Free Agent No. 5: Marcell Dareus
Jacksonville saves a whopping $20 million dollars by not exercising the option on defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. He’s effectively a free agent this year since there’s no way the Jaguars even think about taking that type of cap hit.
2019 was tough for Dareus, as he sustained a core muscle injury in October that put him on injured reserve. There’s been a decline in his game to some extent and attitude issues were what was rumored to have caused the Buffalo Bills moving on from him before.
However, the Chargers really do need another body on the interior defensive line, and Dareus could be a good risk to take.
He’s still relatively young at 30 heading into the 2020 season. He may not be in his prime, but he’s still a huge, talented body to stick on the interior line.
Stopping the run was an area where the Chargers did improve slightly last year, but more improvement is needed. Getting pressure and attacking the run are things Dareus might be able to improve, especially with the defensive ends being so incredibly talented. Maybe he’s somewhat of a project, but it’s easier to see it working with the other pieces the Chargers have on defense.
The Chargers have quite a lot of money to spend in re-signing their own free agents, but they’re firmly in the market to poach some quality talent from other teams.
Conklin would be a nice bolster to the offensive line. Van Noy, Suh, and Dareus could be decent options on defense. Anderson is an electric receiver who’s able to stretch the field. These five guys can effectively address many of the positions of need for the Chargers.