Top potential landing spots for ex-Chargers WR Mike Williams

Needing to be cap compliant by the 4 p.m. ET deadline when the new NFL league year begins, the Los Angeles Chargers cleared more than $20 million by releasing receiver Mike Williams.

The seventh overall pick of the 2017 draft, Williams missed most of the 2023 season with a torn ACL but is expected to be ready to practice by the start of training camp at the end of July.

There are several teams that could use Williams’ big-play ability and here are five that could be among his top suitors in free agency:

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens took a shot on a former star receiver coming off a serious injury last season and it didn’t quite work out, but unlike Odell Beckham Jr., Williams doesn’t have the complicated injury history (Beckham Jr. has missed 52 games in 10 seasons; Williams has only missed 26 in seven seasons.)

With second-year wideout Zay Flowers firmly entrenched as Baltimore’s No. 1 WR, the 29-year-old Williams could step in as the No. 2 and fill Beckham’s old role as the downfield threat. Williams, who has averaged 15.6 yards per reception over his career, has 44 receptions of 20 or more yards since 2017 and has hauled in 12 of his 31 career touchdowns on deep passes. Adding a receiver of Williams’ caliber would make the Ravens passing offense all the more dangerous.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers had one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL last season and even after Tuesday’s trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Diontae Johnson, the group still needs some work. From 2018 to 2022 (years in which he started 10 or more games), Williams was targeted 92.6 times per season while averaging 892 yards and six touchdown per year – both of which would be fine numbers as the Panthers' second option behind Johnson. 

With Williams presumably signing a one-year prove-it deal, Carolina doesn’t need him to come in and be the star of the show. The Panthers could potentially use a high draft pick on a receiver in April and really all they would need from Williams in that scenario is one productive season while they break in a rookie wideout and let Johnson settle into a new offense.

Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes proved he doesn’t need a bona-fide No. 1 receiver to win a Super Bowl, but just because he can do it, that doesn’t mean the Chiefs should make him. Rashee Rice had an excellent rookie season (79 receptions, 938 yards, seven touchdowns), but there’s still questions lingering about whether he’s a player capable of carrying a WR room.

And while Rice might ultimately be just that, adding Williams alongside him would give the Chiefs the true big-play threat that they’ve been missing since trading away Tyreek Hill. Williams works the deep ball like few in the league and pairing him with Rice and tight end Travis Kelce would give Mahomes arguably his best group of pass catchers since 2019 with he had Kelce, Hill, Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson.

New England Patriots

Re-signing Kendrick Bourne was a good start to free agency for the Patriots, but the team clearly needs to add more help for whoever is throwing passes for them in 2024, whether it be Jacoby Brissett or a rookie first-round pick.

DeMario Douglas was solid for a rookie (49 receptions, 561 yards), but he’s not ready to be at the top of a depth chart. Pairing Williams with Bourne would give New England two proven starters out wide with Douglas working in the slot, and the team could perhaps add another pass-catcher through the draft (Ladd McConkey, Adonai Mitchell, Troy Franklin, Xavier Worthy) or free agency (Calvin Ridley, Michael Thomas, Josh Reynolds, Tyler Boyd).