Chargers have one of the NFL’s youngest rosters

After Saturday’s “22 funerals happening in the same day” -Joe Barksdale, the Philly Voice compiled a list of the ages of each NFL rosters, and after taking the average, the Chargers have jumped from the 12th oldest roster at an average age of 26.32 to the 9th youngest roster in the NFL at an average age of 25.73.

Two years ago, the Chargers were the 5th oldest roster in the NFL. The Rams are, for the fifth year in a row, the youngest team in the NFL with an average age of 25. The Falcons took the mantle from the Colts this year to be the oldest team in the NFL at 27.08 years on average.

While stunning, it can’t come as a surprise, because under Mike McCoy and Tom Telesco, the Chargers have undertaken a massive roster overhaul, since Tom Telesco was signed on January 9th, 2013. Since then, only 5 players remain from that same squad. Those players are Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Corey Liuget, Melvin Ingram, and Mike Windt.

Most recently, the Chargers decided to not engage in contract talks with All-Pro Free Safety Eric Weddle, who is 31 years old, after a 9-year career in San Diego. They lost long-time receiver 34-year-old Malcom Floyd to retirement (the WR who Rivers threw his first NFL TD to), released Donald Brown (29), and Donald Butler (27). David Johnson (29), Jeffrey Linkenbach (29), Ricardo Mathews (29), Joe Mays (31), John Phillips (29), Patrick Robinson (28), Johnnie Troutman (28), Cassius Vaughn (28), and J.D. Walton (29) were also not resigned this offseason. Jacoby Jones was also released part-way through the season.

Tom Telesco has quickly taken this Chargers roster from one of the oldest to one of the youngest. It is arguable if it has worked, considering the 4-12 season the Chargers just had, but with young budding stars such as Jason Verrett, Keenan Allen, Denzel Perryman, and hopefully the emergence of Melvin Gordon, the future looks bright for this Chargers team.