By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Chargers exhibit two Thor-like edge rushers on their roster with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The older Bosa bro unleashed 10.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, 51 combined tackles, and a personal-best 7 forced fumbles last season. PFF also gave Bosa a very impressive 85.8 grade for his 2021 performance. In the 2020 off-season, the 2016 DROY winner inked a five-year extension worth $135 million dollars.

Bosa’s new roommate (well, maybe), Khalil Mack, will be licking his chops to have a double-digit campaign next season, too. Mack registered six sacks, 7 QB hits, and six tackles for loss in seven contests last season. It was clear that Mack didn’t lose a step last season and it’s clear that he’s unleashed hell this off-season, as well. Take a look yourself at the scene of Mack looking like the Incredible Hulk below.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com pegged the Khalil Mack-Joey Bosa duo as the second-best pass-rushing duo in the league. It’s clear that the Chargers possess a gifted pass-rushing duo. I honestly believe that the combination of an ascending Justin Herbert and a Chargers pass-rushing combination will carry them to the top of the AFC West in 2022.

Besides the Chargers top two pass rushers, LA will anticipate production from Kyle Van Noy, Jerry Tillery (4.5 sacks last season), and Sebastian Joseph-Day (3 sacks in 2021). In particular, Noy is a quality third-string OLB and he will often be a fresh, pass-rushing menace in the upcoming season. He unveiled five sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception last season. PFF also gave him a quality 72.9 grade for his 2021 season.

The Chargers ranked 20th in sacks a season ago (with 35 sacks). It would be an understatement to say I expect them to significantly improve with the former Buffalo edge rusher that witnessed Jadeveon Clowney get drafted ahead of him. The Chargers have an MVP-darkhorse QB with Herbert but don’t forget about their tenacious pass rush that will make life miserable for Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the league in 2022.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Joey Bosa has proven to be one of the NFL’s top pass rushers at 26 years old. The older Bosa brother has won Defensive Rookie of The Year and made four Pro Bowl selections thus far.

There is a massive question that many Chargers/NFL fans have in regard to Bosa’s end-destination: Is Bosa on the path to becoming a Hall of Famer? It’s clear that Bosa’s new teammate Khalil Mack is a future Hall of Famer, but it’s less certain if the grandson of Joe “Batters” is headed to Canton. So, is Bosa’s path special enough to earn him a gold jacket.

With that said, here is the success of Bosa’s first six seasons in comparison to the statistics of the first six seasons of “Khalil Mack and J.J. Watt”.

Joey Bosa

• 58 sacks
• 129 QB hits
• 73 tackles for loss

J.J. Watt

• 74.5 sacks
• 214 QB hits
• 133 tackles for loss

Khalil Mack

• 61.5 sacks
• 116 QB hits
• 76 tackles for loss

It’s quite fascinating that the Chargers fierce pass-rushing duo have a very similar six-year outcome. Of course, Mack has won Defensive Player of The Year (2016) and he made three All-Pro teams (2015, 2016, and 2018). I believe that Bosa is on a terrific path of consistency and dominance, but I honestly believe he needs to have at least 60 more career sacks (with other very elite career stats) to crack a HOF spot. If Bosa can really crack a couple of All-Pro teams, while being dominant for five seasons, he should finish as a HOF player.

The Saints legend Rickey Jackson unveiled a very impressive 136 career sacks, but he didn’t win a DPOY award or make any All-Pro teams. He did make the HOF after retiring in 1995, but he didn’t obtain a gold jacket until 2010. If Bosa doesn’t earn an All-Pro nod, his childhood dream of making it into the HOF could come to fruition if he has a similar career output as Jackson.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Chargers have easily had the most successful offseason in 2022 thus far. Brandon Staley’s squad has brought back Mike Williams, traded for Khalil Mack, signed J.C. Jackson, and has made other under-the-radar free-agent signings. In particular, the Chargers defense has received a significant boost in 2022.

With that enunciated, the question is: what is the most dreamy expectation of the Chargers new-look defense? Well, I believe the Chargers should be confident that they can display one of the most potent defensive units in the NFL next season.

The Chargers were the 12th best pass defense (passing YPG allowed) in the NFL last season. Meanwhile, the J.C. Jackson-led Patriots pass defense was the second-best pass defense last season. Interestingly, the Khalil Mack-led Bears defense displayed the third-best pass defense last season. I really believe the Chargers defense that already featured the very talented Derwin James and Joey Bosa last season can be a Top 5 pass defense in the NFL next season.

