The Los Angeles Chargers have their head coach of the future in Jim Harbaugh. However, a coach can’t win games without good players, and the Chargers might lose a few familiar faces over the next few months. The fine folks at Bleacher Report recently released an article detailing one offseason move each team should make, and several transactions involve current Chargers.
Now, it’s important to note that most of these Chargers moves aren’t directly because of Jim Harbaugh, but rather due to the salary cap. As of this posting, the team is $44 million over the cap, so they’ll need to make some big decisions in the coming months. Bleacher Report seemingly believes that trading away big-name talent is the way the Chargers will both circumvent the salary cap and kick off a new youth movement with the roster.
Chargers Expected To Lose Multiple Longtime Stars Following Jim Harbaugh Hire
Trade 1: Keenan Allen to the Arizona Cardinals
As mentioned in previous articles, Keenan Allen is one of the most likely wide receiver cap casualties in the league. The Chargers icon carries a $34.7 million cap hit, and there is a chance Jim Harbaugh and company will move away from one of the most reliable receivers in franchise history. Bleacher Report also believes this will happen, and that the team can get a decent return for his services.
Hypothetical Trade We’d Love to See: 2024 third-round pick, WR Rondale Moore for WR Keenan Allen
Trading Allen would save Los Angeles $23.1 million in cap space. Given his age (32 in April) and contract, Allen probably won’t bring a premium return. Arizona might be able to pry him away for a Day 2 selection and 23-year-old receiver Rondale Moore.
The probability of this trade is highly dependent upon whether or not Jim Harbaugh thinks he can win with the current iteration of the Chargers roster. Rondale Moore is probably never going to be anything more than a fun gadget player, but getting a third-round pick and saving $23.1 million against the cap is a great long-term return for a 32-year-old player. However, there is no denying that this trade would make the Chargers worse in the short term. Mike Williams is also likely to find a new team, so Justin Herbert will have nobody to throw to if Allen also departs.
Trade 2: Khalil Mack to the Atlanta Falcons
Speaking of big-name veterans with even larger cap hits, Khalil Mack is essentially the defensive version of Keenan Allen. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and costs a fortune to keep around, but still looked like an impact player when on the field. Mack is entering his age-33 season and, even though he had 17 sacks last year, he can’t possibly have that many more years of elite play left in his tank. Bleacher Report believes that the Chargers will get what they can for the veteran by dealing him to an up-and-coming team in the Atlanta Falcons.
Top Trade Targets: QB Justin Fields, EDGE Khalil Mack, Top-Three Draft Pick
Defensively, the Falcons could desperately use a high-end pass-rusher. Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree both led the team with 6.5 sacks apiece and both are impending free agents.
Bleacher Report doesn’t mention why Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers would want to trade Khalil Mack, but it all comes down to money. Mack carries a $38.5 million cap hit and Los Angeles can free up $23.25 million by parting ways with the veteran. Technically, they could get under the salary cap just by making these two transactions. The only question is whether or not Harbaugh wants to go all-in on 2024 or reset the clock and work on building a sustained winner.
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