Los Angeles Chargers free agency 2019: top 5 targets

2. Jordan Hicks, LB Philadelphia Eagles

Like his former teammate Darby, Jordan Hicks has been hit with injuries during his career. He was limited to only seven games in 2017, and he suited up for 12 games in 2018.

However, Hicks has been a very productive player when he is healthy. He has been moved around as an outside and inside linebacker, but he played the majority of his snaps as a middle linebacker this past season.

The Chargers could use help on the inside, as Denzel Perryman is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Hicks is an experienced player at age 26, and he was one of the highest ranked linebackers by Pro Football Focus in 2018.

It remains unclear how much it will cost to retain Hicks’ services. in 2018, he had 91 combined tackles and three sacks in 12 games. In his last full season in 2016, he had 86 combined tackles, 5 interceptions and one sack.

Health is the obvious concern with Hicks, which would make many teams wary of handing him a long-term deal. The risk may be worth the reward, especially based of Hicks’ performances when healthy.

Perryman was a solid player for the Chargers, and he will be cheaper than Hicks. But the Chargers should explore signing Hicks to replacing Perryman. The team struggled to stop the run and get constant pressure when they face the Patriots, so strengthening the defense up, and over, the middle would allow their defense to be even better in 2019.