Tag: Chargers FA

What the Chargers can do with their cap space after roster moves

The Chargers currently sit at about $28 million in salary cap space.

The Chargers currently sit at about $28 million in salary cap space. Some of that will be saved for draft pick allocation in addition to the contracts of LA’s recent free agent acquisitions that are not yet baked in. But, as a result of trading Keenan Allen, Joe Hortiz and company have some avenues towards becoming active in the second wave of free agency.

One position the Chargers should be aggressive in acquiring prior to the draft is center. Corey Linsley’s likely retirement has left a hole that is currently filled by Brenden Jaimes. Bradley Bozeman, amongst other potential options, would make a lot of sense given his history. He also doesn’t factor into the comp pick formula because he was cut by Carolina.

Signings like Bozeman’s are what I imagine being the strategy for other positions as well. One-year deals with a positive upside that builds depth so the team isn’t quite as pigeonholed in the draft seems like the way to go.

With Josh Palmer currently the #1 wideout on the depth chart, wide receiver is another position where the Chargers should arguably make an investment post-Allen trade. The market is a bit dry given that the Allen trade happened nearly a week into the tampering/free agency window. Options like Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyler Boyd are projected to get $7-8 million in AAV on shorter-term deals via PFF’s projections. Other less expensive veteran wideouts like Josh Reynolds and Marquez Valdes-Scantling could also be in play.

However, Hortiz did mention the depth of this receiver class before in his media availability at the combine. Considering how deep it is thought to be, there could be an argument for LA to take multiple wideouts as opposed to using the free-agent market.

At linebacker, the team looks to fortify starter, depth, and special teams talent with the signing of Troy Dye and Denzel Perryman. Other depth linebackers could still be appealing as LA explores their options. Zach Cunningham and Isaiah Simmons could play well in coverage with a Jesse Minter scheme.

Another position the Chargers don’t seem set on entering the draft is cornerback. Vet options like Stephon Gilmore and Steven Nelson are still waiting in the second wave of free agency. Cheaper options like Rock Ya-Sin or even a reunion with Michael Davis could also make sense. The Chargers shouldn’t go into the draft with Asante Samuel Jr. being the only starter-level worthy cornerback on the roster.

In any event, the goal for positions like center, wide receiver, linebacker, and cornerback on the roster right now should be getting playable talent for draft leverage. You’re not going to fill every hole in free agency and it’s still a tall task to do it in the draft, even with the newly added fourth-round pick. Giving the roster some breathing room at key spots should be the goal to give LA more flexibility in April.

CBS Sports: Chargers land wide receiver in free agency mock draft

With free agency upon us, CBS Sports conducted the veteran market like a draft.

The Chargers wide receiver room could be undergoing some remodeling this off-season.

While they are in the market for one, particularly with speed, Los Angeles may be looking to find a replacement for veteran Keenan Allen, who is dubbed a potential cut casualty or trade option, given the team’s need to free up salary cap space.

If the Bolts move Allen, there is the possibility that they go into free agency looking to fill the void, or at least CBS Sport’s Cody Benjamin believes so.

Benjamin conducted a free-agency mock draft using educated guesses (and considered well-informed reports from across the league) and made the order by projected 2023 cap space.

With the No. 28 overall selection, Benjamin has Los Angeles “taking” Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell.

With Keenan Allen a potential cap casualty coming off an injury-shortened year, the Chargers may be in the market for a WR2 opposite Mike Williams. While Campbell has had his own issues staying on the field, he broke out as a speed threat for the Colts in 2022. His multipurpose abilities alongside RB Austin Ekeler would potentially spice up the offense for Justin Herbert.

Campbell, a second-round pick of the 2019 NFL draft, dealt with a fair share of injuries for most of his pro career. But he stayed healthy this past season, and Campbell set career-highs with 63 receptions and 623 yards while adding three touchdowns.

Campbell is an explosive player with track-star speed and fantastic agility, something the Chargers would benefit from.

But given his injury history and his projected contract of three years for $23.25 million ($7.75M per year) and $13.25 million total guaranteed, it might not be the most logical route to address the position.

Instead, Los Angeles could choose to sign a receiver to a veteran minimum contract and draft one early on, whether they choose to keep Allen or not, and still be in good shape.

One free agent each NFL team should want to sign in 2023

Find out the pending free agent each team should look to sign, including the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chiefs and Eagles are set to put a bow on the 2022 season when they battle in Super Bowl LVII. But the other 30 teams are already engrossed in the offseason, which kicks into gear ahead of the start of the new league year.

