Some good news just happened if you're a San Diego Chargers fan.
Darrell Stuckey has agreed to a new multi-year contract with the Chargers.
— Ricky Henne (@ChargersRHenne) March 8, 2014
Darrell Stuckey is a fan favorite, and a personal favorite as well. I've always wondered why he never got a shot to play on defense. Stuckey is an incredible athlete that has excelled each year on special teams. He's arguably the best special teamer in the league.
In 2013, John Pagano finally gave Stuckey a chance to play regularly on defense as well as special teams, and Stuckey proved he belongs.
This move gives the Chargers more flexibility on defense. The Chargers were at their best on defense when they were in their "Dime defense", aka, 6 defensive backs on the field. Stuckey has the range to play deep safety, and also was the athletic ability to come down and cover slot receivers. He's still only 26, so I'd like to see him continue to develop his awareness, and possibly get a shot at starting alongside Eric Weddle.
Stuckey only finished the season with 8 tackles, but that wasn't really his role this year. He was away from the line of scrimmage and in coverage.
It might seem like I'm overselling Stuckey, but here's how active he was. He was only target 13 times in coverage, and had 4 pass deflections. To put that into perspective, Shareece Wright had 7 pass deflections in 108 targets.
To recap the offseason so far, general manager Tom Telesco has done very well. He re-signed Donald Butler and restructured Eddie Royal, then cut Le'Ron McClain and CB Derek Cox. The only question left is what they plan on doing with T/G Jeromey Clary in the next few days.