The Los Angeles Chargers are set to embark one of the most intriguing offseasons in the past decade.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the Bolts should make these five moves. They include franchise tagging tight end Hunter Henry, fixing the offensive line, finding a new quarterback, extending defensive end Joey Bosa and picking up wide receiver Mike Williams’ fifth-year option.
The first item on Barnwell’s list is tagging Henry, who is set to be a free agent.
With so many teams around the league desperate for tight end help and a middling class coming out of college in 2020, Henry has a significant market in free agency. Keeping him on a one-year deal for a projected $11.1 million makes a lot of sense for the Chargers, and he would even have some trade value at that price tag. Transitioning him also would give the Chargers the chance to match what Henry receives on the open market, which could be an appealing alternative.
Barnwell believes the Chargers can’t hold off on working a deal with Bosa.
With Bosa hitting his fifth-year option, it’s about time for this team to lock up its star defensive end. Bosa will look to top the five-year, $105 million deal DeMarcus Lawrence signed with the Cowboys last year, and if the Chargers are quick, they can get a Bosa deal done before Clowney signs a bigger contract in free agency. Bosa’s numbers compare favorably to Clowney’s, so if Clowney ends up getting five years and $120 million in free agency, Bosa will ask to top those numbers on an extension.
Barnwell thinks the Chargers will use their first-round selection to draft a quarterback. If not, they could sign someone like Marcus Mariota. To Barnwell, addressing the offensive line can be accomplished via the NFL Draft. However, he doesn’t mention free agency as an outlet. With Williams, a long-term deal isn’t a priority at the moment, but picking up his option should be.
Time will tell what happens in the coming months.