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2021 LA Charger Free Agent Fits:

Free agency is fun. It can also be hyperbolic and head-scratching at times. As fun as it is imagining game-breaker Von Miller or stalwart Trent Williams donning lightning bolts, who are the more realistic signings that could come to LA and make an impact?

The most immediate need for the Chargers’ new coaching staff is to add offensive lineman, and I fully believe their priority out of the gate will be a guy like Linsely or Thuney (as I write this, a whole new wave of lineman have been added to the market). I’ll leave that position aside for today, but where else should the Chargers be looking to add depth? There’s quite a bit of talent available this off-season, here are three players Staley and co. could capitalize on:

JUJU SMITH-SHUSTER
This move would surprise a lot of people, considering the team’s other needs. But there is an argument the Chargers need a true #2 receiver. However, since Mike Williams is playing the final (overpaid) year on his contract, they could cut him and free up money towards Hunter Henry, or more more OL depth. Even if Mike stays this season, next year he chases the bag and leaves their WR room thin - basically Keenan Allen and a few guys that have flashed, in Guyton and Johnson.

Physically dominant receivers are rare, and that’s an argument to keep Mike - but he doesn’t do anything elite besides jump balls. Don’t get me wrong, watching Mike Williams make heroic leaps with complete disregard for his body has been exhilarating, but he’s just not a consistent or explosive receiver underneath. He’s not unstoppable on slants like Julio Jones, or explosive enough for DBs to allow him space to run an easy out or comeback route.

Because the team’s #2 (and #3) receiver play has been largely forgettable the last 5 years, they can struggle when Herbert (like Rivers before him) starts to over-rely on Keenan and stare him down. A reliable possession receiver like Juju adds some sorely-needed versatility to the short/intermediate passing game, which has relied on tight ends and cameo appearances from the receiver group.

Juju Smith Shuster

The Chargers' WR2 of the future?


Internal/external competition: Replacing Mike Williams with a like-for-like player like Kenny Golladay would be prohibitively expensive, so that’s out. Alternatively, bargain WR free agents have a tendency to sputter and fail. The real problem is when you look to the Chargers draft - they have not succeeded with many day 3 picks (looking at you, Dylan Cantrell), and really just lucked into Tyrell Williams’s success. The alternative is spending a high draft pick on a receiver, a move most fans would cringe or anger over.

The Chargers WR room needs help at the top of the chart more than it does at the bottom, that’s what signing Juju gives: a solid 1-2 punch for Justin Herbert for seasons to come. With Smith-Shuster, Herbert can continue developing a rapport with speedy Guyton and Johnson, while having a reliable, heady 2nd option on key third downs and in the red zone.

Chances to sign:
Medium. His cost may go down with Edelman and others hitting the market. The Colts, Patriots, and Dolphins are all cap-rich teams potentially looking to add a playmaker. One negotiation chip the Chargers have in their favor is: Juju grew up in Long Beach, minutes from Sofi stadium, and played at USC.


CARL LAWSON

Carl Lawson

Can a change of scenery drive a breakout season for Lawson?

This is a depth move with big upside. The knock on Lawson coming out of college was injury concerns. He’s missed time in the pros - 13 games over 2 seasons, but played all 16 contests the other two years. If you look at the edge players being moved this offwseason:Watt, Von Miller, Clowney, even Melvin Ingram - they are all either coming off major injuries or have been constantly dinged up for years now, it’s just the reality of the NFL.

Lawson had good tools coming out of school and has produced at a decent rate considering the Bengals have been mostly terrible (5 sacks, 5 TFL a year, and that’s with 2018 basically a wash). As a rotational player, he can help keep Nwosu and Bosa fresh - the days of a workhorse, every down edge player are perhaps fading. Teams like the Ravens use a platoon of guys, and thus get better production overall from one year to the next, rather than asking JJ Watt to play every down - a tactic that leads to a drop in production or even injury.

Internal/external competition: Ingram is going to want to be paid like a top DE, and I don’t expect the Chargers to bite. Uchenna Nwosu should not be asked to fill the void alone. And what if Nwosu or Bosa miss time? Then you are relying on a rookie or UDFA at a key position. There’s so much depth in this year’s FA edge class, the Chargers should take advantage by finding some production at a relative discount - if not Lawson, a rotational player in the same mold. Leonard Floyd fits the bill and so has been frequently linked to join the bolts in LA.

Chances to sign: High. Lawson won’t land demand the huge contract of vets like Shaq Barret and Carlos Dunlap, but he offers upside at only 25 years old.

TROY HILL

Most casual fans (myself included) know little about Hill, other than his highlight-reel pick 6 in the playoffs. He’s been a quiet contributor to the Rams secondary over the past few seasons, but in 2020, then DC Brandon Staley started moving Hill to the boundary more, where he totaled 3 INTs, 7 PD. Playing in a thriving Rams secondary has its benefits to be sure - but with so many teams avoiding Jalen, the opposite corner like Hill does get picked on (91 pass attempts, 10th most targeted, per PFF), but he held his own - at midseason, Hill had allowed 0 TDs through 285 coverage snaps, and had a better completion rate against fellow rams Ramsey or Darious Williams. source

Coach Staley has made his philosophy clear that he builds his defense from the back end, leading the Chargers to be linked with play-acting safety John Johnson. He might be equally eager to bring in some familiar pieces at corner, a player in Hill that already knows how to play multiple roles in Staley’s scheme.

Troy Hill

Troy Hill thrived under Coach Staley

Internal/external competition: The Chargers CB room has a lot of potential moving parts. As it stands they’re going into 2021 with Hayward, Chris Harris Jr., and mostly UDFAs. Many fans don’t expect both aforementioned veteran corners to return. The team’s main priority may indeed be to re-sign Michael Davis.

Signing Troy Hill to a reasonable deal allows them some flexibility to either stand pat with Hayward and Harris, or jettison one or the other, freeing up a new offer with Michael Davis, or even lose both contracts and draft a corner high in the draft. Of course, there is always the chance of a Jason Verrett reunion.

Chances to sign: High. It’s a depth move that gives them options. There are several veteran CBs available, but Troy’s familiarity with coach Staley will go a long way against the typical volatility of FA corners, and it seems unlikely the team splashes on Shaq Griffin or William Jackson III. At the worst, he offers a more cost effective option to Hayward or Harris. One big argument is that without Micael Davis, they are depending on the draft for a #1 corner.


What players would you add? Which moves do you think are likely?

This FanPost was written by a member of the Bolts From The Blue community and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bolts From The Blue editors or SB Nation.