Chargers Re-Sign S Alohi Gilman
Alohi Gilman is sticking in Los Angeles. The Chargers announced that they’ve re-signed the free agent safety. It’s a multi-year pact for Gilman.
The 2020 sixth-round pick played out his rookie contract with the Chargers, appearing in 57 games. He gradually saw more defensive responsbility through his four seasons in the NFL, culminating in a 2023 campaign where he started all 14 of his appearances while playing in a career-high 928 defensive snaps. He missed three games thanks to a heel injury.
He finished the 2023 season with 73 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions. Pro Football Focus was especially fond of his performance last season, ranking him seventh among 95 qualifying safeties. This included the fifth-highest score at his position for his coverage ability.
While the Chargers will employ a new coaching staff in 2024, the team will have some continuity in their secondary. Gilman and Derwin James Jr. will once again top the depth chart at the two safety positions, and the latest signee it counting on an organizational turnaround in 2024.
“I’m an underdog story and you can say we’ve been underdogs for awhile and I want to change that,” Gilman told the team website. “I think I’m a good piece to add to that. Coach Harbaugh is all on board with that, his energy is contagious. I’m just super blessed.”
Chargers, Khalil Mack Agree To Restructure
At least one member of the four Chargers players thought to be potential cap casualties is on the way out. Mike Williams has been released, but edge rusher Khalil Mack will remain in Los Angeles in 2024. The latter has agreed to restructure his contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The former Defensive Player of the Year is due $23.5MM in 2024, but his cap hit was slated to sit at $38.5MM. The Bolts needed to make a few major cost-shedding moves to achieve cap compliance today, and the Williams release freed up $20MM in funds. Reworking the Mack contract will provide further breathing room.
This marks the third straight year the Chargers have restructured Mack’s contract. The 2023 adjustment created the whopping 2024 cap number, and with Mack’s Bears-constructed contract in its final year, it will be interesting to see what the Chargers do here. After Mack resurfaced with a career-best 17 sacks last season, Jim Harbaugh will keep him in the fold.
With Tom Telesco at the helm, the Chargers traded second- and sixth-round picks for Mack in March 2022. After a quiet debut, the former Raiders and Bears All-Pro posted his first double-digit sack season since 2018. The 33-year-old pass rusher has also proven durable for a Chargers team generally anything but, playing 17 games in each of his two Los Angeles seasons.
The Chargers discussed Williams, Mack, Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa in trades recently, and they pushed the Williams matter to the deadline. The team has moved under the salary cap via these two moves, but this became one of the more notable cap crunches in recent NFL history due to the team entering the compliance deadline day more than $25MM over the cap. With a new czar in charge, Mack, Bosa and Allen may not be full-on locks to stay with the Chargers — as trades could come about.
For now, however, the Bolts have checked off two of these four contracts. Allen and Bosa, however, are tied to cap hits north of $34MM. Like Mack, Allen is going into the final year of a contract. Bosa has two years remaining.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Patriots Inquire About Chargers’ Trade Candidates; Latest On Bolts’ Plans
The Chargers sit in their own space regarding cap room. As of Wednesday morning, only three teams are over the cap. But only the Bolts are more than $2MM over. Jim Harbaugh‘s team remains $25.2MM over the cap, and the deadline for cap compliance looms in less then five hours.
The team has not made a move involving the contracts of Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams or Khalil Mack. These four pillars double as the Chargers’ top cap hits, with 2023 restructures creating big 2024 numbers. All four check in beyond the $32MM place, putting the Chargers in crunch time as they begin the Harbaugh era.
The team has until 3pm CT to move under the $255.4MM cap, creating one of the more interesting salary situations in years. As OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald points out, the Bolts have four of the top 12 cap hits in the NFL.
Conversations about trades have taken place, and the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes the Patriots have discussed at least some of these trade candidates with the Bolts. New England features needs at both receiver and edge defender, though the team has done some work on those fronts in free agency. Kendrick Bourne and Josh Uche are returning for the Pats, but neither player’s resume comes particularly close to any of the Bolts’ trade chips.
