Bolts From The Blue
The Chargers need help in the trenches and there still remains a number of possible options on the market, including DT Calais Campbell and OG Brandon Scherff.
I wrote a version of this article on Tuesday following the first real day of free agency. None of the five players on that I listed were signed on Tuesday, giving me further hope the Chargers could get something done. Then came Wednesday and multiple players were signed...to other teams. That included guard Kevin Zeitler (my top available player for the Chargers) and defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike who signed back with Detroit.
Today is the fourth day of free agency and, while there are a number of notable names left in general, there aren’t a ton of players at the Chargers’ positions of need that really feel worth the effort. However, the Bolts still have money to spend and it has to go somewhere, right?
Below are five more remaining free agents that I believe the Chargers consider signing before the player dries up even further.
My best player available for the Chargers.
Hernandez hasn’t turned 30 yet and he’s coming off his best season as a pro. He’d fight right in with the Chargers offense that wants to ground-and-pound opponents to control the clock and close out games alongside their defense.
Hernandez plays with the type of mentality that all Charger fans would want to have rubbed off Joe Alt, the team’s young star at right tackle.
If no one else, Hernandez would be a great combination of value, both on the field and towards the team’s salary cap.
Scherff has been nothing but consistent since entering the NFL as a top-five draft pick for the Commanders back in 2015. He’s started every single one of the 140 career games he’s played in and hasn’t missed a single contest since the 2021 campaign, his last in Washington.
Even at 33 years old, Scherff could come in, mentor young offensive linemen, and show them just what a 10-year veteran and former First-Team All-Pro (2020) on the offensive line looks like.
Jenkins had his best year as a pro in 2024 and it will likely land him a nice deal for a guard-needy team thanks to his young age. However, will that price him out of the Chargers’ range? Current right guard Trey Pipkins is making over $9 million in 2025 and I can’t help but feel like that’s the bar the Bolts are hoping to stay under if they choose to move on from the former third-round pick.
Jenkins is best in opening up running lanes as opposed to being a wall in pass pro, but his PFF grades are still much better than Pipkins’ were last year. Jenkins ranked 13th in run block among guards who played 600 or more snaps in 2024. Pipkins ranked 29th. Jenkins also ranked 10th in pass blocking while Pipkins was...56th.
Jenkins may cost a...
