Chargers' best remaining free-agent options with Tee Higgins off board

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The Los Angeles Chargers will miss on free agent wide receiver Tee Higgins this offseason. 

According to a report from James Rapien of Sports Illustrated, the Bengals will apply a second franchise tag to Higgins, taking the top wideout set to enter free agency off the board. 

Granted, there’s some discussion to be had as to whether general manager Joe Hortiz and the Chargers would’ve actually wanted to compete in a bidding war for a $30 million-plus wideout. 

Either way, the following names now slot into the “best remaining” category: 

• Chris Godwin
• Amari Cooper
• Stefon Diggs
• DeAndre Hopkins
• Keenan Allen
• DK Metcalf (Seahawks)
• Deebo Samuel (49ers)
• Cooper Kupp (Rams)
• Davante Adams (Jets)

RELATED: Chargers convince star to betray Chiefs in free agency projections

Those last four names technically aren’t free agents. But besides Metcalf, they’ve been reasonably linked to the Chargers. Adams apparently views them as a viable destination. In the case of Samuel and Kupp, they could be let go soon and enter free agency. 

Chargers fans will notice, of course, that each one of these names comes with serious question marks, hence being permitted to enter free agency or the trade block at all. Whether it’s age, production, or injuries, in the case of someone like Godwin, there are big risks attached to the big dollar signs. 

That makes it worth wondering if the Chargers just don’t go back to the draft well with high picks again after successfully trading up with and ripping off the Patriots while finding Ladd McConkey last year, anyway.

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