1. Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks is someone who Charger fans were talking about during the NFL trade deadline as a potential trade candidate for the Bolts. At the time, I was against the Chargers trading for Cooks but if Williams walks and there are no other options, it could make sense for the Bolts.
The good thing about Cooks compared to the other players on this list is the trade price that he would cost. The other players on this list are all free agents after the 2022 season, like Cooks, but have small contracts. Since Cooks has a bigger contract and is on an expiring, his cost will be cheaper than those other players.
How cheap would he be? If you are the Chargers, you hope that you can trade for him with a package of a third-round pick, future fourth-round pick and maybe some of the team's compensatory picks this year. However, if his market is competitive, the Bolts might have to trade a second-round pick. Would that be the best decision with the holes on the defense? Depends who the team brings in during free agency.
Cooks has connections to this coaching staff as he played for the New Orleans Saints while Joe Lombardi was the quarterbacks coach. Cooks would be such a natural fit for the Chargers and he would probably be a better fit than Mike Williams. Keenan Allen and Joshua Palmer could win with their route running in the intermediate part of the field while Cooks could be the deep-ball threat.
Houston is still going to be bad next season and it makes more sense for them as an organization to trade Cooks with one year left on his deal instead of holding onto him for nothing.