The LA Chargers are not strapped for cash like they were a year ago but there are still several players on the roster who are likely cut candidates this offseason. Just because the Chargers have cap space does not mean the team should keep players around who do not make sense for 2025 and beyond.
Cutting ties with the several cap casualty candidates also creates more room to sign cut candidates from other teams. There are several players from other teams who would fit perfectly on the Bolts and wouldn't cost the team a compensatory selection since they were cut (something we know general manager Joe Hortiz values).
One such perfect cut candidate may come from a division rival. Matt Okada of NFL.com recently broke down a long list of potential cut candidates from AFC teams, some of which have already been released by their respective teams.
Okada named defensive lineman John Franklin-Meyers as a potential cut candidate for the Denver Broncos. The Chargers certainly should take notice as Franklin-Meyers would fit like a glove on Jesse Minter's defense.
Broncos cutting John Franklin-Meyers would gift the Chargers a perfect free-agent target
Franklin-Meyers was a rotational defensive lineman for the Broncos who played right around half the defensive snaps last season. By cutting him, the Broncos would save $7 million against the cap and carry just a $3 million dead cap hit.
Denver has $41.7 million in cap space so it's by no means a necessity for the Broncos to cut Franklin-Meyers this offseason. However, if the Broncos have other spending priorities to support Bo Nix, a rotational defensive lineman would be one of the first to go.
And that would be music to the Chargers' ears. The Chargers should and will continue investing in the trenches this offseason, which will naturally include trying to re-sign the likes of Poona Ford and Teair Tart. However, the Chargers could use more external help as well.
Morgan Fox is also a free agent and his best days production-wise have probably passed. The Chargers need to find a cost-effective rotational option to replace Fox's pass-rush impact. Franklin-Meyers would be that guy.
Franklin-Meyers is not an exact replica of Fox as he would play more on the outside than Fox did. However, his positional versatility would be a real tool for Minter to tap into. Franklin-Meyers played over 100 snaps in the interior last season while also playing over 300 snaps at defensive end. In a 3-4 defense, Meyers could play interior defensive end on passing downs and could even play some on the edge.
Chris Jones was the only defensive lineman with a better pass-rush win rate than Franklin-Meyers last season (min. 350 pass-rush snaps). Franklin-Meyers ranked one spot ahead of Philadelphia's Milton Williams, who was a dream Chargers free-agent target who may have priced himself out of the Bolts' market.
The Chargers would be foolish not to add that kind of versatile pass-rush impact if Franklin-Meyers becomes available. The Broncos, meanwhile, need to keep in mind they may help a division foe if they do cut Franklin-Meyers for cap reasons.