The LA Chargers have one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the sport after trading Keenan Allen and releasing Mike Williams. As it stands right now, Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis make up the top three wideouts on the roster.
Los Angeles will draft a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft with many signs pointing toward the team taking a wideout with the fifth pick. Regardless of when the Chargers take a receiver, the team still needs to add depth and would benefit from signing a receiver in free agency.
There are several names that have been connected to the Chargers and a new candidate just entered the fold. The Chargers met with former Pro Bowler DJ Chark on Thursday, officially making him a new option for the Bolts to consider.
While Chark's former Pro Bowl might be an intriguing feather in his cap, Chargers fans must avoid talking themselves into someone who has not been very good in recent years. In fact, it does not take much work to find a damning stat that proves exactly why the Bolts should stay away.
A Quentin Johnston and DJ Chark (2nd and 4th worst separation among WRs last year) WR room would feed families https://t.co/4w5XNJCH91 pic.twitter.com/sux7WDYuUX
— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) April 19, 2024
Chargers have better free-agent wide receivers to target than DJ Chark
Justin Herbert has not benefitted from having many receivers who can gain separation in the past and signing Chark would only continue that problem. It is never a good sign when you are near Quentin Johnston in a particular stat, and separation numbers truly can be the most revealing about what a receiver can do.
Sure, Chark has contested-catch ability that could make him somewhat intriguing in a red zone setting, but the Chargers need to be prioritizing guys who can get open more often. The team may not be able to land an elite receiver in that regard at this point in the offseason, but they can obviously do better than Chark.
Even someone like Tyler Boyd, who has been connected to the team in the past, would make much more sense for the Chargers. Boyd may be limited to the slot but at least he can gain separation at a more consistent rate. Heck, Hunter Renfrow is getting more separation than Chark and might be a safer bet even though his counting stats are not as high.
The Chargers have options and while there is nothing wrong with the team exploring every one of those options, the Bolts cannot afford to make the mistake of bringing in a less-than-ideal option. Chark would be a less-than-ideal option that the Bolts would likely regret in short order.