Chargers: Corey Liuget’s suspension should lead to signing Bennie Logan
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Chargers will be without defensive tackle Corey Liuget in the first four games of the 2018-2019 NFL Season. Enter Bennie Logan.
The Los Angeles Chargers did not enter the NFL off-season with many holes in the roster. Re-signing Tre Boston should be the team’s biggest focus after signing free agent, Pro Bowl center, Mike Pouncey. One glaring hole in the Chargers’ roster, though, is at defensive tackle.
That hole only expanded with the latest suspension of Corey Liuget.
Liuget was suspended four games for abusing the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug policy. Although Liuget pleads that it was unintentional, he took full responsibility for his actions via a statement tweeted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Here are statements from #Chargers GM Tom Telesco and from suspended DL Corey Liuget: pic.twitter.com/InjPokJ7td
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2018
This only adds to a tricky situation for the Los Angeles Chargers. Stopping the run was the one true weakness of the Chargers’ defense last season. Although the team has great edge rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, summing up the middle is a big emphasis of this off-season.
Utilizing the 2018 NFL Draft was the most likely route — coming in the second or third rounds.This suspension, though, may have forced the Chargers’ hand in using their first-round selection on a defensive tackle.
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However, it should not stop there. Before the draft even begins, the Chargers should look to sign a free agent defensive tackle, thus opening more flexibility again for the first-round. While drafting a defensive tackle would still be imperative, it no longer would need to be a first rounder.
That free agent defensive tackle should be none other than Bennie Logan.
Bennie Logan enjoyed a breakout season on the Kansas City Chiefs last season. Logan recorded 52 total tackles with 1.5 sacks. His numbers do not shout out at anyone. But according to Pro-Football Reference‘s Approximate Value, Logan is coming off of the best season of his career with an AV of eight.
To compare, Ndamukong Suh had an AV of seven last season, Liuget an AV of six and both Bosa and Ingram an AV of 13.
Logan is not an elite pass-rusher, but that is ok. The Chargers already have a great pass-rush, what the team needs is a big bodied tackle in the middle to stop the run game; which is where Logan succeeds. Logan does not have the quickness of pass-rushing tackles but he has the pure strength and frame to swallow runners at the line.
Next: Roster holes the Chargers need to fill in the draft
Overall, Logan would be a perfect run-stopping tackle in the Chargers’ defensive line. Add another run-stopping tackle in the second or third-round and the Chargers would have a scary four-man rotation at defensive tackle; adding to Liuget and Brandon Mebane.