5 questions with a Chargers writer to preview the season finale
One game left. The Las Vegas Raiders will wrap up the 2024 season with a Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, officially putting an end to what has been a disappointing campaign.
To preview the game, Michael Peterson from our friends at Bolts From the Blue was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Chargers for Raider Nation.
Q: With a Wild Card spot locked up, what do the Chargers have to play for on Sunday? Any chance Jim Harbaugh rests the starters this weekend, especially Justin Herbert?
A: If there’s anything to play for, it’s just bragging rights over a divisional opponent. In his pressers this week and other media spots, Jim Harbaugh has consistently noted that the team plans to “play to win”, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not going to rest the starters.
The Chargers can “play to win” with their backups. On the face, it sounds like Harbaugh plans to play his starters and I honestly wouldn’t be shocked if they did as he’s long been of the mindset that you can only get better at football by playing more football. In the end, nothing will shock me, but I believe the starters will see some run against the Raiders but I’m not so confident on just how long that run will be.
And I know it sounds crazy, but I could see Justin Herbert playing at least a half in this one. Most playoff teams would rest the most important player on the team, but Herbert is usually the one forcing himself onto the field when maybe he needs to do the opposite.
Q: Last time we talked Ladd McConkey was about to make his NFL debut and you mentioned that he might become the Chargers’ No. 1 receiver. Now, he’s leading the team in receptions (77) and yards (1,054), so can you shine some light on McConkey’s growth, and how his role in Los Angeles has blossomed this year?
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A: McConkey became what I thought would be his NFL “ceiling” almost immediately. He’s become such a God-send for Justin Herbert who, outside of the rookie, doesn’t have many trustworthy targets week in and week out. I don’t have the updated numbers in front of me, but Herbert was second in the NFL in dropped passes roughly two weeks or so, and it’s likely he remains in the top 3-4 after the past two games. This paints the picture even clearer of how important McConkey is to this offense’s success.
When it comes down to it, McConkey combines excellent route-running while also possessing elite athletic traits. He ran sub-4.40 in the 40 and has the start-stop skills to make people miss in a phone booth. On money downs, he simply knows how to show up for his quarterback. Doesn’t matter the route. You can always bet that he’ll present Herbert with an easy-throwing window. Add these all up and it’s not a surprise he became the Chargers’ WR1 on top of setting new franchise rookie records in both receptions and yards, beating both of Keenan Allen’s marks he set in 2013.
Q: On a similar note, how has Joe Alt developed this season? What’s the outlook like on his career?
A: Alt has been very solid all season and honestly when you stop talking about him as much the longer the season goes on, that’s probably a good thing in that he’s been boringly consistent. He’s the #16 offensive tackle in the NFL based on Pro Football Focus’ overall season grades and he currently has a top-5 grade in both run blocking and pass blocking. Among tackles who have played at least 900 snaps this season, he’s 7th in pressures allowed with 20.
Now he’s certainly been handed his lumps by some of the NFL’s best (T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett), but he’s responded and fought like heck each and every week. The only direction his career trajectory looks to be going is up. I believe Alt has All-Pro potential, but he’ll have to further solidify his toolbox to handle some of the league’s best and it’s honestly quite the advantage to practice against Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa every day.
Q: With the offseason coming up, what players do you think will be re-signed, and who will likely walk? Any surprises or potential cap casualties?
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A: It’s hard not to see some of the first-year additions to the Chargers re-signing with the team. Guys like defensive tackle Poona Ford and safety Elijah Molden have both been two of Joe Hortiz’s best acquisitions since becoming general manager. Ford was honestly a bit of a Pro Bowl snub while Molden spent most of the season leading the Chargers in interceptions while also collecting the most fumble recoveries on the defense. Both likely won’t cost a ton to retain but those two lead my list of players who need to return.
As far as those who will likely walk, edge rusher Bud Dupree is the first to come to mind. He’s been “fine” statistically with six sacks, six tackles for loss, one interception, and a forced fumble, but he’s a little bit of a flag magnet while also leading the team in missed sack opportunities. As the team’s fourth edge rusher, he’s great value, but there are too many negatives for him to warrant being any higher on the depth chart and/or earning a higher salary in LA.
Lastly, I think Khalil Mack will have to make a business decision this offseason. He’s still a menace on defense, but his sack numbers plummeted this year which of course is going to cause skepticism about how much he could be falling off at his advanced age. He’s still PFF’s #5 EDGE this year by overall grade but he’s the only member of the top five to have less than eight sacks this season.
Can you justify his salary if he’s not notching double-digit sacks? I think you can if he’s making an impact elsewhere (9 pass breakups, one-off career high), but ultimately I believe he’ll likely need to take a pay cut to return to LA next season.
Q: The Chargers currently have 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. What would you say the team’s biggest draft needs are and who will their top targets be?
A: I don’t have these in order but my top positions of need are currently:
– Tight End
– Offensive Guard
– Center
– Defensive Tackle
These are not sexy positions by any means, but they’re still incredibly important. The Chargers want to run the football and they can’t pair one of the league’s best tackle duos with an interior that struggles each week. My guess is they use a higher pick on center over guard, wherever that may be. This is a good year to want a tight end in the first or second round and I can’t help but believe they’ll target Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland early. Harold Fannin Jr. is a fun name here but I believe the coaches will want a complete Y-TE over a big wideout archetype.
As for defensive tackles, I believe they’ll be in on Michigan’s Kenneth Grant or Oregon’s Derrick Harmon if they target one earlier on. Interior offensive linemen I like this year for the Chargers are Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin, OSU guard Donovan Jackson, and Alabama guard Tyler Booker.