4. San Diego Chargers
Free Agency: The Chargers definitely improved this off-season by signing a couple of good free agents. They signed Danny Woodhead which was a great acquisition since the loss of Darren Sproles a few seasons ago really hurt this team. Danny Woodhead is not Darren Sproles by any means, however he a reliable target on third down. When he was in New England, Tom Brady loved dropping the ball down to Woodhead and let him do his thing. Brady was pretty heated when the Patriots decided to let Woodhead walk so that should tell us how valuable Woodhead can be. Another good pick up by the Chargers was Chad Rinehart. In previous years, Rinehart has done pretty well. He's been a journeyman throughout his career by being on his 4th team in 5 years. However, lately he has been very reliable. Rinehart has a good chance of winning the starting guard position this season, so that was another solid pick up. Also, add a solid cornerback to the mix in Derek Cox and the Chargers had a good free agency period.
Trades: No major trades.
Draft: The Chargers had one of the better drafts this year. I have to say that D.J. Fluker in the 11th overall selection was a bit of a reach, but If he can add a little bit for speed to his game he will be a solid tackle. The fact that no one can over power Fluker gives him the upper edge, especially in the running game where the Chargers need to get that going this season. Manti Te'o in the second round was a solid pick up. Te'o was considered to be a first round pick and he will replace Takeo Spikes in the middle of the defense. I think this is a good situation for Te'o because San Diego is not a big media city as far as football is concerned, so there shouldn't be too much attention coming his way. He is also not that far away from his home which is a plus. One of my favorite steals in the draft came in the third round when the bolts selected Keenan Allen out of Cal. Allen is definitely going to help this offense and he will quickly become a favorite target for Phillip Rivers. Allen is a tough receiver that has soft hands. He'll go over the middle and move the chains on third down. He lacks the ideal speed you would like from an outside receiver, but with crisp route running and reliable hands, Allen will quickly make an impact on this offense.
Overall: After a solid free agency and a great draft, look for the Chargers to have a much better 2013 season than the poor 2012 season. A new coach in Mike McCoy will rejuvenate a franchise that has the potential to win. A few more pieces in place can really help this team get to the post season. For instance if the Chargers believe Fluker is a better guard than tackle, look for the Chargers to grab a guy like Eric Winston, Bryant McKinnie, or Andre Smith to solidify the offensive line. Other than that, this should be a much improved 2013 football team.