The San Diego Chargers overachieved last season, finishing with a winning record and within earshot of the playoffs. They controlled their own destiny down to the last game, where their lack of elite talent and injuries amounted to keep them from breaking through. Coach Mike McCoy has done an excellent job of keeping his team competitive most weekends when his overall talent might suggest otherwise. Heading into this offseason, the focus is simple, add impact players. Here’s a look at where the Chargers were and where they’re headed.

What went right

Quarterback Phillip Rivers kept rolling, playing most Sunday’s like the best player on his team and leading his teammates to a winning record. Another 4,000 yard season under his belt and another year he posted a better than 90 quarterback rating, that type of consistency is invaluable and a reason why the Chargers always have a chance. Grizzled veteran tight end Antonio Gates continued his resurgence, proving he has plenty left in the tank, once again playing at a level amongst the elite at his position. Despite the overall struggles of the offensive line, left tackle King Dunlap emerged to give Rivers a real quality blindside protector. The 6-foot-8 behemoth is a stud when heathy, providing everything needed from a left tackle, Dunlap also provides great push in the run game with his massive frame.

Vetetran receiver Malcolm Floyd bounced back from the previous year’s season ending injury to play all 16 games for only the second time in his career; posting the best year of his career while providing Rivers with a consistent deep threat. Through all of the injuries at running back, the Chargers were able to find lightning in reserve Branden Oliver who provided a spark to the running game at times. Oliver’s performance brought back some memories of a similar player to dawn the number 43 (in Darren Sproles). Oliver become a fan favorite and earned himself a look in the offseason for an elevated role. All-Pro safety Eric Weddle continued to be the best player on their defense leading them in tackles with 114, spearheading a secondary that played well enough to finish the year as the fourth ranked pass defense.

What went wrong

Injuries mounted up on San Diego, decimating their team and forced the Chargers to look to the next man for a spark that wasn’t always found. The interior of the line was a mess all year long, cycling through a host of centers trying to replace the now retired stalwart Nick Hardwick. Both guard positions were in flux as well to the point the team is going into the offseason without a definitive starter anywhere along the interior. With a quarterback that isn’t mobile, pressure up the middle was a challenge for Rivers to deal with all year. Offensive line wasn’t the only position group effected by injuries; at running back San Diego was down to their fourth string runner at times during the season. Ryan Mathews failed to stay healthy in a contract year, free agent pick up Donald Brown struggled mightily even when healthy and third down back Danny Woodhead was lost for the year.

On defense, the pass rush was anemic, with the team led by a paltry 4.5 sacks from defensive end Corey Liuget. The combination of Melvin Ingram, Jarret Johnson and Dwight Freeney combined for a measly 8.5 sacks. A successful defense usually features two players capable of attaining that number by themselves. Their run defense was amongst the worst in the league finishing the year as the 26^th ranked unit. Their pass defense finished the year with a good ranking but it was mostly a mirage because teams didn’t have to pass the ball against them due to their success running the football. As a unit, the secondary only pulled in seven interceptions, contributing to the team’s -6 turnover ratio, a figure that needs to be improved significantly.

Free Agency

Unrestricted:

Seyi Ajirotutu, receiver

Ronnie Brown, running back

Jeromey Clary, offensive lineman

King Dunlap, offensive tackle

Brandon Flowers, cornerback

Dwight Freeney, outside linebacker

Andrew Gachkar, linebacker

Marcus Gilchrist, safety

Nick Hardwick, center

Doug Legursky, center

Mat McBriar, punter

Ricardo Mathews, defensive end

Ryan Mathews, running back

Rich Ohrnberger, center

Eddie Royal, receiver

Willie Smith, offensive lineman

Shareece Wright, cornerback

Restricted:

Trevor Robinson, center

The Chargers were wise to reach an agreement with left tackle King Dunlap before the start of free agency, rewarding him with a new four year deal. On a struggling line, Dunlap was the lone bright spot protecting the blindside of the quarterback. Dunlap was also their best free agent hitting the open market, so to secure that deal early allows the Chargers to focus on improving the rest of the roster. Hardwick and Clary are retired so they should look to retain Legursky and Robinson for depth purposes. Defensive backs Flowers, Gilchrist, and Wright are solid players and starters who San Diego should look to retain at the right price, they’re in no position to lose talent that stays relatively healthy.

Eddie Royal turned in another solid season, providing Rivers with a dependable outlet in the slot catching over 700 yards worth of passes. Getting up there in age, Royal should be brought back on a decent multi year deal to finish out his career as a Bolt. Freeney was always just a stop gap signing and with what he provided this year, he’s better off retiring and San Diego moving on. Ryan Matthews is a tough decision, when healthy he is a quality running back capable of doing everything. He can run with speed, run with power, catch the ball out the back field, but just can’t stay healthy. The Chargers should explore bringing him back on a short incentive laden deal, if not, move on and find his replacement.

Need Analysis

The biggest need for the Chargers is to protect their quarterback, the interior of their line needs a major overhaul. Depending on if the coaching staff decides to play D.J. Fluker inside at guard, the front office might also have to find a book end tackle to King Dunlap. Either way solidifying the protection is a must. The next biggest need is with the defensive front seven, they need two things there really bad, a nose tackle to plug between 5 technique defensive ends Liuget and Kendall Reyes and an elite pass rusher who can strike some fear into an offense on third down.

Depth at linebacker is a must as well, Manti Te’o keeps getting nicked up and Donald Butler is returning from injury. A receiver who can serve both as a deep threat and after the catch would be welcomed,  considering Floyd is probably playing out the twilight of his career. It’s never too early to find someone who can be developed as a compliment to Keenan Allen for years to come. Ballhawks in the secondary need to be of focus, with 3 starters becoming free agents and the need to create more turnovers, the Chargers need impact players and depth. Running back is also a question mark for them, they currently have bodies and some free agents to make decisions on. Adding a young back to the mix, someone who can carry the load, should definitely be on the front office’s radar.

Overview

The Chargers have considerable work in front of them to infuse quality talent onto their roster. San Diego isn’t a team stacked with a bunch of stand out players, so every unit other than quarterback is open to getting upgraded. Armed with a bunch of cap space and a compliment of draft picks, the Chargers have a chance to take a leap this off-season with some key personnel moves. If they can address their needs wisely and utilize their resources properly to infuse the needed talent onto the roster, they can definitely be in a better position with their playoff contention next year. With a very good quarterback and a head coach who gets the most out of his team, the Chargers are headed in the right direction. They play in one of the tougher division with Denver and Kansas City right there with them as playoff contenders. They need to have an impact off-season to become the legitimate division title contender they want to be.