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Bleacher Report names Chargers’ 3 most likely cap casualties this offseason

It’s a huge offseason ahead for the Chargers, and that includes some decisions within its own roster.

We are at that point of the year when the offseason rumor mill gets fired up. The Chargers have a huge few months ahead of them to try and improve this roster to become legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

The front office will have some big decisions to make within the roster. With that, we will debate whether the Chargers should cut ties with the following players, all potential cap casualties Bleacher Report identified.

EDGE Joey Bosa

This is a controversial one. Bosa has established himself as one of the best Chargers defenders of all time. He’s made four Pro Bowls, yet the last of those appearances came back in 2021. He’s looked like a shell of his old self for three seasons now, and he’s combined to play just 28 games. Bosa combined for just 14 sacks in that timeframe, which is not worth the hefty $135 million contract he signed back in 2020.

In 14 appearances this season, the veteran had just five sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. At this point, it may be best for the Chargers to move on from him. Khalil Mack is a free agent on the other side, so that’s something to keep in mind. Losing both Mack and Bosa would be detrimental to this pass rush, but regardless, edge rusher is a huge long-term need for this team at this point.

RB Gus Edwards

Edwards’ first season in Los Angeles was disappointing. After a career-best 2023 campaign, he struggled to earn much of a role. Even when J.K. Dobbins fell with an injury, Edwards failed to step up. It was the worst season of his career in rushing yards (365) and yards per carry (3.6). It feels like a no-brainer to move on from him this offseason, which would save the Chargers $3.1 million. Running back remains a massive need for this team, but Edwards doesn’t have much of a future in Los Angeles.

OL Trey Pipkins

The Chargers have done a solid job fortifying their offensive line through the draft. Center and right guard remain the biggest weaknesses amongst the unit, the latter in which Pipkins resides. The Chargers would save $6.8 million by cutting, and quite frankly, he’s just not worth much of a contract at this point. Pipkins was inconsistent throughout this season, and the team could easily find his replacement for a much cheaper price through the draft or free agency. Amongst 135 qualifying offensive guards, Pipkins ranked 86th with a 57.8 overall grade in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.

ESPN makes ‘big prediction’ for the Chargers’ offseason

Right guard was a major weakness for the Chargers this past season, which could lead them to pursue the position heavily in free agency.

The Chargers have some holes that need to be addressed this offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Throughout the 2024 campaign, the interior portion of the offensive line proved to be the group’s weakness.

Center Bradley Bozeman and right guard Trey Pipkins were the two weak spots along the offensive line. Both of their futures in Los Angeles remain unclear, as Pipkins could become a cap casualty.

In fact, that seems likely to happen as he doesn’t seem to be worth the money that he is being paid. Regardless, offensive line remains a position of need for Los Angeles, whether it be in the draft or free agency.

In a recent article, ESPN’s Ben Solak boldly predicts that the Chargers would make a splash at right guard this offseason. Solak thinks the team will land a big-name free agent at the position.

“They will pursue a potential long-term starter at guard with a strong run-blocking background. Will Hernandez, Mekhi Becton, and Aaron Banks all make sense as free agent targets.”

Amongst the listed names, Becton is perhaps the most intriguing one. Originally drafted 11th overall to be an offensive tackle, he made the transition to guard this past season with the Eagles. The former New York Jet did quite well, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 21st best guard with a 75.2 overall grade.

Becton is particularly effective in the run game, as Solak mentioned, an aspect of offense that we know Jim Harbaugh loves. None of those three names are considered elite at their position, but they would all be upgrades over Pipkins.

It may take a slight overpay, but it would be worth it to upgrade this offensive line once again. It would also help improve the team’s run game, which was inconsistent for the duration of the 2024 season.

7 potential Chargers draft targets on defense to watch at the East-West Shrine Bowl

The Chargers need to upgrade a few positions on the defensive side of the ball, so here are seven players that they could have on their radar.

Draft season kicks into high gear, with the East-West Shrine Bowl set to start this week. This event is the beginning of the pre-draft process for NFL teams as they continue their evaluations of prospects.

Here are seven defensive players to watch for the Chargers in Frisco, TX.

DL Kenneth Grant, Michigan

The Chargers need to upgrade the interior part of the defensive line, and they could do so as early as the first round with Grant, who is familiar with head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. A member of The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Freak List, Grant offers the overall size, strength, explosiveness, and disruptiveness to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

DL Jordan Phillips, Maryland

Another member of the Freak List, Phillips is a trench-bound nightmare for offensive centers and guards, possessing the power and heavy hands that enable him to knock blockers back and the anchor strength when defending the run, as he is not easily moved off the ball. At only 20 years of age, his best football is still ahead of him.

EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Virginia Tech

The future of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack with the Chargers remains to be seen. But regardless of whether they’re back or not, the team needs to add more pass-rush juice to the positional room. Powell finished this season with 16 sacks (second-most in the nation) and three forced fumbles after 9.5 sacks and three fumbles in 2023. Despite being a little undersized at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, he is explosive off the snap with an excellent first step, great bend, and active hands.

EDGE Johnny Walker, Missouri

Walker was a standout for the Tigers this season, finishing the season with 42 quarterback pressures, 9.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Walker’s explosiveness off the ball is what stands out. He has good bend and flexibility, allowing him to get around tackles and to the quarterback. He has the makings of a solid designated pass rusher for the Chargers early in his career.

CB Zy Alexander, LSU

Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton are both set to be free agents. Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still (who attended last year’s East-West Shrine Bowl) showed they could be starters, but the position room would benefit from depth behind them. At 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, Alexander possesses great size and length, ball skills, long speed, and physicality in run support that is coveted at the position. During his college career, Alexander intercepted 13 passes.

CB Mello Dotson, Kansas

Kansas has two cornerbacks attending the Shrine Bowl, and it’s been Dotson’s teammate, Cobee Bryant, who’s earned more of the attention. But Dotson should not be slept on. Dotson is the first AP All-American defensive back from Kansas since Aqib Talib. An experienced player, Dotson started 46 games for the Jayhawks. A ballhawk in the secondary with great anticipatory instincts, he totaled 12 career interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns, and 25 passes defended.

S Shamari Simmons, Arizona State

The Chargers’ safety group was one of their strongest positions this past season. But with Elijah Molden slated to hit the free agency market and Alohi Gilman’s contract expiring at the end of next season, they could afford to add more playmakers on the back end. Simmons was the Sun Devils’ Nickel in 2024, but he has plenty of experience playing the deep parts of the field, too. Simmons can make plays all over with his FBI/instincts, twitch, and violent demeanor.

2025 NFL draft: PFF identifies ‘perfect’ prospect for Chargers

Pro Football Focus recently identified the perfect 2025 NFL draft prospect for every team in the league.

For Los Angeles, it is Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.

Considering Jim Harbaugh’s affinity for tight ends, it was a major surprise to many that Seattle was quicker on the trigger in last year’s draft for former Michigan TE AJ Barner (30 catches for 245 yards and four TDs in 2024). Luckily for the Chargers’ head coach, he can set his sights on another Michigan man in this draft, one with the athletic profile that warrants a first-round selection.

Despite a 2024 campaign limited by spotty QB play and multiple injuries, Loveland still managed a 90.2 receiving grade. Over the past two seasons for the Maize and Blue, he amassed 103 catches for 649 yards, nine scores and 62 first downs.

L.A. hasn’t had a good pass-catching tight end since Hunter Henry a few years back. When Henry was with the Chargers, he and Justin Herbert had a strong chemistry, so adding a receiving TE is imperative.

Loveland could step in from Day 1 and fulfill that need.

A run-heavy offense and instability at quarterback limited Loveland this past season. Still, he has proven himself a reliable receiver, possessing the route-running chops, ball skills, contested catch ability, and body control.

Loveland was a key piece of the Wolverines’ offense in 2023, the year that Jim Harbaugh guided them to a national title. He posted 45 receptions for 649 yards and four touchdowns.

NFL executives predict Chargers will trade for two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver

The Chargers need to upgrade the wide receiver room this offseason, and one way they could do so is by trading for a two-time Pro Bowler.

ESPN asked NFL team executives, scouts and personnel figures to make some offseason predictions, and they see Los Angeles trading for Seahawks’ DK Metcalf.

“The Seahawks can still get good value for him, and he could pair with Ladd McConkey for a good inside-out tandem,” an NFL coordinator said of a move to the Chargers. “[Justin] Herbert to Metcalf would be scary. I think [Los Angeles] will be looking to help the quarterback in a big way.”

On paper, the Chargers trading for Metcalf sounds great. The 27-year-old Metcalf is a big-time playmaker coming off a season where he nearly topped 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time in his career.

However, what it would come down to is the compensation for him.

Metcalf is signed through the end of the 2025 season, so the Chargers would have to trade and likely sign him to an extension. The price would probably have to be right because it’s uncertain if general manager Joe Hortiz would be willing to give up high draft capital.

Metcalf is familiar with wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal, who served as Seattle’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In those seasons, Metcalf surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and had a career-high yards per reception in 2023 (16.9 YPC).

Chargers projected to receive 3 compensatory picks in 2025 NFL draft

The Chargers are projected to have three additional Day 3 picks.

In the 2025 NFL draft, the Chargers will likely have three extra picks, according to Over The Cap.

Compensatory picks are awarded to teams who lose out on significant players in free agency and are awarded to those teams the next year.

The pick given to teams is calculated on a formula that includes a number of qualifiers, including the average per year (APY) of a contract signed, the percentage of snaps a player plays, and their awards and accolades for their performance, such as the AP All-Pro list or PFWA’s list.

