This offseason is going to be one of the most enticing ones that we’ve seen in years for the Chargers. With a handful of notables whose contracts are up, general manager Tom Telesco will have some tough decisions to make.
Among the crop of soon-to-be free agents is quarterback Philip Rivers, tight end Hunter Henry and running back Melvin Gordon.
ESPN’s Field Yates did an exercise where he played matchmaker for the top 25 free agents for 2020, pairing them with the best landing spot come March.
First up is Rivers. Yates believes that Los Angeles will not elect to re-sign the veteran quarterback and with him hitting the market, he believes Rivers would be a great fit for the Chicago Bears, who are currently on fence with Mitchell Trubisky after an underwhelming season.
If not for the strong play of Ryan Tannehill, the easy route would have been suggesting Rivers to the Titans, who play in his home state. Obviously a return to Los Angeles is in play here, but Rivers’ unsteady play this season has people at least wondering about his future. Chicago needs a quarterback fix and is in no position to draft one without a first-round pick. This would be a fun one.
The next one up is Henry. Though he’s been hampered with injuries throughout his career, he is a playmaker that L.A. needs in the passing game, and it’s unlikely that they would move on from him, which is why Yates has him staying put.
Henry is a legitimate, bona fide, no-doubt-about-it star when healthy. He has unfortunately dealt with multiple injuries early in his career but has returned strong this season and is one of the game’s top tight ends. The Chargers need to ensure he’s a part of their core to build around going forward.
Lastly is Gordon, who held out this past offseason with the desire to receive a pretty hefty paycheck, but the Chargers chose not to pay him anything more than $10 million annually. Yates believes that no matter how Gordon finishes the year, the team still isn’t going to dish the money to the 26-year old back.
Instead, an AFC West rival signs him to one-year deal to prove his worth and that he can stay healthy for the full slate.
Hear me out: The Chiefs have used a committee approach this season at running back with mixed results. I do not expect them to pony up substantial cash for a back this offseason, and I’m not convinced Gordon sees a robust market. Let’s envision a scenario where Gordon doesn’t fetch that long-term deal he desires and realizes a season in a high-octane offense to build his value back up makes sense for a payday in 2021. A modest one-year, prove-it deal? Sensible to me.
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