This Pats news comes as they are pursuing Calvin Ridley. The team has made an offer to the recent Jaguars 1,000-yard receiver. A Ridley pickup would seemingly move an Allen or Williams acquisition off the table. The Pats still have Matt Judon under contract, with Uche back as a sidekick — albeit one on the inconsistent side — for at least the 2024 season. If the Patriots were to acquire Bosa or Mack, the team would certainly not run out a Judon-Uche starting duo.
New England still holds more than $59MM in cap space, leaving the team capable of absorbing one of the Los Angeles contracts. The Bolts are widely expected to trade at least one of these contracts (possibly more) today, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske tweets. A trade or release transaction involving one of this foursome should be expected, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.
The Chargers’ cap situation will make teams less inclined to fork over major assets here, as the league knows the Bolts will have to cut a player or two if no trade can come to pass. That said, a team that does not like its chances of landing one of these players on the open market could be well served to make a trade, and the Bolts have been open to that for a bit now.
All four players are tied to deals at or north of $20MM per year. Allen, 31, has been with the Chargers since 2013. Bosa, 28, has spent eight seasons with the team. Both are among the top players at their respective positions. Mack, 33, qualifies for such a classification as well; he bounced back in a big way last season, totaling a career-high 17 sacks. Williams, 29, missed most of last season with an ACL tear. The former top-10 pick’s injury history will certainly limit his trade appeal. One season remains on Mack, Williams and Allen’s contracts; Bosa is signed through 2025.
Derek Watt Announces Retirement
Derek Watt is calling it a career. The fullback announced on Instagram that he’s retiring from the NFL.
“It is with great honor and gratitude that I officially announce my retirement and the end to my career,” Watt wrote. “A career that ended up being about so much more than just the game that I love. The [seven] years with [two] great organizations, 110 career games, and lifelong friendships and memories that I’ve been fortunate enough to make have been nothing short of amazing.”
While he never hit the same career pinnacle as his brothers, J.J. Watt and T.J. Watt, Derek Watt still managed to put together a seven-year career. The former sixth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers, garnering 47 touches in 64 games.
In 2020, he inked a three-year, $9.75MM deal to play alongside T.J. in Pittsburgh. Watt ended up getting into 46 games during his three seasons with the Steelers, including 34 over the past two years. He actually had a “career season” in 2022 from an offensive perspective, collecting 32 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
Watt also had a significant special teams role throughout his career, as he averaged more than 286 ST snaps per season. He finished his career with 61 tackles.
Commanders To Sign RB Austin Ekeler
Letting Antonio Gibson walk (to the Patriots) earlier Monday, the Commanders are bringing in a bigger name. Today’s running back carousel will now see Austin Ekeler change time zones.
Ekeler is headed to Washington on a two-year deal worth up to $11.43MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Ekeler led the NFL in touchdowns in 2021 and ’22, being a vital piece during the early Justin Herbert years. But the Chargers did not budge on an extension. This will lead the dynamic back to join Kliff Kingsbury in Washington.
In terms of base value, the Commanders are set to pay Ekeler $8.43MM, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Ekeler’s $4.21MM in 2024 is fully guaranteed, and he will be tied to a $3MM number in 2025. Additionally, $510K in per-game roster bonuses are in place each season. Incentives — worth $1.5MM each season — comprise the remaining $3MM.
This will reunite Ekeler with ex-Chargers HC Anthony Lynn, who was in charge when the team extended the former UDFA. That was a four-year $24.5MM contract extension he signed with the organization back in 2020. Last offseason, Ekeler sought out a raise on a new Chargers deal, and when an extension didn’t materialize, he asked for and was granted permission to seek a trade. No suitors emerged, and he ultimately remained in Los Angeles on a re-worked contract.
