Chargers: How Will LA's Decision to Downgrade WR Room Impact Winning?

Los Angeles replaced veteran wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams with a youth movement.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers made a controversial offseason move that may come back to bite them in the regular season.

Gavino Borquez of Chargers Wire evaluated Los Angeles’ offense position-by-position, determining if their offseason decisions were for the better or worse. 

The Chargers’ pool of wide receivers did not receive the approval from Borquez and received criticism from fans after replacing veterans Keenan Allen and Mike Williams for younger athletes. 

“Once a strength of the Chargers, now the wide receiver room lacks top-end talent after the losses of Allen and Williams,” Borquez writes.

Allen turned 32 this year, and Williams is turning 30 in October, while the replacements range in age from 22-24 years old. 

Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears and Williams was released as a free agent before signing with the New York Jets. In replacement, the Chargers drafted Ladd McConkey in the second round along with Cornelius Johnson and Brenden Rice in the seventh round of this year’s draft. The Chargers also acquired D.J. Chark from the Panthers. 

Both Allen and Williams were starters for the Chargers in the 2023 season. Although parting ways with these two saves money for the franchise, filling the shoes of six-time Pro Bowler Allen and veteran Williams is going to be a difficult task. Allen reached a career-high 108 receptions, along with 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Williams caught 19 receptions on 26 targets for 249 total yards with one touchdown in the three games before his season-ending ACL tear. 

Joshua Palmer, who was drafted in the third round of the 2021 draft, has the most experience out of Los Angeles’ group of wide receivers. According to the ESPN 2024 Chargers’ Depth Chart, Palmer will be joined by McConKey and Quentin Johnston as the starting wide receivers. Johnston had a rough rookie season, but with the new coaching staff and wide receiver room, the Chargers are optimistic about a stronger season for the 2023 first round draft pick. McConKey is also expected to have an impressive rookie season as it has been reported by Borquez that he and Justin Herbert have developed a rapport this offseason.

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