The Los Angeles Chargers have spent the majority of this offseason sitting idly by. They weren’t active in free agency, spending a lot of time reworking the contracts of players already on the team. Los Angeles’ cap situation isn’t a pretty one heading into the future, as there are some massive cap hits on the books.
That is what happens when you kick the money down the line as there will eventually be repercussions. There could be even more money added onto the books depending on what the Chargers do with the fifth-year option for linebacker Kenneth Murray.
Murray was the No. 23 overall pick out of Oklahoma in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Chargers made a trade up the board with the New England Patriots to select him and thus far, this is a trade that hasn’t worked out in their favor.
The Patriots ended up with safety Kyle Dugger and EDGE defender Josh Uche as part of the deal, using the draft picks acquired to select them. Dugger is a star in the making while Uche has shown some real pass-rushing potential. Murray, on the other hand, has been quite middling.
In three seasons he has yet to record a PFF grade above 55. His total grade of 44.0 is 123rd out of 144 players, while his PFF WAR of -0.14 is 270th. With an option worth $11,727,000, PFF is predicting that the Chargers will decline Murray’s fifth-year option.
Based on his production alone, it is hard to argue against that prediction. In 17 games last season, 16 starts, Murray had 76 tackles with seven tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, 1.0 sacks, one interception and three passes defended.
Given how the Chargers have handled the linebacker position in recent offseason, allowing Kyzir White to leave in free agency in 2022 and Drue Tranquil to walk out the door this year, maybe they are higher on Murray than outsiders are. But, given what their books look like for 2024 already and the fact that option would make him a top-10 paid player at the position, it seems unlikely he will have his option exercised.
There is no real incentive for the Chargers to guarantee Murray that money. If he has a breakout 2023 season, they can work out a long-term deal with a lower cap hit than $11.727 million.
Bobby Okereke, one of the top linebackers in free agency this year, signed a deal worth $10 million annually with the New York Giants. If Murray performs at the level Okereke has, the Chargers will have no qualms about working out a long-term deal worth that kind of money in the 2024 offseason.
For now, the right decision is to decline the option. Los Angeles could have some major turnover on their roster following the 2023 season and having as little money tied up as possible is ideal.
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