Los Angeles Chargers: 3 Players in Make Or Break Seasons
By Surae Poole
Denzel Perryman, LB
Denzel Perryman brings a tenacious hard-hitting playstyle to this Chargers defense. He’s a great run defender who is most effective on first and second down. The issue with Perryman has been injury concerns. Perryman was drafted in 2015 and has yet to play one full 16 game season. Anthony Lynn loves having the hard hitter in the middle of his defense, but the best ability is availability and it’s something that has derailed Perryman throughout his career.
With the league being a predominantly passing league, Perryman’s role has become limited. He struggles on passing downs mightily. With the surprising play of the fourth round linebacker out of Notre Dame, Drue Tranquill will push for the starting middle linebacker position; not to mention Kenneth Murray on his way to town after the Chargers traded back into the first round to get him. If it were up to me, Tranquill would be the starter going into the 2020 season. Not only has he been healthy, but he’s shown the ability to be an every-down player.
He also was very good on special teams in 2019. With Perryman being pushed by younger players and injuries being a concern, it will be interesting to see how everything plays itself out. Not only does Perryman need to have an outstanding season but he needs to stay healthy for the entire season. His contract is set to expire in 2020 and he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021. This will be the most important season in his career thus far.