LA Chargers: Analyzing the potential draft day trade options
By Steven Haglund
Option 1: Trading up for Tua
The common connection in terms of trading ahead of the Dolphins has been the Detroit Lions at pick number three. There is precedence in terms of a team jumping from six to three in order to draft a quarterback, that’s what the New York Jets did to trade up and grab Sam Darnold in 2018.
They swapped first-round picks with the Indianapolis Colts and also sent them two second-round picks that year and an additional second-rounder in 2019.
The LA Chargers could do something similar with the Lions in this scenario. Swapping first-round picks and sending three second-round picks to them in return for the number three overall pick and the rights to draft Tagovailoa.
That sounds fine and I would be all for it, however, we have to take into consideration that the Dolphins are absolutely loaded with draft capital. If both teams are sitting at the table, there is no argument that they could absolutely out bid the Chargers.
With the Lions front office and coaching staff being on the hot seat the way they are, there’s no chance they’d pass up the opportunity to get an additional first-round pick in this year’s draft. That is something that the Chargers simply cannot match unless they would be willing to offer them next years first-round pick to sweeten the deal.
However, there is a chance that the Washington Redskins would be more of a possibility. There have been rumblings that they don’t feel like they need to draft Chase Young with the second overall pick. With Montez Sweat and Ryan Kerrigan on the roster, it’s true they don’t absolutely need Young.
Perhaps they’d be interested in trading back to the number six overall pick to select whoever remains of Jeffrey Okudah or Isaiah Simmons. They also have to replace Trent Williams, so maybe they’d be more interested in a new franchise left tackle, which is certainly a reach at the number two overall pick.
While not the exact same, we can look at the Philadelphia Eagles trade to move up to draft Carson Wentz as a potential reference here. That year they moved up from the eighth pick to the second pick to draft him.
They ultimately swapped first-round picks, sent that years third and fourth-round picks, plus a first-rounder in 2017 and an additional second-rounder in 2018. The Browns wheeled and dealed after the fact and ended up trading most of those picks, but you get the idea.
With the Redskins possibly being more open to playing the long game, perhaps the Chargers could agree to send similar trade. A trade where the teams swap first-round picks this year and the Chargers send them a second and fourth rounders this year with additional early-round picks in 2021 would seem reasonable for both sides.
With most of the Chargers key players needing extensions in the near future, it makes sense to give up draft capital in order to save some cap space down the line.
The bottom line here is that IF the Chargers do want Tagovailoa, it’s going to cost them. I for one believe that it would be worth it.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1214915034461147136?s=20