The LA Chargers have been somewhat active in free agency thus far but have not made the massive move fans were expecting with all the cap space the team has. Instead, the Chargers have operated around the fringes, which has led the team to re-sign several prominent free agents.
Several other Chargers free agents landed nice pay days with new teams. Joshua Palmer and Poona Ford have led the way, both signing three-year deals for $36 million and $29.6 million, respectively.
Despite all the activity, there are still several big-name Chargers free agents who have not found a job yet this offseason. It is just a matter of time until these free agents sign, however, the longer they are on the market the lower their price may end up being.
3 biggest Chargers free agents who are unsigned:
J.K. Dobbins
The Chargers opted to sign former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Najee Harris over re-signing J.K. Dobbins. While the Bolts could technically re-sign Dobbins to pair him with Harris, that is unlikely with such a stacked running back class.
This stacked running back class is hurting Dobbins' market and may prevent him from getting a starting job at all this offseason. As talented as Dobbins is, it is hard for external teams to sell themselves on him given his injury history.
It is a real shame, too, as Dobbins was legitimately great in 2024. His 4.6 yards per carry was exceptional given the circumstances with a bad interior offensive line. Dobbins was the engine of the Chargers' offense and the team was noticeably different when he missed four games.
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Asante Samuel Jr.
There is a real case that Asante Samuel Jr. has the most upside of any free agent still on the market. The former second-round pick is still only 25 years old and has shown flashes of having legitimate CB1 upside in the NFL.
We have seen former second-round picks jump from being a good corner to a great, All-Pro-caliber corner on a new team. Heck, that is exactly what happened when the Chargers signed Casey Hayward Jr. after his stint with the Green Bay Packers.
Samuel's wonky 2024 season where he missed time with an injury he suffered away from practice is definitely hurting his stock. The Chargers may have clearly moved on from Samuel but it is shocking that no other team has taken a chance on his high upside.
Gus Edwards
Just like a year ago, Gus Edwards finds himself on the open market with his former Ravens teammate at running back. Unlike last year, though, a cap-crunched Chargers team is not there to save him and give him a prominent role.
Edwards simply was not good as the Chargers' short-yardage option last season and that is why the team moved on from him despite his small cap hit. The Chargers didn't need to cut Edwards to create cap space but did so because of his level of play last season. On paper, he could have been a solid depth running back to play behind Harris.
It is hard to find a path for Edwards, who has similar injury concerns as Dobbins (albeit not as drastic) but does not have the same RB1 upside.