LA Chargers: 3 remaining free agents worth considering

LA Chargers free agent target: CB Trumaine Johnson

Many expected the LA Chargers to select a cornerback in the 2020 NFL Draft and maybe the team would have if it didn’t trade its third-round pick to move up from the early second round to the late first round to draft Kenneth Murray.

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I have dove into why I think the Chargers did not draft a cornerback, with the reason being Michael Davis. If you look into his advanced numbers (which you can find here) it is not hard to see why the Chargers might be high on Davis to be the rotational second outside cornerback while Chris Harris is playing in the slot.

While I still have faith in Davis, it still is important for the team to add depth to the secondary, especially considering that Brandon Facyson is the next-best outside option. It is not a massive pressing need, though, so the team could simply take a one-year flier on someone knowing that if it does not work out it is not the end of the world.

Trumaine Johnson is a great player that fits that billing. Johnson is coming off of a pretty bad season that got him released by the New York Jets. In fact, Johnson has not really lived up to the contract that the Jets signed him to after being a solid corner for the Los Angeles Rams.

Johnson had a 50.3 pass-coverage rating with the Jets last season, which is pretty bad. However, that bad season has lowered his price, opening the door to make him a low-cost risk worth taking.

Johnson has shown that he can be a well-above-average corner and posted a coverage grade over 70 in four of his first seven seasons, never falling below 63. He is someone with veteran experience who could give the Chargers different options at outside corner and essentially be a safety blanket for Davis.

It is not like Johnson is some grizzled veteran in his late-30s that is completely out of gas, he is 30 years old. And while it is likely that his best days are behind him, he absolutely could experience a rejuvenation on a new team in the right system.

We see it all the time with cornerbacks. At best, the LA Chargers add another great piece to an already great secondary. At worst, ownership loses out on a few million dollars for this season.