In his first offseason as the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach, Anthony Lynn surely isn’t mincing words. He knows exactly what his quarterback situation looks like and wants to change the dynamic a bit.
According to the team’s official website, Lynn and the Chargers are looking to add a young quarterback in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft.
“I think we do have to get a young quarterback on campus,” Lynn said Tuesday, via Chargers.com. “We need to start developing someone because we have two veteran quarterbacks, and both of them are long in the tooth.”
At 35 years old, there’s no telling just how much longer Philip Rivers will be suiting up for. He wasn’t keen on the team uprooting from San Diego to Los Angeles in the first place. The 13-year veteran is also a family man, which seems to suggest that he will not hang on to his football career any longer than he deems necessary.
After that, the Chargers have Kellen Clemens on the roster. He’s never been anything more than a backup during a pedestrian 11-year career in the NFL.
Though, Lynn did make sure to note that he believes Rivers has something left in the tank.
“I think they have some good years left in them; don’t get me wrong. But you have to start thinking about down the line, too. I would love for a young quarterback to get in here and learn from Philip,” Lynn continued. “Philip is the ultimate pro in my opinion. We have a good situation for a young quarterback that doesn’t have to come in and play right now. He can sit, watch and learn.”
It sure looks like Lynn might be attempting to add a future franchise quarterback in next month’s draft. Those aren’t the words of a head coach looking at bringing in a project late-round pick.
Los Angeles picks seventh overall in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft. It could very well be in position to grab one of the signal callers projected to go in the first round. Should the team find itself in love with one of these quarterbacks, a trade up into the top five wouldn’t be out of the question.