The 2023 campaign was an important one for Ekeler given his status as a pending free agent. The 28-year-old was limited to 14 games, however, and he was less efficient when on the field (3.5 yards per carry) than any other season in his career. After scoring 38 total touchdowns from 2021-22, Ekeler managed only six as part of a Chargers offense which struggled across the board but especially in the ground game.
Considering his connection to the coaching staff, the Commanders surely know what they have in their new RB. The Commanders watched Gibson, their primary pass-catching back, leave for the Patriots today, opening a major hole on offense. The team is still rostering Brian Robinson, who topped 1,100 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns during his second season in the NFL. The team will surely lean on both of their top RBs, especially with Robinson showing some development in his receiving game in 2023.
The Chargers already started preparing for a new RBs corps today, as they agreed to a deal with former Ravens back Gus Edwards. 2024 backup Joshua Kelley is also a free agent, so the Chargers will surely be in the market for additional depth at the position.
Chargers, TE Will Dissly Agree To Deal
Having already added Gus Edwards on offense, the Chargers will make another multi-year investment in the opening period of free agency. Tight end Will Dissly has agreed to a three-year, $14MM deal including $10MM fully guaranteed, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
A former fourth-round pick, Dissly previously spent his entire career in Seattle. The tight end earned a name for himself thanks to his blocking ability. The veteran has always graded as an above-average blocker, including this past season when Pro Football Focus ranked him as the best pass blocker and third-best run blocker at his position.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Dissly has been a complete zero on offense. The tight end has averaged 24 catches per season over the past four years, including a 2022 campaign where he hauled in a career-high 34 receptions for 349 yards and three scores. He finished this past season with 17 catches for 172 yards and one touchdown.
Gerald Everett is a free agent, leaving a hole atop the Chargers depth chart. There’s a chance that Dissly is only part of Jim Harbaugh‘s solution at the position, and the Chargers could look to continue adding to the position via free agency or the draft. The team is also rostering Donald Parham Jr. and Stone Smartt.
Chargers To Sign RB Gus Edwards
Gus Edwards will not be playing under John Harbaugh in 2024 for the first time in his career, but he will be working alongside his brother Jim in Los Angeles. The veteran running back has agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Edwards started with the Ravens as one of their usual finds in the undrafted free agent market. He benefitted from injuries to starting quarterback Joe Flacco and the late Alex Collins. With Flacco injured, the Ravens turned to then-rookie Lamar Jackson. Without a full offseason to mold the offense into what it would eventually become under Jackson, Baltimore resorted to lots of read-option plays in which the big, bruising “Gus the Bus” would either rumble forward for an average of 5.2 yards per carry or allow Jackson to run it himself.
After earning the team’s trust over longer-tenured backups like Kenneth Dixon and Javorius Allen, Edwards found himself returning each year alongside Jackson. Though he was never considered a premier back, often serving as a second, short-distance option behind Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, Edwards routinely got his due. The only time Edwards rushed for fewer than 711 yards was when he missed half the year in 2022 with injury. In a contract year with Baltimore in 2023, Edwards delivered career numbers, scoring 13 times with 810 rushing yards.
Baltimore has been expecting the exit. They are currently only set to return Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell, so running back has been noted as a high priority for them this offseason. Many high-profile free agents are coming off the board, but Derrick Henry looms large, and the team could always choose to bring back Dobbins. If not, the draft should provide plenty of talented options to pair with Hill and the electric Mitchell.
In Los Angeles, Edwards may finally get his opportunity to be a main starter. He reunites with former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who should have quite a bit of trust in the bruising back. With Austin Ekeler headed to Washington and Joshua Kelley also a free agent, Edwards seems to be the guy in the Chargers run game. The team should return young backups like Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson, but they’re likely to remain backups. Depending on how the Chargers view Spiller and Dotson as secondary options, it may make sense for Los Angeles to continue and monitor the draft and free agency for additional supplements to the position.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Chargers Open To Trading OLBs Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack
MARCH 10: Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated confirms the Chargers have had “exploratory trade talks” concerning not only Bosa and Mack, but also both members of the Allen-Williams receiver tandem. Of those, Breer unsurprisingly notes Allen is the likeliest to stay, something which matches the veteran’s comments on his future. Still, a cost-shedding move of some kind could be coming soon on Los Angeles’ part.
MARCH 9: According to OverTheCap.com, the Chargers have the second-least amount of cap space in the NFL with only the Dolphins exceeding the salary cap by more than Los Angeles. They’re currently $21.14MM over the salary cap and are set to eat $27.31MM of dead money in 2024, also second-most in the NFL.
As a result, it appears the Chargers are exploring options to clear some cap space while potentially bringing in a bit of draft capital, as well. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the team is currently “open to trade offers for many veteran players including Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.” 
Mack and Bosa currently make up the team’s largest two cap hits at $38.52MM and $36.61MM, respectively. Trading those two players alone, the team would be able to clear out $23.25MM (Mack) and $14.39MM (Bosa) of cap savings, though the team would be eating $15.27MM (Mack) and $22.22MM (Bosa) of dead money in the deals. The report from Russini also says “many veteran players,” though, and the next three biggest cap hits on the roster are veteran receivers Keenan Allen ($34.72MM) and Mike Williams ($32.46MM) and safety Derwin James ($19.86MM).
Would the Chargers really get rid of quarterback Justin Herbert‘s top two targets? Allen has been one of the league’s more consistent producers since 2017, as long as he stays on the field. Over that time, Allen has averaged around 75 yards per game and can usually deliver six to eight touchdowns. He’s missed 40 of a possible 179 career games, including 11 in the past two seasons, but despite four missed games in 2023, Allen averaged a career-high 95.6 yards per game and scored seven touchdowns at 31 years old.
Williams has also missed his fair share of games (27 of a possible 115), including 14 games missed with a torn ACL in 2023. When healthy, Williams has established himself as a strong WR2, twice surpassing 1,000 receiving yards and twice surpassing nine receiving touchdowns. Williams struggles to provide the same consistency as Allen but is still a strong contributor. If traded, Allen would provide $23.1MM of cap savings and result in $11.62MM of dead money, while a trade of Williams could provide $20MM of cap savings and result in $12.46MM of dead money.
James is yet another high-cost player who has struggled to stay on the field in his career. After appearing in every game as a rookie, James has missed 33 of a possible 83 games since. Despite leading the team in tackles this year, James had the worst NFL season of his career, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), grading out as the 71st best safety out of 95 graded players. Before this season, James hadn’t graded out worse than 12th. He showed decent pass rush and run defense in 2023, but graded out poorly in coverage. A James-trade would need to be a post-June 1 transaction. If traded pre-June 1, James would still cost the Chargers $1.46MM of cap space, while a post-June 1 designation would save the team $12.75MM of cap space.
Those players are all question marks, but Mack and Bosa have been blatantly named. Bosa started his career as one of the league’s most electric pass rushers with 23.0 sacks in his first two years, despite missing four games his rookie year. While he still threatens to put up double-digit sacks each year, he has to stay on the field in order to do so, and he has missed half the season three times in his career, including the most recent two seasons. If his physical shows the potential for a full return to form, he could fetch a high price in trade talks.
Los Angeles will try to sell high on Mack, who had a career year at 32 years old. Mack was a world-beater early in his career, racking up 40.5 sacks and a Defensive Player of the Year award with the Raiders. Though his production dipped a bit after getting traded to Chicago, Mack still made three straight Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Bear. Mack was traded once again to the Chargers in 2022, and after a decent first season in LA, Mack delivered a career-high 17.0 sacks in 2023, his first time delivering double-digit sacks since his first year in Chicago in 2018.
It’s unclear just how much Los Angeles is willing to part with this spring. Clearly, “many veteran players” have been advertised as available, including Mack and Bosa, but it’s hard to say just how many of those high-cap players will be shipped out. There are other ways to try and lower the players’ cap impacts, like restructures to current deals, but the easiest way may be to clear them off your books (for the most part) and get something in return. It will be interesting to see how much the Chargers are willing to give up in order to rebuild around Herbert.
