The Los Angeles Chargers started
free agency with $57.5 million dollars
in salary cap space and a defense
that was one of the worst in the NFL in
2021. The Chargers were 31st against
the run in 2021 and last in third down
defense in the NFL. It was obvious to
the Chargers and NFL critics that the
Chargers had to fix their defense.
The Chargers started free agency
off with a trade for a star outside linebacker
Khalil Mack from the Chicago
Bears. The Chargers traded a second-
roundpick in the upcoming 2022
NFL draft and a 6th round pick in the
2023 NFL draft to acquire Mack, a very
small price to pay for a superstar defensive
player.The Chargers agreed
to pick up Mack’s full $63 million dollar
contract for the next three years.
This is a huge trade for the Chargers.
Mack was the 2016 Defensive
Player of the Year with the Oakland
Raiders. He is a 6-time Pro Bowl linebacker,
three years with the Raiders
and three years with the Bears. He
made the National Football League
2010s All-Decade Team, as one of the
best players of the decade.
In his eight-year career, Mack has
76.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles, 10 fumble
recoveries, 3 interceptions and 2
defensive touchdowns. Mack can set
the edge in the run game and is con
sidered a terrific teammate. He does
not take plays off and that will be an
important trait for a defense that lacked
consistent intensity last season.
The Chargers used their $57.5 million
in salary cap space for the 2022
season to fit Mack’s salary of $17.75
million in for 2022. Mack, who turned
31 in February, has at least three good
seasons left in him. The Bears needed
salary cap space for the 2023 season,
and they wanted at least a second-
round pick for Mack in the 2022
NFL draft. They got both from the
Chargers.
The Chargers followed up on the
Mack trade with another huge acquisition,
agreeing to an $82.5 million,
five-year contract with cornerback
J.C. Jackson of the Patriots.The contract
comes with a signing bonus of
$25 million and has $40 million in guaranteed
money. The salary cap number
for the first season is just $8 million.
Jackson was considered the top free
agent cornerback on the market. Jackson
was a Pro Bowl starter in 2021 at
cornerback, and was also second team
All-Pro.
Jackson, who is just 26 years of age,
intercepted 25 passes in his four seasons
with the Patriots, 17 the past two
seasons. He is a playmaker, something
the Charger defense has needed for a
long time. The addition of Mack and
Jackson gives the Charger defense
four Pro Bowl players on defense, plus
some nice young talent in cornerback
Asante Samuel Jr., linebacker Kenneth
Murray and linebacker Drue Tranquill.
Mack is excited about the future with
his new teammates. “When you talk
about Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Jackson,
Asante Samuel Jr., all of these different
intangibles, and these guys are
very explosive players and explosive
playmakers. I’m looking forward to it,”
said Mack.“Like I said, that’s the easy
part, to talk about it. But I’m an action
guy. That’s what I’m looking forward
to, putting in the work and winning ball
games, ultimately.”
The Chargers were not done, as
their next moves were to strengthen
the run defense. They added defensive
tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day of the
Los Angeles Rams to a reported threeyear,
$24 million contract with $15 million
guaranteed and then signed New
York Giants defensive tackle Austin
Johnson to a contract is worth up to
$14 million over two years, according
to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Both players are good versus the
run, an area that is a huge offseason
priority for the Chargers. The NFL confirmed
that the Chargers had picked
up four additional compensatory draft
picks for the 2022 NFL draft, which will
give the Chargers a total of ten draft
picks in the upcoming draft. The Chargers
will have two picks in the sixth
round and four picks in the seventh
round
General Manager Tom Telesco and
his staff did an excellent job of clearing
salary cap space to produce these
acquisitions, while still holding onto
and accumulating draft picks. They
have set the team up well for the 2022
season in the highly competitive AFC
West.
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