2022 Trade Deadline Update: Chargers Stand Pat – Good or Bad?

All it takes is one look at the Chargers weekly injury report to understand why the Chargers are struggling this year. But, the funny thing is, they’re still in decent shape to at least make the post season! At 4-3, 2 games behind the Chiefs, and second in the AFC West – there’s definitely a chance to take the division. Slim, but possible – especially if the Chargers keep the race close and win the second game against KC. Aside from that, they’re actually looking pretty dang good for a Wild Card spot – as one can almost bet on the Jets losing steam and the Bengals dropping at least a handful more at this pace.

All of that being said, it’s crucial for the Chargers to nab a few more wins while many of LA’s key players remain on the sidelines. With Mike Dub out for a considerable amount of time and Keenan Allen still banged up – it’s increasingly obvious the Chargers are in need of WR help. Furthermore, with JC Jackson going down for the year, there’s a glaring need for a serviceable (at least) replacement.

But, there wasn’t much available there for the Chargers – especially at corner, William Jackson III has had his fair share of struggles, so maybe he wasn’t worth the risk. Chase Claypool himself has been widely inconsistent.

Sure, I would’ve loved to have him, but he also seems to have a negative effect on team chemistry. Brandin Cooks was maybe the one guy that you would’ve loved to see the Chargers make a run for – as he could be WR1 or WR2 while Mike Williams is out, then step into an amazing WR3 role.

That would’ve been incredible. Even a veteran OT would have been an awesome pick up, but O-line chemistry is even more impactful, and midseason plug-and-play is much less realistic than any other position in the NFL. Sure, any of these additions would’ve been exciting, it could’ve been great – but, it didn’t happen. Nothing did…

Why Chargers Fans Should Love It

Quite frankly, it’s clear that Tom Telesco and company is placing a value on two things: draft picks, and the little bit of cap room they have. In today’s NFL, draft capital is more valuable than ever – as you see rookies turn into franchise players, a la Derwin James and Justin Herbert. And each pick is like a ticket to the lottery. Furthermore, you’ve seen this value effect the way that players are dealt – I mean,

Christian McCaffery for a handful of picks? Chances are, none of those picks turns out as good as him! Weird, but it’s merely a part of the game now – and who am I to tell all GM’s that they don’t know what they’re doing?

On that note, I can’t say I’m totally sure what Tom Telesco is doing here. It’s clear he has a plan – but whatever it is, I bet that this wasn’t it. When you sign a bunch of high ticket vets, it’s clear you’re “win now”. But then, when you hold on to all of your draft picks, it suggests otherwise. The Chargers have never really been the “news breaking transaction” type of team, until this past summer – where they loaded up with two big, expensive names. And while you can’t blame Telesco on the injuries, you can blame him for changing a whole philosophy – you can’t just adopt the win now strategy and bail out half way… that’s not how it works.

So why should you love this? Because Tom Telesco is trying to a build a TEAM. Not a group of guys who come together and merely win based off of talent – that never wins championships. Look at nearly every Patriots dynasty team – they weren’t star studded with high priced divas. No, it was Tom Brady, Bellichick and the glue that won that team championships.

And here, now, it’s clear that Telesco believes in Staley and the culture he’s building. I mean, even in losses, you hear players standing up for one another, being accountable – there’s never been a *public* locker room issue. And all of that could be ruined by one guy – a Claypool celebrating his way to blowing a game. A Calvin Ridley getting suspended for not being able to lay off of Draft Kings.

The Final Verdict

What it all comes down to is the results of the season, really. You know, much like life, in football there are only so many things you can control – if that. While you can’t control injuries, miraculous plays, or bad penalty calls – what you can control is putting the best team out there every Sunday that you can. And, the fact of the matter is, the Chargers just didn’t really have the financial capacity to be the buyers that they were in the offseason. And, while it would’ve been amazing to see the commitment and guts to go out and make a splash – anything would’ve helped, really. 

However, there’s clearly a lot of faith in the guys the Bolts already have, and that’s something to be optimistic about. Well, if these guys can get their sh*t together, that is. Because quite frankly, the effort simply has not been there thus far throughout the season – you can’t even be mad at the injuries, but the heart and mere will to win – you can’t help but be mad at.

So if Telesco is placing a bet on Staley and his troops – that bet better start paying dividends. Or else, it’s going to be a quick circle around back to the drawing board. Quite frankly – one could easily argue that the Chargers are in a similar position as last year’s Rams squad – who went all in on the “win now” philosophy… and they did.

But, the only difference is – a big one – that the Chargers themselves weren’t in the Super Bowl a few years prior like the Rams. And thus, why waste precious draft capital and potential cap breaking dollars on a philosophy that is a complete gamble?

It’s a smart call, really. And as a Chargers fan myself, it pains me to say that. But by all accounts, it seems to be true…