Chargers, Ravens, Bears Among “Serious Suitors” For Saquon Barkley
Running back Saquon Barkley is one of the highest-profile free agents in this year’s cycle, and there have been plenty of rumors concerning his next destination already. Some of those rumors may be solidifying into something more concrete.
Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com spoke with more than a dozen managers, executives, coaches, scouts, and agents, and while there was of course some variation in their responses, most expected that Barkley would land a contract worth $10MM per year, with a three-year, $30MM pact a seemingly likely outcome.
Given the notoriously stagnant running back market, it is fair to wonder whether any team would be willing to cough up that kind of money to an RB with a concering injury history who is coming off a season in which he posted a 3.9 YPC rate. However, the consensus among Raanan’s sources was that Barkley is good enough to warrant an eight-figure-per-year deal, with one pro personnel director saying, “if he was in San Francisco, he would be Christian McCaffrey. He hasn’t had an offensive line, ever, in New York.”
So, while Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported that the Giants are among the teams that do not see value in authorizing a $10MM+ AAV for a running back, it seems there will be at least one other club willing to make that kind of commitment for a player with Barkley’s ability. Per Raanan, the Chargers, Ravens, and Bears are among the most serious suitors for Barkley’s services.
The Chargers are something of a curious fit here. After all, the cap-strapped outfit is allowing its own multi-threat RB, Austin Ekeler, test the market and is reportedly willing to entertain trades for some of its best players in order to alleviate its salary cap issues.
The Ravens are more of a logical suitor. Previous reports have suggested the team will prioritize a running back addition, and given the importance of the ground game to Baltimore’s offensive attack, a notable contract for an RB is more justifiable for the Ravens than it would be for many teams. That is especially true in light of the fact that Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell — who suffered an ACL tear in Week 15 — are the only two backs currently under club control.
The Bears, meanwhile, are likely to trade quarterback Justin Fields and draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. Having a QB1 on a rookie contract affords a team luxuries that it might not otherwise enjoy, and a splurge for a running back who is also adept as a receiver and who can therefore take the pressure off a young signal-caller in multiple ways makes plenty of sense.
While recent reports hinting at a Barkley-Eagles marriage were intriguing because of Philadelphia’s intra-divisional rivalry with the Giants, Raanan says neither the Eagles nor the Cowboys, another NFC East foe, are likely to meet Barkley’s asking price. Both of those teams may have RB needs, but they both seem prepared to fill those needs via a different tier of the market. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com agrees that Dallas will unlikely get involved in the Barkley sweepstakes unless he is willing to settle for a $5MM-$6MM AAV, though a Tony Pollard re-up remains in play (subscription required).
A February report indicated that the Texans were Barkley’s preferred destination. With respect to Houston’s involvement, Raanan merely writes that the club is rumored to have interest.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/24
Here are the league’s tender decisions as we head into the weekend:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Panthers: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Chargers: K Cameron Dicker, T Foster Sarell
Los Angeles will retain Dicker and Sarell for the 2024 season. After making three starts in 2022, Sarell appeared in every contest for the Chargers in 2023. Dicker returns after a superb season as the team’s placekicker in 2023. After missing only one kick in 10 games in 2022, Dicker provided more brilliance in a full season as the team’s designated leg. Dicker made 31 of 33 field goal attempts, showing range with seven made kicks over 50 yards. Only two years in, Dicker is showing a resemblance to the other great Longhorn kicker in the league. The only three misses of his career have come from over 50 yards out, and he has yet to miss an extra point in his two years of play.
Carolina has made the call not to tender Smith-Marsette. The team’s primary punt returner in 2023, Smith-Marsette led the league in punts returned, taking one to the house in a Week 10 loss to the Bears. While the Panthers won’t tender him, both sides are reportedly open to working towards a re-sign for 2024.