I fully understand Jackson and Mack weren’t solely responsible for their defensive success last season. Mack had a ton of help from Robert Quinn and Jackson was benefited from the defensive guru Bill Belichick. I still believe the combination of talent from the 2021 Chargers defense joined by Mack and Jackson should propel them into a Top 5 unit. Well, why do I not feel bold enough to pin them as favorites to boast the top pass defense in the league? I simply believe Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes will make it difficult for them to be the NFL’s top pass defense.

The Chargers might have had a modest pass defense in 2021, but they were far from an impressive defense overall. There were only two teams that gave up more points per game than the Chargers last season. I really believe Jackson will help the Chargers give up fewer big plays and Mack will “hulk smash” and be helpful in numerous ways, as well. The Chargers might play in the wild AFC West, but that’s not an excuse to be a completely dreadful defense. After all, the Denver Broncos had the second-best defense in PPG allowed in 2021. I expect the Chargers to take a significant jump in this pivotal category in 2022 (Top 10) and yield a terrifying defense moving forward.

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By: Jake Rajala

It was once seen as a mythical situation when Jadeveon Clowney was drafted to play across from J.J. Watt in the 2014 NFL draft. Clowney, who once shook the earth with his hit against Michigan running back Vincent Smith, played his first five seasons with the Texans. The former first overall pick made five Pro Bowls and recorded two nine-plus sack seasons in Texas.

Clowney was acquired by Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks on August 31st of 2019. The 6’7 pass rusher that runs a 4.53 40 yard dash was tasked with helping the Seahawks defense complement the gifted Russell Wilson. In the 2020 offseason, Clowney decided to leave to the Tennesee Titans and prove himself on a one-year deal. The hyped-up defender fell flat and ousted 0 sacks in eight games.

The unsteady 28-year-old left to the Cleveland Browns in the 2021 free agency and decided to bet on himself again. He took a one-year deal to play across from the Top 3 DE Myles Garrett. Clowney’s decision paid off, as notched nine sacks, 11 Tackles For Loss, and 19 QB hits.

Clowney should really look to cash in after a positive season with the Browns and his best opportunity could even be to remain in Cleveland. I expect the Browns to be the top destination, as they are very familiar with his craft and financially able to secure him long-term. With that said, where else could he go next? Well, here are all the top landing spots for Clowney.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns are ranked 12th in cap space, plus they will likely not have to worry about extending Baker Mayfield. They have the resources lined up to extend Clowney. It’s clear that Garrett and Clowney are like Batman and Robin, as well (25 combined sacks). It’s nicely illustrated how General Manager Andrew Berry has spoken highly of him. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, he said: “JD had a really good season for us, was very productive run and pass and a disruptive player”.

Clowney chose to go to the Browns in the last offseason when he had many options and offers. I expect the Browns to be the best combination of fit, culture, and money for him again in the 2022 offseason.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Clowney could upgrade his defensive end partner by going from Myles Garrett to the 2021 Defensive Player of The Year T.J. Watt. It would also be poetic if Clowney went from playing with J.J. to chasing QBs with T.J. The Pittsburgh defense would be in strong contention to the NFL’s top unit with Watt, Clowney, and Cameron Hayward upfront.

They need to find their future QB, but they could look at adding Clowney to a defense that was eventually torched by Patrick Mahomes in the AFC playoffs. The Steelers also have the ninth most cap space with roughly $33 million. I don’t expect the Steelers to rebuild after Big Ben announced his retirement. They have a plethora of talent on offense surrounding the QB (Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris) and they have aging, elite profiles on defense. Mike Tomlin can rebuild retool and Clowney can be a big part of the puzzle moving forward.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers need extra fuel to make it into the AFC playoffs and Clowney could be that spark. The Chargers defense needs a partner for Joey Bosa and they haven’t had one since Melvin Ingram left. Bosa recorded 10.5 sacks in 2021, but it didn’t stop the Chargers from ranking 20th in sacks on the season. It’s also a bad sight if they struggle at obtaining sacks if they play in a division with Patrick Mahomes.

Brandon Staley’s team carries the second-most cap space with roughly $57.5 million, per “Over The Cap”. They could look at adding a prolific weapon for Herbert like Robert Gronkowski while adding an elite presence like Clowney on defense. The former Brown has to be intrigued by the long-term potential of the Chargers with Justin Herbert, who threw for 5,014 yards, 38 passing touchdowns, and holds a 66.2 completion percentage. The Chargers are a talented team that could make a jump similar to the boost that the Cincinnati Bengals made if the LA squad adds more explosion for Herbert and behemoths on defense. The Bengals brought in Trey Hendrickson and Ja’Marr Chase last offseason. It may be time for LA to add Clowney and a shiny new toy for Herbert.

