NFL

The Chargers are desperate for linebackers with Melvin Ingram (ACL surgery) out for the year. Dwight Freeney was signed on Saturday and will replace Ingram in a pass-rushing role, but English is still expected to see an increase in defensive snaps. The 16th overall pick in 2009, English has been a massive bust to this point. He had a career-low 1.5 sacks in 14 games last season.

Royal and Robert Meachem were signed to multi-year contracts last spring, and both were colossal busts in 2012. Royal was always battling a hamstring injury, and he finished the season with just 23 grabs for 234 yards and a touchdown in ten games played. The Chargers have depth at receiver, and the team could use some money to go get a free agent left tackle like Max Starks.

33-year-old Freeney recorded 12 tackles and five sacks in the Colts' 3-4 defense last season, but it wasn't a particularly strong fit for his skill set. He was expected to eye a return back to the 4-3, but money talks and the Chargers had a huge need for a pass rusher after losing Melvin Ingram to a torn ACL. Freeney should see significant snaps opposite Jarret Johnson, and the Chargers have already stated that they could tinker their defense to better suit the veteran. Freeney will not lack scheme familiarity. He played in Chuck Pagano's defense in 2012, and Chuck's brother John is the Chargers' defensive coordinator.

Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation. Even if Ingram made an Adrian Peterson-style recovery, there's almost no way he'd have a realistic chance of contributing this year. Disappointing 2009 first-rounder Larry English is a candidate to take Ingram's place in the starting lineup, but not as the edge rusher San Diego desperately needs. Free agent Dwight Freeney will visit Wednesday.

Keiser (6-foot-3, 261) was cut by the Panthers three days ago. The 24-year-old undrafted free agent out of Stanford has 4.5 career sacks in 311 defensive snaps, and he'll compete at a wafer thin outside 'backer spot in San Diego.

He's almost certainly out for the season. It's a crushing blow for a Chargers' pass rush that was already perilously thin, and major setback for a player coming off a mediocre rookie campaign. The No. 18 pick of last year's draft, Ingram should be stashed on injured reserve some time in August. The only silver lining is that he'll have well over an entire calendar year to get back to 100 percent. As for the Bolts' pass rush, new GM Tom Telesco will likely at least consider making a run at free agent Dwight Freeney. Telesco was the Colts' VP of football operations before heading to Southern California. John Abraham and Israel Idonije are two other possibilities. The rush linebacker market is comically thin.

The Union-Tribue San Diego reports Ingram will receive a "couple more opinions" before the Chargers decide what to do. A torn ACL would be a big blow for the rebuilding Bolts, who are "hopeful" the 2012 first-rounder can take a big step forward this season after they let Antwan Barnes and Shaun Phillips walk in free agency. Ingram played just 475 snaps as a rookie, notching one sack and 41 tackles. The Chargers' pass-rush is about to go from an area of need to an area of crisis.