5 free agent wide receivers the Chargers could target even with Mike Williams
By Faustino Felix
5. AJ Green
Another veteran, Green has been mentioned as an option for the Chargers in 2021 and 2020. Like Watkins, Green will be cheaper than a young receiver, as Spotrac has him listed at 4 years $7 million avg/year. Four years is a lot for a 33-year-old, and I don't think he gets offered more than 2 years anywhere.
After 10 seasons in Cincinnati and one in Arizona, Green hits the free-agent market as an experienced veteran and might be looking to sign with a contending team and make a push for a ring before he ends his career.
Tom Telesco has preferred tall receivers in the past, and Green is 6 foot 4. Green has been known throughout his career because of his consistency and big-play ability, and that hasn't been lost yet. This past year in Arizona he posted a 15.7 yards per reception mark, which is the second-highest mark in his career after only his rookie season.
His best games of the season came before Hopkins got injured, proving that at this point he's only a complementary receiver in a pass-first offense, but that's all the Chargers need him to be. There's also the issue that Green plays primarily on the outside, but surely a player of his experience can adapt to what a team needs. He has logged enough snaps in the slot to think so, and as with Kirk, he could rotate with Allen between the slot and outside.
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Signing a player like Green could be fruitful for reasons on and off the field, and the commitment could be short as the Chargers try to maximize Herbert's rookie window.