Written by Dan Woike at LA Times.com
Sometimes the holes on a NFL roster can be difficult to spot, with depth issues showing up late in games, inexperience manifesting in penalties or a simplified playbook, or a key injury here or there completely changing the dynamic of a team.
Or, sometimes, there’s just a big, giant 300-plus pound hole that obviously needs to be filled.
Thursday, on the first day of the NFL’s new league calendar, the Chargers made a big move toward filling that hole, agreeing to a four-year deal with offensive tackle Russell Okung.
The contract is worth more than $50 million with $25 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.
Okung, a former first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, Pro Bowl player in 2012 and Super Bowl champion, spent last season with the Denver Broncos. He’ll be asked to protect Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers from the left tackle spot.
After missing time with injuries sporadically over his career, Okung, 29, played in all 16 games with the Broncos last season.
The Chargers headed into the off-season with a massive need on the offensive line, and middling reviews for the incoming class of blockers meant free agency would be the quickest path to improvement.
But, unsurprisingly, the Chargers weren’t the only team thinking this way.
Detroit, Cleveland, Carolina and the Rams were among the teams that made key signings along the offensive line, boosting prices and urgency for teams such as the Chargers with easily identifiable needs.
Okung’s deal with the Chargers comes with some controversy. Because Okung acts as his own agent, teams couldn’t speak with him or his advisors about deals until Thursday afternoon when the free-agency period officially began.
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