Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!
We'll be running one of these every week during the regular season, so send in submissions for the Mailbag here on Twitter or by sending me an email.
Off we go...
Why didn't the Chargers make a trade at the deadline? (Matt via email)
The 2024 NFL trade deadline came and went Tuesday with the Chargers not making a deal.
And while some may be surprised by that, to me it's just another reminder of how many pieces of the puzzle need to fit together in order for a trade to happen.
With that said, I don't think there was a lack of effort within the Bolts front office.
Based on what we know about Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz's team-building mindset (and what has also been reported across the league), you can bet the Bolts were active in making calls the past week or two.
But again, Hortiz is also a calculated person who isn't going to swing a deal just for the sake of doing so. It takes two to tango in the NFL.
Hortiz and Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh have clearly established a culture in Year 1 in Los Angeles.
Any player the Bolts acquire needs to fit that culture. You also have to factor in positions of need, finances and the pros and cons of giving up potential draft capital in a trade.
Remember, Hortiz said back in February — and has repeatedly reinforced — that he values draft picks no matter the round.
We also have to take into account that the Bolts front office is happy to an extent with where the roster is at right now.
The Bolts are 5-3 and firmly in a playoff spot as we dive into the second half of the season.
There was speculation from pundits that a cornerback or wide receiver made sense for the Chargers.
Well, the Bolts wide receiver group has turned in some of their best games as group in recent weeks. And with DJ Chark getting activated off Injured Reserve over the weekend, it's likely he makes his Bolts debut in Week 10.
To me, Chark can be considered a deadline acquisition in some ways.
In terms of cornerback, the group has been hit hard by injuries. But perhaps the standout play of rookies Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart made this less of a position of need that NFL pundits believed.
A final point here: Hortiz and Harbaugh have been on the job here roughly nine months.
They churned over the roster quite a bit in the offseason and rebuilt it on the fly this offseason, all of which have produced a strong playoff contender in their first year together.
They have both short and long-term visions, both of which are becoming clear. And both of which I believe in.
Right now, that meant no moves at the trade deadline.
No. I disagree with that notion.
Teams have to play who is on their schedule and aren't going to apologize for stacking wins together.
It's not as if teams can rearrange the schedule so that certain games get placed here and there.
You are right than this team has improved from a season ago and due credit needs to be handed out for that.
But the notion that the Chargers "haven't been tested yet" is a stretch.
This is the National Football League. This isn't college where a top-5 team schedules a non-conference game knowing they can win by 30.
Derwin James, Jr. was asked some version of this question after Sunday's win against the Browns, a team that was just coming off a massive win.
"This team just beat the Ravens last week, bro. And the Ravens are going to be in the playoffs," James said. "We can't get up here and act like, 'Oh, you ain't doing this or ain't doing that.'
"It's hard in this league. Every week you can get beat," James said. "To be able to do what we're doing, we ain't too high and ain't too low."
Plus, it's not as if the Chargers are squeaking out wins these days. Of their five wins, four have been by double digits and there's an argument the win in Denver should have been, too.
The Bolts three losses have come against current playoff teams and have gone down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
A key stat to consider: the Bolts currently rank seventh in point differential at plus-56.
If you ask me, this narrative is a tad disrespectful.
I think the Bolts are simply focused on themselves right now and will worry about the Chiefs when they meet up again in Week 14.
Kansas City keeps finding ways to win and of course they are the standard for everyone else in the NFL.
But look at what Jim Harbaugh's crew is putting together at the halfway point of the season.
As mentioned above, the Chargers would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
And it's not like they are fringe contenders. Here's what various outlets currently have regarding the Bolts playoff odds:
The Athletic - 84 percent
ESPN - 78 percent
Pro Football Focus - 75 percent
NFL.com - 71 percent
Get on board, folks. If the Chargers continue to keep playing well, it will soon be time to start thinking about playing past Week 18.
In case you missed the news, the Chargers Week 11 game against the Bengals was flexed to *Sunday Night Football* in primetime.
The Chargers will keep a normal practice schedule next week and won't alter times.
It's each person's preference if a night game is better, but one thing that's for sure is that the Bolts earned the right to play on national television.
And, not to get too far ahead of ourselves here, but that game could potentially have massive AFC playoff ramifications.
Cincinnati currently sits at 4-5 and plays in Baltimore on Thursday night.
Hypothetically speaking, let's say the Bengals lose to the Ravens coupled with a Chargers win against the Titans.
That would put the Bolts at 6-3 and the Bengals at 4-6 ahead of their primetime showdown. If the Chargers can find a way to win in Week 11 (emphasis on the if), they would have a massive lead in the standings along with the head-to-head tiebreaker.
If we look at the AFC Wld Card race as a sprint to 10 wins (or seven losses), the Bolts would do wonders for themselves by getting back-to-back wins in the next two games.
