The 2025 NFL League Year begins March 12.

This will be a pivotal offseason for the franchise as they enter Year 2 under Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz and Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. The Bolts went 11-6 and made the playoffs in Year 1 under the regime.

Here's where the Chargers currently stand in terms of free agents, salary cap space, draft picks and possible positions of need.

2025 Free Agents

The Chargers have 30 players eligible for free agency when the 2025 League Year officially begins at 1 p.m. (PT) on March 12.

Players can fall into one of three free agency groups: unrestricted free agent (UFA), restricted free agent (RFA) or exclusive rights free agent (ERFA).

Here's a breakdown of each group:

UFA: Any player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract; free to negotiate and sign with any team.

RFA: A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but their original team can offer them one of various qualifying offers ("tenders") that come with the right of first refusal and/or draft-pick compensation.

ERFA: Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.

The Bolts 2025 free agency group is a mix of big-name players plus others who played key roles for the Chargers this past season.

The Chargers have 27 UFAs, two RFAs and one ERFA. Here they are by group:

UFAs: Eli Apple, Bradley Bozeman, DJ Chark, J.K. Dobbins, Troy Dye, Hayden Hurst, Simi Fehoko, Poona Ford, Morgan Fox, Kristian Fulton, Taylor Heinicke, Brenden Jaimes, Tony Jefferson, Khalil Mack, Marcus Maye, Elijah Molden, Sam Mustipher, Nick Niemann, Joshua Palmer, Denzel Perryman, Shaq Quarterman, Jalen Reagor, Chris Rumph II, Asante Samuel, Jr., JK Scott, Easton Stick and Teair Tart

RFAs: Foster Sarell and Stone Smartt

ERFAs: Tucker Fisk

Salary Cap Space

The NFL has yet to officially set the 2025 salary cap, but it is currently projected to be $272.5 million.

This would be a significant jump from the 2024 cap of $255.4 million.

As of Monday morning, the Chargers are currently projected to have more than $60 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, a site that tracks each team's approximate cap space.

It's worth noting that this number could change based on what the 2025 salary cap is set at, or if the Bolts make any roster moves that affect the number.

2025 Draft Picks

The Chargers hold the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held April 24-26 in Green Bay.

The Bolts currently have seven selections in the draft, including their own pick in each of the first six rounds. The Chargers also have an additional sixth-round pick from New England that was acquired in the J.C. Jackson trade.

The Chargers first three picks are slated to be at No. 22, No. 55 and No. 86 overall.

Of note: compensatory picks won't officially be awarded until later this spring, so there's a chance the Chargers end up with more than their seven current picks.

The Bolts have picked at No. 22 overall four times in franchise history, most recently in 2002 when they took Stanford defensive back Darrien Gordon.

Positions of Need Based on Free Agency

The Chargers will certainly have some roster turnover this offseason, especially with the 30 free agents listed above.

With that in mind, here are a handful of position groups the Bolts might need to focus on in the coming months based on their current free agent list.

(Note: These positions are not ranked but instead listed in alphabetical order).

Offensive line

The Bolts are set at tackle with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, but the interior of the offensive line bears monitoring, especially at center.

Bozeman started all 17 games plus the playoff contest and led the Chargers with 1,057 offensive snaps in 2024.

The Bolts could bring him back or look elsewhere to add a starting center. Jaimes, the Bolts backup center this past season, is also slated to be a free agent.

The Chargers could also look guard depth with Mustipher also set to be a free agent.

Defensive line

Ford was one of the Bolts best defensive overall players in 2024 after signing a 1-year deal. But he will have a chance to test free agency again if the Chargers don't bring him back.

Fox has spent the past three seasons in powder blue and has been a dependable and consistent player. Tart, a training camp addition, flashed at times against both the run and the pass in 2024.

That's three of the Chargers top four defensive linemen from 2024 who may or may not be back with the Bolts next season.

There's a reason why defensive line listed often in the first Chargers Mock Draft Tracker.

Linebacker(s)

We're including outside linebacker and off-ball linebackers here.

First, with Mack slated to be a free agent, the Chargers might potentially need to replace his leadership and production at outside linebacker. If he returns, the Chargers will be once again have a future Hall of Famer on the roster.

Linebacker is a position to watch, too, as four players are scheduled to be free agents.

Perryman was a starter when healthy in 2024 while Dye also started at times this past season. Add in that Niemann and Quarterman are also free agents and the Bolts linebacker room could suddenly be thin behind Daiyan Henley.

Junior Colson could play a more prominent role in 2025 but the Bolts will likely need to add more depth behind those players at some point this offseason.

Secondary

Both cornerback and safety are lumped together in this grouping.

Fulton provided starting-caliber play at outside cornerback in 2024 after signing a 1-year deal last offseason. Samuel missed nearly all of the 2024 with a shoulder injury. And Apple was reliable when he saw limited action.

Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart shined as fifth-round rookies in 2024 but the Chargers will surely need more depth at this spot going forward.

Derwin James, Jr. and Alohi Gilman are both under contract as the Bolts starting safeties, but keep in mind that James played (and thrived) at more a slot cornerback role under Jesse Minter in 2024.

And with Molden, Maye and Jefferson also set to be free agents, the Chargers will need to replenish the back half of this position group, too.

Tight end

The Chargers ended the season with four tight ends on the active roster, and only Will Dissly is under contract for 2024.

There are questions around the other three as Hurst will be a UFA while Smartt is a RFA and Fisk is an EFRA.

Tight end was also a popular projection in the first Chargers Mock Draft Tracker, but the Bolts might need to add pieces here to help fill out the room.

Wide receiver

Ladd McConkey was a star as a rookie, Quentin Johnston took a step forward in Year 2 and Derius Davis flashed as a receiver while continuing to be a special teams weapon.

Those are currently the only three players on the roster for 2025.

Palmer didn't play in the playoffs due to injury and is set to be a free agent after he was a 2021 third-round pick.

Chark, a 2024 free agent addition, will also be a free agent after tallying just four catches this past season.

And depth pieces such as Reagor and Fehoko, each of whom had bright moments in 2024, are also slated to hit free agency.

This could be a key area to watch in order to get more weapons for Justin Herbert.