The 2022 season ended ingloriously for the Chargers, by blowing a 27-0, 2^nd quarter lead to ultimately lose the game 31-30. Complicating matters is the fact that the team is over $20,000,000 over the salary cap. Obviously, it’s very early, in football terms, but let’s look at what to expect from the team in 2023.

QB: Barring injury, QB Justin Herbert, one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, will return and looks poised for another excellent season. Don’t be surprised if the team provides Herbert with a sizable off-season contract extension. In terms of the Chargers back-ups, there’s not a lot to discuss. If Herbert were to be injured, I don’t have a lot of confidence in the team’s reserve quarterbacks.

RB: While RB Austin Ekeler will be a fantasy RB1 in most leagues, the rest of the team’s running backs haven’t shown us much. They include players such as RB Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller. In my view, while not a top priority for the team, I’d like to see a bit of depth in this area. RB Larry Rountree III has spent a lot of time on the practice squad and so far, as failed to impress.

WR: I think that WR Keenan Allen is excellent, but he’s been injured a lot, as has WR Mike Williams. In my view, they need to add a young, fast, talented and hopefully not injury-prone receiver this year. WR Joshua Palmer has impressed at times, but this is an area of need for the team.

TE: The trio of TE Gerald Everett, TE Donald Parham, Jr., and Tre’ McKitty isn’t bad, but Parham has had a hard time staying healthy and McKitty hasn’t shown us a lot. They could probably sit pat at the position, but it is time to integrate McKitty and Parham into a greater role in the offense to see what they can or cannot do and whether or not they should be a part of the team going forward.

PK: In my mind, the kicker position is up in the air. While 32-year-old PK Dustin Hopkins has been a major upgrade over prior kickers, he spent a good amount of time unable to play due to injury. Enter 22 year old PK Cameron Dicker, who filled in for Hopkins and has been excellent.

DEF: There is always room for improvement with respect to the Chargers defense. Immediate need would be at linebacker. LB Drue Tranquil is a free agent and I’d like to see the team re-sign him, if the numbers make sense. Other needs would include a big body run stopper and some depth to back-up Bosa and Mack as an edge rusher.

I will return in March with more Chargers news and analysis!

End.