Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are the positions the Chargers could look to upgrade before the deadline.
October 31 is inching closer, which means the NFL trade deadline is near.
Following their bye, the Chargers will embark on a 13-game stretch, meaning they will need all the reinforcements they can get to bolster position groups that are a little thin or in case someone goes down.
With that said, let’s look at a few positions that Los Angeles could look to upgrade within the next couple of weeks.
Teams have until Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 1:00 pm PT to make a trade.
The Chargers bye week is coming to a close, as is the NFL trade deadline.
Teams have until Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 1:00 pm PT to make a trade for the remainder of the regular season. And the question looms if Los Angeles will be a buyer.
L.A. has dealt with a flurry of injuries at various positions, but the units that could use some retooling the most are wide receiver and cornerback.
Keenan Allen should be back to full health from a hamstring injury, as should Joshua Palmer, who missed Week 7 with a concussion. But Mike Williams will be out for multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain.
The Bolts’ offensive production has been incoherent for various reasons. However, the team has been unable to produce explosive plays because of the lack of speed in the room.
Some big-name receivers that could be made available for trade include Texans’ Brandin Cooks, Jets’ Elijah Moore, Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy, and Steelers’ Chase Claypool.
Even though the Chargers have the cap space, they don’t have much. And that could be one of the variables that sways them away from pursuing one of the players mentioned, but there are still other viable options.
As for the cornerback position, Los Angeles will be without its big-ticket free-agent acquisition in J.C. Jackson, who had season-ending ankle surgery.
Michael Davis will start in place of him, with Asante Samuel Jr. playing the other boundary spot. The depth behind them is thin, as rookie Deane Leonard is the only other outside corner.
Some players who might be on the trading block are Seahawks’ Sidney Jones. Chiefs’ Rashad Fenton, Vikings’ Kris Boyd, and Commanders’ William Jackson, among others.
In 10 years as general manager, Tom Telesco hasn’t pulled off a trade at the deadline to acquire a new asset, except for trading away cornerback Desmond King to get a draft pick in return in 2020.
But given the aggressiveness in free agency last offseason and this offseason, Telesco pulling the trigger on a player to improve the roster should not be written off.
“We are always going to look for avenues to enhance our team and make it better,” Staley said about exploring a trade ahead of the deadline. “If those avenues are possible, then we’ll definitely explore them.”
General manager Tom Telesco stuck to his guns.
As the clock struck 1 pm PT, the NFL trade deadline officially passed.
Despite needing defensive and offensive line help and a speedy wide receiver, the Chargers decided to roll with what they have.
Seeing Los Angeles not making should not surprise, however.
General manager Tom Telesco has not been notorious for making in-season trades since taking over as general manager in 2013.
Telesco has only made two.
The first came when he traded WR Dontrelle Inman to the Bears for a seventh-round pick, and the other came last season when CB Desmond King was shipped to the Titans for a sixth-round pick.
Telesco’s non-aggressive approach to trades, especially during the season, comes down to him valuing his cap space and draft picks and building the team within the players he brings in.
That is one of the things that attracted Brandon Staley when deciding to take the head coach position.
Despite coming away empty-handed, it’s still possible that the Chargers could dip into the free agency pool to address some of their needs.
Chargers HC Brandon Staley is not ruling out a potential trade.
The NFL trade deadline is upon us, and the Chargers could use some reinforcements, most notably along the defensive line.
However, Tom Telesco has not been notorious for making splash in-season trades since taking over as general manager back in 2013.
Telesco has only made two. The first came when he traded WR Dontrelle Inman to the Bears for a seventh-round pick, and the other came last season when CB Desmond King was shipped to the Titans for a sixth-round pick.
Telesco’s non-aggressive approach to trades, especially during the season, comes down to him valuing his draft picks and building the team within the players he brings in.
While it’s rare, head coach Brandon Staley did not completely rule it out.
“We want to make sure that we’re exploring an avenue if there is one. And if there isn’t, that’s OK, too,” Staley said, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
Los Angeles is equipped to pull the trigger on a player with a little over $12 million in cap space and all draft picks, plus more with the projected compensatory picks the team is likely to receive.
An interior defender would go a long way to improving a dead-last ranked run defense that has been problematic all season.
For a team positioned to contend, Telesco may strongly want to consider stepping outside of the norm and make a move for someone like Bears’ Akiem Hicks ahead of the deadline on Nov. 2 at 1:00 pm PT.
