While the Rams are spinning their wheels in a perpetual rebuilding effort, boast a roster strong enough to crash the playoff party in a Los Angeles debut season.
The Chargers' 9-23 record is the most misleading in the league over the past two years. Former coach Mike McCoy was done in by an incredible string of injuries, and a stacked AFC West.
The Bolts have gone just 7-18 in games decided by eight or fewer points since the start of the 2015 season. Their 11 games lost with a fourth-quarter lead are more than any other team during that span.
There's a fine line between success and failure in the NFL. San Diego may not have been a good team under McCoy, but the team was competitive even against the league's superpowers. After drafting a franchise-altering talent in Joey Bosa, general manager Tom Telesco is now sitting on a roster strong enough to contend for the playoffs as soon as 2017.
Let's examine that roster, poised to make a new home in on the Carson-area campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills:
Offense
Philip Rivers stumbled down the stretch without No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen, receiving back Danny Woodhead and breakout runner Melvin Gordon. At age 35, though, he remains a legitimate franchise quarterback, directing a top-10 offense in spite of the injuries and Antonio Gates' steady decline.
Bouncing back from a disappointing rookie campaign, Gordon proved to be a Pro Bowl-caliber tailback with power, breakaway speed and underrated receiving ability.
Gordon will be joined by a healthy Allen, who was dismantling the Chiefs secondary for three quarters of the season opener before going down with an ACL injury. In Allen's absence, Tyrell Williams developed into a playmaking wideout with the speed to win deep and the possession skills to move the chains. Beyond Allen and Williams, the Chargers have quality depth in run-after-catch threats Travis Benjamin and Dontrelle Inman.
To offset Gates' twilight phase, Telesco drafted the promising Hunter Henry to excel as Rivers' new red-zone weapon at tight end.
The offensive line returns intact, which should allow that bevy of skill-position talent to shine in the cozy confines of the StubHub Center.
Defense
Pass rusher Melvin Ingram ranks No. 7 on . If necessary, the Chargers can apply the franchise tag to keep Ingram in Los Angeles now that he's developed into one of the league's best all-around outside linebackers.
As well as Ingram played in 2016, though, Bosa is the headliner on defense. The draft's No. 3 overall pick is already the dominant force on the field in many games, pulling off a convincing J.J. Watt impression. The of the past decade, finishing second only to the Rams' Aaron Donald in .
Bosa and Ingram shouldn't overshadow a well-rounded linebacker corps featuring the hard-hitting Denzel Perryman, fifth-round steal Jatavis Brown, tackling machine Korey Toomer and jack-of-all-trades Kyle Emanuel.
Once nose tackle Brandon Mebane returns from torn biceps, this defense should be stout against the run.
The ingredients are already in place for a strong pass defense. Casey Hayward might have been the , emerging as a shutdown corner once Jason Verrett suffered an early-season ACL injury. Once Verrett returns to join Hayward and veteran Brandon Flowers, this secondary is loaded with potential.
2017 prospects
Awaiting a competent offense for the past decade, Rams fans are desperately clinging to hope that the next coaching staff can salvage Jared Goff, turn Todd Gurley loose and build a capable front line.
The Chargers, in contrast, have constructed a team ready-made to surpass expectations under a new head coach. The offense is loaded with skill-position talent. The defense has the potential to graduate from frisky to fearsome. Provided the injured players return healthy in 2017, there's no obvious weakness on the roster. That's a claim several 2016 contenders won't match when training camp opens next season.
Get . Los Angeles' newest team won't be a laughingstock by the time the 2017 season rolls around.
