There were times during the 2015 NFL season when the Chargers defense looked like a respectable unit. Those times, however, were few and far between.
After watching what the Broncos did on their Super Bowl run, winning with a defense that might rank in the All-Time Top-10, San Diego is focusing its efforts on putting together a D that can be at least respectable.
After adding interior lineman Brandon Mebane and safety Dwight Lowery early in the free agent signing period the Bolts have agreed to a 3-year, $15 million contract with former Packers defensive back Casey Hayward.
A 2nd round Draft pick in 2012 out of Vanderbilt, Hayward made an immediate impact in Green Bay, finishing third in the NFL in passes defensed and tying for fifth in interceptions his first full year (some of that had to do with opposing offenses trying to pick on a rookie). Injuries limited Hayward to just 19 games, two of them starts, over the next two seasons.
In 2015 he was finally healthy again and led the Packers defense in snaps. Throughout his career Hayward has played on both the inside and outside of Green Bay’s defense but he’s truly excelled at covering slot receivers. Stats from Pro Football Focus show Hayward as one of the best in the NFL in that role.
Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has raved about Hayward’s versatility, a trait the Chargers have needed to rely on greatly the last couple of years while dealing with injuries. Let us not forget wide receiver Dontrelle Inman playing safety against the Raiders last season.
Jason Verrett has become the Chargers’ #1 cornerback. The Bolts are hoping Brandon Flowers rebounds from a sub-par 2015 season that was cut short by injury to be the guy he was in 2014. If that happens then suddenly, with the addition of Hayward, the San Diego secondary could become one of the better groups in the NFL.
