The height of free agency may be over, but there are still plenty of moves to be made and a long list of players who are facing uncertain futures with their current teams. That keeps them on the chopping block for the foreseeable future, with the upcoming draft the most likely time they could be traded.
Teams like the Chargers could try to take advantage of those teams trying to move up in the draft order and willing to trade away some good players in order to do so. With the No. 22 pick, a team may look to trade back into the first round or even further up, and LA will be the ultimate beneficiary, especially in the latest proposed trade scenario.
With so many offensive players that quarterback Justin Herbert has worked with since the start of his career elsewhere, there is certainly going to be some urgency to surround him with more talent for the upcoming season.
Because of that, ESPN's Bil Barnwell suggested an intriguing trade that might not be as much needed as it was when free agency officially began, but it's hard to suggest it wouldn't be a solid move to really boost the offense for 2025.
New proposal has the Chargers trading with the Ravens for a 4-time Pro Bowl weapon
If the goal is to utilize the draft to help the roster on both sides of the ball, while also (hopefully) giving Herbert more weapons to work with, Barwell's latest trade idea would hit the nail on the head.
He suggests the Chargers trade with the Ravens, sending their No. 22 pick and guard Zion Johnson to acquire picks 27 and 136, plus tight end Mark Andrews.
At first glance, it might seem like a questionable decision, but General Manager Joe Hortiz was with the Ravens for 25 years and was a scout during the time that Andrews was drafted in 2018, so the connection there makes a trade inevitable. He would be a tremendous weapon for Herbert to work with, even if they signed Tyler Conklin in free agency.
To make the entire scenario even better, Greg Roman, the Chargers' offensive coordinator, is the one Andrews worked with since he was drafted and until Roman left the team in 2023.
"A swap would make sense. Andrews thrived in Greg Roman's offenses and would be a reliable receiver for Justin Herbert. The Ravens have lost multiple starting offensive linemen over the past few years, and they might like their chances with the 25-year-old Johnson. This would be a great draft to go after Andrews' replacement in 12 personnel groupings, although Baltimore might be more inclined to use the No. 22 selection to improve its defense."
This proposal also benefits the Chargers differently by allowing them to offload Johnson to another team before having to decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option. The offensive line isn't typically a position from which teams trade players, but the 2022 first-round pick hasn't lived up to expectations and has been average at best, making it easier to move on from him now.
Additionally, dropping from No. 22 to No. 27 isn't too steep, either, which still gives LA the opportunity to secure one of the best players in the class on either side of the ball. Who that might be is unclear, but they would at least have Andrews on the offense to put the offense over the top.