We’re just over a month away from the start of free agency, which begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 15. But the legal tampering window opens two days before that on March 13, where teams will be able to negotiate with free agents before the official start of the 2023 season.

The 2023 salary cap has already been set at $224.8 million, and there are a number of teams who have some work to do over the next month when it comes to building their rosters.

Our NFL Wire editors identified one pending free agent (at the time of publication) that each team should sign to help improve their roster. From the look of it, expect players like safety Jessie Bates III, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to be hot commodities this offseason.

4 pending free agents Chargers must prioritize re-signing

The Chargers have 15 pending free agents heading into the offseason.

The 2023 free agency period on the NFL calendar begins on March 15, but it will be before you know it. The Chargers have 15 pending free agents heading into the offseason.

General manager Tom Telesco will have to be selective when deciding who’s worthy of being brought back next season since the team does not have a lot of spendings this go around.

Los Angeles is projected to be $19.4 million over the salary cap in 2023, the fifth-worst situation in the NFL. However, they could free up some of that with internal moves.

With that, here’s a look at the top priorities based on their play from this past season when Los Angeles begins that process.

2021 expectations for Chargers’ newest free agent signings

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the roles that the free agents from this offseason will have in 2021.

In part of the roster reconstruction, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco didn’t shy away from adding a few earlier this offseason.

With that in mind, here is what fans can expect from each of Telesco’s acquisitions heading into the upcoming season:

C Corey Linsley

The acquisition of Linsley fills the void at center in a big way, as he is a former All-Pro player and perhaps the best center in football. Linsley will help both in the passing game, especially with stunts up the middle, and the running game, as well as aid quarterback Justin Herbert in his pre-snap assessments and protection adjustments. A proven veteran like Linsley is a massive upgrade to the offensive line.

G Matt Feiler

After acquiring Linsley, the Chargers picked up Feiler to serve as the starting left guard, despite having experience at both tackle and guard. His primary position from Day 1 will be along the interior, but if an injury occurred to Bryan Bulaga, Feiler is capable of playing right tackle. He will be a key piece in both the passing and running game. In 1,499 pass-blocking snaps, Feiler only blew 31. In 903 run-blocking snaps, he only blew eight, per Sports Info Solutions.

G Oday Aboushi

The Chargers failed to get consistency at the right guard position from Trai Turner last season. The team released Turner and went out and signed Aboushi in correspondence. Aboushi was a great value signing at one year, $1.6 million. He will have some competition in fifth-round Brenden Jaimes this summer, but given the fact that he is coming off his best season yet as a pro with the Lions, Aboushi should lock up the starting spot. Aboushi gives the team a physical blocker in both departments as well as a gritty presence in the room.

TE Jared Cook

With Hunter Henry signing with the Patriots, the Chargers needed to acquire a starting tight end. Cook was that guy. More experienced as a receiver than a blocker, Cook will provide a big frame in the middle of the field and down the seam for quarterback Justin Herbert. Cook is familiar with offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and the scheme he will try to run, so it will help in the learning curve.

CB Ryan Smith

While he has experience as a starter in the secondary, Smith’s money with the Chargers will be made on special teams, where he will aide in the coverage units. Last season, Smith appeared in all 16 regular-season games for the Buccaneers and played 78 percent of the special teams snaps (360). He also played at least 73 percent of the special teams snaps in each of the team’s four postseason games.

EDGE Kyler Fackrell

The Chargers entered the offseason with a need at the position knowing that the depth was thin, with the only other players they had were Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu and Jesse Lemonier. With Bosa and Nwosu slated to start, Fackrell will come in as rotational pass-rusher, with the majority of his work coming on special teams, having played over 1,000 special teams snaps in his career.

DT Christian Covington

The Chargers did not address the position in the draft, despite it being a group that needed additional depth. To fulfill it, the team signed Covington. Covington possesses versatility up front as he has experience playing anywhere from nose tackle to outside of the tackles. Similar to Damion Square, Covington will likely back up Jerry Tillery and Justin Jones. He is a guy who is capable of disrupting the backfield due to his great lateral quickness and burst to jump off the snap as well as length and strength to take on double teams.

Best remaining free agents for Chargers heading into NFL draft

A look at the best players available at each position of need for the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of the draft.

All the attention is shifted to the NFL draft and what the Chargers will do with their selections and which undrafted free agents will follow.

While many believe the roster-building process will end there, Los Angeles could still round out the group with some free agency signings after the draft.

With that being said, I laid out the best remaining free agents at the positions that I could see head coach Brandon Staley wanting to address.