Chargers should keep close eye on Commanders’ surprise trade block addition

The Los Angeles Chargers have many questions to answer this offseason along the defensive front seven.

After all, Khalil Mack is a free agent, Joey Bosa is a prime cut candidate and the breakout prove-it duo of Poona Ford and Teair Tart will also enter free agency.

Over in the NFC, the Washington Commanders might’ve just provided one big answer.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Commanders have decided to “do right” by Jonathan Allen via trade.

Allen is a huge name, and rightfully so, considering he’s lived up to his first-round slotting from 2017 over the years, piling up 42 sacks as an interior presence. The question now is whether his age (30) and injuries (he appeared in eight games last year) are major things that concern the Chargers.

Maybe not. Last year was the first serious stretch of missed games for Allen. Finances aren’t exactly a concern for the Chargers, either. He’s a $15 million cap hit on the final year of his deal in 2025, though he could want an extension upon arrival.

The Chargers are an interesting projection for Allen logistically, too. They would be “right” for Allen and the Commanders in the sense that Jim Harbaugh’s team seems like contenders. And for Washington, shipping him out of the NFC would be a nice little bonus.

But there’s another fun wrinkle to consider – now that this is public knowledge, the Commanders might need to end up just releasing Allen. Should he slip into free agency, the Chargers could be one of the first teams to pick up the phone to give him a ring.

Most trade candidates and free agents the Chargers could acquire come with risks. Allen has some notable flags at this stage of his career, but general manager Joe Hortiz and Co. have proven capable of taking the smart risks that pay off so far. Maybe Allen will be the next.

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen — Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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