Chargers News: Expert Projects Top Free Agent Options For LA

Top free agents the Chargers should be aiming for in the offseason.

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to enter a new era this offseason, as the team finally let go of head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco. Though these two hires are paramount for the team once the season is up, there are some deep needs for the team to address on both sides of the ball. 

One of the biggest issues for the Bolts currently is they will be well over the cap heading into the 2024 season. More than 50% of their cap will be used for Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen. Granted, they can do some restructuring on these players to get those numbers down, it will be a bit difficult to get some help across the board. 

The good news is that the Chargers have seven picks in the NFL draft, and are currently slated to pick #5 overall. They could easily make deals using draft capital to bring in some veterans to help the team. That said, here are some options for the Chargers in the free agency pool. 

Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins currently plays for the Cincinnati Bengals and could be looking to get out of the shadow of Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd. Higgins has been a crucial piece in the Bengals passing game, but he is often underutilized. 

The Chargers could easily offer Higgins a new contract that would make him a WR1 on the team. However, Higgins might value himself as a receiver who can warrant a bigger payday, which could be out of the reach of the Chargers cap. 

Despite 2023, Higgins has logged over 900 yards each season he has played. That could land him quite a hefty contract in the offseason. 

Jaylon Johnson 

One of the biggest issues that the Chargers have currently is their secondary. The team currently sits at the fourth worst in the league for allowing 261.4 YPG. That will need to be cleaned up massively. 

Despite having Derwin James Jr., Alohi Gilman, Asante Samuel Jr., and Deane Leonard, the secondary has not stepped up. Granted, they have been dealing with injuries that have limited them all. 

Jaylon Johnson could easily fix the secondary issues, but there is no promise that the Chicago Bears will alow Johnson to walk without hitting him with the franchise tag. Should they not, the Chargers would need to make him a priority to step in and add some much-needed fuel to pass defense. 

Stephon Gilmore

Though Stephon Gilmore is 34 years old, he is having a great season with the Dallas Cowboys. Gilmore might not be retained, allowing the Chargers to go in with a one-year deal to bring him in. Gilmore isn't the type of player who will lead the secondary, but he is a solid anchor to think about. 

Adding Gilmore and someone else like L'Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs could be the right move to boost the secondary. 

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