By all accounts, the Los Angeles Chargers overachieved in the first year of the Jim Harbaugh era this past season. Now, in order to ensure this team doesn’t regress, there will be several big Chargers free agency decisions that must be made.
The Bolts capitalized on a soft schedule to finish the 2024 season with an 11-6 record. That marked a six-win improvement relative to 2023 and was enough to nail down the 5-seed in the AFC Playoffs. Although they bowed out in the Wild Card Round, simply making it that far marked a tremendous accomplishment in Harbaugh’s first season on the sidelines. To take the next step, the Chargers have several teams needs to address and possible free agency targets to pursue.
As far as flexibility goes, L.A. has plenty of it. With over $60 million in cap space, the Chargers certainly have the resources to go out and spend on their top free agency targets. The Bolts also have a plethora of players (26 to be exact) from last year’s roster who are due to be free agents and thus would need to resign if they are to remain in SoCal.
Los Angeles Chargers Team Needs | NFL Free Agency 2025
Despite last year’s success, the Chargers have a full laundry list of team names that they could opt to address in NFL free agency 2025. Some of the team’s most pressing positional needs include:
- Wide Receiver
- Running Back
- Defensive Line
- Tight End
- Offensive Line
Los Angeles Chargers Free Agency Targets
While the Chargers could opt to resign several of their own free agents from last year’s roster, we’ll be looking at players that would make sense for the team to bring into the fold here.
Davante Adams, WR
With the New York Jets officially releasing Davante Adams, one of the Chargers’ top priorities in NFL Free Agency is clear. If not for the emergence of rookie wideout Ladd McConkey last season, who knows what L.A.’s passing attack would’ve looked like. Even with McConkey’s breakout, it often felt as though the wide receiver room was a hodgepodge deal behind him. The Chargers hope Quentin Johnston will take another big step forward in his third year as a pro. However, pursuing a player like Adams would instantly take the passing attack to the next level.
Los Angeles may have proven last year that a team can find success without an alpha receiver. That said, the presence of one would only make life easier for Justin Herbert and all of the team’s other pass-catchers. Adams has been rumored to want a return to California, and the Chargers certainly have money to spend as well as the pitch of being a team looking to contend. The possible wild card here is what happens with Aaron Rodgers and how strongly Adams will desire to follow him to his next destination. If you remove that factor from the equation, the Chargers appear to be the ideal fit for one of the top WRs on the open market.
Drew Dalman, C
After landing Joe Alt in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft, the Chargers were exquisitely positioned as far as offensive tackle. Alt and 2021 first-rounder, Rashawn Slater, combine to form one of the league’s top duos at opposing ends of the offensive line. The problem for the Bolts last season was shaky play from the interior of the line. On top of that, Bradley Bozeman is set to be a free agent in his own right. As such, it makes sense that L.A. will be one of the top suitors for center Drew Dalman in NFL free agency.
By all accounts, the Atlanta Falcons are expecting to lose Dalman in free agency due to his ability to garner more money elsewhere. Thanks to the Chargers having a large amount of cap space, they can be in the running to land Dalman among their free agency targets even if the bidding pushes the upper limits of the market for centers. It all would come down to just how badly the team would like to have the 26-year-old as the anchor of their interior OL. It seems only fitting that a Jim Harbaugh-coached team makes a splash in the trenches as part of free agency.
Azeez Ojulari, EDGE
With Khalil Mack unlikely to return to SoCal, the Chargers are poised to have team needs that extend beyond the interior of their defensive line. If Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz are really in the mood to make a splash, 24-year-old edge rusher Azeez Ojulari could be one of their top targets in free agency. Whether they opt to focus on the D-line in free agency or the draft, this is certainly an area of need to address in the offseason.
Not only is Ojulari hitting the open market at a younger age than most players, but he is a damn good one at that. Thanks to playing for the miserable outfit that is the New York Giants, Ojulari remains somewhat underappreciated in the public eye at his position. He will certainly command big money given both his talent and his age. However, as previously noted, the Chargers have plenty of money to spend.
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