Los Angeles Chargers: Six free agents to avoid this offseason
With the most cap space they’ve had in a long time, the Los Angeles Chargers are likely to be in the market for some quality free agents. However, there are some big names they should avoid.
With the contract of Philip Rivers officially off the books, the Los Angeles Chargers are estimated to have around $50-60 million in cap space. The trade for Trai Turner was a savvy move that saved the Chargers some money. In addition, Austin Ekeler was signed to a relatively team-friendly extension at about six million dollars per season.
Even with key extensions for players like Joey Bosa and Keenan Allen coming up soon, the Chargers still figure to be players in free agency. Tom Brady has been rumored for months, and the legal tampering period officially opens next Monday before free agency begins Wednesday. What will become of the Chargers’ own free agents, like Melvin Gordon or Hunter Henry?
While free agency is fun, some of the money thrown around can be dangerous. The Chargers aren’t exactly strangers to poor free-agent signings. Six players come to mind when thinking of potential bad signings this year.
Tom Brady
This probably isn’t a particularly hot take, as Chargers fans tend to be against a Brady signing when polled on it. In playing devil’s advocate in favor of Brady, one could bring up that he’s still a good starter that doesn’t throw interceptions. He’s never had a losing season and seems to be a great leader.
Despite that, Brady is a horrible fit for the Chargers at this stage. Currently, the Chargers aren’t a quarterback away from contention. The Chargers are a team that needs more development on the offensive line, and Brady doesn’t exactly have time to wait.
Brady also takes away from the flexibility for the rest of the offseason for the Chargers, should they decide to sign him. Remember that 50-60 million dollars in cap space? That becomes 15-25 million without even considering free agents like Henry, Gordon, Michael Schofield, or Adrian Phillips.
Speaking of flexibility, there’s the draft. Instead of the Chargers potentially getting the quarterback of the future, or an elite defensive prospect, they’d likely have to take an offensive lineman or a skill position player with the sixth pick. Brady simply limits what the Chargers are able to do in the offseason as well as the future. Even with a decline in his game, he still would eat the cap space for the team.
Brady ranked 23rd in 2019 QBR. Philip Rivers, for as inconsistent as he was, ranked 22nd. It is a terrible idea to sign Brady on the decline, and it is the epitome of style over substance.