The 2024 NFL offseason was an eventful one for the Los Angeles Chargers. They made some major moves, the biggest being the hiring of Jim Harbaugh to become head coach.
After nine seasons coaching his alma mater Michigan, Harbaugh is back in the NFL with the Chargers. He won the National Championship last season with the Wolverines and felt it was time to head back to the professional ranks.
In taking over the Chargers, Harbaugh has his franchise quarterback in place. Justin Herbert is one of the bright young stars in the league, but the supporting cast around him leaves something to be desired.
As a result of a salary cap crunch the team was facing, Los Angeles had to move on from several key players. One position that was hit hard was wide receiver.
The Chargers released Mike Williams to help get under the salary cap. They then traded Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears, leaving an underwhelming and inexperienced group for Herbert to work with.
That is a major reason why Josh Edwards of CBS Sports has picked wide receiver as the team’s biggest need heading into 2024. It is hard to argue against that given the current state of the depth chart.
“Coach Jim Harbaugh wants to build a tough, physical football team and that means being stubborn in the trenches, first and foremost, which led to the selection of Joe Alt at No. 5 overall.
Wide receiver is a much bigger need after trading Keenan Allen and releasing Mike Williams. If the season were to start today, Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey would be in line to start. DJ Chark and Brenden Rice would be on the two-deep,” Edwards wrote.
Expect Harbaugh to lean on his running game early and often. Palmer, Johnston, McConkey, Chark and Brenden Rice may be the most underwhelming wide receiver group in the NFL.
Replacing productive veterans such as Williams and Allen is easier said than done. Their presence will be missed in more ways than one, as their leadership was as important as their productivity.
Along with wide receiver, Edwards also mentioned cornerback as a major need for the Chargers. They have Asante Samuel Jr. but not much else at the position in terms of established talent.
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