all of the key free agency transactions and which moves are more impactful.
8. Additions to the Chargers special teams
A part of the field where Los Angeles has struggled a lot in recent years, shoring up the special teams was a key in this year's offseason. The Chargers brought back kicker Dustin Hopkins to a three-year deal keeping him in the powder blue through 2024 was a good start, as he was 18/20 on his field goals this year.
Bringing in a punter and long snapper was also a big addition to the special teams. J.K. Scott, a former Green Bay Packer, as well as ex-Falcons long snapper Josh Harris. Having the combination of these two to limit errors in the punting game will be very helpful to maintain good field position throughout the season.
Lastly, the signing of DeAndre Carter completes the special teams. Replacing Andre Roberts with another speedy returner allows for the Chargers to have the potential for lots of success in the return game. The combination of all four of these signings will allow the special teams to be efficient as well as a small number of turnovers, which has plagued the Chargers for years.