With NFL free agency almost underway, there might be no more intriguing team to follow than the Los Angeles Chargers. While they have the most cap space of every team in the league at their disposal, they also have some key decisions to make in house, especially along the offensive line. Four current players, whether they be depth options or borderline starters, will be unrestricted free agents this offseason. More importantly, both Bradley Bozeman and Mekhi Becton, two players who were one-year deals, are prime cut candidates after unimpressive showings.
However, it may just be the status of the Chargers first pick in the 2022 draft that could determine how they approach their offensive line issues this offseason. Zion Johnson, who has been the picture of reliability for the Chargers over his first four seasons, has also been one of their most inconsistent players. Thus, the Chargers must decide whether or not they truly can rely on Johnson even if he has only missed two games his whole career.
Reliable but Replaceable?
For some, it’s safe to say that amidst a season of poor offensive line play, Zion Johnson was somewhat of a bright spot for the Chargers. According to PFF, his 57.o overall grade ranked him 53rd amongst 81 qualified guards, and when broken up between blocking grades, his pass blocking ranked 49th, and his run blocking ranked 64th.
When put into perspective over the length of his career though, he has never ranked within the top 30 at his position his whole career, and his only blocking grade in the top 15 was in his rookie year.
Greg Auman of Fox Sports was left with a tough decision in his assessment of the top free agents this season. He ranked Johnson 50th among the best free agents available, but curiously didn’t state a best path forward for the player. “Johnson, 26, is difficult to assess, a former first-round pick whose fifth-year option was declined a year ago (at a hefty cost of $17.6 million), a solid run blocker who struggled in pass protection,” Auman wrote.
Cap Space vs. Long-Term Confidence
Spotrac currently has Johnson projected on a three year deal worth upwards of 33 million dollars. The Chargers certainly have the cap space to resign him, but the declining of his fifth year option perhaps is an indicator the Chargers and coach Jim Harbaugh don’t quite trust Johnson to continue on his positive trajectory.
Still, with the Chargers to potentially take big swings on projected starters in the open market, they may want to keep around someone who has experience as a depth guy. With one of the biggest problems with the O-line being their injury woes, Johnson is still someone who can step in and do the job.
For Johnson, there may not be much of a market beyond the Chargers, as there may be no other team convinced of his play over a four season span. Still, he may have done just enough to secure a potential depth role.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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