Chargers suggested as buyers with overlooked target at NFL trade deadline

Chris Roling | 3 Hours Ago

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In this story:

Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers feel like one of the most obvious buyers in the league ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline.

While the Chargers seem content to just wait on the eventual arrival of DJ Chark to fix many of the offense’s problems, it seems pretty obvious to most everyone else that a deadline buy might be a good idea.

As such, NFL.com’s Kevin Patra listed the Chargers as buyers when looking at deadline buyers and sellers—and raised an interesting name in the process.

“This team sure could use a red-zone player like ex-Charger Mike Williams right about now,” Patra wrote. “A pass-catching tight end in the mold of Evan Engram could also be nice, so that not every target goes to Will Dissly. L.A. has eight 2025 draft picks (with three more compensatory selections potentially on the way) to dip into if it wants to make a move to boost its playoff chances in Year 1 of the new regime.”

Evan Engram is an interesting half-season rental from the Jacksonville Jaguars that might actually make some sense. The former first-round pick is now 30 years old and has an out built into his contract after this season, which at the start of the year was a $7 million cap hit.

Those Jaguars are obvious sellers at the deadline and Engram just had 963 yards and four scores in 2023. He’s been slowed this year due to an injury, but is the type of chess piece the Chargers might be able to move around in pretty interesting ways to help along Ladd McConkey and other weapons.

Engram wouldn’t make waves via trade for fans as others might, but if the idea is to go run heavy and use tight ends often, his ability to line up all over the field might prove interesting, especially with the way Justin Herbert has played over the last few weeks.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Chargers from Los Angeles Chargers on SI —