3 reasons why the Chargers won't cut Keenan Allen this offseason
By Jason Reed
3. The Chargers offense isn't built to cut Keenan Allen
Justin Herbert and Tom Telesco aren't just fans of Keenan Allen. Both the quarterback and the general manager likely realize that this offense is not built to cut Keenan Allen this offseason. By doing so, the offense could take a huge step back.
Let's look at the receiver room if the Chargers decide to cut Allen this offseason. It would be led by Mike Williams, who is more unreliable than Allen at this point, and Joshua Palmer, who has had moments of brilliance but isn't a great no. 2 option for an NFL offense.
The Chargers would pigeonhole themselves into taking a wide receiver in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In reality, the Chargers probably need to take a receiver in the first two rounds this year anyway, but expecting big contributions from a rookie is a dangerous game.
Sure, there are guys like Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson who are instant contributors. But then there are guys like Jahan Dotson, Jalen Reagor, Jerry Jeudy, or Kadarius Toney who either take time to contribute consistently or are outright misses in the first round.
The Chargers are far from guaranteed to replace Allen with a first-round rookie receiver in 2023. It would be far better to draft a receiver early with Allen still in town so the team can have a deeper receiver room and actually get an idea of if this receiver can replace Allen in 2024 and beyond.
It is very fitting that the Chargers hired Kellen Moore to be the offensive coordinator as he witnessed this all play out in Dallas. The team had to part ways with Amari Cooper via trade for perceived financial reasons and the result was a less dynamic receiving corps that simply was not as good in 2022.
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Most Cowboys fans would take that Cooper trade back if they could jump in a Delorian and rewrite history. If the Chargers move on from Allen, many fans would likely feel the same way a year from today.