A Pro Bowl pass rusher is open to a return to the Chargers, but do they have a spot to fit him into their roster?
I saw something earlier today, and it got me thinking enough that I thought it might make for a good post.
Former Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Kyle Van Noy was tweeting about his own plans, a 35-year old free agent one year removed from being in the Pro Bowl, and it sounds like he'd prefer to find the right landing spot as opposed to hanging up his cleats:
In my previous career, I was the producer of sports podcasts. One of those podcasts, as least for a little while, was McCoy & Van Noy. That show consisted of former NFL defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, who you've probably seen on NFL Network, and active NFL player Kyle Van Noy.
The guys mostly talked through whatever the biggest stories in the NFL were each week, but it was during the season when KVN put up 12.5 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens and made his first Pro Bowl at 33-years old, so we found plenty of time for him to talk about himself, too.
This was not the only podcast that I produced that had an active NFL player, nor was it the only podcast that I produced that had ties to the Chargers (with Van Noy being a player on the Chargers just two years earlier). Not every experience with professional athletes is a good one, but I can say from the bottom of my heart that I found Kyle to be nothing short of exceptional as a human being. He might very well be the pro athlete that I enjoyed working with the most in my career.
So, I am biased here. I would love to see Kyle Van Noy return to the Chargers and help boost the team's pass rush as they try to formulate a plan for what the defense looks like after Khalil Mack retires. I also think he's smart enough to handle any assignment they want to give him.
That being said, I'm not sure there's a fit here if each starter remains healthy. Odafe Oweh was a breath of fresh air for this unit because he had the thing they didn't, blinding speed. KVN is smart and strong and athletic, but he's not fast.
He's also probably too small to play a big role on the defensive line, unlike other available edge rushers like Cameron Jordan, Jadaveon Clowney and Joey Bosa.
I know Kyle has spent a lot of time in southern California and would love to make inroads into the NFL Network or other L.A.-based media companies while in the twilight of his career, so maybe he's keeping his options open in case an opportunity arises for him with the Chargers.
I genuinely hope it works out!