Joey Bosa and Chargers still dealing with contract issues
By Jon Dove
Joey Bosa and the San Diego Chargers are having some contract problems that could keep him out of training camp.
General Manager Tom Telesco recently talked about how he was unsure if 1st round pick Joey Bosa would report in time for training camp. This is an interesting situation because we don’t see many holdouts since the CBA was adjusted.
Rookie contracts are pretty boiler plate and don’t offer much room to negotiate. The wage-scale was put in place because rookie salaries were getting out of control and took money away from veteran players.
The few areas that could hold up talks are things like guaranteed money, bonuses and option years. This appears to be what the Chargers and Bosa are trying to work through.
San Diego is counting on Bosa being a major contributor on defense. He’s expected to immediately step into the starting lineup at the 5-technique position.
The Chargers brought Bosa into the mix because of his versatility and ability to disrupt the offense. He’s equally effective at shutting down the running game and getting after the quarterback.
Missing a few days of training camp isn’t the end of the world, but if it drags on it could impact Bosa’s potential for early success. He’ll need time to adjust to the speed of the game and learn what’s a new defensive system.
During the CBA process, the NFL and its players agreed on less practices and few padded sessions. This is something that will also impact Bosa if he misses the start of training time. Fewer practices means less opportunities for him to get up to speed.
San Diego’s decision to draft Bosa was a bit of a surprise due to their needs along the offensive line. It wouldn’t be a good situation if Bosa gets off to a slow start and the offensive continues to struggle.