Bolts From The Blue
Both Jevon Holland and Justin Reid would both immediately upgrade a Chargers secondary that was one of the best in the league under Jesse Minter.
The Chargers have 30 players who are set to become free agents when the new league year begins on March 12th. That likely means there will be a decent amount of roster turnover as Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz continue building this team in their image with their first full offseason at the helm.
One name many Chargers fans want to see back is safety Elijah Molden whom the Chargers acquired prior to the 2024 season before he went on to breakout with three interceptions and a myriad of big-time plays for the defense. Molden unfortunately went down late in the regular season with a fractured fibula which caused him to be sidelined through the team’s short playoff run.
Molden was excellent for the Chargers, but he’s a pending free agent. If the Chargers believe the injury will not affect his play in 2025, they could likely sign him to a very friendly deal. But if they want to take whatever chance to upgrade an already-strong group, then Pro Football Focus believes that Dolphins safety Jevon Holland, another pending free agent, could be an excellent fit in Jesse Minter’s defense.
“Holland is a natural fit for both the Vikings and Chargers, two defenses that finished 2024 ranked in the top three in their rate of using two-high safety coverage looks,” says author Mason Cameron. “The almost 25-year-old safety runs those coverages at a high rate, and although he struggled this past season, he clocked a 73.0-plus PFF coverage grade in open coverages in 2022 and 2023.”
“The Chargers also face the difficult task of replacing key secondary players, set to lose five of their top 10 snap contributors. With Derwin James’ success acting as the primary slot defender in 2024, Los Angeles may look to shore up a back end that will be left rather barren, with Alohi Gilman being the only other safety under contract.”
Holland ended the 2024 season with 62 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Unfortunately, he posted zero interceptions, the first time in his four-year career where he laid a goose egg in that category.
If not Holland, PFF also believes that current Chiefs safety Justin Reid could be another to upgrade the back end of the Chargers defense. He’s in the midst of helping Kansas City to their third Super Bowl in as many seasons and just posted 87 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups.
“Jim Harbaugh is very familiar with the Reid family, having recruited Justin’s older brother, Eric, as the head coach at Stanford and drafted him in the first round in 2013 as the 49ers*‘ head coach. That connection may also draw Harbaugh to pursue Justin in free agency, a player he saw plenty of in the AFC West...