Honorable Mention:

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have a lot of money (sixth in cap space), they’re on the verge of making the playoffs, and they need a replacement for the great Von Miller. Clowney (29 years old) can be the edge rusher that they need to fill in the shoes of the soon to be 33 year old Miller for the next few seasons. Bradley Chubb also hasn’t been earth-shattering over the past few seasons. He picked up 1 sack in 2019, 7.5 sacks in 2020, and 0 sacks in 2021. They could use a titan-like figure on their front seven to complement the NFL’s top secondary on the backend. If they acquire Aaron Rodgers (and Davante Adams?) or a different elite QB, it would make a lot of sense if the combination of cap space and talent fascinated Clowney’s interest.

Kansas City Chiefs

Every team in the AFC West would be a logical landing spot for the skillset Clowney presents. The Chiefs need more firepower on defense, particularly explosive players that stay onsides (cough, cough, Dee Ford). Clowney can replace Melvin Ingram (1 sack in 2021) and help Patrick Mahomes get their evasive second Super Bowl trophy. Andy Reid’s team doesn’t have a ton of cap money (21st in the league), but Clowney could take less money to help Kansas City become a true dynasty NFL team. The Los Angeles Rams brought in Von Miller to help them win Super Bowl LVI and it obviously paid off. Clowney can be the final chess piece that the Chiefs need to at least get one more Super Bowl down the line.

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By: Dylan Streibig

With five straight division titles and consecutive trips to the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs are the undisputed kings of the AFC West. They will be tough to knock off their perch as long as Patrick Mahomes is around.

However, they will face their stiffest competition from a division rival in a long time from the 2021 Los Angeles Chargers for two reasons.

They were really close last year.

The Chargers 7-9 campaign last year is a bit misleading. You can throw out their Week 17 win against Kansas City. The Chiefs were resting starters for the playoffs. Even so, Los Angeles was a lot closer to causing major problems for the winners of their divison and the rest of the league than you might think.

Eight of their nine losses in 2020 were by single digits, including a Week 2 overtime loss to Andy Reid’s Chiefs. The Chargers losing close games isn’t a new thing. Anthony Lynn isn’t the first Bolts coach to fall on his sword because of it either.

Close losses are usually a matter of coaching though. So, former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley becomes head coach of the other team in Los Angeles. If he can clean up little things, like the team averaging over five penalties per game last year ever so slightly, that alone can turn a seven win team into a ten win team. Now, for the other part of the equation.

They solved their biggest issue.

With Justin Herbert wowing as a rookie and throwing 31 touchdown passes in 15 games, the Chargers have a special quarterback in place for the next decade plus. That is the largest piece of the puzzle for any NFL team.

Protecting Herbert was an issue in 2020 though. Los Angeles ranked dead last in the Pro Football Focus end of season offensive line rankings last year. Unlike the Bengals who also must better protect a special talent in Joe Burrow, the Chargers didn’t just bring in veterans on stopgap deals and mid round draft talents that they hope will work out.

General manager Tom Telesco brought in former Packers All-Pro center Corey Linsley on a five year deal that made him the highest paid center in football. Then, Rayshawn Slater fell into Telesco’s lap on night one of the NFL Draft. Slater was arguably the top offensive tackle prospect in the draft. Thanks to these moves, injuries are the only thing that could keep the Chargers offensive line from vast improvement in 2021. The roster also has a diverse group of running backs led by Austin Ekeler who has career averages of over four yards per carry and nine yards per catch.

There are some really nice pieces on defense too. Joey Bosa entered the league prior to the 2016 season and has never had fewer than 5.5 sacks in a season. Adding a talented rookie like Asante Samuel Jr. to a secondary that already has a savvy veteran in four time Pro-Bowler Chris Harris Jr. and a still emerging talent like Derwin James makes for a fine defensive backfield, provided James can stay healthy.

Concerns

On paper, the Chargers don’t have many. Obviously, any time a rookie head coach like Staley is in the picture, it is a bit of an unknown. Other than that and the need for a third pass catcher to emerge behind the productive but brittle duo of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the sky is the limit for the Chargers in 2021. With Denver still having issues at quarterback and the Raiders roster lacking talent beyond a few capable offensive weapons, Los Angeles is the only division rival that can make the mighty Chiefs sweat this year.

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