NFL Free Agency Still Offers Big WR Names for Chargers...If Mike McDaniel Wants Them

The Chargers have been doing what Mike McDaniel wants. Would that include some free agent WRs?

Stefon Diggs | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers don’t sound like a team still wanting to add a wide receiver in free agency for Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. 

And yet…

The Chargers didn’t exactly sound like a team hunting for a tight end, either. Oronde Gadsden is a budding star at the spot, after all. But not long after the NFL draft, the Chargers went out and grabbed the top name at the position with David Njoku. 

Given the slow pace of the NFL free agent market this time of year, it feels like a never-say-never sort of situation, at least. 

Chargers still have WR options in NFL free agency

Stefon Diggs | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On paper, the Chargers don’t need help at wideout. They’ve rallied around former first-rounder Quentin Johnston after picking up his fifth-year option. 

The list of notable wideouts looks like this: 

• Ladd McConkey
• Quentin Johnston
• Tre Harris
• KeAndre Lambert-Smith
• Brenen Thompson

Not only is Ladd McConkey a No. 1, Tre Harris was a second-rounder and Brenen Thompson is a hand-picked prospect by McDaniel. 

But ESPN’s Matt Bowen recently listed the top remaining free agents and name-dropped two big wideouts: 

• Stefon Diggs
• Deebo Samuel

Diggs might be 32 years old, but he still caught 85 passes last year for 1,000-plus yards. 

Bowen noted that “Diggs is a natural separator who can line up inside or outside. Plus, he has the toughness to work the middle of the field on in-breaking concepts, a key element of coach Sean McVay's offense.”

Swap out “Sean McVay” for “Mike McDaniel” and perhaps there’s something worth exploring, right?

More notable is Samuel, who ranked among the top wideouts in yards after catch last year. More to the point, he’s got a proven relationship with McDaniel already based on their time in San Francisco together years ago. 

For Bowen, Samuel needs a coach who can “can create a long runway for Samuel to get up to speed on crossers, while building in manufactured touches on screens and fly sweeps.”

Again: McDaniel. 

Those aren’t the most attractive options for the Chargers. But like Njoku, if their trips to the market extend longer than expected, maybe the Chargers would be interested at a cheap price to at least keep the competition tense over the summer.

Overall, the offense has largely been about what McDaniel wants. They’re all-in. If McDaniel says he wants one of these big names, the Chargers won’t stop doing what he wants now. 

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