Over The Cap projects Los Angeles to receive a fifth-round pick for linebacker Kenneth Murray (Titans), a sixth-rounder for tight end Gerald Everett (Bears), and a seventh-round selection for cornerback Michael Davis (Commanders).

The NFL will announce the finalized compensatory picks closer to the draft.

Chargers have decision to make at center: Will they keep Bradley Bozeman?

The Chargers have a decision to make regarding their plan with the center position.

The Chargers have some big decisions to make with their internal free agents. Among the crop includes center Bradley Bozeman.

Signed last offseason to replace Corey Linsley, Bozeman started all 18 games and led the team in offensive snaps with 1,057.

While he was on the field for nearly every snap, Bozeman experienced some struggles, particularly in pass protection. He finished with a 53.1 pass-blocking grade, which ranked 53rd out of 64 qualifying centers.

Bozeman would like to return to Los Angeles. Following the Chargers’ loss to the Texans in the wild-card round, while fighting back tears, Bozeman said, “I hope I’m around next year. I love this place. I want to be here. But right now, it’s out of my hands.”

When asked about the possibility of Bozeman returning, general manager Joe Hortiz said, “We want everyone back,” adding that he’s already had conversations with him about possibly returning.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh heaped high praise on Bozeman’s availability. “I want guys like that back,” Harbaugh said.

The Chargers would love to have Bozeman back, but they must start thinking about the future.

That is why they should look to the draft to add one and let there be competition for the starting job. However, if Bozeman is guaranteed to start somewhere else, Los Angeles will likely skim through the free agency market for a veteran.

PFF names Chargers’ breakout candidate for 2025

A Chargers defender was tabbed as a breakout candidate for the 2025 season.

Every season, some players emerge whose presences may not have been known the previous season, whether they had limited snaps or dealt with an injury.

Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker went through all 32 teams and named an early breakout candidate from each one. For the Chargers, Locker pegged second-year linebacker Junior Colson as his.

Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye are free agents, as are several notable Chargers defenders. That should open the door for Colson, who will get another year to develop in Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter’s scheme. Colson struggled in coverage in the 2024 regular season to a dismal 34.0 PFF coverage grade, but he impressed as a tackler, with only a 6.7% miss rate. The Chargers helped Daiyan Henley improve into a solid off-ball linebacker this year, and the 22-year-old Colson might be next up.

Colson, the 2024 third-round pick out of Michigan, had his rookie season slowed due to injuries. He appeared in 11 games, finishing with 29 tackles and one pass deflection.

Looking ahead to his sophomore season, Colson is currently in line to start alongside Daiyan Henley, who had a Pro Bowl-caliber season in his first year as a full-time starter.

The body of work that defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was able to do with Henley this past season should be an indication of what he could do with Colson in Year 2.

Raiders close to stealing front office member from the Chargers

The Raiders are bringing in the Chargers’ assistant general manager for a second, in-person interview.

Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander will fly to Las Vegas on Monday for a second, in-person interview for the Raiders’ general manager position, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Before coming to Los Angeles, Alexander spent five years as the Jets’ director of player personnel. He played a key role in New York drafting Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, the 2022 Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year.

Before joining New York, Alexander spent 20 seasons with the Ravens, most of which was with general manager Joe Hortiz. He worked in various roles, from an area scout to serving as Baltimore’s Assistant Director of Pro Personnel in his final nine seasons.

Alexander attended the NFL’s Front Office & General Manager Accelerator Program in Dallas last month.

If Alexander is hired, it would be the second consecutive year in which the Raiders hired a general manager from the Chargers’ front office. Last year, they hired Tom Telesco, who was fired after one season in Las Vegas. Telesco was with the Bolts for 11 seasons.

Patriots request to interview Chargers coach for job opening

Marcus Brady has served as an offensive coordinator.

The Patriots requested to interview Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady for their offensive coordinator position, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

New England hired Mike Vrabel as its new head coach after firing Jerod Mayo, and now he is looking to build his staff.

Brady finished his first season in Los Angeles. Before coming to L.A. last offseason, Brady was the Eagles’ senior offensive assistant.

Before joining Philadelphia, Brady was with the Colts for five seasons, starting as their assistant quarterbacks coach in 2018.

That year, he helped Andrew Luck finish with one of the best seasons of his career, in which he threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns en route to winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Brady was promoted to quarterbacks coach the following season. In 2020, Philip Rivers finished the season in the top ten in completion percentage (68%) and passing yards (4,169).

He became the Colts’ offensive coordinator in 2021. That year, Indianapolis finished second in the NFL in rushing yards per game (149.4) and yards per carry (5.1) and tied for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (22).

Before joining the NFL ranks, Brady was an offensive coordinator in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for eight seasons.