“Don’t forget, it’s not like teams run the ball every first down, so there’s also passing involved there, but there has to be major improvement there.” need a lot of improvement there,” Telesco said. Joseph-Day and Johnson are scheduled to return, along with Ogbonnia, providing some continuity as they prepare for a second season together. Building a group that can slow the run must be prioritized for another offseason. The Bolts allowed an average of 145.8 rushing yards per game (28th), including a league-worst 5.42 yards per carry. This was among the most injured groups on the team - at one point, only three healthy linemen were available to finish a Week 10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers - with Johnson, rookie Otito Ogbonnia, Christian Covington and Joe Gaziano all landing on injured reserve throughout the year. The line underwent a makeover last offseason, adding Sebastian Joseph -Day and Austin Johnson and experienced a significant in-season shakeup when the team waived former first-round pick Jerry Tillery in November. Here’s the state of each defensive position group - great, satisfactory or needs adjustment - as they look ahead to free agency and the draft. “Obviously, contracts and money are all part of it.” “We have a lot of puzzle pieces to kind of work in this year to figure out what’s the best makeup of our team going into next year,” Telesco said. The Chargers are currently projected to be $20.5 million over the 2023 salary cap, according to, which they must be in compliance with at the start of the new league year on March 15. “Those are going to be the areas that we really need to focus on in the offseason.” We have to make sure we put a roof on the deep part of the field,” Staley said. But the effort faded in the second half as quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for four touchdowns to eliminate a 27-point deficit and move onto the divisional round.Īs the Chargers look ahead, coach Brandon Staley emphasized the need to limit explosive plays, play better on the perimeter and improve tackling. In a 31-30 wild-card playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the defense proved dominant throughout the first half, forcing four turnovers. “We played well down the stretch,” general manager Tom Telesco said after the season. The Bolts ranked 25th in defensive efficiency but jumped to ninth down the stretch as they improved from allowing an average of 22.6 points per game (21st) to 15 points per game (3rd) over their last five contests. The Chargers finished the 2022 season 10-7, overcoming a plethora of injuries to earn their first playoff berth in four years, but ultimately fell short of contending for a conference championship. “Obviously guys would love to be here, but there are a lot of guys who have got to get paid and it’s a business.” Veteran outside linebacker Joey Bosa, however, delivered a dose of reality. In the aftermath of a gut-wrenching wild-card playoff loss, several Los Angeles Chargers defensive players expressed a desire to keep the unit together moving into the 2023 season.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |