The Los Angeles Chargers did a ton to improve their roster from last season. They've brought in some new faces via NFL Draft and free agency and lost some of their free agents. The Bolts seemed to have improved on paper, and it'll be a matter of time before we find out how they'll look.
Nonetheless, they lost some good players in the free agency process, and some of their former players still remain free agents, who they could use. One of their 2022 players who remain a free agent is linebacker Kyle Van Noy. The 32-year-old has still yet to find a new team; however, Pro Football Focus believes the Bolts should give him another shot in 2023.
Right off the bat, it’s easy to see why this reunion would make sense for both Kyle Van Noy and the Chargers, and PFF points that out. Noting that he “greatly outperformed” his contract last year, Van Noy could easily help this team “both as a true off-ball linebacker and more near the line of scrimmage…offering a unique and valuable skill set to potentially interested teams while earning 60.0-plus grades in every facet in 2022.”
While the Chargers have added some young defensive talent in the 2023 NFL Draft, PFF doesn’t believe that should prevent a reunion. According to the article, “bringing back Van Noy to serve as a veteran depth and a jack-of-all-trades makes a lot of sense in a pivotal year.”
Van Noy had a solid season in his first year with the Chargers. He played in all 17 games, starting in 13, and he had 46 combined tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 9 QB hits, and one forced fumble.
The 10-year veteran has championship experience and could help the young up-and-coming defensive players the Chargers added this offseason. He showed that he still has some gas left in the tank and will provide some depth in the linebacker position.
A reunion with the two-time Super Bowl champion would be something all Charger fans would love to see, and it may be the necessary move.
Your call, Tom Telesco.
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