The Chargers are sitting pretty in salary cap space available heading into the offseason. However, if the team sees some opportunities to land a few big-name free agents while re-signing a few of their own, they would likely need to free up some money.
To do that, Los Angeles would need to deal some players that are still under contract. With that being said, here are four players that they could consider releasing as they head into the offseason.
G Trai Turner
After being acquired in a trade that involved tackle Russell Okung, the thought was that Turner was going to be an immediate upgrade at the right guard spot. However, the five-time Pro Bowler failed to live up to expectations. Turner missed seven games and when he was on the field, his play was lackluster. While he could turn things around next season, Los Angeles might be better off finding his replacement elsewhere based on the previous results. If the Chargers released him before June 1, they would save $11.5 million in cap savings.
CB Casey Hayward
Hayward was touted as one the team’s best defenders heading into the season after consistently performing at a high level the past few seasons. However, Hayward wasn’t one that was able to be relied on every Sunday. This past season, Hayward allowed 36 catches on 75 targets for 610 yards (16.9 yards per reception). A reason for the decline in his play could be the various injuries he sustained throughout the year and sporadic scheme changes. If the Chargers were to release him, they would save $9.75 million.
CB Chris Harris, Jr.
Like Turner and Hayward, Harris was hampered by a severe injury that kept him out a total of seven games. When he was on the field, Harris allowed 27 receptions on 38 targets (71.1 completion percentage) for 394 yards. There’s a good chance that the reasoning for his underwhelming season had to do with the injury and the team could be banking on a bounce-back season, especially under coach Brandon Staley and defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill, both of whom he’s familiar with. If the Bolts did cut Harris, they would save $7.5 million.
WR Mike Williams
Williams has a $15.68 million cap hit on his fifth-year option. Considering the former No. 7 overall pick has flashed but has never reached his full potential, the Chargers may consider looking elsewhere to fill the No. 2 spot behind Keenan Allen. General manager Tom Telesco could restructure his contract. But given their amount of cap space, Los Angeles may be willing to keep Williams at that price to further quarterback Justin Herbert’s candidates.