The Los Angeles Chargers, granted, were not as active as fans would have wanted in through free agency.
They did address some major needs, adding Tyler Biadasz to replace the retired Bradley Bozeman. They also addressed some marginal needs, bringing in players like Charlie Kolar, Keaton Mitchell, and Alec Ingold to help solidify the offense. For the most part, all of their internal free agents are accounted for as well.
By most measures, everything has been buttoned up for the Chargers pending the draft.
But Keenan Allen, who was a highly valuable veteran presence on the offense last season, remains on the open market. Joe Hortiz outright said he wanted Allen to return back in January. Allen, for his part, has made his intentions clear to play nowhere outside of Los Angeles.
If both of these things are true, Allen should have already signed a deal. Something is not adding up somewhere.
The longer this drags on, the more realistic it feels that the Chargers may already be considering options outside of Allen to add to the receiving corps. If this is the case, Allen's departure to another franchise, which once seemed impossible at this point in his career, could soon be in the cards.
Keenan Allen is still a viable receiver, and it's worth continuing his career even if the Chargers don't bring him back
Last season with Los Angeles, Allen amassed 81 receptions for 777 yards and four touchdowns on 122 targets. Although his overall share of the offense decreased relative to his previous seasons with the Chargers, he was still highly effective and a trusted target for Justin Herbert.
At this point, it's purely speculation on why Allen hasn't signed a contract yet. Could Los Angeles be looking at receivers in the draft? It's quite possible with how deep this class runs at the position.
No matter what, the Chargers need to add another receiver this offseason. The reality is that it doesn't have to be Allen. But contrary to his prior statements, don't expect Allen to just up and retire if the Bolts decide to go a different direction. He certainly still has gas left in the tank.
There are a number of teams who could benefit from Allen's services on a one-year contract. Take the New Orleans Saints, for example. They have a developmental young quarterback in Tyler Shough and the offensive infrastructure under Kellen Moore to be an appealing team for someone like Allen.
Of course, there's the human factor here. Allen has spent all but one season of his 13-year career with the Chargers. But if he wants to keep playing, why should he wait on Hortiz? There shouldn't be anything stopping him from taking an opportunity that could arguably provide him with a greater role in the offense in the final season(s) of his career.