3 Free Agent Wide Receivers Chargers Should Target After Losing Keenan Allen and Mike Williams
The Los Angeles Chargers are now very thin at wide receiver. Mike Williams was cut to save money on the cap, and Keenan Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick.
The assumption is that the Chargers will not stay put at pick #5 to select LSU's Malik Nabers, Washington's Rome Odunze, or hope that by some miracle, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. falls to that spot.
However, should the team address their WR woes via free agency, they could still trade down to stack even more draft capital. The draft is packed with potential breakout WR talent, and trading down could net another first-round pick, resulting in a WR and OL taken in the first round.
That said, here is a look at three free-agent WRs the Chargers should be attempting to target.
1. Tee Higgins
Tee Higgins was franchise-tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead of playing on his $21 million tag, Higgins has formally requested a trade. The Bengals are not in the process of working out a long-term deal with him, and with Ja'Marr Chase due for a big deal, Higgins is placed on the back burner.
Higgins has since decided that his talents are worth a multi-year deal, and that leaves the door open for Higgins to join Justin Herbert in LA.
Even after Higgins dealt with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss multiple games, he still managed to pull in 656 yards and 5 TDs.
In the previous two years, Higgins pulled in over 1,000+ yards. He might not be a huge red zone threat, but he can stretch the field for Herbert to make big plays, or dump the ball to Quentin Johnston for a good YAC gain.
2. Michael Thomas
Hear me out. Michael Thomas was one of the biggest deep-threat WRs before a multitude of injuries plagued him. While it would be concerning for the Chargers to take a chance on him, a change of scenery could be exactly what Thomas needs.
The Chargers hired strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, who has received rave reviews from everyone around the league. The new staff in place along with head coach Jim Harbaugh could help to revitalize the career of Thomas.
Thomas and Herbert would be dangerous if the New Orleans Saints receiver could get back to his old self. A contract with Thomas would also not break the Chargers' bank, so a smaller "prove it" deal could be beneficial for both sides.
3. Odell Beckham Jr.
Much like Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr. has been hit with multiple injuries, derailing the dangerous threat he used to be. However, that is not to say that he is not productive. OBJ pulled in 565 yards and 3 TDs last season with the Ravens.
The Chargers could benefit well from having a veteran like OBJ in the building to guide Johnston along with whoever they decide to draft.
OBJ gained some of his steam back with the Ravens, and he could be a huge asset to the passing game of Herbert.
He may not be racking in the TDs, but his 16.1 YPC is enough for the Chargers to give him a hard look.
