Odafe Oweh’s Chargers Future, Franchise Tag Status Hinted in NFL Combine Buzz

So much for the idea the Los Angeles Chargers would do whatever it takes to keep Odafe Oweh.

The Chargers traded for Oweh in the middle of last season, investing in the former first-rounder while Khalil Mack battled an injury in a post-Joey Bosa world. He responded with breakout play, posting 7.5 sacks in 12 games.

With defensive coordinator Jesse Minter gone, it was easy to pair the long-term upside of Oweh with the need to help new coordinator Chris O’Leary and come to the conclusion that the Chargers simply wouldn't let him get away.

Even if it meant using the franchise tag.

Well, apparently not.

Chargers prepping to lose Odafe Oweh and not using franchise tag?

Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh react after a defensive play. — Odafe Oweh | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Chargers have the franchise tag in their back pocket if they can’t get a key player under contract before free agency opens.

Oweh is a textbook example: Using the tag to extend the long-term contract negotiations well into the summer seems like a no-brainer.

But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, that’s just not the vibe coming from the NFL combine:

“The sense at the end of the week is that Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) and Odafe Oweh (Chargers) will probably not be franchise-tagged. That could change over the next 48 hours, but Oweh has not received any indication that he will be tagged…”

Nothing so far has expressed confidence that the Chargers think they can actually get Oweh under contract before free agency starts.

In fact, some reporting and even analysis of comments from Joe Hortiz make it sound like they're comfortable losing Oweh if his price goes too high.

It’s an odd thing to come to grips with. The Chargers have roughly $85.4 million in free cap space before any other cap-creating moves.

A franchise tag or transition tag, depending on how they go about it, would register as one of these numbers:

Defensive End: $24.434 million, $21.512 million
Linebacker: $26.865 million, $21.925 million

Not ideal, but not terrible either.

Finding steals and getting great production out of them has been a key theme of the Jim Harbaugh era for the Chargers so far. But at some point, that has to gradually shift into finding the gems, then paying up to keep them while all-in on fighting for championships.

Oweh just felt like a natural progression point there. But the rumblings right now certainly suggest otherwise.

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