Last year's off-season didn't work out as the Chargers had hoped. Here are last year's mistakes as they hope to do better this time around.
Last offseason for the Chargers was a little hit and a lot of misses. Here are the decisions that did and did not pan out.
Mike Williams was re-signed only to retire. The team hoped the big-bodied receiver could be a red-zone target for Justin Herbert, just like before he left the team. He never managed to play a single down.
Najee Harris was signed away from the Steelers on a one-year free agent deal. The signing had a lot of promise, but it turned out he only played 3 games before going down with the Achilles tear. He obviously didn't have time to accomplish too much at all and now his contract is up.
Mekhi Becton was signed and contributed to the team, having one of the worst offensive line units this season. He finished the 79th-ranked guard out of 81 eligible. His contract was 2 years, $20 million, making the signing even tougher to swallow.
The best of the rest
While the receiver reunion of Mike Williams rejoining didn't work out, Keenan Allen came back to the Chargers in a big way. 81 catches, 777 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns. He provided the safety blanket on the field, along with a locker room presence that greatly boosted the team.
The team drafted Omarion Hampton last summer, and he proved to be running back 1 in Los Angeles, making up for the loss of Harris even while missing time himself due to injury.
Oronde Gadsden II also came via the draft and established himself as a starting tight end. He largely replaced the benched Will Dissly in lineups and impressed all year long.
Lost last summer
Gus Edwards, who had some solid years in Baltimore, and Jim Harbaugh's brother John, left in free agency last summer. J.K Dobbins was the other half of the running back duo in 2024, and he left for greener AFC West divisional pastures in Denver. Before going down with an injury, Dobbins amassed 772 yards, on 5 yards per carry, and 4 touchdowns in only 10 games.
Perhaps the most emotional loss was the release of Joey Bosa right before what would have been his 10th season with the Chargers. When he left for the AFC rival Buffalo Bills, he was the last player on the roster who was a holdover from the San Diego days.
Poona Ford swapped Los Angeles teams, joining the Rams. He finished ranked an impressive 4th among all interior D-Line men by Pro Football Focus. He played in all 17 regular-season games, finishing with 47 tackles, including 7 for loss. He even accounted for 1 interception and a pass defended. He had an additional 7 tackles and a sack during the playoffs.