Chargers’ Brandon Staley sounds off on loss of Drue Tranquill, arrival of Eric Kendricks

The Chargers lost one of their top free agents, as Drue Tranquill signed with Los Angeles’ rivals, the Chiefs on a one-year deal.

Tranquill proved to be one of the best defenders in the final year of his rookie deal. But despite his production on the field, the Chargers elected to go in a different direction at the position by signing veteran Eric Kendricks to a two-year deal.

“It was more about the opportunity to onboard Eric Kendricks,” Brandon Staley said Monday. “Very appreciative for Drue. I thought Drue played really well for us, and I wish him a lot of luck in Kansas City.

It’s the tough part of this position is seeing people that you care about, seeing people who played well for you move on. But I think this is more about the opportunity to add what we feel like is one of the best linebackers in the NFL.”

Kendricks, 31, was selected by Minnesota in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. His best season came in 2019 when he was named to the Pro Bowl and earned first-team All-Pro recognition. He led the team in tackles in seven of his eight years with the team.

This past season, he started in all 17 games, where he tallied 124 tackles and one sack.

Kendricks is one of the more decorated veteran linebackers in this league. And Staley couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to add him to the positional room and make him the presumed defensive play-caller in 2023.

“He’s one of the most complete linebackers in the last decade,” Staley said of Kendricks. “His instincts, his key diagnose, his ability to communicate, that energy in the middle, that true commander, a tackling machine, sideline to sideline, in the box, the physicality.

He’s one of the best passing game linebackers in the last decade. He comes from a pattern match scheme in Mike Zimmer, which is how we play, so the scheme transition is seamless.”