Odafe Oweh went from forgotten-about first-round pick to impact player on a playoff team after he was traded to the LA Chargers. With a stellar showing in such a short time with the Bolts, Oweh made himself a sought-after free agent in what is an otherwise thin class.
Oweh may be so sought after that the Chargers can't justify bringing him back, even with ample cap space. The Athletic's Daniel Popper speculates that Oweh's price tag could reach $25 million per year, and while that may be the ceiling, it indicates how much competition the Chargers will have in free agency.
General manager Joe Hortiz isn't someone who operates at the top of the free-agent class, regardless of how much he likes a player. And as great as Oweh was in his short-lived time in LA, it may actually be a bit irresponsible to use that much cap space on just him.
Most importantly, there's another big-time player on the defensive line who should be prioritized over Oweh: Tuli Tuipulotu.
Tuli Tuipulotu's future should keep Chargers from signing Odafe Oweh
The 2023 second-round pick is extension eligible for the first time in his career and the Chargers shouldn't waste any time getting a deal done. Tuipulotu's contract expires after the 2026 season and his price will only go up if the Chargers wait it out.
Just look at what happened with Oweh.
As great as Oweh was last season, Tuipulotu was arguably the best player on the entire defense, not just on the defensive line. He set a career-high in pressures with 70, which ranked 10th in the entire NFL. His 13 sacks ranked sixth in the league.
Most importantly, Tuipulotu is still so young. The former USC Trojan did all of this at the ripe age of 23 years old. Of course, the Chargers should want to lock him down in his mid-20s when he should theoretically hit his prime.
An extension for Tuipulotu will likely pay him around $100 million across four seasons. It won't have a drastic impact on this year's cap, but it does give the Chargers less wiggle room in future years. And while they still have the space to also sign Oweh to a comparable deal, committing that much to two edge rushers when there are other needs on the roster may not be the best use of resources.
Plus, the Chargers have an easy contingency plan to lose Oweh. Khalil Mack will almost certainly sign a one-year deal, bringing back another key player without sacrificing long-term flexibility. From there, the Chargers could utilize an early pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to land another impact edge rusher, or could take a swing on a flier to replace Oweh as the third edge rusher.
It may seem like an impossible decision to make now considering how Oweh looked in LA, but consider this: 12 months ago there wasn't a single Chargers fan who thought Oweh would end up being an impact player for the Chargers. Heck, the Ravens didn't even know if he could be an impact player for them.
The Chargers figured it out and landed Oweh. Trust in them to pay Tuipulotu and find an Oweh replacement who can be just as exciting without the long-term financial commitment.