Update: It was reported that Joey Bosa restructured his contract with the Chargers. A trade is still possible, but early reports indicate that he restructured his contract to stay in LA.
The LA Chargers had to get cap-compliant on Wednesday by the start of the league year and made one predictable move with one unexpected move. Los Angeles predictably (but still painfully) released Mike Williams in addition to surprisingly restructuring Khalil Mack's contract to create space for the incoming free agents.
The Chargers have done enough for now to settle the cap-space situation but more moves may need to be made. Los Angeles still has to pay its draft class as well as any other incoming free agents the team wants to sign.
For that reason, the futures of Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa are still up in the air. After cutting Williams, the odds of the team cutting Allen are slim to none and LA may just extend him to reduce his cap hit. Bosa, on the other hand, is more likely to be traded after the team struck a deal to keep Mack.
And if the Chargers do end up trading Bosa, there are several destinations that make the most sense.
Chargers may trade Joey Bosa to the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions looked like a perfect fit for Khalil Mack so they are naturally a fit for Bosa as well. Detroit has one great young pass-rusher in Aidan Hutchinson but could definitely use a marquee, veteran pass rusher on the other side of the defensive line.
On paper, Bosa would give the Lions just that and would be a reasonable swing for a team like Detroit to take after making a deep playoff run last season. The free-agent market is pretty thin and the Lions pick so late in the first round, so the odds of landing an impact guy are more of a crapshoot.
Bosa won't warrant much in a trade (which will be a trend with all of these teams) because of his injury concerns. That being said, the Lions have seven picks at their disposal in the draft to trade, including an extra third-rounder from Minnesota in place of the team's fourth-rounder.
A third-round pick is probably a bit too rich for Bosa, so the Chargers may have to settle for a fifth and another future day three pick from Detroit.
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Chargers may trade Joey Bosa to the LA Rams
There are some connections between the LA Chargers and the LA Rams that could make the two a great trade partner for Bosa. Most notably, former Chargers interim head coach Giff Smith is now on the Rams' coaching staff and he has a direct tie to Bosa from their time on the Bolts together.
Smith coached Bosa for many years and took him under his wing when he was a young player in the league. If there is any coach in the NFL that will vouch for Bosa even with his injury concerns it is Smith. He may not have a lot of say in the Rams' organization, but his input could get the team over the line.
We also know that the Rams have no problem making bold moves to improve the team. Les Snead is not going to wait around and hope that the team gets better and he absolutely is the type of GM to trade a mid-round pick for Bosa.
Los Angeles needs edge rushers and the idea of putting Bosa next to Aaron Donald should be a tantalizing one. Sure, there are some risks involved, but Von Miller was not a for-sure thing for the Rams either and that worked out greatly for the team.
The Rams don't currently have ample cap space like the Lions but they have the means to create a lot of space. According to Over The Cap, the Rams have the third-most simple restructure potential in the entire NFL. The Rams can create up to $77 million in cap space with simple restructures alone.
Chargers may trade Joey Bosa to the Indianapolis Colts
Speaking of coaches that have ties to Joey Bosa, the Chargers could look to strike a deal with a team whose head coach used to be on the team's coaching staff. Shane Steichen did not coach Bosa directly as he was on the offensive side of things but that rapport can still go a long way in potential trade talks.
The Indianapolis Colts are a team that is right on the cusp of being a playoff contender and Jim Irsay is going to do everything in his power to make sure that the team is relevant. With a promising starting quarterback on his rookie deal, the Colts have the rare window to stockpile assets for a potential Super Bowl run.
The Colts currently have $27.7 million in effective cap space, which is more than enough to add Bosa and still pay the incoming draft class. If needed, the Colts could even restructure Bosa's deal to make next year's cap hit larger to create more space this year. There definitely is wiggle room to fit him into the salary cap sheet.
Edge rusher is also a need for the Colts, although Indy is in a better position to land an impact guy in the draft. That being said, the Colts may prioritize positions like wide receiver, cornerback, or safety before they prioritize drafting an edge rusher.
That opens the door for the big swing to be Bosa, and the high draft picks to be a receiver and secondary help to build up that part of the roster. Indy has all of its picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, so assets are not an issue.
Chargers may trade Joey Bosa to the Washington Commanders
Here is yet another team that has a coach on the staff with ties to Joey Bosa. Anthony Lynn was hired as the run game coordinator and running backs coach of the Washington Commanders under Dan Quinn this offseason. Lynn's presence likely led Austin Ekeler to sign with the Commanders, and his presence could be the tiebreaker in any talks about trading for Bosa.
The Commanders definitely have a need at the position after trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat last year. On paper, it does not make sense to trade those two younger players for an older Bosa but now there is a new regime and head coach that has been very aggressive this offseason.
Quinn wants to win quickly and he definitely wants to build a defense that can mirror his defense in Dallas. Adding a Pro Bowl-caliber edge rusher to the equation that can plug in right away would be a good start for the Commanders.
Washington would actually have a decently deep edge-rusher room if they made this move. Quinn has already added Dorace Armstrong and Dante Fowler. Both of which are solid rotational guys, but the Commanders are missing that one great starter to tie it all together. Bosa, in theory, could be that.
The Commanders still have $68 million in cap space so there is plenty of room to absorb Bosa with not that many expensive free agents left to sign. With the Commanders having an extra second and an extra third, the team could definitely afford to trade its fourth-round pick (102nd overall) for Bosa.