The Los Angeles Chargers, despite their impressive 2024 season that ultimately fell short of the Super Bowl, face a critical offseason. Their secondary, while featuring the Pro Bowl talents of Derwin James, lacks significant depth. This is a concern, particularly considering the Chargers’ frequent utilization of two high safety looks in their defensive scheme, a scheme where another impact safety could prove invaluable as a complementary piece to James.
Los Angeles Chargers Free Agents Priorities: Jevon Holland
Pro Football Focus’s Mason Cameron named the Chargers as a good home for former Miami Dolphin safety and PFF top safety free agent Jevon Holland. The Chargers’ secondary depth is a significant concern, particularly given the potential departure of several secondary pieces in free agency. Cameron emphasized this point, stating: “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’s 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.”
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“The almost 25-year-old safety runs those two high 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 lucked into a good find at the position in Elijah Molden. Molden is a free agent this season and will likely be signed for a more modest contract than Holland, but is also coming off a broken fibula.
The Chargers’ success was due in large part to the performance of its defense, and that unit will need to be upgraded to truly compete for a Super Bowl. Is Holland the missing piece?
They will need to address questions about Joey Bosa’s health as well as address Khalil Mack’s free agency, in addition to a dozen other free agents on that side of the ball alone.