‘They were really close’: How key free agents plan to take Chargers to next level

As they moved from station to station in the shadow of the Chargers’ practice facility, Tyler Conklin seemingly never strayed too far from Justin Herbert. No moment is too early for a new tight end to strike up a relationship with the star quarterback.

“He’s a really special guy,” Conklin said Tuesday as the Chargers began their offseason program. “He obviously has the arm, can make every throw on the field, which is crucial, but also just the athleticism he has to extend plays. I think he can do a lot of things that just elevates everybody around him and that’s really exciting to be around.”

With Herbert still at the center of the team’s plans, the Chargers spent the first phase of free agency hoping to surround the quarterback with steady playmakers. Conklin caught 51 passes for 449 yards receiving and a career-best four touchdowns for the New York Jets last season before signing with the Chargers on a one-year contract. Fellow free agents Mike Williams and Najee Harris were also seen on the field Tuesday on the first day of voluntary offseason workouts.

Offensive lineman Mekhi Becton, fresh off winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, thought his free agency would play out differently than it did. The 26-year-old was coming off what he felt was the best season of his career. It was surely the healthiest of his career as he was two years removed from a broken knee cap suffered during training camp in 2022.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting it to be,” Becton said of the free-agency process that ended with him signing a reported two-year, $20-million contract with the Chargers. “But I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

Becton noted how the Chargers embraced him with open arms. Coach Jim Harbaugh did so quite literally, greeting the 6-foot-7, 363-pound offensive lineman with a big hug at the Chargers’ practice facility late at night when he signed his contract in March.

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Despite experience at both left and right tackle as well as right guard, Becton is expected to slot in at right guard for the Chargers, the same position he anchored during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. His pairing with all-rookie right tackle Joe Alt (6-8, 322 pounds) gives the Chargers an imposing presence on the right side of the line in front of Herbert.

Alt has been on Becton’s radar for years. The veteran has admired the Notre Dame alumnus since he entered the league.

“He’s like a dancing bear,” Becton said. “He’s really light on his feet.”

Alt and left tackle Rashawn Slater were star bookends for an offensive line that set a strong foundation for the future under Harbaugh. The Chargers’ turnaround from five wins in 2023 to 11 in 2024 was the franchise’s best single-season improvement since 2004.

Yet the team fell short of ending another key drought. The Chargers haven’t won a playoff game since 2018.

“Their season last year, they were really close,” Becton said. “They need a few pieces and I feel like I’m one of those pieces that can help out.”

The Chargers’ immediate success under Harbaugh was a top selling point for Conklin, who has had just one winning season in his seven-year NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings and Jets. With only one day of voluntary workouts done, Conklin was determined to keep expectations in check.

“I think the big thing is how do we come to this building every day and create better relationships as teammates, from player to coach,” Conklin said, “and how do we master the playbook and get as athletic and explosive as possible to perform at the level that we need to perform at. …

“We all know the aspirations of all NFL teams and I think a big thing for us is just the day-by-day approach, how can we get better every day and just let that keep carrying on.”