The LA Chargers made the first player-related move of the offseason on Tuesday by cutting veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks after just one year with the team. By making this move, the Chargers get closer to being cap compliant by freeing up $6.5 million in cap space.
According to Over The Cap, the Chargers are currently $19.1 million over next year's salary cap. This is before factoring in Corey Linsley, whose retirement will save another $1.2 million after June 1.
The Chargers obviously have to make more moves to become cap compliant and cutting Kendricks is just the first of several moves that the team is going to make. Now that the Kendricks move is official, we can look ahead at the other moves on the docket this offseason.
Chargers will extend Keenan Allen
This is something we have touched on for weeks here at Bolt Beat as the most logical way to save money with Keenan Allen. The Chargers can add another 2-3 years to Allen's expiring contract and convert some of his $18.1 million base salary into future bonus money to be paid out.
The price of an Allen extension might be higher than initially expected so the Chargers may not be comfortable converting as much of his base salary as previously thought. That being said, the Chargers can still save an extra $10-15 million on this year's salary cap by making this move.
While Allen's age is a partial concern, he proved that he can still play at a high level this season. Sometimes in roster building, you have to just bite the bullet and take a risk, and extending Allen is a necessary risk. With the other moves the Chargers will make, as well as the big contracts coming off the books in the next two years, the Bolts can afford it.
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Chargers will cut Mike Williams
Eric Kendricks is just the first player on the Chargers to be cut this offseason and he won't be the biggest name that is let go. That honor will go to Mike Williams, who has been the most obvious cap casualty this offseason since he tore his ACL in Week 3 against Kendricks' old team.
There was never going to be a trade market for Kendricks so it made sense for the team to make the move as soon as possible and just get it over with. A trade market ultimately will not formulate for Williams but there was at least a chance of a trade market developing, hence why this may take longer.
As important as Williams has been to the Chargers, the team simply has to move on from him this offseason. The former Clemson Tiger is on the wrong side of 30 and is one of the most injury prone players on the roster. It is hard to pay someone with those qualifications $32.4 million, which is what the Chargers would owe.
The Bolts can free up $20 million by cutting Williams this offseason. That move alone will get the Chargers cap compliant before the start of free agency. The Chargers still need to make additional moves to free up more space but this is the move the Chargers can do right away to get under the cap.
Williams still has value in the league and there will definitely be teams interested in adding his services (especially with Mike Evans not hitting free agency). It will work out best for all parties involved if Williams is cut.
Chargers will trade Khalil Mack
This is the move that is likely going to happen but many Chargers fans are against it. Khalil Mack is coming off one of the best seasons of his career and has been far more durable the last two seasons than Joey Bosa.
Fans know that the Chargers have to part ways with one of the two edge rushers and because of those two factors, many prefer if the team keeps Mack. While that is understandable, there are multiple signs pointing to Mack being the one that the Chargers cut ties with to save money.
Even though he has been more durable the last two years, Mack is still older than Bosa and the chance of injury (and regression) is much higher. As great as Mack was last season, it is not unheard of for a 33-year-old edge rusher to regress massively and become a shell of his former self.
Additionally, the Chargers get more out of parting ways with Mack. There is not going to be a trade market for two years of Bosa, especially at his price with his injury concerns. Thus, the Chargers would just end up cutting him and would only save $14.3 million.
On one hand, the Chargers can cut the younger player for nothing and save $14.3 million. On the other hand, the Chargers can trade the older player for draft capital and save $23.25 million in the process.
It is a hard move to make, but that doesn't mean it's the wrong move.