At the outset of free agency, many fans were shocked by the Los Angeles Chargers' lack of aggression.
Even with an almost absurd amount of cap space after the retirement of Bradley Bozeman and the release of Mekhi Becton, the Chargers instead decided to take a conservative approach. They landed Tyler Biadasz before the official start of free agency, and they made a number of peripheral moves in the initial phases of the offseason.
But now that the dust has settled and the roster has begun to crystallize, the vision has become clear. This team might not have the most upside from the perspective of the entire roster, but it's undeniably deep.
With Justin Herbert at the helm and Mike McDaniel calling the plays on the offensive side of the ball, that should be enough. As we approach the end of the offseason, then, here are the five best moves from what's turned out to be a monumental offseason for Los Angeles.
Chargers' 5 best moves from an unavoidably pivotal offseason
1. Hiring Mike McDaniel as OC
On nearly every list of this type, McDaniel's hiring has made some appearance. While there's the temptation to be original here, it's difficult not to agree with that sentiment. Any success for this Chargers team in 2026 depends on the rapid implementation of McDaniel's West Coast-style offense.
His distinct vision for how to unlock Herbert's game— through stretching the field horizontally and a quick-timing, YAC-centered air attack— promises to pay massive dividends. But more importantly than that, Los Angeles now has an offensive play-caller with the ability to adjust. When Greg Roman's power run game was stifled, he always had immense difficulty keeping the passing game alive, especially given the deficits in protection the Chargers had to deal with.
McDaniel certainly carries some lingering criticism from his time with the Miami Dolphins, but he also knows how to adapt his scheme to his personnel on a week-to-week basis. That makes his hiring the Chargers' best move of the offseason.
2. Letting the interior O-line disperse
After the way last season went, re-shaping Herbert's protection was an absolute necessity. But the Chargers went about it with decisiveness, releasing Mekhi Becton and allowing Zion Johnson to walk in free agency to the Cleveland Browns. Even if Bradley Bozeman hadn't retired, it's reasonable to think he would have been released as well.
Bozeman and Becton were among the worst in the NFL at their respective positions last season. Becton struggled with injuries and consistency in the Chargers' gap-blocking scheme, and Bozeman couldn't seem to keep his man in front of him all year, especially if a stunt or exotic pressure was involved. Johnson showed some flashes, but he ultimately wasn't worth close to the three-year, $49.5 million deal the Browns gave him.
Although there's room to doubt the efficacy of Cole Strange and the trio of Jake Slaughter, Kayode Awosika, and Trevor Penning on the interior, it's certainly a fresh start from last season— one that the Chargers desperately needed.
3. Signing C Tyler Biadasz to a three-year, $30 million deal
By the time it's all said and done, this move might seriously be considered one of the biggest steals of the offseason. The Chargers were able to negotiate with Biadasz before the official start of free agency because he was released by the Washington Commanders in a cap-shaving maneuver.
Last season, Biadasz allowed 21 pressures on 571 pass-blocking snaps, but he also posted the 11th-highest overall blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus's system. Even with some room for volatility, it's safe to say that Biadasz is a top 10-15 center in the NFL.
Bozeman was, almost inarguably, the worst center in the league last year. By pure math, that's a massive floor-raiser for the Chargers' protection.
4. Drafting Akheem Mesidor at 22nd overall
Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, Mesidor certainly had his doubters. He's already turned 25, and a large portion of his production in his final season at the University of Miami was bolstered by the presence of Rueben Bain Jr. on the defensive line.
But, in the end, it didn't seem like the Chargers had any choice other than to spend their first-round draft capital on an edge rusher. Khalil Mack has returned for 2026, but it's unclear whether this will be his final NFL season. Los Angeles' depth beyond Mack and the emergent Tuli Tuipulotu was less than inspiring.
With Olaivavega Ioane off the board, the need was clear, and Mesidor has the power and the alignment versatility to immediately fill it. Even if this year is minimal in terms of production for the rookie, Los Angeles got themselves a defensive playmaker that can be trusted to take over a starting workload as soon as the roster allows for it.
5. Signing Derwin James to a three-year, $75 million extension
For some, this will be controversial inclusion. James struggled with injuries earlier in his career, and some would argue that it's foolhardy to grant a safety another market-setting contract entering his age-30 season.
But James is so vital to the Chargers' defensive infrastructure that the front office really had no other choice. Under Jesse Minter, James took on a nickel/dime role, playing at every level of the field and helping hold together the secondary in their zone-heavy looks. There's no reason to believe he won't do the same under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary.
Los Angeles still needs to deal with the extension for Tuipulotu, and eventually they'll need to address the contract situations of Daiyan Henley and Joe Alt. But they maintained ample cap flexibility for a reason this offseason, and it's hard to overstate how important it was to get James locked down beyond 2026— no matter what the price ultimately was.
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